3ABN Today Live

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Series Code: TDYL

00:02 I want to spend my life.
00:35 I want to spend my life.
00:45 I want to spend my life.
01:06 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
01:07 I'm JD Quinn.
01:08 And we welcome you to 3ABN Today Live.
01:12 And we're going to have a great program tonight.
01:15 Before I introduce our guest, I just want to read one of my
01:20 favorite scriptures, Three Angels Broadcasting Network.
01:24 We got our title or our ministry name from the three
01:29 angels of Revelation 14.
01:32 And I think my favorite verse is Revelation 14 verse 6 that
01:37 tells us when these three angels are appearing, John
01:41 says, then I saw another angel flying in the midst of having
01:46 the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on
01:51 the earth, every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.
01:58 The everlasting gospel, the grace of God, the salvation
02:03 offered through Jesus Christ, the love of God is the
02:07 foundation of the three angels' messages.
02:10 And tonight we have two special guests with us.
02:14 They are in a ministry.
02:16 I think it's an exciting ministry because they are a
02:20 network.
02:21 It's a thriving network.
02:23 They have over 400 ministries, lay ministries in this network,
02:31 and they're in 87 countries.
02:35 And they're wanting to go every country of the world so that
02:38 they can fulfill this scripture.
02:41 So without further ado, let me introduce our special guests.
02:45 We have Steve Dickman, who is the president of Outpost
02:49 Centers International.
02:51 Steve, welcome back.
02:52 Thank you.
02:53 It's good to be here.
02:54 We always enjoy when you're here because you have such
02:57 great stories.
02:59 And then we have James Hartley.
03:01 And James, you are the vice president of Outpost Centers
03:08 International.
03:10 We just welcome you here as well.
03:12 Thank you.
03:13 Glad to be here.
03:14 I'll tell you, that's a great scripture for this particular
03:17 program because we are covering the world.
03:21 You know, there's something interesting, at least from my
03:23 standpoint.
03:24 When you read the gospel commission in Matthew, and then
03:27 you read the gospel commission in Mark, and you read the
03:31 gospel commission in Luke, but John doesn't specifically
03:35 address that in the gospel, but he addresses it in Revelation.
03:40 So what you've just shared with us is one of my favorite verses
03:44 as well.
03:45 It's John's version of the gospel commission in the
03:48 context of these three angels' messages.
03:51 Amen.
03:52 So it's amazing.
03:53 And you know, if people don't know the love of God, if they
03:56 don't know the grace of God, the rest of the three angels'
04:01 messages aren't going to make any difference to them.
04:04 First, they've got to know God.
04:06 And that takes workers, that takes people who are out
04:11 ministering on behalf of the Lord.
04:14 Well, I know that everyone loves music and we have got a
04:19 great pianist with us tonight.
04:21 Josh Singletary, and he's going to be playing, Oh How I Love
04:26 Jesus.
04:27 Amen.
06:02 Thank you.
06:03 Thank you, Josh.
06:03 That was wonderful.
06:04 Yes.
06:05 That was uplifting too.
06:06 It was.
06:07 Amen.
06:10 are Steve Dickman and James Hartley with Outpost Centers
06:15 International.
06:16 And boy, have they got some stories to tell.
06:18 But I know you wanted to make a public thank you first.
06:22 You see how big this glass is?
06:24 Pretty big glass.
06:25 We just got to send some tomatoes that were about
06:28 looking like this.
06:29 Now, this is pre-tomato season here in Southern Illinois, so y
06:33 'all must have been busy.
06:34 And I asked, where'd you get those tomatoes?
06:37 And I'll be, if you didn't say, my group, my academy, the town
06:42 that I live in and everything, the academy there.
06:45 Harvard Hills Academy.
06:46 Harvard Hills.
06:50 wait to get home and have a tomato sandwich.
06:53 I'm with you.
06:54 I know what we're having for lunch tomorrow.
06:57 When it's tomato season, I like tomato sandwiches like every
07:00 day.
07:02 Tomato and avocado.
07:03 Well, this could be a gardening program just as easy.
07:07 You're out harvesting a different type of people that
07:12 got stories to tell and you've got stories to tell because
07:16 you're out there making things happen.
07:18 We love both of you.
07:19 Yeah.
07:22 I know that I always love to hear people's personal
07:25 testimonies and I know you do as well because it shows us how
07:30 the Lord works in our lives and brings purpose to our life.
07:33 So Steve, did you grow up in a Christian home?
07:36 Tell us your story.
07:37 I did grow up in a Christian home.
07:40 Both of my parents, my father was born as a Seventh-day
07:44 Adventist Christian.
07:46 My mother became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian when she
07:48 was about 15.
07:50 They both ended up attending a college in Tennessee that
07:53 focused on preparing missionaries.
07:56 And so they decided that they would dedicate their lives to
07:59 mission.
08:00 And so I was kind of born into that environment.
08:03 They helped to start this school where these tomatoes
08:05 came from.
08:07 They helped start that.
08:08 Wow.
08:12 grew up learning about mission and ministry from as early as I
08:17 can remember.
08:19 And boy, it took root in you.
08:21 By God's grace.
08:23 You just returned from Bolivia.
08:24 We're going to hear the stories, but you travel
08:27 probably nine months out of the year.
08:29 You're going around the world.
08:31 It's amazing how God is using Outpost Centers International.
08:37 And now, James, tell us a little bit about your
08:42 upbringing.
08:43 Yeah, mine was a little different.
08:44 I was raised to a wonderful Roman Catholic family in
08:47 Wisconsin.
08:49 I had never heard of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
08:51 before, but in my college years doing some traveling, me and my
08:56 friend got introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist Church
09:00 through a vegetarian restaurant in Basel, Switzerland.
09:03 It was called Country Life.
