B R E A K I N G N E W S
Adventist World Leaders
Call for Prayer
mployees at the Seventh-day Adventist world headquarters gathered this morning to pray for those impacted by the series of terrorist attacks that hit the United States eastern seaboard this morning, September 11.
“We have been brutally reminded of how fragile our lives are, and how fragile the structures that surround us are,” said Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the world church (right). “At this point, with so many questions unanswered, we can only ask for the prayers of every believer around the world, prayers for those who are suffering, for those who have lost loved ones, and for those involved in the rescue efforts.”
“We need our Lord. We desperately need for our Lord to return,” said Paulsen. “He is the only secure future we have.”
Ted N.C. Wilson, a General Conference vice president, reminded employees that, “The Lord is our safety and our salvation.” Wilson called for a sense of calmness, saying, “We must pull together under the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Employees at the Adventist Church world headquarters have been offered the opportunity to leave work to be with family. Those remaining have been offered pastoral support in centers throughout the building, and have been encouraged to gather in departmental groups to pray.
“Please pray for leaders around the world who are making decisions, even as we speak,” said Paulsen. “They need God’s guidance in making the right decisions.”
Acknowledging that the work of the church may, in ways yet unknown, be impacted by the events of the day, leaders at the church headquarters have said that decisions will be made on an hour-by-hour, day-to-day basis, with “our trust placed firmly in the Lord.”
Leaders have been quick to assure church employees and church members around the world, however, that the Adventist Church world headquarters has not been affected. The headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, around 15 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., site of one of the terrorist attacks. --Adventist News Network
Southern Union Youth Celebrate
100 Years with Atlanta Series
BY LOUIS R. TORRES
"Why not allow the youth to hold a city wide crusade in Atlanta?" asked Denzil McNeilus, president of Adventist-Laymen’s Services & Industries (ASI), during committee meetings discussing ways to celebrate Southern Union’s 100th anniversary.
Meetings between the ASI and the Southern Union’s Conference leadership resulted in plans for the June 30-August 4 evangelistic effort, held at the Robert First Center for the Arts Hall at Georgia Tech University in downtown Atlanta. Mission College of Evangelism’s youth team from the Black Hills, South Dakota, was requested to run the crusade with David Asscherick as speaker, and Elder Louis Torres, ASI director of training and evangelism, as the general coordinator.
Forty-three academy-age youth mostly from North America were sponsred to participate and receive training. Four students from Bogenhofen Seminary in Austria also joined the group.
Mission College’s team began moving into Atlanta by the end of May. Church members in the local area hosted team members in their home. Team members visited Adventist churches in greater Atlanta and also went door to door giving Bible studies.
"To see young people using the simple traditional methods of soul winning was heart warming and exciting," said Ken Taylor, pastor of the Atlanta Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The Atlanta North school gymnasium was transformed into a dormitory by the Outpost Centers Inc. staff as the church itself became the base of operations. Students slept, ate, and took classes there.
In June team members began distributing Mega Book literature. A Health Expo under the direction of Veriato Ferreira and the Wildwood Sanitarium health team was also opened two days prior to the crusade and continue during the first two weeks of the meetings.
Opening night, June 30, saw a large and attentive crowd of 1,050 fill the Robert Frost Center for the Arts. Some came from as far away as Tennessee, an hour and a half away to hear the Gospel presentation.
Youth team members served as greeters, while others assisted with the children’s program, directed the parking, gave musical presentations and joined the ongoing praying team who prayed while the meetings were in session. Teenagers were assigned to be sign holders, ushers and back stage helpers. Rose Caloroso, a youth from Laurelwood Academy in Oregon led out in signing for the hearing impaired.
The auditorium staff on the Georgia Tech campus repeatedly told organizers how much they appreciated working with Seventh-day Adventist youth, whose "positive attitudes, clean and neat appearances, smiles, and friendliness" were something entirely different from what the staff was used to.
One of the maxims taught to the students in evangelism training was, "If it can go wrong, it will wrong, therefore you have to learn to be flexible." The adage proved to be true on the third night when attendance began to decline. In order to increase attendance, flyers were created and the team went door to door inviting surrounding neighborhoods. A one-minute radio spot was created and aired. Attendance began to pick up again.
Complications ensued. A week into the crusade, a kidney stone felled Torres for a night. The following Friday, Asscherick began to be in pain. Sunday night he preached his sermon, but the pain became unbearable. He was diagnosed with appendicitis, and after surgery, it was determined that he would be out of commission for an undetermined amount of time. Torres took over for seven presentations until Asscherick returned to continue the meetings.
By July 14 baptisms began to take place. As of August 4, there have been 85 baptisms.
"What a tremendous blessing this has been to our church." said B.J. Boles, pastor of the host church, who expressed his wish to keep all sixty of the participants in Atlanta. "What an inspiration they are!"
According to Klaus Popa, a teenager who youth who came to participate in the series from Germany, added that it was a "blessing to see how the Holy Spirit changed the lives of the people."
"I am now in my own country surrounded by people who don’t know what God can do. But I will speak and fight for the possibility to do similar things in Austria and in Germany," he said.
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Louis R. Torres is director of training and evangelism, Adventist-Laymen’s Services & Industries.
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