Reaching the World1SS With the Gospel 1 First Quarter 2002 North American Division MISSON contents On the Cover n 17 Out of the The stage set of the new Comfort Zone television program The Evidence. God has great blessings awaiting those who will step out in faith. Jan Meharry The Evidence 5 El El 19 The Lost There are millions of secular, Cause pagan hearts in North America searching for "Hey, mister, you look as if something meaningful. you could use this." The Dwight Nelson and Donna Webb boy held out his Bible. Pat Grant Check boxes as the reports are given. From Hollywood to Hope 7 El 0 21 Miracle Meadows' Miracles Her career took her to the top of What can God do with troubled corporate success. But she found life teens? A tiny school in West Virginia there empty and meaningless. is providing answers. Barbara Taylor Charlotte Ishkanian A New Kind of Bible School 9 0 El 23 A Love That Won't Let Go A concerned boss, a videotape, and a Every time I sat to meditate, thoughts Web site address turned one young of Jesus penetrated my prayers. woman's life around. Ned Naggyah Calvin Smith The Name in the Wallet 11 El El 25 Forty-nine Children A rumpled and aging piece of paper A toddler's simple act changed a lay tucked inside a man's wallet, young couple's lives forever. forgotten. But God had not forgotten. Gerard and Helena Latchman James Byrd and Roger Higginbotham Radio Still Reaches Souls 13 0 0 27 Facing Down the Devil When television became popular, many Not all of North America is urban and thought radio would lose its audience, middle class; not all are secular or but radio retained its powerful appeal. Christian. Some still suffer from demons. Dwight Lehnhoff and J. H. Zachary Emely Mayang New Ager Meets God 15 0 El 29 Reaching the Hard Places Steve was an ordinary guy who Thirteenth Sabbath Program became entangled in one of Satan's cunning deceptions. John L. Bradshaw 2 Mission First Quarter 2002, North American Division The Challenge Leader's North America is the birthplace of the Adventist Church, but like Europe Planner and Australia, it has become a largely secular Making Missions Meaningful society. People's focus on science, technology, and No other region of the world contains such a diverse personal wealth has almost drowned out the voice of the population. More than 1 million new immigrants Holy Spirit. People find arrive each year. little time or inclination to seek God through Bible study and prayer. One of North American Division the greatest challenges is to reach this largely secular The North American distinct global mission field. Division is made up of two of This quarter the division population which is not the world's largest and most that cradled Adventism will responsive to traditional powerful countries, Canada use the Thirteenth Sabbath and the United States, plus the Offering to promote media religious outreach. island country of Bermuda. evangelism designed to reach The Adventist Church was this largely secular culture. born and nurtured in the The Adventist Church has The Opportunity cradle of North America. From been focused on evangelism Television remains a here Adventist missionaries for more than 160 years. fanned out across Europe, Beginning with tent meetings powerful influence on India, Africa, Australia, and and culminating today with people's minds and Asia. Supported by the prayers huge satellite evangelism and sacrificial gifts of believers series, millions have come to thoughts. A new television "back home," the church took hear the message of the last series, developed by Faith root and grew where it was days. But most of those who for Today ministries seeks planted. Today the church come have some religious ministers in at least 200 orientation already. to awaken in secular minds countries around the world. Then a little more than 50 the questions that will But the growth in members years ago the Adventist Church in North America slowed, and felt led to enter the new and eventually lead them to today five of the 12 world risky world of television to God. Part of the Thirteenth divisions have surpassed North reach with God's last-day America in membership. While message people who might Sabbath Offering this the church focuses a lot of never consider entering a quarter will help finance attention on such growing church. Beginning in 1950 with ministry areas as the 10/40 a live television broadcast this new media outreach to window, there are millions format, Faith for Today has a largely unreached living in cities and towns achieved a record as the across North America who longest continuous religious population group. have never• heard the Adventist broadcast in North America. message. These people are a The program has introduced First Quarter 2002, North American Division Mission 3 thousands to the Seventh-day group of people, Faith For Future Thirteenth Sabbath Adventist name and message. Today has inaugurated a new Projects Several years ago the Faith program called The Evidence. Second