09:05 And in fact, it was an Outpost Center ministry.
09:08 So it's through OCI that I got introduced to Christ again,
09:12 because I had really left the Catholic Church.
09:15 I was into Eastern philosophies, meditations and a
09:20 very different lifestyle, drugs, alcohol, partying, just
09:24 traveling around.
09:25 And suddenly we meet some very godly people and I volunteered
09:29 on a farm referred to from the restaurant in Italy.
09:33 I lived three months on a family farm that were mission
09:36 -minded people and they just introduced Christ to us.
09:39 It was life-changing for me.
09:41 So I ended up getting connected with some of these other
09:44 Outpost Center ministries.
09:46 I got called down to Tennessee and I ended up volunteering on
09:49 the OCI headquarters, which had a farm at the time.
09:52 And I was just a farm help.
09:54 I showed up there with a t -shirt with skeletons on it and
09:57 long hair.
10:00 I didn't really have much of a picture of it all, but it was
10:06 life -changing for me.
10:08 So I started to read scripture there and got into the message
10:12 and gave my life to it.
10:13 So I decided to be a missionary for the rest of my life.
10:16 That was 25 years ago.
10:18 I think what it is, sometimes we focus on rules and
10:22 regulation.
10:23 What people need to find out first is if they know the heart
10:28 of God.
10:29 When you see people who are living, your faith should
10:35 result in faithful living.
10:38 And when you see that, it is a magnet, isn't it?
10:42 And then you got to know the heart of God and you couldn't
10:46 wait to serve it.
10:47 I could see Christ through the people that were witnessing to
10:50 me and that was just a huge witness to see the families,
10:54 the people that were passionate about God.
10:57 And I knew they had something that I was lacking and it just
11:00 kept me there.
11:00 So I kept volunteering.
11:02 They were patient with me.
11:03 I was a work in progress, but thankfully they didn't kick me
11:06 out.
11:07 They let me stay there.
11:08 So after nine months of studying and so forth, that's
11:12 when I joined the church and was baptized and yeah, it was
11:17 life -changing.
11:18 So I've been serving in outpost center ministries ever since
11:21 that time.
11:22 And that's over 20 years, right?
11:24 Praise the Lord.
11:26 And now tell us, outpost centers international began in
11:31 1983.
11:32 Tell us a little bit about the mission, the vision for outpost
11:38 centers.
11:39 Outpost centers international is a collection of ministries
11:44 who support the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in
11:48 helping to get the gospel to the world.
11:51 So from 1983 with a handful of ministries, we're now, like you
11:57 mentioned earlier, over 400 ministries scattered in about
12:00 87 countries.
12:02 But that's only the beginning because the reality is that
12:06 there's 235 countries and there are a number of those countries
12:12 where it is not friendly towards the gospel.
12:17 And so we believe that laypeople have a special part
12:22 to play in helping to get the gospel into some of these very
12:26 challenging areas.
12:28 There's countries of the world like Zambia where one in every
12:33 15 people is a Seventh-day Adventist.
12:37 And so that's a fairly high concentration, but there are
12:41 other countries where it's one in 20,000 or one in 40,000 or
12:45 one in 60,000.
12:47 And so those are the places we believe and other areas of the
12:55 world, even some that are not in those countries, but they're
13:00 tribal groups that have not been reached yet.
13:03 And so we just feel like laypeople have a very special
13:05 part to play in that journey.
13:07 Well, we know for certain that without laypeople the mission's
13:11 not going to be accomplished.
13:13 One other thing that I was reading, I was on the internet
13:18 researching the two of you.
13:21 And one thing that caught my attention was there are some
13:23 countries that really don't want pastors to even come into
13:28 their country.
13:29 And I like what you said, but they all, the one thing that
13:33 they all catch hold of is an educator.
13:36 And you were in education for many, many years.
13:40 And so all of a sudden, come on in, sir.
13:42 You're an educator.
13:43 You're not a pastor.
13:45 So this is kind of what I'm hearing you say.
13:48 There's a lot of countries out there that are hungry and
13:52 thirsting for Jesus, but they just haven't had the
13:55 opportunity to learn who he is yet.
13:58 Yeah.
13:59 About two years ago, I visited a country that is extremely
14:03 closed to anybody from the outside coming in.
14:07 It was really kind of a miracle that I was able to even get a
14:10 visa.
14:11 And on the application, they asked, what is your profession?
14:15 And because I'm a teacher as well, I put educator and they
14:20 gave me a visa to go to that country where if you put pastor
14:25 or missionary down, you're not going to that country.
14:29 So praise God for laypeople that can engage in that kind
14:34 of, you know, reaching into some of those territories, like
14:37 you say.
14:38 Yeah.
14:42 I mean, that's just one of those miracles that happens.
14:46 And seed yields more seed.
14:49 And there's another area that the entire world seems to be
14:52 open to, and it's the health work.
14:56 Doesn't matter how rich you are, how poor you are, what
15:00 country you live in, people have health challenges.
15:04 And so the, one of the arms of outpost centers international
15:10 that is fairly active is the health work, whether it's a
15:16 health center, a wellness center, or it may be a
15:20 vegetarian restaurant or something like that.
15:23 So we have a number of those scattered around the world,
15:26 James.
15:26 Absolutely.
15:27 Yeah.
15:32 clinics.
15:33 We have Bush clinics.
15:35 We're ministering to cities.
15:37 So OCI is a, is a network of, of church members that are
15:42 actively involved in ministry through the right arm, through
15:46 the health message, ministering as Christ ministered, helping
15:50 people's physical needs, looking to introduce the gospel
15:52 to them, showing the God also through education.
