Participants:
Series Code: 15ASIC
Program Code: 15ASIC000003A
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00:20 And so, since we are just empty vessels Lord,
00:23 seeking to do nothing less than your will, 00:25 we ask that you will fill us with your Spirit 00:28 and empower us to continue 00:30 the work that we are called to do, 00:33 so be with us Lord, guide us and thank you 00:36 for answering this prayer, this we ask and pray 00:39 in your precious and wonderful name, amen. 00:42 Pastor walking away from the pulpit. 00:46 Piano introductory music... 00:54 When I survey the wondrous cross 01:02 On which the Prince of glory died, 01:11 My richest gain I count but loss, 01:20 And pour contempt on all my pride. 01:30 Piano music... 01:36 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, 01:44 Save in the death of Christ my God! 01:53 All the vain things that charm me most, 02:02 I sacrifice them 02:07 to His blood. 02:12 See from His head, 02:17 His hands, His feet, 02:22 Sorrow and love flow mingled down! 02:31 Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, 02:40 Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 02:49 Piano playing... 02:56 more music... 03:03 some more music 03:09 some more music... 03:13 Were the whole realm of nature mine, 03:22 Love so amazing, 03:27 so divine, 03:36 Demands my soul, 03:42 my life, my all. 03:46 Audience: Amen... 03:51 We are happy to welcome 03:55 each of you here this evening, 03:56 we are looking forward to a program that will inspire us 04:00 and I'm delighted to be here with Bill Knott 04:03 who is the Editor of Adventist Review 04:06 and Adventist World as well, 04:07 we're so glad you're with us this evening. 04:08 Good to be here. 04:10 Well, you probably have noticed 04:12 that there have been some changes 04:14 and we're going to talk about some of those changes 04:16 for the Adventist Review. 04:17 But before we get into that, I just want to say, 04:19 "Wow! you actually made it through the Alamodome battle... 04:23 and you survived the... every single day... 04:27 48 pages for the Adventist Review. " 04:30 It's not... it's like... 04:31 we've never done anything quite that ambitious before, 04:34 typically Adventist Review, which has functioned 04:36 as the daily bulletin of the General Conference Session 04:40 since the very first one, in 1863... this year we... 04:43 added 50 percent more in page count 04:46 and that meant 50 percent more time and design 04:49 and everything else and created a daily bulletin 04:52 that really tried to capture the whole experience in San Antonio. 04:57 My staff is enormously glad 04:59 the General Conference Session is over... 05:01 and doesn't come back for five years. 05:02 I'm sure that's true, 05:04 well, you know, so much has changed 05:06 about the look and feel of the Adventist Review 05:08 and so, I'm just wondering how is that working out 05:11 and what motivated these changes? 05:14 You know, every successful marketer 05:17 talks with an audience and discovers what it is they want 05:21 we began doing research a number of years ago 05:23 talking with our faithful Adventist Review subscribers... 05:26 many of you in this room 05:28 sending in Survey responses, letters asking for your opinions 05:32 and the answers that came back routinely were, 05:34 "We would like the Adventist Review 05:37 a little less frequently 05:38 and a little more substantial when it comes" 05:41 and, in fact, many people were saying, 05:43 "Bill, we feel terribly guilty because we don't actually get 05:47 to reading all of the articles" and we said, 05:48 "Well, who reads magazines that way anymore, today? 05:51 So we're going to provide you with a more substantial magazine 05:55 once a month and show you how to use it every week 05:57 if it's your habit to read the Adventist Review, 06:00 every Friday evening" 06:01 and a big percentage of our readers do that. 06:04 So, after months of thinking about this 06:06 and our Board endorsement, 06:08 we launched this new edition on April the 1st. 06:10 We particularly wanted to focus on an audience of faithful, 06:16 committed young families in Adventism 06:19 as well as their parents and grandparents 06:22 trying to raise up another generation of faith 06:25 so that the Lord's work will continue. 06:27 We've had an enormously good response to that 06:29 on every scale we can measure by... God has been blessing. 06:33 We hear from so many of our readers who say, 06:36 "I may be 90 years old but I like the new look" 06:39 those are the gratifying letters to get. 06:41 Okay, well, I just want to bring to your attention 06:44 that you have a copy on your seat, 06:47 every single seat got a copy of the Adventist Review 06:50 and I want to point out that this is an ASI Special Edition. 06:54 And in fact, we have been creating an ASI Special Edition 06:58 for almost ten years now putting in unique ASI content 07:02 telling the stories of ASI each year 07:05 part of what we're interested in doing 07:08 is using this vehicle which the Lord has given this church 07:11 to shine a spotlight on the ministries, 07:14 on the services, the organizations 07:17 that God is using to finish His work. 07:19 That isn't only happening 07:21 out of the General Conference building. 07:23 Well, we are delighted 07:24 for this collaboration that we can have 07:26 together with the Adventist Review 07:28 and the ASI family, 07:29 it's something that's very much appreciated, 07:31 and I'd like to find out what's different between... 07:35 like... what we had last year at ASI... 07:39 what's different and what's the same as well. 07:41 Well, first of all, 07:42 the message of the Adventist Review is unchanged 07:45 and I pray that it will always stay unchanged. 07:47 This magazine... James White described 07:49 as gathering the scattered flock, 07:51 it's here to nurture and support faithful Adventism 07:55 that's always going to be the same 07:57 but the look of this is quite different, 07:58 you notice the polybag that it's in, 08:00 the KidsView magazine which many adults tell us 08:03 is one of their favorite pieces of what we produce, 08:06 KidsView is now wrapped in this polybag 08:09 but you'll also notice that other material can travel 08:12 in this mailing opportunity 08:14 to all of the subscribers of Adventist Review 08:17 and so partner ministries, 08:19 ASI partner ministries can work with us... 08:22 we can help carry the postage so that your message gets out 08:26 to our Adventist Review Subscribers. 