Last week over 1,000 were in attendance at what will be known as the BC Conference’s largest evangelistic event for this year. Well over 18 churches have combined their resources to bring this plan to reality. At this point, close to 500 attendees are not members of the sponsoring Adventist churches. The Conference has employed 100 evangelists to assure this outreach will be professional and successful. The plan is to present a clear picture of God to everyone in attendance in presentations that be given over a period of 190 days. We already have indications that more decisions for Christ and life-changing commitments will come from this evangelistic program than any other BC program planned for the next year.
Event Location
By now, you may have recognized that I am talking about our Christian school program.
Here are some facts that will help you in your prayer support:
• Opening day enrollment – 1,087 (this number always increases)
• Teachers employed for this school year – 95 (includes principals and vice principals but not part-time teachers or teachers aides)
• Number of schools - 18. This is one more than last year.
• Number of churches supporting a school - 51 (50% of the churches and companies)
• Conference budget for this event – A little over 1 million dollars
What can you do to support this evangelistic program?
• If you have school-age children – consider the benefits and ask the Lord for direction.
• If your church does not have a school, contact the Conference Education Department to talk about the potential in your community.
• If your church has a school, volunteer to get to know the children’s names and hug a teacher.
• Pray daily for our teachers. Their primary goal is to share the Good News and model Christianity at it’s best.
The Seventh-day World organization is one of the amazing success stories of the Christian Church. We now operate the largest church school program of any Protestant denomination in the world. Our phenomenal growth and worldwide distribution has been greatly dependent on educating our children and training our leaders. Ask the Lord to impress you as to what you can do to support this major evangelistic event in your Conference.
God’s Promise
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Successful organizations learn to “play to their strengths”.
The band director was desperate to have a complete orchestra. He finally talked me into trying to play the slide trombone.
Following a few practice sessions, the director was observant enough to learn that most of his slide trombones could not consistently read or play a planned note.
The conductor was also wise enough to feature the wonderful trumpet players and not to select any music where the trombone played a lead role. He knew how to “play to his strengths”.
As we compare our ministry with Christian and world religions, do we know how to “play to our strengths”? Do Adventists have a unique strength that sets us apart from any other church?
The plain facts
Most of our BC churches have less than 150 in total attendance.
Our successful support of the worldwide church and our organizational philosophy limits the number of staff we have for each congregation.
Compared with other denominations, following could be a list of our trombones.
It is NOT playing to our strengths to invite interests to “Join the church that offers the best” in the following areas:
- Community and fellowship
- Children and Youth Programs
- Church Staffing
- Creative Worship
- Impressive Church Architecture
If we want “to play to our strengths,” let’s plan to feature the special gifts God has given us. Our unique contribution is TRUTH about God’s character. We have unique Biblical teachings that vindicate His character to a world that believes lies about His work.
Play the Adventist Trumpets God created our world through Jesus
- We are the only major church organization that sets aside an entire day once a week to remember His creative power.
God is Not Sadistic
- Our understanding of “what happens when you die” demonstrates that God is not torturing people in the open flames of hell and certainly will not be burning people throughout eternity.
God Wants Service Growing Out of Love, Not Fear
- The Day of Atonement, Sanctuary and Millennium message primary teaches that God will not reward or destroy until every living being has an opportunity to review the books of Heaven and the merciful actions of God.
Let’s Play to Our Amazing Strengths
Show the neighbours the unique teachings we have that vindicate God’s true Character, and then invite people to connect with a church whose prime role is to reveal these wonderful life-giving truths.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
Once a year I attend the year end meeting at the North American Division. This is a wonderful Adventist partnership event!
• 300 people from all over the United States and Canada gather together to hear reports on how the larger Adventist family is doing
• One year Membership Growth Figures for 2006
• North American Division 2% growth
• Church In Canada 3.40% growth
• BC Conference 0.80% growth
• After 7 days of meetings excited about our BC connection with our larger Adventist family
Net Evangelism and Worship Plans
• Net Evangelism still reaches tens of 1000s.
• 2008 NET speaker - Mark Finley
• 2010 NET speaker - Lonnie Melashenko (Also a speaker for BC Camp Meeting)
• December 23, Adventists will again have a Christmas special shown on the Hallmark Channel
• Last year’s special Christmas event was enjoyed so much NBC is going to show it on many of its affiliates for this Christmas as well. See upcoming BC Alive for more details.
• Hosted on December 28, 1000s of members taking the bread and wine at the same time. Another first for churches that want to participate in a large church family communion service
BC Conference Highlighted at the NAD Meetings
• Miracle of VOAR Radio stations as the first Christian Radio in BC
• Delegates at the session felt impressed to take an offering to help set up Radio Towers across Canada
• Definitely a major milestone for BC evangelism
• The next 13th Sabbath offering will help provide more funding for radio stations in Canada
Adventist Review and Adventist World
• 2 million copies of Adventist World sent out each month
• Available in 7 languages
• Oldest continuous published Christian magazine
• Will undergo major changes in the first quarter of 2008
• 38,000 newly baptized members received a free copy of the weekly Adventist World last year
Adventists are Leaders in Media Outreach
• 1929 HMS Richards, 2nd longest running religious radio broadcast (Lutheran hour is the 1st)
• 1956 It Is Written is the first religious television broadcast in colour
• VOAR, oldest and now the largest Christian radio network in Canada
2007 new Web-based Television BIGGYTV has asked the Adventist channel to be the first spiritual religious digital broadcast on the planet
• 7000 secular affiliate and Adventists are the only religious affiliate at this time
• Founder of BIGGYTV says he asked Adventists, because they have the best variety and quality of religious material in the World
Do your own experiment? Go to www.bcadventist.ca and click on the new Adventist channel launcher
Your church is on the cutting edge of evangelistic outreach.
