Youth Ministries Director:
Reinaldo Dracket

Seventh-day Adventist educators affirm and confess Jesus Christ, the Master teacher, as our mentor. Learning from Him we strive to discipline our students, modeling His ways with people.

The Adventist church runs one of the largest Protestant educational systems in the world. It operates 7,000 schools, colleges and universities, with a total enrollment of more than 1,300,000 students and approximately 69,000 teachers. The Adventist educational program is comprehensive, encompassing "mental, physical, social, and spiritual health" with "intellectual growth and service to humanity" its goal.

Though primary education for children was advocated by Adventists during the 1850s and 1860s, it was not until the early 1870s that the newly budding Adventist Church began to recognize and develop a denominationally-based school system. The Adventist interests in propagating education was founded upon the philosophy that students at all levels of schooling possess individuality and should be educated to use their God-given capacities to become individuals of principle, qualified for any position of life. Education was to begin in the home where the basic values of redemptive discipline and mental and physical health were to be balanced with the importance of work.

Since these early days Adventists have embraced the philosophy that education should be redemptive in nature, for the purpose of restoring human beings to the image of God, our Creator. Mental, physical, social, and spiritual health, intellectual growth, and service to humanity form a core of values that are essential aspects of the Adventist education philosophy.

To ensure that the church gives appropriate and professional approach to the church's education interests, an Education Department was established on all levels of the church's administrative system, with responsibility to ensure that the Adventist philosophy of education and the principles of faith-and-learning are integrated into the life of each of its 1.1 million students in its 5,600 schools, colleges and universities around the world. Working closely with the education offices of the 13 world divisions (regions) of the church, operating schools in nearly 145 countries, staff at the corporate world headquarters helps to ensure the quality of the global Seventh-day Adventist educational system and its work also includes collaboration with other ministries of the church to help nurture the faith of Adventist students attending colleges and universities outside of the denomination system worldwide.

The Youth Department of the Adventist church runs an organization for 10- to 15-year-old boys and girls called Pathfinders, which is similar to the Boy Scouts, except that membership is open to both genders. Pathfinder’s exposes young people to such activities as camping, community service, personal mentorship, skills-based education, and trains them for leadership. Yearly "Camporees" are held in individual Conferences, where Pathfinders from the region gather and participate in events similar to Boy Scouts' Jamborees.

For younger children ages 0-6, "Adventurer", "Eager Beaver", and "Little Lambs" clubs are programs that feed into the Pathfinder program.

Thus, the Education and Youth Department aspires towards:

• The salvation of youth through Jesus Christ Equipping youth for service.
• Lead youth to understand their individual worth by helping them discover and develop their spiritual gifts and abilities.
• Equip and empower youth for a life of service within God's church and community.
• Ensure the integration of youth into all aspects of church life and leadership, making them full participants in the mission of the church.
• Achieve a balanced ministry to the needs of youth.
• Conduct ongoing research to discover areas that need attention in the ever changing youth culture by seeking divine guidance in God's Word.