Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Alexander Harmash, pastor of Steps to Christ Church

On April 12, Steps to Christ Church in Federal Way hosted a regional youth gathering that brought together about 120 young people from across Washington Conference. The event was organized to encourage fellowship, connection, and spiritual growth through worship and testimony.

What began as a local youth group meeting turned into a cross-church initiative after five or six English-speaking non-Adventist youth started attending Friday night gatherings at Steps to Christ. The youth group—usually communicating in a mix of Russian, Ukrainian, and English—responded with warmth and openness, embracing the opportunity to include new friends.

This cross-cultural moment sparked the idea to hold a youth evening entirely in English and invite young people from other churches and communities. The result was a vibrant event filled with joyful fellowship, praise music, and a powerful gospel message.

Guest speaker Pastor Ofa Langi from Auburn City Church shared a compelling message about surrendering to Christ. His appeal at the end of the message led to a moving response, with a group of youth stepping forward to dedicate their lives to God—including the five young people who had recently joined the Friday meetings.

The youth-led worship, testimonies, and informal fellowship time highlighted the beauty of unity in diversity and the impact of intentional outreach. Organizers say this event is only the beginning of more collaborative youth ministry efforts in the region.

Steps to Christ Church is a congregation composed of families from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries from the former Soviet Union. Yet through this event, the church demonstrated how mission and ministry transcend language and culture.

As Ellen G. White wrote in The Desire of Ages, “Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us” (p. 641).

This gathering reminded all present that it is the love of Christ that draws hearts together, and this love naturally overflows into a desire to serve others. Inspired by Jesus, the youth were united not only by language or culture, but by a shared longing to reflect His love to the world around them.