hen Pastor Marvin Glass arrived for his first day of service in February 1999, the Ownbey Chapel congregation of Ider, Alabama, already had completed the NET '98 series and was prepared to baptize three individuals into the church. "I had already been involved with the NET programming in my previous church and knew what type of impact it had," said Glass. So why reinvent the wheel? Shortly after, he conducted the NET New York '99 series, and five more baptisms resulted.
Glass marketed the NET programming through brochures sent to people within a 15-mile radius of the church, as well as by utilizing his church sign. It was the sign that attracted Scott Harmon to a Y2K preparedness seminar conducted by the women's ministry department. His being the only man in the seminar did not faze Harmon or his wife, Teresa. In fact, Teresa established a friendship with Sonja Davis, a church member at the seminar. The Harmons invited Davis to their Baptist church, and the Harmons continued to visit Ownbey Chapel.
Davis made sure the Harmons received a videotaped series of a previous Doug Batchelor evangelistic event. They enjoyed the series so much that they decided to attend NET New York '99 and were baptized in October of that year. Currently Scott is the men's ministry leader of Ownbey Chapel, and Teresa is a teacher's assistant at Floral Crest SDA School, the school operated by Ownbey. Their son, Jake Adams, was baptized last November.
ocated in rural eastern Pennsylvania, Pine Forge Seventh-day Adventist Church has a unique congregation. During the summer months the membership numbers approximately 50 people. But during the rest of the year the congregation grows to 220. Pastor Joel Johnson sees these 170 additional people, the students of Pine Forge Academy, as his second community.
Students were excited about viewing the NET evangelistic programs in 1996 and 1998. "Viewing the programs helped the students to understand and experience the global mission and ministry of the Adventist Church," said Johnson.
Since attendance at the meetings was never required, Johnson did not know what to expect. But approximately 65 students and 15 members came each evening. Although the meetings resulted in no new members to the church, Johnson believes that the meetings "piqued spiritual interest and the students became more in tune with spiritual things."
ith a burden to reach out to the community, Pastor Steve Poenitz and his Greeneville, Tennessee, congregation have held satellite evangelistic programs since 1998. "We marketed the program to the community by sending handbills to all our area zip codes," said Poenitz. "We also used newspaper, radio, and television ads. But what worked out best for us was a friend bringing a friend," he said. And that's what happened in the case of Trixie Kidwell.
In 1999 Kidwell was invited by her medical doctor to the NET New York '99 production at the Greenrville church. Kidwell had been going to Dr. William Hamilton's office since 1996. "I have no idea why he invited me," said Kidwell. Kidwell had attended Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the past and always wondered why they worshiped on Sunday. "The calendar showed that Saturday was the seventh day," she said. After the NET New York '99 meetings Kidwell frequently drove past the Greeneville church to see if the church was offering more satellite evangelistic programs. Last November Kidwell was baptized into the Adventist Church. She is the only Adventist in her family.
The satellite evangelistic meetings have worked well for the Greeneville church. Members of the congregation now conduct a branch Sabbath school at their Community Services center. Some of the lay members have also held a prophecy seminar series. "This has built relationships and opened more doors of opportunity for other church members to get involved in various ministry programs with the community," says Poenitz.
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By George Johnson, Jr., assistant director of communication for media relations, North American Division