15:57 And also I would say maybe a three, a third part to this is
16:01 businesses because through, you know, lay people opening
16:05 businesses that are gospel focused, they can also be used
16:09 to enter difficult regions where like you, like you
16:13 mentioned, pastors are not so welcome or an outward gospel
16:17 method is not allowed or legal, but through health, through
16:22 education, through business, we can get inroads in some of the
16:25 most difficult countries in the world.
16:26 And you have farming and agriculture as well.
16:30 Just kind of give us some.
16:31 Well, let me mention this.
16:32 So you're bringing the two together.
16:34 You've got ministry minded people that need some
16:38 assistance over here because we're ready to go.
16:42 Well, we don't really know what to do.
16:44 And then here is OCI.
16:46 Well, we know what to do.
16:47 We need your assistance.
16:50 And so a marriage is created there.
16:52 Now is that kind of the what we're saying?
16:54 Yeah.
16:57 There are 400 ministries.
16:58 There's over 5,000 missionaries engaged with all of these
17:02 projects.
17:03 Many of them have years of experience in running academies
17:07 or running wellness centers or running language schools or
17:11 running outpost agricultural projects and centers of
17:15 influence and restaurants and health food stores in OCI.
17:18 You're going to find expertise in all those areas and joining
17:22 into the network.
17:23 You're going to get connected with so many people that will
17:25 help launch you into ministry with some experience advising
17:30 you.
17:32 And I would imagine there's people that are watching this
17:35 that probably say, honey, come here and listen to this.
17:37 This could be a way that we could join someone that could
17:42 help us go further with our ministry.
17:45 It's actually one of one of our things that we highlight often
17:50 is on our website at outpostcenters.org.
17:55 People can go there and they can find mission opportunities.
17:58 I was just talking with a ministry today and they said,
18:02 I'm so happy I'm a part of outpost centers because it's
18:05 really being helpful to me.
18:07 I post my need.
18:09 I need someone to help in agriculture.
18:11 I need a cook.
18:12 I need to come to this ministry.
18:14 And they said, they've been getting responses because
18:17 people are also looking for opportunity many times.
18:20 And so it's a huge blessing.
18:23 Now, one of the things that we feel strongly about is that
18:27 sometimes laypeople just need to know they can do something.
18:31 And so we're often sharing the stories of other laypeople who
18:35 are doing things so that as they listen to that story, they
18:39 go, ah, look, if that guy can do it, I can do it.
18:42 I can do something.
18:43 So you have conferences where you do trainings and you talk
18:47 about sharing these testimonies.
18:50 And so when people come, I loved what you said in the
18:54 green room.
18:58 that you want to get across tonight?
19:01 He said, mission, mission, mission.
19:04 And it doesn't mean that you're going to be called overseas.
19:08 You can walk.
19:13 fence.
19:16 That's your heart.
19:18 I think if we would recognize the power of working together,
19:25 sometimes we think, well, somebody else is going to do
19:28 it.
19:30 No, it's for us.
19:32 It's our opportunity.
19:34 And if all of the Christians in the world got together, it'd be
19:37 amazing.
19:42 Christians, maybe about 10, 12 million, would really go
19:46 seriously on a mission to do something for God.
19:49 Wouldn't that be amazing?
19:50 I think it would change the world.
19:53 You want to share the story about when you were
19:56 interviewing those two young ladies?
19:59 You know, as I travel, one of the things I do is I interview
20:04 people and get their story because I love to tell stories.
20:07 So I need stories and I like to hear people's stories.
20:10 So I was going to do an interview with these two young
20:12 ladies.
20:13 They're in the Philippines.
20:14 We're in the Philippines.
20:15 They've come to an OCI conference.
20:18 And so I said, I've got to get their story.
20:21 And so I said, you would be willing to be interviewed?
20:23 Oh, yes.
20:24 They said, it's fine.
20:25 And so I'm thinking, oh, this would be great.
20:28 You know, I'm going to get a story here.
20:29 And so my opening question was, I thought it was the right
20:32 question.
20:33 And I said, so I'm Steve Dickman.
20:36 I'm here in the Philippines and I'm going to talk to Felicia
20:38 and Ann, hear about their work.
20:41 Who do you work for?
20:42 And their response was amazing.
20:44 They just looked at me with this incredulous look on my
20:47 face, like, I thought you knew something.
20:50 They said, well, of course we work for God.
20:53 And that really impacted me.
20:55 I thought, you know, isn't it so true?
20:57 Sometimes we forget who we work for.
21:00 They had come on a journey to get to this OCI conference.
21:04 They had been, they had to go up in the mountains because
21:07 they're missionaries up there.
21:08 They'd gone up in the mountains.
21:09 Sometimes you hike for one full day to get up to some of these
21:14 villages where they go.
21:15 So on the way up, they had to cross a river.
21:18 Well, you think, okay, it's no big deal.
21:21 Cross the river.
21:25 So as they crossed the river, they were struggling, you know,
21:27 to get over the river.
21:28 And we're talking the water coming up probably to their
21:31 waist.
21:31 Wow.
21:31 But they're not hesitating.
21:32 They're waiting across the river.
21:34 They're going to go on their mission.
21:36 After being in the village, it was still raining.
21:39 And the people told them, do not go down there.
21:41 The river is too flooded.
21:43 And they said, no, we have to go because we're going the OCI
21:46 conference.
21:47 And so they're coming down.
21:50 They're getting close to the river.
21:51 They can, they're getting near the river and a little three
21:55 wheel, you know, the Philippines have a lot of these
21:57 little three wheel things.
21:59 It came by and there's a big old guy driving it.
22:02 And he says, where are you going?
22:04 He says, oh, we're going across the river.
22:06 He says, we'll get in.
22:07 I'll take you to the river.
22:08 And they said, oh no, we'll walk.
22:10 He says, he insisted.
22:11 He said, no, you have to get in.
22:13 So they said, okay, we got it.
22:14 They got in the back of this thing.
22:15 They rode to the river.
22:17 They get there.
