Converge 2025 - Such a Blessing!
I was invited to Converge and loved it!
The Adventist Church in Australia values its young adults. A lot. The AUC is the only Union in the world that runs a young adult camp meeting. We call it Converge.
A decade ago, newly appointed AUC Youth Director Jeff Parker had an idea.
I had the honour of riding in the car with Jeff to dinner on Monday night at the end of Converge 2025. He was taking his youth directors to dinner to say thanks for making Converge 2025 really shine. It was a special weekend! (My first experience of Converge.)
Jeff invited the Life Group leaders (students who run small groups at their universities around Australia) to join the youth directors at dinner. I had just spent the afternoon guiding them in discussions about Disciple-Making and Small Group logistics.
In the car, it was just Jeff and I. So, it was storytime!
Jeff told me, a decade ago Converge was just an idea. A dream. He had just become the AUC Youth Director. The statistics said we were losing our youth, like all churches, when they went to University. How could we keep them? How could we let them know they are special and we love them? Converge was Jeff’s answer. A weekend just for them. All the best of camp-meeting but just for young adults. A long weekend of camping, worshipping, socialising, watersports, bible study, food and more.
At the 2013 Youth Advisory Meeting with the youth directors of the conferences of the Australian Union, whom Jeff mentors and resources, he told them about the idea. He told them they were going to run a young adult long weekend camp-meeting. The my would invite Adventist youth from all around Australia, and call it Converge. It was going to be held in February right before students went back to University. Jeff’s hope was that Converge would strengthen the relationship our Adventist university students have with Jesus and empower them spiritually before they headed back to study.
When he floated the idea to the youth directors, they unanimously said, “No, Jeff! We run summer camps in January. Junior camp. Teen camp. Youth camp. A week each! And then, you want us to run another one in February!?! We are dead in February!” Jeff smiled, left it on the table for a while and then said, “The first Converge is next February! I want you there. Your young adults need to see you there. But, I know you’re tired. So, here’s my promise: ‘If you are worn out from summer camps, just come. You don’t have to help with setup or take down. I just want you there so your youth see you and can chat with you.’ ”
Jeff glanced over at me, in the car, and said, “That promise still stands. They all come to Converge but only work at setup and takedown if they have the energy. Then we have our annual advisory the next couple of days.”
At the first Converge, 285 young adults from all over Australia converged on Stuarts Point Campground. It had been a great success. Such numbers! Young adults from every corner of Australia had made the trip. The youth directors joined Jeff in thanking Jesus they had pushed through all the barriers and difficulties. It was worth it!
“This year,” Jeff said as he deftly navigated another tight corner, “We had over 800 at Sabbath worship!”
Converge finished Monday morning with a powerful time of worship and prayer. Once the majority of the campers left, it was time for our Life Group training. I had two groups with whom I conducted training sessions. The first was on Monday afternoon, and the second was on Tuesday Morning. When I walked up to the table on Monday where my first group was to meet, there were two early birds. James, a Life Group leader from Newcastle University, turned to me and said, “Nyasha and I were just talking about our takeaways from Converge. What was yours?”
I sat down and framed my thoughts. “I’ve had so many chats with so many people this weekend. I’ve absolutely loved it! But, if I had to say the one thing that really shouts at me from this weekend, it is how great it is to see so many Adventist young adults all worshipping together. My takeaway is the joy that you know you are not alone! When you return to your small churches or no churches at University, you know the Adventist church in Australia is full of youth. Youth on fire for Jesus - just like you. Converge is such a blessing because it gives you that message loud and clear: You are not alone. You are loved!”
“Yeah,” James said, “And we are only a small percentage of the youth back home. A representative sample. You’re right. It is very encouraging.”
So, thanks, Jeff! Thanks for telling me the Converge story. And, thanks for dinner. To the youth directors who do so much every day to show the love of God to our youth - a HUGE thanks! You are making a difference. And Converge is changing lives!