Today Is the Day of Evangelism oday is the day of evangelism. Today, My daughter, Celeste, and I were on a like no other day, is the day of family plane that was tossed like a rag doll in the Tevangelism. These two words are fierce, deadly winds of Hurricane Floyd. I rarely said in the same sentence. However, was on a plane that caught fire. My hus- fear of sharing Jesus with our loved ones band, Edwin, and I were returning from is, for many, like a fire-breathing dragon Florida when the pilot said, “We’ll need to that needs to be slain. make an emergency landing. There’s a crack Here’s how to slay the dragon. Think of in the windshield.” God’s protection is part family evangelism as a lifetime mega oppor- of His love toward us, and love draws. tunity to share. That’s it. Convincing anoth- I watched in amazement as our second Fear of sharing er of the truth is the Holy Spirit’s work; so son, Edwin (LeNe), exploded with confi- simply share your experiences and give dence in the face of rejection. As a recent Jesus with our God the praise. Since heaven would not be graduate from Andrews University he sub- grand or glorious without my family, I mitted his application to RIT only to loved ones is, evangelize them by sharing Christ whether receive a disappointing no. LeNe has been on the housetop or in the garden. evangelized all his life. He prayed to His for many, like My elder son, Donald, was diagnosed heavenly Father and then wrote the with hypertrophy cardiomyopathy almost department chairperson a compelling let- a fire-breathing two years ago. As the cardiologist told us ter. He was accepted and one year later is that he would not live to be an old man, I teaching in the very department that did thought, “Yeah, you know hearts, but I not see his potential until God intervened. dragon that know the Maker of hearts; and He’s our See how easy that is! Evangelizing our Protector.” Every day he breathes is an families is as easy as talking, signing, writ- needs to be slain. awesome magnet, to the sinner weakened ing, living with patience. My sister was by tragic illness, to Jesus. evangelized for 16 years before she joined Protection is nothing to sneeze at. On the God Family. Today is the day of evan- September 11 Donald was in his office at gelism (witnessing). Today is the day of the Pentagon talking on the telephone family. Put them together and in plain and with me at that very moment the terrorist- simple talk it means sharing Jesus as He driven airplane hit the building. God pro- manifests His love through our lives. tecting David from King Saul’s unwarrant- ed wrath is very believable especially Charlotte L. V. Thoms is director for disabilities when I tell my Donald’s story. Evangelism and women’s ministries in the Atlantic Union Conference. (sharing) coupled with protection is a powerful witnessing tool. DITORIAL September 2002, Vol. CI, No. 9 The Atlantic Union GLEANER is published monthly by the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 400 Main Street, South Lancaster, MA 01561. Printed by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Standard postage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Annual subscription price, $8.00. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ® E Review and Herald Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. 2 Atlantic Union GLEANER, September 2002 insideSEPTEMBER2002 t seems as though it was yesterday that I sat through graduation programs for several DITORIAL Today Is the Day of Evangelism young people, and my daughter came home for the summer after completing her first E : 2 Iyear in college. Now, in what appears to be in the blink of an eye, it’s September— Back to School Time! 3 back to school time! As I am writing this I am thinking of all the children and young people who are begin- Our Communities Could Use a Life Jacket 4 ning new chapters in their lives. I wish them the best of everything and ask the Lord to keep them. Planting SEEDS for Eternity’s Harvest 5 I was fortunate enough to be present for the baccalaureate services in June at Greater A Modern Day Miracle (Part 2) Boston Academy (GBA) when Rhondi Aastrup, one of the teachers at GBA, shared words 6 of counsel that I believe are worthwhile passing on to all returning students. COVER STORY: A Story of Growth “Now is the time for motivation and discipline. They are too important to shrug off. and God’s Grace 8 What you let yourself get away with now sets a pattern for your lifetime. Don’t let your- self go. Listen to the little voice in your head that’s telling you to be tough, to hang in Helping the Blind See Jesus 14 there. Don’t depend on others to pull you out. Only you, and you alone, can—and must— take charge of your life. You can do it. You are tough. You will make it. I know. Planting Seeds for the Kingdom 15 “Don’t crumple in the face of self-doubt, which will always be a cloud on the hori- A Moral Compass 16 zon as long as you’re working with and for people. Think first before you act or speak. But then let it go. If you’re careful when you set things out, then there is no Youth & Relationships 24 need for transplanting, or thinning out, or taking back. Trust your intuition, your gut reaction. Use your eyes as well as your ears. Read body language, too. Don’t let your ¿Qué Está Pasando? 28 nose get out of joint if you’re not always included at the center of things. And don’t let it grow too long trying to find your way there either. Quoi de Neuf? 29 “Freedom. Independence. These words don’t mean letting go. They mean working OLLEGE EWS together, although apart; staying close, although separate; holding on, although walk- C N ing alone. Paradoxes. Full of contradictions. And space, room to grow. Let it happen. Atlantic Union College 12 Let your freedom, your geographical distance, be a time for discovery and growth. But don’t let it become a wall of partition, an excuse to rationalize and compromise. CONFERENCE NEWS Don’t give in to the “out of sight, out of mind” temptation. And trust the “no’s” you’ve been taught. Your uniqueness is a thing to cherish. A thing from which to draw Bermuda 11 strength. Give it up—in part or in total—and you are no longer unique. And can no Greater New York longer make a difference. Dare to be different. Dare to stand alone. Yet together. Free. 18 Independent. Apart. Northern New England 20 “Sometimes I fear I haven’t shared enough with you about Christ and our desperate need for Him in our lives. But I want you to know that I pray for each one of you, and Southern New England 22 will continue to do so. You’ve touched many lives. I know He is watching over you, keeping you in His plans—for this life, but also for the eternal one.” INFORMATION I encourage our readers, at every opportunity, to remember the children and youth of this union and the world church. Bulletin Board 27 Classifieds 30 Ednor A.P. Davison is editor of the Atlantic Union GLEANER. ABOUT THE COVER: The cover story,“A Story of Growth and God’s Grace,”features the history and work of the First Ghana Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bronx, New York. For information on upcoming events, news items, and the GLEANER online visit our web site at: www.atlantic-union.org ASI: To learn more about becoming a member of ASI contact your local conference ASI director. Atlantic Union GLEANER, September 2002 3 By Donald G. King CommunitiesOur Could Use a LIFE JACKET “One who was there had been an invalid for deep waters. Our communities could sure use a life jacket. thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying I am happy to report that on May 22, 2002, a strategy was placed in motion to produce a life jacket for the teem- there and learned that he had been in this ing numbers in the Atlantic Union territory who need to be condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do rescued for the Savior. A plan was voted and supported by you want to get well?…‘Get up! Pick up your all six conferences to win between 9,000 and 12,000 new mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he souls for Jesus by the time of the next General Conference Session in 2005. This would increase our current number picked up his mat and walked”—John 5:5-9 (NIV). of believers from 91,000 to more than 100,000 by the tar- get date. Each conference has taken on the challenge of his story was not just about an invalid. The man in increasing their body of believers in ratio to their current our story isn’t nameless. He has a thousand names memberships. This is exciting news. Think of the many Tand a thousand faces—including yours and mine. new brothers and sisters we will be welcoming to the fold According to history the Pool of Bethesda was about 360 of Christ as a result of our efforts for Him.