22:18 And they said, well, it was raging by that time.
22:22 We would say the water was just swift and flowing.
22:25 And he says, are you going across?
22:28 And they, and they said, yes, we're going.
22:30 And he says, well, you must go with me.
22:32 And so they got like behind him and he said, no, you have to
22:37 hold onto me.
22:38 And so he helped them across the river.
22:41 You know, when they got to the convention and they shared a
22:45 little bit of how they had gotten there, I was just
22:48 thinking, these are the two ladies that said, we're working
22:52 for God.
22:53 You know, God was watching out for them.
22:55 That guy that came by wasn't an accident.
22:58 I don't know, angels have interesting jobs sometimes.
23:01 I don't know if he was an angel or not, but I can tell you that
23:05 when they told me about their journey to get there, I
23:08 recognize if we're truly working for God, what do we
23:11 have to worry about?
23:13 The river may be deep.
23:15 The mountain may be high, but we're working for God.
23:21 And we're sitting here complaining because the airline
23:24 seat is not comfortable.
23:25 I get stuck in the middle here.
23:27 Lord, where are you?
23:29 And here's these precious ladies here.
23:31 I mean, wow.
23:32 That concept is that if every ministry, if every person had
23:39 that attitude, we are working for God.
23:42 There would be the unity that Jesus prayed for.
23:45 You know, we would, we got to hold on to one another and lift
23:51 him high.
23:52 And I love that.
23:53 That's beautiful.
23:54 Yeah.
23:58 said.
24:02 me that I don't always act like I'm working for God.
24:07 He says, you know, Isaiah 43 says, I know your name.
24:12 He says, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
24:17 Yep.
24:21 So if we're working for the king, we have special
24:28 privileges.
24:29 Amen.
24:30 Amen.
24:31 Amen.
24:31 It's well put.
24:34 So James, do you travel?
24:36 You don't travel quite as much.
24:38 I don't travel quite as much as Steve, but not many people do.
24:41 He's on the move all the time.
24:44 It's amazing from one place to another, which I really
24:46 appreciate because I can't, I don't want to travel as much
24:49 because I have a young family.
24:51 I've got a seven and a nine year old daughters, my wife.
24:54 So I travel a bit.
24:56 Yeah.
24:57 I was in Brazil, but there I sometimes I bring my family.
25:01 My wife is Brazilian, so that works out really good.
25:04 We had, we went to an OCI convention in Brazil, which was
25:07 really a blessing and traveled around to visit different
25:10 ministries.
25:11 There's 18 ministries now in Brazil.
25:13 It's a really growing territory, several new
25:16 projects, wellness centers, evangelistic projects, and so
25:20 forth.
25:21 And it was great.
25:22 I get to teach classes as I travel around to them.
25:26 And at one of them, maybe just a short story, I met a young
25:29 man.
25:33 clinic and some health work.
25:35 He was large.
25:37 And so I thought, oh, he must be a lifestyle guest.
25:39 But then in the afternoon, I was teaching a class and he was
25:41 sitting in the front row.
25:42 I said, oh, you're a student.
25:44 He said, yeah.
25:45 I said, how long you been here?
25:46 Six months.
25:47 And he says, yeah, this place has helped me a lot.
25:50 I've lost a hundred pounds.
25:52 Wow.
25:54 He was 400 pounds when he came to the Institute.
25:59 Some missionary found out about him.
26:01 He was at his very end.
26:02 He was suicidal.
26:03 He was thinking of ending his life.
26:05 He was wrapped up in, yeah, spiritualism and kind of some
26:11 demonic stuff.
26:12 And his life was falling apart.
26:14 He was out of control.
26:15 His health was out of control.
26:17 He got brought to this outpost center property.
26:20 And that's where our name comes from.
26:22 It's a, you know, not all of our places are in the country.
26:25 Some are in the city, but a lot of them are these outpost
26:28 centers that the name comes from a ministry that's just
26:31 outside the city.
26:32 So it can be a nice, natural, healing environment for
26:35 education, for healing and so forth and nice country living.
26:40 So he got brought out there and they said, well, what can you
26:43 do?
26:46 He could work 10 minutes and he was done.
26:49 Okay.
26:49 His heart was beating.
26:51 He was out of breath and he had all kinds of health problems.
26:54 But over several months he began, his life began to
26:58 change.
27:01 And when I saw him, you know, I realized this, this man or this
27:04 young man, he was probably only about 22 years old.
27:07 His whole life had changed.
27:09 Yeah.
27:12 100 pound difference.
27:13 And he was on a path.
27:14 He says, I'm working on the farm all day long.
27:17 I'm full of energy.
27:19 I'm strong.
27:19 I'm healthy.
27:22 I just got baptized.
27:23 I gave my life to God.
27:24 These people here at this, at this ministry here have
27:28 completely changed my life.
27:30 It really blew me away.
27:31 And in the classroom, he was the most inquisitive, asking
27:34 all kinds of questions.
27:35 He said, I want to serve God the rest of my life and I want
27:38 to help out these different ministries.
27:40 So yeah, he's very excited.
27:42 I could see it in his life.
27:43 He was a living testimony of the kind of change lives that
27:47 can happen through these, through these outpost
27:50 ministries.
27:51 Yeah.
27:55 about the outpost centers international, I always hear
28:01 that they're using Christ's method.
28:03 They're reaching out the love of Christ, the healing, the,
28:08 the personal interest.
28:10 And like I said, if that's, that is something that if you
28:15 come at people just with rules and regulations, religion, you
28:20 know, it's got to be relationship.
28:22 They have to have a relationship with the Lord.
28:25 And when he saw their love and he started understanding God's
28:29 heart, he gave God his heart.
28:31 They didn't judge him how he looked, where he came from.
28:34 He was a mess.
