The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) participated in this year’s Young Professionals Conference, held in Houston, Texas, this past summer. This marks the fourth consecutive year of ADRA’s active involvement, showcasing its unwavering commitment to empowering young professionals and fostering awareness of positive change worldwide.
The purpose of the Adventist Young Professionals (AYP) Convention is to bring together professionals from all around the world for networking, information sharing, and spiritual connections. This year, the convention’s theme was “Cultivate: Rhythms of Christ.” More than 500 participants were in attendance who participated in the event.
At the event, ADRA had an opportunity to sponsor and lead an outreach project where participants were encouraged to write letters of hope and gratitude to current frontline workers who work in the world’s disaster areas, led by Arjay Arellano and Kimi-Roux James. Around 50 attendees participated in this outreach project, and all the cards the attendees wrote in will be soon distributed to the front-line workers.
Arellano, ADRA video production manager, also led a session called, “Dignity in Storytelling: The Challenges of Telling the Stories of the Least of Us.” The session was about the need to uphold and reflect dignity in the career of storytelling. He spoke on five key elements which included, acknowledging our privilege as storytellers, confronting our biases, the importance of consent, the need to consult and collaborate, and lastly evaluating language, framing, and context. The overall goal was to share with AYP attendees the process of how ADRA strives to represent our communities in stories.
ADRA representatives participated in the exhibit hall, where they could meet participants and share about community development disaster response, aligning with the convention’s theme of rhythm in Christ. The team also emphasized job opportunities, internships, and ADRA Connections.
James, ADRA customer service representative for church, schools, and community partnerships shares, “Attending AYP was exciting to meet young professionals who are well-established or getting started in their careers and who love God.”
Tim Kosaka, Founder and President of AYP has been moved by ADRA and AYP’s collaboration over the years. “Adventist Young Professionals profoundly values the enduring partnership and support of ADRA International,” he shared. “It is inspiring to witness ADRA International engaging with Adventist young professionals, valuing their perspectives, and aiding them in understanding the synergy between humanitarian work and missions. This demonstrates to my fellow young professionals and me that our church acknowledges and appreciates us as vital contributors to the future of Christ’s mission.”
Kosoka also appreciated the ADRA-sponsored convention breakout sessions, saying they delivered “practical insights, equipping attendees with the tools to impact Christ profoundly.”
Overall, ADRA’s participation at the AYP Convention highlighted its commitment to the young adult community. Through workshops, panel discussions, and collaborations, ADRA showcased the importance of community-driven initiatives and the potential of future young leaders. This event helped strengthen ADRA’s work and its mission to promote justice, compassion, and love.
