Near North Back-to-School Youth Rally

Attendees sit outside for sundown worship.

Friend, you seriously missed out! The Near North Back-2-School Youth Rally at the Orillia Seventh-day Adventist Church was everything. The theme, “Strength for the Climb,” based on Isaiah 40:31, set the tone for a weekend that was both spiritually deep and ridiculously fun.

Friday night kicked off with powerful presentations from Chris Cardoza, co-chair of ACF Ontario, and Tiffany Mars, co-chair for Teens Ministry, who reminded everyone that their team is always looking for passionate people to join. The church may be small, but it was packed wall-to-wall with youth from Orillia, Toronto, Hamilton—literally everywhere.

Sabbath morning service was great! So much beautiful singing and heartfelt testimonies made the worship impactful. The weekend speaker was Elder Akehil Johnson. He charged us with a message titled “Wait and See,” challenging us not to follow the crowd, to trust God’s call over fear, and to wait and see Him move just like Gideon did.

Lunch on Sabbath was incredible, thanks to the Orillia church chefs. Then, in true Near North style, we took our faith to the streets… literally. Right in front of Twin Lakes Secondary School, everyone grabbed chalk and started writing messages of love and hope: “Jesus Loves You,” “You Are Loved,” “You’re Enough,” and “You Are Wonderfully Made.” It was simple, but so powerful.

Teens Co-Chair, Tiffany Mars, gives a back-to-school gift to a student.

As the sun set, we gathered outside for AY. There was singing, laughter, and a lot of discussion, all while golden streaks were in the sky. It was so beautiful. Also, students in high school, college, and university received gift bags with resources for the new school year.

The evening wrapped up at Dios Con Nosotros Church for a massive games night that was loud, high-energy, and filled with laughter. Nobody wanted it to end.

Seriously, you should’ve been there. Next time, don’t miss the climb.