28:35 They opened up their doors, even though he, there was
28:37 nothing he could do to help them in the beginning.
28:39 But now actually they've got a strong helper around there and
28:43 he's motivating others.
28:45 And yeah.
28:46 So the, the people that the personal contact is so
28:49 important and yeah.
28:51 So it's exciting to be a part of, to see ministries like this
28:54 making such impact.
28:56 Yeah.
28:59 Three, this is the notes that I have.
29:01 So I'm in the ballpark.
29:03 I don't know, just have 368 ministries.
29:08 That's about 400.
29:09 400.
29:14 a pretty rapid rate.
29:15 Let's put that graphic up because this is impressive what
29:19 the Lord is doing.
29:21 Remember this is the mission is to have a thriving network and
29:25 we're going to talk about why people join because they get
29:29 all of this support.
29:30 But look at the growth since they began in 1981 and look at
29:36 this explosive growth that you've been through the last
29:40 couple of years.
29:42 It's amazing.
29:43 Well, what I was thinking about was there's 365 days in a year.
29:47 Is that right?
29:48 I think so.
29:49 Yeah.
29:50 And I saw the 368 that just jumped up to 400.
29:53 Yeah.
29:53 My goodness.
29:55 That's, that's seeing someone every one in that one and a
29:58 third every day.
29:59 Yeah.
30:03 This is amazing.
30:05 This is amazing.
30:07 Yeah.
30:11 James, maybe you could say just talk about this team that we're
30:15 developing that supports the ministries.
30:17 Yeah.
30:20 ministries that we're starting.
30:22 Steve and I are not out there starting.
30:24 No, I understand that they're, they're getting drawn in and
30:27 they're exactly what we see with part of that I feel like
30:32 God, the Holy Spirit is being poured out on people around the
30:35 world and they're getting engaged in ministry.
30:37 Amen.
30:39 Could I ask you this?
30:40 Yeah, sure.
30:41 Sure.
30:46 decided to start this ministry and we're doing this and maybe
30:49 we haven't become a 501C3.
30:52 Right.
30:57 mean, I know, but explain to our viewers why people want to
31:02 become part of OCI, what you're offering.
31:05 Yeah.
31:09 are engaged in ministry.
31:11 Right.
31:15 We'll help promote your ministry.
31:17 Then we have tools on our website where you could do
31:19 fundraising through our ministry because you may not
31:21 have your 501C3 set up, but if you're doing gospel work, you
31:27 could be raising money through OCI.
31:29 So we have a vetting process to accept members.
31:32 And if they're doing work similar to our charter, they
31:35 can join in, they can fundraise, they can launch
31:37 fundraising projects on our website.
31:39 They can get connected and finding helpers and staff.
31:42 They can promote, then they can come to our conventions,
31:45 network with, find out about the ministries.
31:48 And it's really neat because OCI is kind of a connecting
31:50 glue between ministries.
31:52 And there's a lot of collaboration that happens
31:54 because one place might be training people, the other one
31:57 is hiring them, you know, and there's a lot of give and take
32:00 between the ministries.
32:02 So when you're in, when you're in that network, you know,
32:05 there's a lot of, you know, connections that happen that
32:09 that's, that wouldn't be so easy if OCI wasn't there making
32:13 these, getting these ministries connected with each other.
32:16 So are you teaching them about like, if say someone is going
32:20 overseas, are you teaching them a culture, the language?
32:25 What?
32:25 Yeah, there's a variety of things.
32:27 Now, some of them are already there.
32:30 They're from that place.
32:32 What they need is what's the bar for good practice on how
32:37 you do governance?
32:39 How can we do better fundraising to enhance the work
32:44 we can do with our project?
32:46 How can we really build a team?
32:48 What does that look like?
32:49 Because we're growing and we need more people, but we don't
32:52 know how to do this.
32:53 So sometimes it's that.
32:56 And it's a big, and, and one of my joys is attending these
33:01 events that are planned mostly by our field team.
33:05 But when I go, I see these ministries because ministry on
33:08 the front lines is often lonely.
33:11 You feel like you're there by yourself.
33:13 You're the only one facing these problems.
33:16 Everybody else has an easy life, you think.
33:18 But when you get together with the other ministries and talk
33:21 to their leaders, you find out it's not true.
33:24 Everybody has the same problems, similar problems,
33:27 I'll say.
33:28 And as I see them talking together, praying together,
33:33 encouraging each other and walking away just really feel
33:39 like they can go back now and they can do something more.
33:44 It really blesses me to see that happen.
33:48 So OCI plays a role.
33:50 James called it kind of like a family, a network.
33:52 And that's so true because many times that's what they're
33:56 needing more than anything else.
33:58 But the other areas are important They need
34:01 encouragement.
34:02 And we have prayer chains and these are different languages.
34:06 Not everybody's speaking English.
34:07 So in Brazil, there's a community of these 18
34:10 ministries that are all texting each other on WhatsApp, praying
34:14 for one another, and they try to meet each other's needs.
34:17 They're working together, supporting one another.
34:19 That's extremely meaningful.
34:21 This is what I read about OCI.
34:26 Join the family.
34:28 Why?
34:30 There are seven reasons.
34:32 Spiritual competence, like -mindedness.
34:35 We've talked about that.
34:37 Someone to consult with.
34:39 They can talk to.
34:41 Hey, I'm experiencing this.
34:43 Networking and synergy.
34:47 Financial services.
34:50 It's a very important part of it.
34:52 No, certainly.
34:54 Try to start anything without finances and you'll find out
34:58 real quick how important they are.
35:00 Media service.
35:02 Global exposure.
35:04 Not just talking about 20 miles from home.
35:07 Global.
35:08 Number six, important, training.
35:11 They'll give you some tools to train.
35:13 So we've got a toolbox here.
35:14 Now it's getting full.
