In Oslo, young Adventists value social relationships and community. Find out how your 13th Sabbath Offering in 2017 helped youth in Norway connect in exciting ways.
In the 1880s, Ellen White visited Oslo, Norway, and preached at the Betel Seventh-day Adventist Church. Today, Oslo is one of Europe’s most expensive cities, although it ranks high on quality of life. It’s the center of the Norwegian economy and government.
The Betel Church still operates at a prime location in the heart of the city. On Sabbath, you’ll find a melting pot of cultures forming Sabbath school classes and then coming together for the main service.
In this church, youth are a high priority. In 2017, a portion of your 13th Sabbath Offering started a renovation project for a space specifically for youth outreach.
The youth group in Oslo is very active and inclusive. Today, Aleks and Marielle are asking church members to spread the word about upcoming events to any young person they know.
There are universities scattered throughout Oslo, with many students hoping to make new friends. This group happily welcomes newcomers into the close-knit community. Events are scheduled throughout the week for the youth to connect with each other outside of church too.
“I love the cabin trips that we have, going skiing, and hanging out together. Because then you get to have a lot of deep conversations together with friends that you normally don’t get the possibility to in normal settings.”
“I’m a very social being. I need to be around people. We have a bunch of great guys and girls here. They’re good people to hang around with.”
On this Sabbath, they’ve planned a picnic in the park after church where they can socialize, play games, and get to know each other.
“I don’t always think about it as being the youth group, more as just my friends. We want to go hang out and we can make an arrangement and get together.”
Each Sabbath afternoon, the youth group from the Betel Church joins young Adventists and their friends from all over Oslo for conversation, testimonies, and music. This gives them another opportunity to recharge spiritually and socially.
Although this larger community benefits from spending time together, there are many in Oslo who don’t know Jesus. The challenges of working in such a large urban area can be discouraging.
“Norway is a very secular country. Of course, it makes it more difficult for mission work or telling people about the gospel. Everyone has sort of heard about it and made their own opinion about it, so it makes it very difficult to show how good the gospel really is.”
The young people in Oslo ask Adventists around the world to join them in prayer.
“We need prayer to help us have the best kind of environment so people can get more involved with God and each other. Pray for some spiritual guidance. Help us to be better at meeting people and show others we are Christians.”
Please pray for this group in Norway, and thank you for your support of the 13th Sabbath Offering that is helping this group reach more young people.