08:27 We are looking forward to the opportunities 08:29 that this new vehicle creates for us 08:32 in giving all of the ministries of ASI 08:33 an opportunity to get their message 08:36 in front of core Adventist readers. 08:38 What a wonderful opportunity, that's just really a good idea 08:41 to be able to include others as well in getting messages out. 08:45 Well, in fact you'll find in this polybag, this evening, 08:48 an ASI ministry, 08:49 one of the newest members of ASI has material in this polybag... 08:54 you'll get an example there of what we could do to be helpful 08:57 to other ministries as they want to grow their footprint 09:00 in their opportunity to serve. 09:02 Wow! what a wonderful opportunity... 09:04 in fact, I kind of hear those polybags 09:05 kind of make us some noise out there 09:07 so I know that people are looking at the magazines. 09:08 Well, you know, you have been coming to ASI 09:11 now for 15 years and actually eight of those years 09:14 you've been the senior editor of Adventist Review, 09:17 so, my last question to you is why do you keep coming back 09:20 we're delighted to have you but tell us why you come. 09:24 My family and my staff know that this is one of the 09:27 absolute "Musts" in my annual calendar, 09:30 I build everything around what happens 09:32 in early August each year, 09:34 not only because it represents an opportunity 09:37 to talk with people who are doing frontline ministry 09:40 because it's a tremendous inspiration to me 09:43 to see what God is doing through this Organization. 09:46 The first ASI Convention I attended, 15 years ago, 09:49 I returned and I wrote an editorial 09:51 for the Adventist Review, 09:52 the title of which was addressed to me. 09:56 It read, "Your church is too small" 09:58 and what I meant by that was... 10:01 I had too small a vision 10:03 of what God was doing in this Movement 10:05 and coming to ASI each year reminds me again 10:08 that God doesn't only work out of bricks and mortar buildings, 10:12 God doesn't only work through named Organizations, 10:15 God's constantly at work through His Spirit 10:17 raising up faithful people, 10:19 I get a chance to meet you at ASI to hear your stories 10:22 to tell those stories in the Adventist Review 10:24 and in Adventist World, 10:26 those are the things that make me excited to be here 10:28 and to meet you each year. 10:30 Thank you so much... 10:31 it's a privilege to work together. 10:33 It's good to be with you. 10:34 We got to move along very quickly here 10:36 and I have with me, Barbara Taylor, 10:39 who has been with ASI for many, many years 10:42 and from the Denver area, 10:44 she's going to tell us about New Beginnings DVD Series. 10:48 The New Beginnings DVD Series 10:51 has been one of the most exciting, successful, 10:55 wonderful, soul-winning programs 10:59 that ASI has ever established in my opinion 11:02 and I can tell you right now that when you ever become 11:05 involved with ASI New Beginnings DVD Training, 11:08 you will become on fire for the Lord. 11:11 Yeah, is this cost effective, tell me... 11:13 it's very, very cost effective, 11:16 the other day, when we were in our Board Meeting 11:19 we found that they're actually per soul... 11:21 it's one dollar per soul 11:23 when we use the New Beginnings DVD training program. 11:26 They'll be people who stay in the church 11:28 or what's the average people who leave or stay in the church? 11:31 You could send out a hundred evangelists 11:34 and they could have a hundred baptisms 11:36 and the statistics show that after one year 11:39 95 percent of those people have left the church 11:42 because they're not connected, they do not have anyone 11:46 to give them nurturing, to give them encouragement, 11:51 to get them involved in other programs 11:53 and the reason that the New Beginnings DVD program 11:56 is so successful, is... once we form teams 11:59 and once they start these small group home Bible studies, 12:03 with lay people, just like yourselves, 12:06 they become baptized and once they're baptized, 12:10 they get on fire for the Lord 12:13 and they get those people involved in training them 12:17 to become involved in the next new... 12:19 So what kind of retention do we have here? 12:21 Is it better than the large evangelism program? 12:23 It has shown that after five years, 12:26 88 percent of those people are still in the church 12:30 and they're out winning new souls to God's kingdom. 12:34 So, you've been involved in this for a while 12:36 and then you just do this out of your home in Denver 12:38 or have you done this elsewhere? 12:40 No, this New Beginnings DVD Program was started 12:44 in the year 2000 and this was a program 12:46 that was developed by ASI and It is Written... 12:51 Mark Finley at the time was in coordination with this 12:54 and now, we tie in very closely with the General Conference 12:58 so this is a marvelous, marvelous program. 13:00 And where have you been lately? 13:02 I just returned... just last year from Brazil, 13:06 I went down to South America 13:08 and we did DVD Evangelism Training in South America, 13:12 our very first place that we went to 13:14 was down in Gravatá... 13:18 we trained 400 Bible Workers in Gravatá. 13:21 And I think we have a slide that shows a little... 13:22 something about this. 13:24 Yes, when we trained the 400... 13:26 these were 400 Bible Workers from one Conference, 13:30 wouldn't we love to have 400 Bible Workers 13:32 in our one Conference in our United States? 13:35 Yeah, there's a girl named Sarah on the second slide... 13:39 Yes, and Sarah... 13:40 this lady doing home Bible Studies, 13:44 these are all lay people... the home Bible Studies... 13:46 she has baptized... last year... a 135 baptisms, 13:52 can I hear an "amen?" Audience: Amen 13:54 The total over the past... ten years? 13:57 Over the past ten years, 13:59 she's baptized over 1,000 people. 