Young adults from churches in the Central and Southern European Central Conference gathered in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for a unique three-day event of study and fellowship. The “YouMe 2025” participants came from Albania, Austria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Switzerland, Serbia and Romania. The event was hosted by the UMC in Romania under the leadership of Superintendent Rareș Călugăr. Bishop Stefan Zürcher, episcopal leader of the central conference, attended and spoke to the participants.
The program focused on the biblical message from 1 Corinthians 13:13: “But now faith, hope and love remain, these three; but love is the greatest of these.” Each of the three days of the gathering was dedicated to one of these concepts.
Bishop Zürcher encouraged people to take God’s love seriously as a source of community and reconciliation. U.S. Global Ministries’ missionary Jennifer Moore, who works with the UMC in North Macedonia, spoke about the “stable chair of faith,” which provides support even in uncertain times. Global Ministries also contributed financial support to bring the youth together.
An Albanian youth leader, Ergi Kllogjri, reported on how hope has sustained his people even in difficult times of societal challenges.
Workshops not only enabled participants to explore the topics in greater depth but also provided a concrete opportunity to experience how young adults share the same faith, love and hope in God, despite their differing opinions.
In their report, members of the Working Group for Children and Youth, who were responsible for the meeting, wrote about enriching interactions, new friendships and an intensely experienced community of faith. “We all came with the riches of our nation, but we left even richer with the shared blessings of eight different countries,” said the group of young adults.
The meeting was not only characterized by the presentations and speakers, but also by the experience of God’s presence in the community. Every evening, participants came together in prayer to offer thanks and concerns to God. Praise, silence, singing, dancing and the sharing of faith stories combined to create an intense spiritual togetherness.
In addition to the content-related parts, encounters, music, dance and games characterized their life together. A city tour of Cluj and insights into Romanian culture were also part of the program.
At the end, thanks went to the Romanian hosts led by Superintendent Călugăr, the leaders of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and Bishop Zürcher, who not only preached his message of God’s love, but also made it tangible in personal encounters. The young adults returned to their home countries with full hearts – in the certainty that what grew in Cluj-Napoca will continue to have an effect.
Reported by the Working Group for Children and Youth of the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe, with help from Sigmar Friedrich. First published on the Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area website.
This content was originally published by the General Board of Global Ministries; republished with permission by ResourceUMC on September 9, 2025.