A young voice reminded Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders that sharing the gospel does not depend on age, position, or the size of one’s platform.

11-year-old Zofia Elizabeth C. Fugoso, a fifth-grade student at the Adventist University of the Philippines Elementary Department (AUPE), addressed delegates during the morning business session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Annual Council at the General Conference (GC) headquarters. In her sermon, she called attention to the role children and young people can play in pointing others to Jesus.

Introduced by Southern Asia-Pacific Division Field Secretary Flexian T. Felicitas, Fugoso spoke as church leaders gathered for the GC Annual Council 2026 themed “Called for Mission.”

Her message centered on a simple conviction: God can use an ordinary person, including a child, to lead someone to Him.

A Faithful Voice in an Unexpected Place

Fugoso drew from 2 Kings 5, recounting the story of the young Israelite servant girl in the household of Naaman, the Syrian army commander. Though taken from her home and placed in servitude, the girl told Naaman’s household about the prophet in Israel who could help him.

Her story, Fugoso explained, points to a faith that reaches beyond personal circumstances and recognizes the needs of others. “Mission begins when we notice the hurting people around us and their need of Jesus, our Savior and our friend,” she said.

The young speaker encouraged her audience to see missions not only in large programs or public platforms but also in the witness of individuals who choose to share their faith. “Sometimes we think we need a bigger platform, but maybe all Jesus needs is one faithful voice for 2027 and a heart that is transformed for mission,” Fugoso said.

Referring to the role of Christian homes and educational institutions, she emphasized the influence of parents and teachers in nurturing faith and preparing children to serve, “What our parents and our teachers do for Christ today will echo into eternity.”

Fugoso illustrated her message with stories of people whose encounters with Adventists began through simple acts of invitation and service. “Mission is pointing people to the only one who can heal both body and soul, Jesus Christ,” Fugoso said.

Learning to Share Faith Through Service

Fugoso’s own experience in ministry began through the Adventist University of the Philippines Elementary and the Philippine International Church children’s ministries.

Alongside her mother, she participated in an outreach at Tartaria Public Elementary School. The outreach also shaped Fugoso’s understanding of ministry. She reflected on how serving others had deepened her own relationship with Jesus. “At first I thought I was helping teach others, then I discovered that Jesus was teaching me too,” she said. “Jesus did not save me so I could simply wait for heaven; He saved me so I could help others find heaven too.”

She thanked church leaders for encouraging children and young people to participate in the church’s mission.

“Thank you for believing in children… thank you for believing in young people, and thank you for helping build a church where little voices can become mighty witnesses for Jesus,” she said.

A Church that Keeps Searching

To close her message, Fugoso closed with a rescue story and connected it with the church’s responsibility to seek people who need hope. “Somewhere in the world there is another child who feels buried beneath a disappointment… Jesus did not stop searching for us . . . and now He asks His church to go and search for others,” she said. “There are still people to reach. There are still children to teach, and there are still broken hearts to love.”

She then invited the General Conference Executive Committee delegates to raise their hands if they were willing to prioritize active soul-winning despite personal challenges and administrative obstacles. Delegates responded by raising their hands.

Fugoso ended with a call to carry the mission forward through OneVoice27. “May we go, may we search, may we serve, until every person has had the opportunity to know about Jesus.”

For children and young people, the call is not simply to prepare for a future role in the church. It is to take part in its mission now, using the voice, opportunities, and influence God has entrusted to them. With “one little voice,” she called, “one great mission.”