35:16 And number seven, strategic development.
35:20 What a business plan that is.
35:23 I mean, all I know is that I love Jesus and I have a heart
35:28 for him and I want to get out there and I want to call on
35:30 everybody.
35:32 Hey, young man, I think that we can help each other.
35:37 And I mean, here the simplicity is we can consult with you.
35:41 We can network with you.
35:42 We can help you connect the dots financially.
35:47 You want some global exposure.
35:49 We've got global exposure.
35:52 OCI.
35:53 We've been where you were 40 years ago.
35:57 Okay.
35:57 And so training.
35:58 So what are we looking for?
36:01 Someone that's like-minded.
36:03 Someone that's mission driven and someone that is committed.
36:09 But with all of these services, all these advantages, how do we
36:14 provide that for 400 ministries in 87 different countries?
36:17 How do you do that?
36:18 So we have a leadership team of experienced people.
36:22 People who have been in ministry a long time and have
36:24 experience in different areas.
36:26 Speak different languages.
36:27 Yeah, they speak different languages.
36:29 And maybe we could pull up even the picture.
36:31 This is just a couple of slides of our international leadership
36:34 team.
36:38 We have a field vice president for every division of the world
36:42 church and also regional directors for different
36:46 countries.
36:47 And so these people here are experienced.
36:50 They are local.
36:51 They go come visit your ministry.
36:53 They will give counsel.
36:55 They will help with strategic planning.
36:57 We're providing leadership training.
37:00 We're explaining how to use the website and how to get more of
37:04 the benefits of OCI.
37:06 They're promoting the conventions.
37:07 They're organizing the conventions.
37:09 Steve and I sometimes are flying around attending the
37:12 conventions, but there's teams in all these countries in
37:15 Chile, in Colombia, in the Philippines, in India.
37:19 They're organizing these lay missions conventions, drawing
37:24 in not only the ministries, but any interested church members
37:28 that want to get leaders, pastors will come.
37:32 And so it's the field team that's really causing the
37:35 growth, helping us to achieve what we really want to do.
37:40 We're just trying from the office to organize it, get the
37:43 tools in place.
37:45 Which is much needed because there has to be leadership.
37:48 But all I'm saying is that Shully and I, we just want
37:51 somebody that will listen to us.
37:54 That's where it comes down to.
37:59 Gotta connect all these dots.
38:01 But now let me ask you a question because you mentioned
38:04 that there's now 405 ministries and it's just growing so
38:08 quickly.
38:13 But you mentioned that there's over 5,000 workers.
38:18 Talk to us about the workers.
38:20 So we don't keep an exact track of this, but with all these,
38:25 like at Harvard Hills Academy, we have there serving, we
38:30 probably have 50, 60 staff members total.
38:33 So you take 400 ministries and start looking at the numbers
38:39 there.
38:40 Some of them just have maybe two or three staff that are
38:44 serving.
38:49 center, a wellness center, a school, an orphanage.
38:52 So you add all those up, I'm quite sure we're over 5,000
38:56 missionaries serving globally in these places.
39:01 And the interesting thing is we have a sincere, studied,
39:07 carefully planned desire to work very closely with the
39:10 pastors and church administrators of the Seventh
39:13 -day Adventist Church.
39:15 We want to work hand in hand.
39:17 We want to be there to partner with them.
39:19 We want to know that we are praying for their field and
39:24 have workers in their field helping to get the gospel to
39:29 that part of the world.
39:30 So we work very closely with them and we encourage them to
39:34 work very closely with each other so that we're not in
39:38 competition.
39:39 Competition is like, I can do better than you, but
39:43 cooperation and working together is so much better.
39:49 Amen.
39:53 church and with each other.
39:55 And it's a powerful, powerful synergy that comes together as
40:02 they experience working closer and as they experience working
40:09 closely with the church as well.
40:12 So there are numerous opportunities for us to work
40:17 more closely with the church.
40:19 And a lot of these places where it's very challenging or
40:21 difficult are the specialty for lay people.
40:25 So we just, when we see that, it encourages us.
40:29 And you know what is exciting to me is, I want to be sure
40:33 that we put up your, in case somebody can't join us during
40:37 the second hour, you may be watching right now and say, you
40:41 know, I feel like God's asking me to do something more.
40:47 You have volunteers as well, but you can go to the Outpost
40:52 Centers.
40:54 I'm looking for
40:58 your...outpostcenters.org.
41:00 And if you're looking for just maybe instead of starting a
41:05 ministry, joining a ministry, a job position all around the
41:10 world, you can see all of these.
41:12 And that's a great service that you can post these for your
41:17 ministry.
41:18 What a support.
41:19 But do people also just go and volunteer sometimes?
41:25 So there's volunteer opportunities as well.
41:28 And that's really an ideal situation for a ministry.
41:33 Maybe a person has decided to take a couple of years off from
41:37 their normal or regular employment and they want to go
41:40 do something globally, but they want to do something useful.
41:43 They have a skill.
41:44 Let's say they're a nurse.
41:45 Well, there's plenty of opportunity for you.
41:48 Let's say they're an ministries are always needing people to
41:51 help keep the book straight.
41:53 So there's many, many opportunities globally to go
41:56 and serve.
41:57 Or maybe you've retired and you say, I don't want to just sit
42:00 at home.
42:00 I want to do something.
42:02 I want to be actively involved for God.
42:04 Well, there's opportunities for you.
42:07 And there's some new features on our website.
42:09 So if you go to the website, you'll find a link there on job
42:12 opportunities and you'll see dozens of mission opportunities
42:16 that you can scroll through and get connected with the
42:19 ministry.
42:22 profile.
42:24 So anyone that's listening to this program here, you could go
42:27 to our website, outpostcenters .org, sign up as an individual,
42:31 a personal account, and you can make yourself available if
42:34 you're interested in short-term missions or long-term missions.
