Association of Evangelical Youth

The Association of Evangelical Youth (Czech: Sdružení evangelické mládeže, z.s., abbreviated SEM) is a Christian-oriented, non-political non-profit association based in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 2006 as a successor to the Association of Czech Brethren Evangelical Youth (SČEM), and it works closely with the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren while maintaining contacts with other Christian churches. Legally it is registered as a spolek (association). SEM focuses on work with children and youth. Its main activities include organizing week-long, weekend and one-day events that are educational, sporting, cultural, experiential and spiritual in character. It also helps other groups organize and finance events, provides legal umbrella services, and lends sports and other equipment. The association describes its community as one where faith, nature and friendship come together. Among its regular offerings are summer events such as the Youth Summer Camp, Multicamp, the Bigbít Course, and a camp for children run with the Strašnice Sunday school. Branch associations, such as Prague SEM, organize their own summer activities. SEM also supports dialogue with other churches and encourages young people to create and lead new activities, including educational courses, experiential seminars, and humanitarian and social events for those in need. SEM's stated goals include the all-round development of young people physically, mentally and spiritually; leading them toward Christian love, responsibility for themselves and others, voluntary service and personal development; and, in awareness of past Christian youth organizations and with regard to Christian youth organizations abroad, adopting the Paris Basis of the World YMCA. In 2026 the association celebrated its 20th anniversary with an event at the evangelical parish house in Svitavy.

The Association of Evangelical Youth (Sdružení evangelické mládeže, SEM) was founded in 2006 as a successor to the Association of Czech Brethren Evangelical Youth (Sdružení Českobratrské mládeže evangelické, SČEM). It is a Christian-oriented, non-political non-profit association registered in the Czech Republic as a spolek. From its beginnings it has worked closely with the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren and has maintained contacts with other Christian churches. SEM's purpose is to support the all-round development of young people — physically, mentally and spiritually — and to lead them toward Christian love, responsibility for themselves and others, voluntary service and personal development. It also seeks to foster dialogue with other churches and to enable young people to realize themselves by creating and leading new activities, such as educational courses, experiential seminars, and humanitarian and social events for those in need. In doing so, it consciously follows in the tradition of past Christian youth organizations and, with an eye to Christian youth organizations abroad, adopts the Paris Basis of the World YMCA. Over the years SEM has built a regular calendar of activities, including week-long summer camps, weekend retreats and one-day events. Its flagship summer offerings have included the Youth Summer Camp (Letní kemp mládeže), Multicamp, the Bigbít Course (Bigbítový kurz), and a camp for children run with the Strašnice Sunday school (Tábor NŠ Strašnice). Branch associations, such as Prague SEM, organize their own local summer events. SEM also provides practical support to other organizers: it helps with organizing and financing events, offers legal umbrella services, and lends sports and other equipment. In 2026 the association marked its 20th anniversary. A celebration was announced for Saturday 30 May 2026 at the evangelical parish house in Svitavy (Poličská 3, 568 02 Svitavy), and the association published its summer 2026 program of camps and courses. The anniversary and the ongoing schedule of events reflect SEM's continuing role as a community where faith, nature and friendship are connected for children and youth in the Czech Republic.

• 2026

  20th anniversary celebrated in Svitavy.

• 2006

  Association of Evangelical Youth founded as successor to SČEM.

Christian non-profit youth organization providing community, events and support for children and youth in the Czech Republic.

• Letní kemp mládeže (Youth Summer Camp)

  Week-long summer camp for youth.

• Multicamp

  Summer camp event.

• Bigbítový kurz (Bigbít Course)

  Summer course.

• Tábor NŠ Strašnice

  Children's camp organized with the Strašnice Sunday school.

1. 1Sdružení evangelické mládeže z.s. - SEMsemcr.cz
2. 2Sdružení evangelické mládeže - Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org
3. 3Association of Evangelical Youth - Wikidatawikidata.org