Church leaders hold prayer week, start year of evangelism

The forecast for 2009 is one characterized by economic depression. In the United States and throughout the world the financial meltdown has thrown everyone to expect harder days ahead. But to the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this has no phenomenal impact except when the members’ lives have not been solidified by a faith in God who provides His people through thick and thin.

This is a year of evangelism. This means that the soon establishment of God’s kingdom must be announced to the world with greater fervor and zeal as in the time of Noah before the flood.

The leadership of the Adventist Church in the southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD) has envisioned that everyone at the church headquarters meets 2009 with greater enthusiasm by holding a Week of Prayer. This was done at the first working week of the year, January 5-10, when the church workers were feted to morning and afternoon sessions of prayer and messages.

Dr Priscilo P Santiago, a full-time professor at the graduate school, college of education of the Adventist University of the Philippines, provided the spiritual messages delving on the theme, “A Culture of Faith, Hope and Love in times of Crisis.”

The presentations that moved through the cognitive, affective and reflective domains of imbibing knowledge and experiences indeed worked very well in each participant. Each message was followed by experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer time, where each sought God’s intervention in every undertaking whether personal or for others.

“The vespers time was truly soul-searching moment,” said one office secretary. “The communion service gave me time to contemplate on Jesus sacrifice that I may find joy in the promise of eternal salvation that He enacted on the cross,” she continued.

“With hope: lay on eternal life,” preached Dr Santiago at the last of his week’s series of talks and ended with the song of hope “When we all get to heaven.”

At noontime of the Sabbath, a physical feast of delightful menus prepared by every family was superb. “Adventists are best vegetarian cooks,” said Mrs Santiago, who came with her husband for the vespers and Sabbath programs.

The last activity for the week, on Sabbath afternoon, was the distribution of literature by the SSD family headed by Pastor Alberto C Gulfan, Jr, president, to the town folk of Silang. Carrying Signs of the Times magazine, they invaded the market and other areas of the town. “We wish we had more of these materials to give to everyone. It’s a joy to hand to someone such materials that tell the good news of Jesus’ soon coming!” the participants were heard saying. [AND Staff]

Meetings continue for members to follow the Bible

The stint of the special Bible at the southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD) ended on December 14 when it went to the southern-Asia region in India, but the impact continued to rally church members to hold programs that enjoin everyone to go back to the Bible to draw strength amid all kinds of turmoil facing the world today.

“You will be happy to know that in spite of the fact that the traveling Bible is no longer with us, the Follow the Bible program is still being held to make our people aware of its need to encourage them to keep reading the Word of God,” said Pastor Alberto C Gulfan, SSD president.

On January 17, more than 2,000 people representing the membership of the church in the province of Cavite in central Luzon attended the FTB meeting held at the gymnasium of the Adventist University of the Philippines.

On December 23, just a few days before 2008 ended, an FTB program was held at Bandar Lampung Adventist Hospital in Sumatra, Indonesia, where hundreds of church members and also medical staff of the hospital participated in.

The rally at this location was led by the church leaders from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in west Indonesia headed by Pastor Johnny Lubis, president.

“We plan to read the Bible every day in the hospital,” said hospital administrators, “but most importantly, all the workers are enjoined to do it in their homes and this will show a difference in their own life,” they concluded. [AND Staff]

Church helps submerged northern city in southern Philippines

It has been raining in Cagayan de Oro city, a city where the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in southern Philippines (SPUC) is located, since a few days after 2009 stepped in. The continued heavy downpour has become catastrophic, instead of a blessing to farmers from the dry spell. The strong rains caused heavy floods displacing 13,000 families in the city as reported by Jaime and Fabe in today’s, January 14, issue of the Philippine Star.

Yesterday, SPUC headquarters’ employees took their time off to feed hundreds of people affected by the floods while the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the community service arm of the church, today, distributed relief goods in two other areas heavily affected. Earlier, January 4, the SPUC Hope Channel team along with its TV host, Dr. Jean Loreche, has sponsored and distributed food supplies to the victims in the Macasandig area.

Among the heavily affected areas were the Tibasa, Camaman-an, Opol, Iponan, Balulang, and Baungon barangays or villages.

Observing from the third floor of the SPUC building, the floods overflowing from the Cagayan de Oro River had reached up to half of 20-foot coconut trees submerging many homes within the affected areas.

“It’s first time that I see this happening here! Roads left impassable through downtown malls and commercial centers,” said Loida Aggabao, one of the SPUC staff. “We’re fortunate that we stay on areas high enough to be washed out too!” added Aggabao.

Local government units and the National Disaster Coordinating Council have been coordinating evacuation and relief efforts to help the victims of these floods. [AND staff]