42:37 Oh, how exciting.
42:38 You can put down your languages, what country you're
42:40 from, what kind of work you like to do.
42:42 And our ministries will go on and they'll search out, if
42:45 they're looking for a teacher, they can search for teachers
42:48 and all the teachers will line up.
42:49 If you're looking for someone that speaks Spanish, someone
42:51 that speaks Portuguese, you can find those.
42:54 So our website is a hub for connecting people to get
42:59 engaged in missions.
43:00 And let's put that up one more time.
43:04 Outpostcenters.org.
43:07 And just let me hear again.
43:09 I was reading this and you just beat me to it.
43:12 These are opportunities that I looked up today.
43:16 So please listen, people, because there's people out
43:18 there that want to do something.
43:21 Music, caretakers, cooks, health food, massage, chefs,
43:26 lifestyle physicians, therapists, translators,
43:29 editors, gardeners, farmers, horticulture, construction,
43:35 project managers, graphic design, fundraising, RNs,
43:38 carpenters, development directors, biblical ministries,
43:41 accountants, and much, much more that I'll shut up.
43:45 I'm just saying that there is something for everybody.
43:53 These are positions that's open with those 400.
43:57 I mean, this is amazing.
43:59 Practical things need to be done at this project.
44:01 There's someone who needs it for accounting.
44:03 There's someone for sales, for patient care work, for
44:06 education, for farming, construction, Bible teaching,
44:11 speaking.
44:14 So this is how everyone can get involved.
44:18 Well, and I love the fact that you're working, if there is a
44:21 Semite Adventist Church in the local field, you're working
44:25 with them in cooperation.
44:27 And I love the fact that this is something that people can,
44:33 maybe you're thinking about starting a ministry and you
44:37 just want to know what it would be like.
44:39 You can go volunteer at an outpost center.
44:48 No, I'm thinking of centers of influence.
44:51 I know a lot of people that, I won't mention a name, but you
44:56 would know it.
44:57 And she has the center of influence and she teaches
45:01 English in an Arabic speaking country.
45:08 And it's, I think it is not, I think it is prohibited.
45:14 Well, I know it is prohibited from sharing the gospel, but
45:17 guess what?
45:18 She doesn't even have to try.
45:20 They just know something's different about her.
45:22 And as she's teaching English, they're asking questions and
45:27 God is moving.
45:28 So you're working whether you're being a farmer or
45:32 masseuse, you're working for God.
45:34 Just like those little precious Filipino sisters said.
45:38 Now, I want to share a couple of things with you because
45:41 sometimes we as people use excuses.
45:46 Well, I'm too young.
45:48 I'm too old.
45:49 I don't have the money or for various reasons, we think we
45:54 cannot be used by God.
45:57 I want to share a story with, I just came recently from the
46:01 country of Nigeria.
46:03 When we arrived in that country, we went on a journey
46:07 to the North, to the little, not little, to the city, major
46:11 city in the North called Joss.
46:15 They said, there is a center of influence here.
46:18 And I said, well, I want to see that center of influence.
46:21 And they took us to this little which was a vegetarian
46:26 restaurant.
46:27 And they had a few items on the shelf for sale.
46:31 And I talked there with Sarah.
46:33 I said, Sarah, how did you get started with this?
46:37 She said, well, I didn't know what to do.
46:41 I didn't have anything.
46:44 I had no idea.
46:45 But God was convicting me, encouraged me that I should do
46:49 something.
46:51 And she said, I figured out that I could make bread.
46:56 And so she started making bread and just making it available to
47:00 people.
47:07 working in the community, supplying food to those who
47:12 need it very desperately and homeless people on the street,
47:17 ministering to them, selling some of her products there in
47:21 her little store.
47:23 And she had such a joy on her face, such a smile, just to be
47:29 able to serve, just to have something to do for God.
47:33 So God doesn't need what we think he needs sometimes.
47:38 What he needs is our availability, our willingness
47:41 to do something for him.
47:42 And, you know, what I always think of that I love the
47:47 scripture that he uses the foolish things of this world to
47:50 found the wise.
47:51 He uses the weak things of this world.
47:56 Sometimes I ask myself, who am I that God would have tapped me
48:00 on the shoulder to bring me here?
48:02 It's so amazing.
48:05 And what Sarah is experiencing, when you're working for God,
48:10 there is nothing better than waking up in the morning with
48:15 the purpose of bringing glory to God, of the purpose of
48:20 introducing others to his love and his plan of salvation.
48:26 That's right.
48:27 It's wonderful.
48:28 So we want to put this up one more time.
48:32 We still have a few minutes.
48:33 I just want to get it up here because I just know somebody at
48:36 home is saying, you know, God's just been tugging at my heart
48:40 and wanting me to do something.
48:43 I just had no idea what to do.
48:45 I want to do more.
48:47 I'm just tired of existence like I have.
48:51 You can go to outpostcenters .org and look at all of the
49:00 opportunities, many of which you've listed off here, honey.
49:03 Thank you for that.
49:05 But it's something that's to me, that's a really an exciting
49:08 opportunity.
49:10 Yes.
49:16 single one of us.
49:17 He knows this individual.
49:18 He knows what our gifts are.
49:19 And he has a place for us.
49:22 Sometimes we think, well, God couldn't use me.
49:24 No, he can use us.
49:26 And he has a place, a specific place for us.
49:29 Amen.
49:30 And you might be looking for different countries, you know,
49:33 from our website, you can search to find, to, you can
49:37 peruse all of these 400 ministries.
49:39 You can search by country.
49:41 So you might be saying some, some viewers here might be from
49:44 a certain country.
49:45 Like, I wonder if there's a ministry in my country.
49:47 So you could go there and search by your country and
49:50 filter that or search by type.