14:01 Now, now, wait a minute, if she baptized 135 last year 14:05 and a thousand over ten years, 14:07 so she had some down years... it sounds like... 14:10 maybe only about 90 per year. 14:12 I would love to have that kind of a down year, wouldn't you? 14:15 Yes, and so... after that 14:18 you went to Bolivia and trained some more. 14:21 Yes, Pastor Denado and myself... we went to Bolivia 14:25 and we trained over 500 lay people 14:30 who... some of them... 14:31 traveled 24 hours to get to the meetings, 14:34 they trained all throughout the day 14:37 and the next... that night, they got back 14:39 and they traveled another 24 hours to get home 14:42 and this is amazing because 14:44 we had testimonies that were just outstanding... 14:47 in the next slide, you're going to see 14:51 a little lady here holding the DVD disc... 14:54 or DVD player... and this little lady... 14:57 she's from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and she has started 15:01 31 home Bible Study groups 15:05 in her one church in Central Bolivia, 15:08 in Central Santa Cruz... 15:09 and she has... every single week they have 15:12 multiple baptisms, not just one a week 15:15 but multiple baptisms and the next slide is showing 15:18 a General... now this General gave his testimony, 15:22 he was a top General in the Country of Bolivia, 15:26 and when he... his wife and three daughters 15:29 became Seventh-day Adventists 15:31 through the small group home Bible Studies, 15:33 and when he would get up every Sabbath 15:36 his daughters and his wife would say, 15:39 "Oh, please, please papa, come to church with us. " 15:41 And he'd say, "No... " and he'd march off 15:44 and he'd go on to his work, 15:45 after three years of earnest prayer, 15:48 one Sabbath he woke up and he said, 15:51 "Okay, I'll go to church with you" 15:54 and he became a Seventh-day Adventist, 15:57 he retired from the military and last year 16:01 he had 32 baptisms... 16:03 can I hear another amen? Audience: Amen. 16:06 And then, this year, he is going to give 16:08 three small-group home Bible Studies in his home 16:12 and he is working with top Government officials 16:15 from Bolivia, so this is how God is working 16:18 in wonderful, wonderful, mighty ways. 16:20 And we have another slide here of a lot of people 16:22 who've gotten involved in the young people. 16:25 Yes, the young people are on fire for the Lord, 16:28 they are the strong things in the church in South America, 16:31 when you go to South America, you see so many young people 16:35 in our churches... and they are on fire for the Lord 16:37 and they are out developing Home Bible Study Groups as well. 16:41 Now Barbara, you've been a member of ASI for many years 16:44 and you are President of the Mid-America ASI Chapter 16:47 and you've been a business woman 16:49 in marketing and sales for many years 16:51 but how does this New Beginnings DVD rank among all that you do? 16:56 It is the most rewarding, most exciting, 17:00 most encouraging program that I would encourage 17:03 every single one of you, please go to our ASI Booth, 17:07 you can get a copy of this DVD, New Beginnings Program, 17:11 it has 25 Bible Studies on it, 17:13 it has... in 30 different languages... 17:16 and we are developing this for all over the world 17:19 and we are very, very successful 17:21 all over the world and God is leading. 17:23 So let's see, by show of hands if you're not 17:25 capable of doing something like this. 17:27 Okay, that's unanimous... 17:28 so everybody will be coming to the Booth. 17:30 Amen, God bless, thank you so much. 17:31 So, my next guest is Paul Opp and Leovina Perez 17:39 of the "People of Peru Project" in Peru. 17:43 No, Paul, we want to find out 17:46 a little bit about the People of Peru Project, 17:49 just give us a quick snapshot. 17:51 People of Peru Project has a 17:53 unique situation in that we 17:55 are located in the largest city on earth 17:58 that has no roads that lead to it 18:01 so you have to get there by boat or by plane 18:03 it's a city of three quarters of a million people 18:06 in the middle of the Amazon jungle 18:08 at the head waters of the Amazon River 18:10 and what we do there is 18:12 we have a Crisis Center for abandoned and abused girls, 18:16 a free medical and dental clinic 18:17 and educational programs that take young people 18:20 all the way through the University Level. 18:22 And we have a short video that shows a little bit about 18:26 the area because I don't know how many people 18:28 have been to the head waters of the Amazon 18:32 and really been able to see where you're from 18:34 and doing your work so hopefully we can have 18:37 that come up and people can see... just exactly 18:40 where you're doing your ministry. 20:44 Wow! that's moving... and we have with us 20:49 Leovina Perez and... tell us Leovina, 20:53 how is this scene that we see here significant to you? 20:59 Good evening, everybody, well, you guys saw this video 21:05 so I live in this place, 21:07 I live in a forest area in Iquitos 21:09 and I'm really know how to feel 21:14 when you live in this kind of condition, 21:16 how you need to work, 21:19 how you need to support your family, 21:21 when you are like... in this kind of life... 21:25 so, thanks to People of Peru Project, 21:28 thanks to Mr. Paul that I found 15 years ago, 21:33 this is a big change for me, for me and my family, 21:38 and many people that love me. 21:40 And so you are... were taken in by People of Peru Project 21:45 and you were sent to school and funded into... 21:50 what kind of... University... what did you learn... 21:54 a degree in at the University? 21:56 Right now, I'm... I finished 2012... 21:59 I'm a Child Psychologist 22:02 and I've been helping in the Organization... 22:06 in the Crisis Center that we have, 22:07 you just saw a little bit on that video. 22:09 So, yes, Leovina was the person in the blue dress 22:12 and the blue shirt... at the end there 22:14 and so she's helped with the Crisis Center 22:18 where they have 15 children now 22:20 who were abused or abandoned and they need a lot of 22:24 mental and physical healing and there's one... 22:28 can you think of one person who was in 22:33 a very difficult situation 22:35 that the People of Peru Project helped? 