BREAKING NEWS

Youth Evangelistic Series
Reaches 13 Countries

n ambitious youth satellite evangelistic program has given Seventh-day Adventist young adults in the South Pacific a renewed sense of identity, according to Gilbert Cangy, associate youth director for the South Pacific Division and one of the organizers.

Uplinked from Australia and reaching 25,000 nightly viewers in 13 countries, the series of 10 live broadcasts was maybe "the biggest youth evangelistic program in Seventh-day Adventist history," says Ray Coombe, satellite ministries coordinator for the division.

The series, known as REZ10, aimed to encourage young people to be involved in "hands on" ministry through teams or groups of friends. It began in Adelaide, Australia, on August 16 before traveling to Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane, where it ended August 31.

"The single main purpose of REZ10 was to get young people into groups where they can find and do ministry," says Cangy. "It was more than a show, it was a call to worship."

Cangy says he will measure the success of REZ10 in two ways: the number of young adults recommitting their lives to Jesus, and the number of young adults joining the so-called "Underground," a "Christ-centered small-group movement" that began in the South Pacific in early 2001.

"I confess, though, that the greatest blessing of REZ10 is an intangible one," Cangy says. "It has helped our young adults feel proud of their church and their God. In an age of rugged individualism and of distrust in organizations, we're seeing a sense of unity and purpose emerge in the Adventist Church."

Ministerial Students Get Basic Training
in Los Angeles Churches
A nine week "Ministerial Boot Camp" this past summer in the Los Angeles area, networked more than 15 experienced pastors with Adventist university students in a hands-on field school experience. The concept, proposed by Diane Kiemeney, owner of a successful transcription business, is based on a business model. "Networking is important in my business," she says, "why not in ministry, too, with ministerial students drawing on the strengths and experience of senior pastors?" Diane's husband, Gerard, is director of the Los Angeles (LA) Metro Region in the Southern California Conference and coordinated and facilitated the practical approach with area pastors. With the summer program now complete, Kiemeney's reaction is upbeat. "I am really happy with the pastors. They were all there and prepared."

Key elements for the success, according to Kiemeney, were the dedicated pastors who served as mentor-instructors, and students who were willing to drive to urban-area churches for weekly meetings.

Boot campers expressed appreciation for the various topics covered in this summer's program including instruction on discipling, home visitation insights, fund-raising, cell church and family-group ministry, youth ministry, as well as inner city ministry. "I wasn't quite sure what to expect," said Steve Toscano, a La Sierra student. "I was pleasantly surprised. Rather than nonstop theory, the stages were very practical. The pastors broke things down so we could see how to use, replicate, and adapt ideas."

Boot camp has had a spillover benefit for LA region pastors as well. Several LA Metro ministerial colleagues are "boot camping" each other, sharing strengths with colleagues who want to learn about areas of ministry they have not yet experienced, or with younger pastors needing more field instruction, that will enable them to be senior pastors. "And that's not all," adds Kiemeney. "One of the most exciting aspects of boot camp is its potential for discovering expertise among church members and networking them in training others." An October 12 lay training event will survey LA area lay members about skills they would like to share through church seminars.

Funding Approved for New Congregations Worldwide
The Seventh-day Adventist Church's Global Mission Operations Committee last week approved more than half a million dollars to help fund 343 projects to start new congregations around the world. Meeting at the Adventist Church's headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the group approved projects in Eastern Africa, the former Soviet Union, Central America, South America, and Asia.

"Global Mission pioneers will play a major role in most of these projects," says Gary Krause, Global Mission communication director. "These lay volunteers have established the majority of new Adventist congregations in the world in the past 10 years. Because they're working in their own culture, among their own people, and speaking the same language, they avoid many of the potential problems of cross-cultural mission work."

Speaking at the committee, Mike Ryan, director of Global Mission, expressed thanks that in the wake of the events of September 11, Global Mission has not experienced the decline in donations that many charities have suffered. "We're grateful that we have not had to cut funding to the various regions of the world church," says Daisy Orion, Global Mission's director for planning. "We look forward to being able to fund even more projects in the near future."–Adventist News Network

Adventists in Japan Celebrate
50 Years of Radio Ministry
Seventh-day Adventists in Japan celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Voice of Prophecy Radio Broadcasting in Japan on September 1 at the Tokyo Central Church, the location of the former radio studio, and the national Adventist Church headquarters.

Seven of the nine radio pastors from the past 50 years were able to attend the event, coming from mainland Japan, the United States and Korea.

The first regular weekly radio program was broadcast by Radio Tokyo broadcasting station in 1952. The first radio pastor was Paul H. Eldridge, an American missionary to Japan at that time, who spoke fluent Japanese. Eldridge, 88, sent a video message to the anniversary event, attributing the start of the radio ministry in Japan to "God's miraculous guidance."

Today, the Voice of Prophecy studio in Japan continues to produce radio programs and oversees the church's Bible correspondence school, a range of multi-media productions, and, Internet and satellite evangelism.–Adventist News Network

News Notes

Ron Schmidt, secretary of the Carolina conference, died suddenly of a heart attack, at his home on September 15. Funeral services were held at the Charlotte-Sharon Seventh-day Adventist Church on September 19.

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