49:52 You could search for orphanages or wellness centers or schools.
49:57 And you can put different filters on it and find exactly
50:00 what's happening, where, and then connect right with those
50:03 ministries.
50:03 Amen.
50:07 second hour, because we've got a really, he's got some
50:11 exciting testimonies and we're going to kind of shine a
50:15 spotlight on a few of the ministries, but you work more
50:20 out of the office.
50:21 Where is the office?
50:23 The office is outside of Tennessee.
50:25 Okay.
50:29 It's near Collegedale.
50:31 Southern Adventist University is right near there.
50:34 So yeah, we have a little office there.
50:37 And Steve, you're about four hours away from there, right?
50:40 Right.
50:45 wonderful produce for us.
50:47 Amen.
50:51 way, way back.
50:52 Yeah.
50:53 1904 is actually some of the roots of OCI, because
50:58 supporting ministries have always had a little challenge.
51:03 And when Southern began...
51:05 Explain what you mean by a supporting ministry, if someone
51:08 does, isn't familiar with that term.
51:11 So there are different ways you can talk about ministry that's
51:14 done by lay people.
51:15 And one of those ways you could say it's a supporting ministry.
51:20 That means the ministry supports the work of the
51:23 Seventh -day Adventist Church.
51:25 There's another term that could be used called independent.
51:28 We don't really like that term so much because we want to work
51:32 with the church.
51:33 Now I know that 3ABN is a supporting ministry.
51:37 Yes.
51:42 ministries of the church.
51:44 Okay.
51:45 Well, in the early years of 1900, there was a situation in
51:52 the Southern part of the United States.
51:54 As most of our viewers will know, there was...
51:58 It was only 40 years past the Civil War.
52:01 The Southern part of the United States, a lot of the
52:04 infrastructure had been destroyed.
52:05 Education was hard to find sometimes, and especially for
52:09 those of color.
52:10 And so Ellen White, one of the writers that really did a lot
52:16 of work on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
52:19 she was helping to found the church.
52:21 She was making appeals, come to the South and help us.
52:25 And so these two men, Sutherland and McGann, started
52:28 Madison College there.
52:30 Madison became a training center to send missionaries
52:34 across the South, but not just across the South, across the
52:38 whole world.
52:40 In a few years, by 1942, they had sent out 47 new
52:50 institutions started from Madison.
52:52 So the work was really multiplying.
52:56 And when that happened, all of these supporting ministries
53:00 needed a place to come back and tell their story and to
53:04 encourage each other.
53:06 And so Madison played that role.
53:08 And so it's a very integral part of the history of OCI, as
53:12 well as ASI, which is the Adventist Supporting Ministries
53:17 kind of group, Adventist Layman Services and Industries.
53:23 And so...
53:26 six years of ASI.
53:28 Right.
53:31 So I know both of...
53:33 And you were on the board of...
53:35 You were as well.
53:36 You served on the board for many years.
53:40 OCI Outpost Centers International actually was
53:46 organized in 1983.
53:49 You became president of OCI in what year?
53:54 2021.
53:55 In 2021.
53:57 So you truly do.
54:00 Mission is in your blood.
54:02 I mean, that's just obvious.
54:04 You can look back at your history.
54:07 And it's so exciting to see how God has led you, James, because
54:13 he just picked you up, dusted you off, turned you around.
54:19 I love those kind of stories because we see the power of
54:25 God.
54:27 Once again, we're going to be taking a break here in a
54:29 moment, but I just want to encourage you.
54:33 What I love about OCI is all of these ministries are seeking...
54:40 They're using Christ's approach, His method to reach
54:46 people, to show love, to show the heart of God.
54:51 And when someone understands that, then they receive the
54:57 everlasting gospel that's to be preached to every tongue and
55:02 tribe around the world.
55:03 And you know what?
55:04 It's like, okay, I see God's love and action.
55:10 I'm ready to give my heart to such a wonderful God who can
55:14 change lives like James.
55:17 And then when they find out that He is a God who has given
55:24 us boundaries of love in which we should live to have an
55:29 abundant life here, an eternal life after, guess what?
55:33 They're always excited to find out about where some people
55:38 start with the rules and regulations.
55:41 You don't want somebody just to step into religion.
55:44 You want them to step into the covenant relationship with the
55:47 Lord.
55:48 And so once again, if God...
55:51 We're going to be coming back here in just a second with a
55:54 wonderful, some exciting stories for the second hour.
55:58 But if God is impressing upon your heart that I want to do
56:03 something, now's the time.
56:05 Write this down.
56:07 Outpost Centers with an S.
56:10 We'll put that up on the graphic.
56:13 Outpost Centers dot O-R-G.
56:16 You can go check that out, find out where you might volunteer
56:20 or even go to work anywhere around the country and the
56:26 world, I should say, around the world.
56:29 And it's something that...
56:31 What an exciting opportunity.
56:33 And maybe you're just graduating from college and you
56:37 haven't got a job offer now and you just think, you know, Lord,
56:42 I'd like to just take a year off and go work in your harvest
56:47 fields.
56:47 You will never regret it.
56:49 You will never regret it.
56:50 We always tell people that if you have a child who is going
56:56 down the wrong path, get them involved in a mission field
57:00 somewhere and you'll never regret that either.
57:04 You have a quick thought.
57:05 Oh, well, I just thought, boy, what a wonderful opportunity
57:08 you had when you first started.
57:10 I'm just going to take a short vacation and that short
57:13 vacation took you to Switzerland.
57:15 I mean, what?
57:17 That was a big detour.
57:18 That was a big detour.
57:19 And God had big, big plans.
57:21 Well, we are going to be right back with Outpost
57:25 International.
57:29 us for the second hour because you got to hear this story
57:31 about Nigeria and many other stories that they have to
57:36 share.
57:41 God. Amen.

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