22:37 There is one girl, her name is Roxannie, 22:40 she came when she was 13-years old, 22:43 she was... she came from the jungle 22:47 and she came to work in Iquitos... in the city... 22:50 and she got abused by the people that she was living with, 22:54 so, the Court sent her to us and right now, she is 22-years old, 23:00 almost finishing her Nursing, she's going to be a nurse 23:07 in this year, I think, so, we keep going... 23:13 we're doing a lot of good things. 23:17 Yes, so she came to you abused and abandoned 23:20 at age 13 and now she's 22 finishing her Nurse's degree 23:23 and Paul... if I understand correctly 23:26 sponsoring a young person like this 23:29 is about 200 dollars a month? 23:31 Depending on the degree that they choose, 23:34 could be anywhere from 200 to 300 dollars a month 23:37 to put a kid through the university 23:39 and absolutely change their life. 23:41 And so are you able to take everybody who comes to you? 23:44 Sadly, we have requests that come in every week 23:48 to our Organization and there's a drawer 23:50 that's getting more and more requests for help 23:53 and we can only put a kid in the University 23:56 when we have a sponsor. 23:58 So, you're looking for sponsors 23:59 and you have roughly how many applicants in that drawer? 24:02 There are about a hundred students right now. 24:05 Hundred children waiting to be sponsored 24:07 and they're being pulled out of the depths of poverty 24:11 and the garbage dump and abandoned and abused 24:15 and they're ready to go to School, 24:17 they're ready to be sent to the university 24:19 and some of these students are very bright 24:21 and... but there is sometimes... 24:24 you even have one that's gone to Medical School. 24:26 We've graduated several professionals, 24:29 a couple of dentists, a lawyer, a teacher, 24:31 a child psychologist, a mechanical engineer, 24:34 we've got some young people that have done very, very well. 24:37 And this is more costly, I would assume. 24:38 Yeah, it is more costly. 24:39 And so you have other people even from Adventist homes 24:44 who need assistance. 24:45 Absolutely and I'd just like to say 24:47 that Leovina is the very first young person 24:50 that my wife and I met in Peru 24:52 and she started... 24:53 we met her when she was 13-years old 24:54 and I just want to tell you 24:56 that Leovina is now the Executive Director 24:58 of People of Peru Project in Peru. 25:00 And you haven't done this all your life, Paul, 25:02 you were here in the Northwest doing what? 25:04 I owned a logging company. 25:06 Logging Company and working 25:07 in the automobile industry a little bit 25:09 but now you've been with 25:11 People of Peru Project for how long? 25:13 I went to Peru the first time 15 years ago. 25:15 Fifteen years ago, 25:16 so here's a gentleman who's been in ministry 25:19 and mission work for fifteen years 25:22 and I know there are people here who would love to sponsor 25:25 some of the students and you can do that by visiting 25:28 Paul and Leovina at their Booth, here at ASI, 25:33 or our Viewers can go on: peopleofperu. org 25:37 and we'll continue to pray for this project 25:39 and we know the Lord will continue to bless. 25:42 Music... piano playing... 25:49 "The Weight of the Cross" 25:56 The crowd pressed in to see this Man who stood condemned to die 26:02 A Man they once proclaimed as King 26:06 they now would crucify, 26:09 They laid a cross upon His back and pushed Him up the road, 26:16 The path would lead to Calvary, He fell beneath the load 26:23 And as I watched I understood the burden that He bore 26:29 Was more than just a heavy tree the weight was so much more 26:39 The weight of the cross 26:45 was the weight of my sin 26:50 Not the weight of the tree 26:56 that was carried by Him 27:04 My guilt and disgrace 27:08 Jesus bore in my place 27:12 On Calvary's road 27:18 'neath the weight of the cross 27:24 Piano playing... 27:31 His face was scarred His body bruised 27:34 His head was crowned with thorns 27:37 The crowd now jeered and cursed His name 27:40 The object of their scorn 27:44 He never spoke a word to them 27:47 The silent lamb of God 27:50 This Man of sorrow bore the cross 27:53 He chose to carry on 27:58 But somehow in His eyes I saw 28:02 A love beyond the pain 28:05 As if He knew His sacrifice and loss 28:10 Would be my gain 28:15 The weight of the cross 28:20 was the weight of my sin 28:26 Not the weight of the tree 28:31 that was carried by Him 28:36 My guilt and disgrace 28:41 Jesus bore in my place 28:47 On Calvary's road 28:52 'neath the weight of the cross. 28:57 The weight of the cross 29:03 was the weight of my sin 29:08 Not the weight of the tree 29:13 that was carried by Him 29:20 My guilt and disgrace 29:24 Jesus bore in my place 29:28 On Calvary's road, 29:34 On Calvary's road.. 29:39 On Calvary's road... 29:44 'neath the weight of the cross 29:51 On which the Prince 29:59 of glory died. 30:07 piano playing... 30:13 And what segment is this? 30:17 "Offering in Action" 30:21 I want to see if you've been paying attention, 30:23 when you see me you should be knowing 30:25 that we're going to be talking about the projects 30:27 that we want to support in the offering this weekend. 30:30 So I have another ministry 30:32 that we'd like to share some information about. 30:34 GYC and we'll find out a little bit more about what that means. 30:39 This is Moise Ratsara 30:42 and he is the President Elect for the Organization 30:45 and Taylor Hinkle who is the Vice President of Evangelism. 30:49 Moise, tell me, 30:51 how long have you been involved with this Organization? 30:53 And what have you seen happen 30:55 during the time you've been a part? 30:56 All right, well, I've been with GYC, Debbie, 30:59 for the last eight years 31:01 and GYC is a Movement of young people 31:05 wanting to finish the work in this generation. 31:09 we're passionate about Christ 31:11 we're passionate about His second coming 31:14 and we're passionate to spread the Three Angels' message 31:18 at any cost, 31:19 you know, just in the last year alone... through our Convention, 31:24 in a matter of three days 90 young people 31:28 made decisions in Phoenix to be baptized. 31:32 In Europe, that same year, 31:35 a 120 plus young people in Europe 31:39 made decisions for the Lord to be baptized. 