Watch Generation of Youth for Christ LIVE online

This year's Generation of Youth for Christ (GYC) conference is taking place from Dec. 28, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013 in Seattle, Wash.

"Acts: The Revolution Continues," is the theme for this 5-day youth event.

No matter how many times you ditch Him, God will never give up on you

In 2006, a skit was performed illustarting how God never gives up on you, even when you abandon Him. Since then, this skit has been performed countless times by youth groups around the world. If you still haven't seen Lifehouse's Everything Skit, you can watch it here.

Two innocent Adventists locked up in Togo since March — world praying today for their release

On Dec. 1, Seventh-day Adventists around the world will be fasting and praying for the release of two Christians imprisoned on false charges in Africa.

Even though local authorities have recognized the men's innocence, they refuse to release them, according to Adventist News Network.

Pastor Antonio dos Anjos Monteiro and church member Bruno Amah have been locked up since March 2012 in Lome, Togo "without hope of bail or trial."

Here's what happened and what you can do to help release our brothers in Christ, according to Adventist News Network (ANN):

Adventist Church's official statement regarding Angus T. Jones from "Two and a Half Men"

UPDATE: Angus T. Jones responds about his comments. Read it here.
Read the Adventist Church's official statement on Angus T. Jones here.

What happens when a famous TV star decides to follow Jesus and become a Seventh-day Adventist? We're all finding out right now.

Angus T. Jones, 19, is one of the stars from the popular CBS comedy "Two and Half Men." He recently got baptized and became a member of a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Los Angeles area.

Angus T. Jones' interview at the Adventist Media Center

On Oct. 8, Jones taped an interview at the Adventist Media Center for a new program called Turning Point.

In the interview, Jones talks about how he accepted Jesus in his life and how he ended up getting baptized at small Adventist church in southern California.

You can watch the full interview here:

Southern Adventist University student dies

Cherise Miller, a sophomore nursing major at Southern Adventist University died Wednesday night, according to students at the university. The Tennessee-based Adventist university has not yet released any information concerning the student at this time.

Please keep Cherise Miller's friends and family in your prayers.

Update: Southern Adventist University commented Friday on Miller's death:

Adventist Church devoting week to reaching Hispanics in North American Division

There's a lack of church ministries and resources for certain Hispanics in North America, but starting tonight, the Adventist Church plans to do something big about it.

For one week, the church will be doing a live TV and social media program for sons and daughters of Latino immigrants.

This live event is called Changed and will happen every night Oct. 13-20.

High school student drowns during class field trip

A high school student from Walker Memorial Academy drowned today during a school field trip.

J.J. Branchedor, a 17-year-old student from Avon Park, Fla., was swimming at the beach with three other friends when they got caught in a rip current.

Adventist students create 3d animated movie

Students at Southern Adventist University made a 3d animated movie that is going viral online.

On the first day of its release, Rock in the Road was selected by the staff at Vimeo.com to be featured on the front page of the video-sharing website.

This is how Jesus rolls

It's a new day. Why not make it the start of a new life? It's your turn. Make your move. Where are you?

2,000 young people baptized in Papua New Guinea

By @Adventist_News, special to A Sabbath Blog

About 2,000 young people have been baptized in a mass baptism in the Pacific Ocean. It is likely history’s biggest Adventist baptism of young people in the English-speaking world.

They’d been attending an evangelistic campaign by Californian-based pastor John Carter. In total, 5,000 people were baptized at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in a Sabbath morning beach service.

Then, just six hours after this giant baptism, at the last meeting in the series, another 1,000 young people also requested baptism.

4,500 people attend first ever Pathfinder camporee in Northern Asia-Pacific Division

Earlier this month, about 4,500 people attended the very first Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) Pathfinder Camporee, Adventist News Network (ANN) reported.

Oprah Winfrey learns Sabbath is actually on Saturday from Adventist movie executive

Let's say one day you meet a celebrity and he or she asks you what your religion is. How would you answer?

Would you be worried about what they'd think of you? Would you be afraid your answer might make them feel uncomfortable?

GYC 2012 promotional video

Learn more about the 2012 Generation of Youth for Christ conference at gycweb.org

What kind of music is okay for church worship?

It's a debate that just won't die. Older people hate it. Younger people love it.

So who is right? What kind of music is okay for church?

In Maryland, Adventist church competing in government health contest

An Adventist church in Maryland is competing in a government health contest.

