Last Friday all Adventist church leaders from all around the world came together for the Annual Council at the Adventist Church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Our church leadership recognizes the need for flexibility and change. As the church has grown and become more complex and diverse, greater flexibility in its organization is necessary. Baptizing more than a million new members every year the church has come together to take a closer look on its core values: growth, diversity, integrity, unity, and quality of life while maintaining our theological identity.
Special emphasis is on youth! In the opening address the general Conference President Jan Paulsen noted that “over half of our global community is under 30 years of age, and the youth need to be heard and have an active presence in our church.”
The main value of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has long been—and remains— Evangelism as a Lifestyle. “Jesus has not called us to convert the world, but He has called us to give them an opportunity to be converted,” said evangelist Mark Finley, a general vice president of the Adventist world church and director of its Center of Global Evangelism, commenting on the new initiatives.
The initiative everyone is talking about – “Tell the World” has its goal to provide a way for every human being in the world to hear the gospel within the next five years. This means: major evangelistic outreaches in 27 major cities around the world; add 20,000 new churches; conduct 400,000 evangelistic meetings; implement “Go 5 Million,” where five million laypeople each bring one soul to Christ and invite them to church; encourage church members to increase their involvement in community service outreach; get every church member involved in personal, daily Bible study and prayer; and use media—including the Internet—to reach the world.
More theologians observe that apologetics has less impact in evangelism today than in past generations. Today people aren't as impressed with evidences that demand a verdict, with arguments and information. Churches that have small groups, warm fellowship, that draw people to an atmosphere of love, have things happening! People want relationships; they want to know there are people who care about them. When they find that, then they will hear the gospel, and not just a Grand-story, but as a personal, your own testimony, what's happened to you along the way, telling how coming to trust Jesus Christ has made a difference in your life. When someone hears that story, and it overlaps their story, there's a way in which that can connect. Knowing and keeping Commandments is only once of identifying marks of God’s Remnant Church (Revelation 12:17) Another characteristic is “having the Testimony of Jesus.” Just a few verses above (12:11) John writes that the last-day church was overcoming this world not only “by the blood of the Lamb” – which is given; but also “by the word of their testimony.” Overcoming by our testimony to people in the world around us. How’s your testimony? Are you ready to Tell the World? Evangelism is our calling, our purpose, our life. Are you in?
No comments:
Post a Comment