31:42 Hundreds more made decisions to give their lives full time 31:48 to Ministry... that is GYC. 31:51 So it's more than coming for training and seminars 31:54 and camaraderie, it's... 31:56 it really is meant to... really harness their attention 32:00 and get them to make 32:01 a life-changing decision for Jesus. 32:03 Moise: Amen... Debbie: That's wonderful. 32:05 Tell us some of the specific things that have occurred 32:07 over the last few years, 32:09 now you said you were involved for eight years, 32:11 you barely look like you're eight-years old. 32:13 Debbie: So you are 25... Moise: I am 25... 32:16 so you've been involved with the Organization 32:18 since you were about 17? Moise: Yes. 32:20 Debbie: Praise God, praise God, wonderful. 32:23 So now tell us what's been going on. 32:25 Okay, well, probably my friend, Taylor, 32:28 knows more about the details since he's the 32:31 Vice President for Evangelism but over the years, 32:35 from my perspective, what has happened 32:38 is that it has made young Adventists... 32:40 thousands of them, 32:42 excited to be Seventh-day Adventists 32:44 and proud of the message that we preach and hold as a church. 32:48 Amen, amen, so let's get into some of the details 32:52 specific to the project 32:53 that will be funded through this year's offering. 32:56 so Taylor, share with us what that focus is for this year. 33:00 Absolutely, GYC has a strong burden of supporting 33:03 the local church and the mission of the General Conference 33:06 in North America Division 33:07 and in doing that, we have a burden for evangelism 33:10 and growing the local church, growing the areas where we go to 33:13 and so what we've been doing is looking for ways... 33:16 how can we use the young people that come to our Conference, 33:19 whether it's the 4,000 or 8,000 33:20 that are attending on the weekends, 33:22 and get them involved in evangelism projects there. 33:25 Last year in Phoenix we decided that we needed to do 33:27 more... typically evangelism was comprised of 33:30 a four-hour event on Friday, but what we did was... 33:33 we actually had a five-day pre-conference canvassing event, 33:36 we had 180 people come 33:38 and that was during their Christmas Break 33:40 and the students knocked on doors 33:43 eight hours a day in Phoenix 33:45 and by God's grace 33:47 we knocked on over a 100,000 doors 33:49 and God was able to do amazing things. 33:50 Now, on Friday, we knocked on another 100,000 doors 33:53 so by the end of GYC, 33:55 we'd knocked on almost a quarter of a million homes 33:57 and it was amazing to see what had happened, 33:58 God was able to bring in 300 Bible Study interests 34:01 and we're working with 34:02 Northeast Evangelism Training School... NETS... 34:04 and they provided some training for the local churches 34:07 and local church members were moving forward 34:10 and carrying out those Bible Studies. 34:12 I'm still reeling from the fact that young people 34:16 knocked on a quarter of a million doors, 34:19 in a few days... that's... that's incredible, 34:23 that's incredible, now, I... I... 34:25 hear and I sense from what you've shared, Moise, 34:28 that this is personally convicting for the attendees, 34:34 can you share with us an experience of how GYC 34:38 has impacted the life of one of the attendees? 34:41 You know, GYC has had a drastic impact in my own life, 34:44 I attended GYC for the first time when I was 16-years old 34:47 and I was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist 34:49 and I've gone to many youth events and things like that 34:51 but during the time that I went to GYC, 34:53 I was a nominal Seventh-day Adventist, 34:55 I would even go on mission trips and things like that 34:58 then I would go home and get involved 34:59 in things I shouldn't be involved in 35:01 and I remember going to GYC for the first time 35:03 and I looked at the people 35:05 and they were really weird, 35:06 I mean, they dressed a little differently than I did, 35:08 they had religious words that I didn't even know, 35:10 I wasn't familiar with and they just... 35:12 it was almost over my head and it seemed out of my reach 35:15 but I remember thinking it was such an attractive thing 35:18 because for the first time in my life 35:20 I realized that there were dedicated 35:21 Seventh-day Adventist young people 35:23 who loved the Lord and loved the message of this church, 35:26 so, I didn't make any decisions there, 35:28 appeals were made... things like that... 35:29 I didn't go forward but I came back the next year 35:32 and by God's grace, you know, 35:33 Randy Skeete was preaching that evening, 35:35 and he made a call for... 35:37 "How many of you sense that the Lord is leading you 35:38 to: 1. break up with your girlfriend? 35:40 And I... that kind of hit home to me... 35:41 and Number 2: to dedicate a year of your life 35:45 to evangelism and go to Evangelism Training School. 35:47 And I remember going forward for the appeal 35:49 and my girlfriend happened to be sitting next to me at that time, 35:53 but what was amazing 35:54 is that the Lord worked in such a powerful way 35:56 that I knew that I couldn't stay in this condition 35:58 of just being content and entertained in the church, 36:00 but I really needed to dedicate my life to His service 36:03 and so, I went to Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism 36:05 and God worked in powerful ways in transforming my own life 36:08 and I realized the joy of service in the Lord 36:10 and that's what I do at GYC... we have such a burden 36:13 to have young people who love Jesus 36:15 to draw closer to Him 36:17 and also to dedicate their lives to service for Him. 36:20 Amen, so, Moise, wouldn't you say that this is 36:23 why it's really important for our ASI family 36:25 to consider very carefully that we want to sacrifice to give 36:29 ministries like GYC 36:31 funding to support the efforts that are being planned? 36:33 You know, Debbie, it's more than just money 36:36 because when you invest in GYC, 36:39 you're really investing into the future 36:43 of the Adventist Church 36:44 and if we believe in the young people, 36:48 not only... don't only give your money, 36:52 but give your presence, 36:54 they say: the most meaningful relationships 36:57 for Millennials is inter-generational relationships 37:01 if you ask a young person, you say, 37:03 "Who are the people that impacted your life?" 37:05 They're less likely to say, 37:08 "Well, you know, 'My friend,'" 37:11 but they are more likely to say my grandma, my grandpa, 37:16 the pastor, the teacher, my coach, 37:19 and that is why we need each other in this work 37:23 because we believe that Jesus is coming soon 37:26 and we want to hasten His coming. 37:28 Amen, Moise and Taylor, God bless you, 37:30 and we thank you for your commitment to GYC. 37:32 Thank you so much. 37:33 Next... for our 37:37 Offering in Action Segment, 37:38 is a project that is dear to my heart 37:41 because I'm a Registered Nurse 37:43 and this has to do with the Weimar, 37:44 what I would call the School of Nursing, 37:46 thinking back in my history of how we would term 37:50 this Institution but this is actually 37:53 something a little bit different, 37:56 you actually call it "Win" and with me is Neil Nedley, 38:00 he's the President for Weimar 38:02 and Lenora Follet who is the Director of Nursing, 38:07 and Randy Bivens who's the Chief Operating Officer. 38:12 Thank you for coming so that you can share with us a little bit 38:15 more about this exciting project. 38:16 So, what is WIN? 38:18 Weimar Institute of Nursing. 38:21 Debbie: Ah... okay... okay, excellent. 38:23 Neil: That's what it stands for. 38:24 And how did the idea of WIN get started at Weimar? 38:27 Well, Weimar is a... of course, a Sanitarium, 38:31 it's a Lifestyle Center, 38:33 we've been doing health and healing there for many years 38:35 and it's also an educational institution 38:38 and as we began to study the counsel 38:41 from the Spirit of Prophecy, it's very clear that she wanted 38:44 nurses trained at places where there were Sanitariums 38:49 and in fact she said, "Our nurses are to go out 38:52 as Medical Evangelists teaching the Word 38:56 as well as physical healing" 38:58 and so the gospel in Medical Missionary work 39:02 were to be combined 39:03 and you know when we looked at Madison, 39:05 they had a Nursing Program and graduated a lot of nurses 39:08 and it seemed right 39:10 that for what we were doing at Weimar it was time... 39:13 with our Pre-Med Program that we had in place 39:15 and all of those Sciences 39:16 to then go into a potential for a Nursing Program. 39:20 Now, I understand Randy that it was very evident 39:25 that God was leading in this process 39:28 when you went before... like a Board... 39:31 can you share a little bit of that experience? 39:33 Yeah, the Board of Registered Nurses, 39:35 there's a committee called the ELC... 39:37 the Educational Licensing Committee 39:38 and we had to go before that Board before the whole BRN... 39:42 the Board of Registered Nurses would actually meet, 39:44 grant and approve our program 39:46 and... it's kind of a Disciplinary Board 39:49 in addition to a Licensing Board 39:51 and most of what they were doing was discipline 39:53 and there was a Board... 39:55 actually a Nursing Program in Sacramento 39:57 who had lost their affiliation with the local hospital 40:00 and they were going to affiliate with a hospital sixty miles away 40:03 and the Chairman of this Committee 40:05 was just chewing them up, 40:06 I mean, I'm thinking... and he was saying, 40:08 "You're going to have them drive... 40:10 and increase their time on the road" 40:11 and all those things and we're over there saying, 40:15 "Wow! we have clinical sites all over the map... " 40:18 we have Loma Linda which is like 350 miles away, 40:21 he's going to chew us up and spit us out, were toast, 40:25 when he got to us he said, 40:28 "What are you going to do about transporting these nurses?" 40:30 And Dr. Shirley Anderson who was there with us 40:33 and was very instrumental in getting this program, 40:35 she said, "Well, Dr. Bivens is here 40:37 and he's our Chief Operating Officer 40:39 why don't you ask him if he's going to pay 40:42 to have those nurses moved" and I said, 40:44 "Well, okay, yeah, we're going to transport them" 40:48 and he said, "Great, why didn't that other School say that?" 40:51 We went up afterward, we spoke to him, 40:54 Dr. Sebo and I talked to him and he said, 40:57 "I know you Adventists... " 40:59 he goes, "my uncle was a teacher at Oakwood College," 41:04 God had gone before us. 41:07 Amen, amen and Lenora Follet, you've been an Administrator 41:13 in... a high-level Administrator for many years 41:18 in various Institutions overseeing Nursing Programs 41:22 but you had such excitement when we were talking in the back 41:26 about this particular program, 41:28 why is this especially significant for you? 41:31 When I took nursing, it was at Loma Linda... 41:34 at the time... when they were doing hydrotherapy, 41:37 and massage and I remember Dr. Butterfield 41:40 there at Loma Linda University Hospital 41:42 ordered a lot of fomentations for his patients 41:46 after surgery and some of them really didn't 41:50 want it at first, 41:51 but when they had the fomentations, 41:53 they said, "That really helped" 41:55 and then, I always wished that I could work in a place 42:02 where I could do that again as I moved around 42:05 and when I was in Nursing Schools, 42:07 I kept wishing that we could incorporate 42:10 those natural remedies into our Nursing Program 42:14 and now I'm at my dream job 42:17 because that's just what they want us to do 42:20 at Weimar and the Board has approved 42:23 our classes in learning that and we're just so... 42:27 I'm so thankful that I can work there, 42:30 I'm very thankful. 42:32 I told them, it feels like, I want to go to school again 42:34 and they invited me to come back 42:36 but I said, "I think I'm done... " 42:38 so... so that's good, so coming full circle now 42:41 back Neil to what you were saying 42:44 that we want to follow the counsel that has been given, 42:47 that nurses should be trained as medical evangelists. 