The Filipino Capitol Seventh-day Adventist Church is currently in 22nd place with a little over 500 votes (as of writing).

Adventist students use Portal 2 to share Jesus

Amazing things happen when students show God's grace in creative ways.

Students and faculty at Southern Adventist University made a Portal-inspired video illustrating Psalms 22.

It was the intro video for the School of Visual Art & Design's annual end-of-year show.

An Invocation for Artists

Amen.

The video above was made by the School of Visual Art & Design at Southern Adventist University.

Here are the words:

Adventist academy student drowns in Tennessee

Photo credit: Chakomboka
Chama/Facebook

An Adventist student drowned today in southeast Tennessee. Chakomboka Chama was just 16 years old.

Chakomboka Chama, known as "Chama" by his friends, was swimming with a group of friends at Harrison Bay State Park near Chattanooga, Tenn.

Chama drowned during an attempt to help a distressed swimmer. The other distressed swimmer survived.

Chama was a sophomore at Collegedale Academy in Collegedale, Tenn.

Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.

20,000 young people witness for Jesus in Peru

About 20,000 young people witnessed for Jesus through service projects and evangelistic meetings in Lima, Peru last month.

The outreach was part of a program called Mission Caleb. Each summer, the Mission Caleb program hosts outreach events throughout South America in places where there aren't a lot of Adventists.

After the event, more than 5,000 people joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

What these young people have done to spread God's love is outstanding —and so are the numbers:

• 400,000 copies of "The Great Hope" distributed
• 12,000 trees planted
• 3,000 evangelistic meetings held
• 1,500 units of blood donated
• 60 housing modules built

Source: Adventist News Network. You can read more about this event on the Adventist News Network website.

Oakwood University student drowns in rock quarry [UPDATED]

An Oakwood University freshman drowned at a rock quarry near the university on March 23.

Justin Hanna, 18, of Florence, S.C., was found unresponsive when rescue workers arrived.

According to local Huntsville news stations, Hanna was rushed to the Hunstville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Several Adventist students, Walla Walla missionaries injured in bridge collapse

A March 20, 2001 satellite image of the site where the bridge collapsed. Image: Google Earth.

In India, about 20 Adventist students and two Walla Walla university missionaries were injured when a suspension bridge collapsed March 18.

About 70 people were on the bridge even though it can only support 30 people, reported several Indian news agencies.

Among those injured were a nursing graduate and a current nursing student from Walla Walla University. They have been in India as part of Walla Walla University's India Immunizations spring break mission trip.

The two missionaries were hospitalized along with about 20 students from Riverside Adventist Academy in Meghalaya, India.

Watch the Just Claim It 3 newscasts

A short newscast, called JCI Today, has been airing during the nightly General Sessions of this year's NAD/World Youth Prayer Congress. If you've missed any of them, don't worry… we've got you covered.

The newscasts are hosted by George Johnson and Suzanne Ocsai. They are joined by a Enie, a puppet voiced by James Black Jr.

You can watch the videos below:

Watch Just Claim It 3 live online

The third annual NAD/World Youth Prayer Congress is happening now in Greensboro, N.C.

The prayer congress, also known as "Just Claim It 3," runs March 7-11 and is being streamed live online (see video below).

About 2,500 people are attending the prayer congress, according to Manny Cruz, associate director for youth ministries in the North American Division.

"Family Guy" calls Adventists "crazy"

Family Guy, an animated television show, called Adventists "crazy" and mocked Methodists Sunday night.

It happened during the show's Jan. 29 episode, "Livin' on a Prayer." Watch the clip below:

So far, online reaction from Seventh-day Adventists has been mixed.

Adventist family survives sinking Italian cruise ship

Three Seventh-day Adventists from Peru survived the sinking Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia.

Milton Paredes, Edelmira Paredes and their daughter Diana Miled were in their second floor room, welcoming the Sabbath when the cruise ship crashed off the western Italian coast on Friday, January 13.

ABC News features group of Adventists wanting to ban McDonald's in Loma Linda

A group of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, Calif. are fighting to prevent McDonald's from setting up shop in their city.

ABC News aired a report about it during Nightline on Friday, Jan. 13. We've included the video below.

Download the Just Claim It 3 theme song

The third annual NAD/World Youth Prayer Congress is scheduled for March 2012, but you don't have to wait until then to hear the new theme song.

The theme song was made available to download for free on the event's official website. We've included links to the song below: