hen the more than 300 Adventist administrators, pastors, teachers, and lay members, meet for the North American Division (NAD) Year-end meetings Oct. 31-Nov. 4, the top agenda items will focus on worship, outreach, and mission, according Kermit Netteburg, assistant to the NAD president for communication.

To that end, the meetings of the NAD Executive Committee open with a Sabbath celebration at 7 p.m. (ET) Friday and NAD secretary Roscoe Howard will give his report. Among other news, Howard expects to tell committee members that the division membership reached 983,622 as of June 30, 2003. Given the division's average rate of growth (2.1 percent) the membership is expected to cross the one million mark in December.

Along with the secretary's report will be a devotional message given by NAD vice president Alvin Kibble, who will give testimony about his ongoing bout with cancer and how that experience helped shape his sense of Christian mission.

On Sabbath morning committee members will commemorate 150 years of Sabbath school and mission emphasis. The Sabbath School is one essential element that has kept the Adventist world family together, says Netteburg.

During the divine worship hour North Pacific Union president Jere Patzer and his adopted daughter, Clarrisa, will present a powerful story of how Patzer's evangelistic meetings in Central America led to the baptism of Clarrisa's biological parents.

On Sunday the NAD Committee will start discussing other agenda items including the treasurer's report and auditor's report. Later in the meetings NAD treasurer Juan Prestol will present the 2004 budget.

The committee will also receive the results of a major study on the public's perception of the Adventist Church. Netteburg says there has been an increase in the public's awareness of the church, and though the increase is small it is statistically significant.

Along with several small policy items, the NAD committee will also hear a progress report on the division's retirement plan.

During the NAD meeting the Adventist Review Online will print ongoing reports and features. Visit the website often for daily updates.