quarter 2002 will for Today ministry, seeking to Other media evangelistic feature the Northern Asia- broaden its base of interest, efforts have proved equally Pacific Division. Projects inaugurated a health-oriented effective in reaching their include chapels in Mongolia and talk show program called specific markets. It Is Written, a computer lab at the Lifestyle Magazine that has Breath of Life, and the Voice of Hiroshima Adventist Secondary proven successful. But there Prophecy continue to draw School in Japan. Third quarter continues to be a need to reach people to God and to the will feature the Southern Asia- the secular searching mind, Adventist Church. These Pacific Division. Projects the person who has questions ministries will benefit from include an evangelistic center in but no answers, the person the Thirteenth Sabbath Myanmar; medical clinics and who might attend church but Offering as they fund new and chapels in western Kalimantan, is not finding that close walk exciting programs to reach the Indonesia; and equipment for a with God that he or she craves. secular society of North medical center in Manado, To meet the needs of this America. Sulawesi, Indonesia. Report to Stockholders Three years ago the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for North America helped fund large-city evangelism. The focus of this outreach and evangelism was NET NEW YORK '99. Thousands attended the meetings and countless more watched via satellite across North America and around the world. In 1995 the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering helped to finance outreach evangelism in several major cities across the North American Division. Working through existing programs, such as local Community Services centers and local medical facilities, funding helped support health and nutrition classes; health screenings; AIDS awareness education; skill building classes such as sewing, cooking, and job training programs; and family finance and parenting seminars. The goal of these outreach projects was to build on existing services in large cities and direct the people to consider making God a core of their lives. 4 Mission First Quarter 2002, North American Division The church has focused much attention on the 10/40 window, but there are millions of secular, pagan hearts in North America searching for something meaningful. Dwight Nelson The Evidence Dwight Nelson and Donna Webb or more than 160 years the the Seventh-day Adventist West, the window of paganism, Adventist Church has name and message. secularism, and postmodern F focused its resources on Then several years ago the civilization that exists in North evangelism. From simple tent Faith for Today ministry America today. We wanted to meetings to huge satellite introduced Lifestyle Magazine, come up with a program that evangelistic series, the a health-oriented talk show. would build a bridge between message of the last days is The success of this program the secular public and God." being preached to millions. But inspired Faith for Today From their prayerful most of those who listen have producers to reach out to an discussions came the idea for some religious orientation even broader audience, the The Evidence. already. millions of people who are For more than 50 years now searching for answers to The Evidence the Adventist Church has fundamental questions of life. The Evidence is an all-new actively used television to reach This person might never attend program featuring in-depth, people who might not consider church, but would be drawn by eye-opening explorations into entering a church. In 1950 a need for a closer walk with the many dimensions of God as church leaders felt impressed to God. revealed through science, art, take God's message to these In 1999 the Faith for Today history, and the human heart. people via television. They ministries team sat down with The program seeks to asked Bill and Virginia Fagal Dwight Nelson, senior pastor investigate the possibility of to pioneer this ministry in a on the campus of Andrews God in all His dimensions, to live half-hour television University and well-known bridge the gap between science broadcast called Faith for evangelist, to talk over ideas on and theology. Today. Through drama the how the church could better The target audience for this actors sought to connect secular connect with secular people program is the thinking viewers with God. Today Faith with the concept of God. unbeliever rather than the for Today is the longest "Our church is excited about believing Christian. The continuous religious broadcast reaching the 10/40 window," program seeks to reach the on television. Along the way it Nelson said, "but we have person who has no strong has introduced thousands to missed the 10/40 window in the religious roots, or the person First Quarter 2002, North American Division Mission 5 whose religious experience has happy to go on television and explore the program's Web not met their spiritual needs.