42:51 You know, interestingly, when we were submitting our 42:54 material, we were very overt 42:56 that we were going to be training our nurses 42:59 as Evangelists as well as in health education 43:03 and Dr. Andersen reminded me today 43:06 of how when we presented these health classes, 43:09 the Nursing Board Liaison was looking 43:12 and saying, "So, how does this fit in, 43:14 it's not under OB, it's not under Med-Surg," 43:17 she was trying to find out how this all fits in 43:20 and finally when they realized 43:23 that our nurses were actually going to be putting on 43:25 Depression and Anxiety Recovery Programs 43:28 and CHIP Programs as part of their training, 43:30 she looked and she said, 43:32 "This isn't public health... this is total health" 43:35 and with the evangelism component, 43:39 she says, "You know what? 43:41 This is a different nursing program" 43:42 she says, "we pride ourselves in California 43:46 as being Alternative Medicine State, 43:49 but we need an alternative medicine nursing program 43:52 and you'll be the very first one. " 43:54 Audience clapping... Debbie: Amen... 43:58 And it turns out... we're the first one in the entire Country. 44:01 Say that again, did everyone hear that? 44:03 We're the first alternative medicine nursing program 44:06 in the entire Country, 44:08 Debbie: Amen, amen... 44:09 Neil: and it's one that, of course, 44:11 they'll sit for the Boards 44:13 but they'll also come out as health educators 44:15 and they'll be also teaching the Word 44:18 in combination with physical healing. 44:20 Praise God, praise God, thank you very much 44:22 for sharing with us about the Weimar Institute of Nursing, 44:27 our last Offering in Action Project 44:31 is one that you will not find in your booklet, 44:33 it is one that we have added 44:35 because it's of special significance 44:38 with all that has been in the media 44:40 and all the debates about Creation versus Evolution, 44:43 we have felt that it's extremely important for us 44:47 to under-gird the efforts that are being made 44:50 to strengthen the Biblical Creation Story, 44:54 particularly in our curriculum 44:56 that we are providing to educate our children at every level. 45:00 So, this particular project which we have termed 45:02 "The Creation Project" is one that is for... 45:05 we're requesting 40,000 dollars 45:09 to provide the support to continue this work. 45:12 With me is Ed Zinke, 45:13 he's retired from Biblical Research 45:15 and has his hands in a number of different areas 45:18 but we're happy to have him here 45:20 and Larry Blackmer who is the Vice President 45:22 for North American Division Education. 45:25 So they're going to share with us a little bit 45:27 about what two schools are doing 45:31 in this particular line of work, Ed... 45:34 Yes, thank you very much indeed Creation is extremely 45:39 important to us as a church not just Creation... 45:43 but Biblical Creation. 45:45 In 1980, the church revised a statement 45:49 of belief and revised the statement on Creation, 45:53 there seemed like the statement was clear enough, 45:57 that Creation took place in six actual days... 46:01 a short period of time ago... 46:04 but many individuals... 46:07 some individuals have re-interpreted that statement 46:10 to mean that God created over millions and millions of years 46:14 and each day represented millions of years 46:18 and so some felt that it was necessary 46:22 to tighten that statement up and in 2010 46:25 at the General Conference Session there was a request 46:28 for a study to be made to that... 46:30 that was brought back to the General Conference Session 46:34 this last time and the statement was clarified 46:36 and it would be very difficult to read anything other than 46:40 six actual days... seven... when you include the Sabbath 46:45 seven days more or less like our week, 46:48 the other thing that some individuals that felt that 46:52 worldwide flood which was in our 1980 statement 46:56 meant that the "then-known world" 46:59 and so it didn't mean the whole world, 47:01 it just meant that there was a big flood 47:03 and so that also was changed at the General Conference Session 47:07 to mean... to say... "Global Flood" 47:11 rather than world-wide flood. 47:14 Now, several institutions... educational institutions 47:19 within the church are 47:21 taking very seriously the doctrine of Creation 47:25 and they have done extensive study 47:29 in Geology and Biology and other areas 47:32 supporting the Biblical account of Creation, 47:37 one of those is Southern Adventist University 47:41 also Southwestern Adventist University 47:44 and at the Earth and Biological Sciences Program at Loma Linda 47:48 is the only place in the world 47:52 in which you can get a Ph. D. in Geology or Biology 47:56 from a Biblical perspective. 47:58 Now we are supporting two of those programs 48:01 at this ASI Convention 48:04 and Larry will tell us about Southern Adventist University 48:08 and then I'll tell you about Southwestern. 48:13 Why is Creation important to the Church? 48:18 In 2014, the Gallup Poll did a survey 48:24 of the general population and they found out that 48:28 42 percent said they were Creationists 48:31 and that 31 percent said they were Theistic Evolutionists 48:36 and only 19 percent said they were straight out Evolutionists. 48:41 The difficulty is, "What is a Creationist?" 48:45 in defining what a Creationist really is 48:49 because many people say they're Creationists 48:53 but they believe in "millions of years" 48:55 through that process 48:56 and so, it's been our goal in the church 49:01 through the educational system, 49:02 through higher education to make sure that we present 49:07 a Biblical foundation to Creationism. 49:11 The... there was a survey done recently 49:15 by the Pugh Group and they found out that 49:19 in the Adventist Church, 47 percent 49:22 believed that the Seventh-day Adventist Church 49:25 is anti-Science, 49:28 are we anti-Science? 49:30 We're not! 49:31 but we have somehow convinced our young people 49:35 that the Adventist Church does not believe in Science. 49:38 We believe in the Church and in our Institutions 49:43 that there is real good Science behind Creation 49:48 and so we're trying to find ways 49:50 to make sure that happens. 49:52 The Biblical account... 49:54 Creation is all the way through the Biblical account. 49:57 It's in the Old Testament, 49:59 it's mentioned by every single New Testament Writer 50:03 and Creation is actually talked about... by Jesus Himself. 50:07 So it is an important issue. 50:09 Creation is closely tied to... and I have here... 50:13 15 different doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 50:18 in which Creation is directly tied. 50:22 Creation is fundamental to our Church. 