omething exciting is happening in the Lake Union. Members are discovering the joy and enthusiasm that Christians have always had for sharing the truth about God.
In the midst of political, economic, social, and moral uncertainty, people are excited about sharing our unique message of hope. Every segment of the church is discovering the joy of having a part in someone responding to the truth as it is in Jesus.
"If you will go to work as Christ designs that His disciples shall, and win souls for Him," wrote Ellen White, "you will feel the need of a deeper experience and a greater knowledge in divine things, and will hunger and thirst after righteousness. You will plead with God, and your faith will be strengthened, and your soul will drink deeper drafts at the well of salvation. . . . You will grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ, and will develop a rich experience" (Steps to Christ, p. 80).
In 2002 more than 400 lay members received evangelism training and conducted at least one series of meetings using the New Beginnings DVDs with unprecedented results. Encouraged, union and conference leaders planned another training event in October 2003; more than 1,200 lay members responded. The Hope for Our Day/Esperanza para Hoy training convention provided multitrack learning opportunities designed to involve the whole church in a comprehensive approach to making disciples in 2004. The following workshops were offered:
Evangelism 101 -A basic overview of public evangelism and evangelistic teaching.
Child and Youth Evangelism-Designing evangelistic components that engage and involve children and youth in ministry.
Health Evangelism-Bringing hope and healing through attractive, practical principles.
Sequence Evangelism-Sequential outreach components that bring long-term results.
Media Evangelism-Print, Web, radio, television, video, and DVD evangelism technology.
Personal Evangelism-Cooperating with the Holy Spirit in person-to-person encounters.
Family Evangelism-Recognizing and responding to opportunities to help families cope with today's challenges.
Esperanza para Hoy (predicación del evangelio)-Un entrenamiento comprensivo en la predicación del evangelio, para los hispanos. Todo el entrenamiento será en Español. Los siete módulos están incluidos.
In April another training event is planned to assist those who will be speaking for the Hope for Our Day meetings that are scheduled to begin simultaneously throughout the union on September 11, 2004.
A finished work will never be accomplished by the clergy alone, and the Lake Union is embracing the concept of "every member a minister."
_________________________
Gary Burns is the communication director for the Lake Union Conference and editor of the Lake Union Herald.
