For many youth in the Adventist Church, there is a lack of connection to their faith. Young adults often struggle to connect with their beliefs in meaningful and relevant ways. Additionally, there is a lack of mentorship opportunities. Young adults often lack guidance and mentorship from experienced leaders willing to provide the support and wisdom needed to navigate their faith journey.
As part of ongoing work to increase cooperation and collaboration between different generations and different churches, the Waterloo and Hawkeye churches in Iowa collaborated on a community giveaway event.
February 8 marked the day of the outreach in Hawkeye with the Pathfinders. The youth who handed out bags first met at the Hawkeye Church, then visited the Bonjour family and joined the rest of the Hawkeye church members for supper. In total, 18 youth participated, accompanied by five additional adults from the Pathfinder and Adventurer groups.
After Sabbath services and a potluck at the Waterloo Church, the youth, family members, and group leaders drove to Hawkeye. Both Waterloo and Hawkeye groups gathered at the Hawkeye Church to review the map and organize into smaller teams to pass out the bags. Dein and Cheyenne Gosse of the Hawkeye Church divided the teams, with head elder Richard Bonjour and retired pastor Garry Birth supervising the distribution.
As the youth walked through the town, handing out over 200 Valentine’s Day baggies filled with reminders of Jesus’ love, several Pathfinders took the time to chat with community members. To add to the beauty of the moment, a gentle flurry of snowflakes began to fall.
When everyone returned to the Bonjour family’s house, the women of Hawkeye had a warm supper ready for the group. The evening continued with vespers led by Pastor Meshach Faeteetee, who also offered a prayer before the meal of haystacks. Following supper, the Pathfinders worked on earning their Rocks and Minerals honor—a lesson Kathleen Bonjour was asked to teach, as the Bonjour family owns an extensive rock collection at their house. During the presentation, Eileen Birth contributed as a subject matter expert on identifying rocks and minerals.
The Waterloo Pathfinder and Adventurer youth brought the energy, much like propellers on an airplane, generating forward motion and carrying the message of Jesus’ love. Meanwhile, the experienced Hawkeye leaders provided guidance, much like flaps on an airplane, helping channel the youth’s enthusiasm into focused learning and growth. The evening was a multi-sensory experience, nurturing both minds and hearts through hands-on activities and meaningful mentorship.
Adding to the excitement, Eileen went through some of the family’s rock collection, allowing each youth to take home several rocks for their personal collections—a tangible reminder of the experience.
Outcomes of this collaborative event include:
At the end of the enriching evening, everyone returned home safely through the snowstorm. We deeply appreciate the effort it took for the Hawkeye leaders to offer such a high-quality learning opportunity. Thank you for hosting such a wonderful experience!
Shoshannah Guerrero is the Waterloo, Iowa, Adventurer club leader.