50:26 Last year, I stood up on the platform 50:31 and told you about our new by design... Science curriculum, 50:36 Grades one through eight developed distinctly by 50:39 Seventh-day Adventists 50:40 for Seventh-day Adventist Schools 50:42 based on a Biblical account of Creation 50:46 and it's a North America Division Initiative, 50:50 it's both Health and Science combined. 50:52 We have also now through Southern Adventist University 50:59 and their local project... created a lot of other resources 51:04 these resources could be used by design separately 51:08 through the School System, 51:10 they can be used by home schooling families, 51:12 by Christian families 51:13 whose kids are in... 51:15 whose students are in public school 51:17 and by Lay Persons of all ages 51:20 and it's available online free. 51:22 There are many other projects we have in the pipeline. 51:26 We're actually... Dr. Tim Standish is the 51:29 Editor of our new Ninth Grade Biology textbook, 51:34 that we're now going to have the Life Science Series 51:38 totally developed by Seventh-day Adventists 51:41 for our Schools. 51:42 We are creating a set of videos about Adventist Scientists. 51:47 Science is alive and well in the Adventist Church 51:51 and we have world renowned Scientists 51:55 that belong to our Church. 51:56 We're developing dinosaur videos and interactives, 52:00 we're designing a College-level "Origins" class 52:04 with Faith and Science in Southern Adventist University 52:08 and we have a Chemistry Professor at Andrews University 52:12 who's working on materials about Design in Chemistry. 52:17 We're developing interactives and simulations 52:21 that can go along with "By Design. " 52:23 We're working through a number of our universities 52:27 in a collaborative project 52:29 and so, what we're trying to do 52:32 is we're trying to create resources 52:34 on multiple topics, on Origins, on World View 52:38 and Biblical Foundations. 52:39 We're working at the Elementary, the Secondary 52:42 and the College level and we're developing partnerships. 52:46 We have a delivery system 52:50 called: the Adventist Learning Community 52:52 adventistlearningcommunity. com 52:54 and all of these resources will be available 52:58 at no cost to everyone. 53:00 We want our resources used in the Church. 53:04 How could you help? 53:06 You can encourage Conference Administrators, 53:09 local teachers and pastors to become interested in Origins. 53:14 You should sponsor "Origin" Education Events 53:17 for Administrators, Teachers and Pastors 53:21 and you can sponsor events at our Academies, 53:24 our Colleges at the local church level. 53:27 You can donate to Organizations 53:29 that promote Creation from a Scientific worldview, 53:33 Faith and Science, the Origin Center at Southern... 53:37 the program at Southwestern Adventist University 53:41 and Geoscience. 53:42 On Sabbath, part of the offering 53:45 will go to support additional resources 53:48 that will be available to our young people. 53:51 Debbie: Amen amen. 53:52 We have just a short period left here but if we could 53:56 bring up the slides of the Hanson Ranch 53:58 that's terrific... this is a project of 54:01 Southwestern Adventist University 54:03 every summer they go to a Dino dig... 54:06 thank you for advancing that, 54:08 that's the Hanson Ranch there. 54:09 Fifteen years ago, Mr. Hanson wanted the... 54:14 wanted the... bones that were on his ranch 54:18 to be studied by Geologists. 54:20 There are a number of dinosaur bones there 54:23 and he contacted the Scientists 54:25 who came out and looked at it 54:27 and he told the Scientists, 54:29 "I don't care what you teach about Theistic Evolution 54:32 or any kind of Evolution but you have to teach Creation" 54:35 and... so this Scientist stormed off... enraged, 54:39 he left some graffiti on the barn that said, 54:42 "Science will never again be done on this ranch. " 54:45 Mr. Hanson contacted Art Chadwick 54:49 who is one of the foremost geologists 54:53 and Art Chadwick came to that Ranch, 54:56 we won't have time to go through the details 54:58 but he developed latest methods for doing Geology 55:03 when the GSA... the National Profession of Geologists, 55:08 when they have their meetings, they asked him to present 55:12 the presentation on latest methods for Geology 55:15 and actually... many years in a row... 55:20 and so Art has the opportunity of working with students 55:24 and we're going to have that picture 55:26 I hope, before our time runs out 55:27 with students who have the opportunity of 55:31 digging there every summer 55:32 and hearing his lectures on Creationism and Geology... 55:36 it's a wonderful blessing to those students 55:38 and to our Church. 55:40 Thank you very much, 55:42 we really appreciate what you're doing 55:44 to keep the Creation story alive and accurate. 55:47 Both: Thank you very much. Debbie: Thank you. 55:49 At this time we would like you to listen to the 55:54 piano instrumental that will precede our closing prayer. 55:57 Piano playing 56:03 Piano playing... 56:10 Live out Thy life within me... 56:16 Oh Jesus King of Kings. 56:22 Be Thou Thyself the answer 56:28 to all my questionings; 56:33 Live out Thy life within me, 56:38 in all things have Thy way! 56:44 I, the transparent medium, 56:50 Thy glory to display. 56:58 Look upon Jesus, 57:04 sinless is He; 57:09 Father, impute His life unto me. 57:15 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 57:21 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 57:27 Cover with His life whiter than snow; 57:33 Fullness of His life then shall I know; 57:38 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 57:44 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 57:50 Take my life, 57:54 and let it be 57:57 consecrated Lord, to Thee; 58:02 Take my hands, and let them move 58:07 At the impulse of Thy love, 58:12 At the impulse of Thy love. 58:17 Take my feet, and let them be 58:23 Swift and beautiful for Thee; 58:28 Take my voice, and let me sing 58:34 Always, only, for my King, 58:41 Always, only, for my King. 58:47 Live out Thy life within me, 58:52 in all things have Thy way! 58:57 I, the transparent medium, Thy glory to display. 59:03 ASI, Spokane, Washington. |
Revised 2016-06-15