Bern, Switzerland [CD-EUDNews, Corrado Cozzi]. During the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Executive Committee of the Inter-European Region (EUD) the different departments of the church gave their reports. Below are some.
Youth Ministries
The EUD Youth Ministries Department gave a report on the Pan-European Adventist Youth Congress (AYC) in Serbia that was attended by more than 2600 youth from EUD and TED (Trans-European Region).
The theme 'Power of ONE' was not only the main focus of the spiritual programs and meetings but it was something we experienced. Special highlights of the AYC 2013 included the spiritual messages by the main speakers, the many workshops, the Market of Nations, the Art-Stage programs and the baptism of 12 youth. IMPACT-Day was also a hightlight were all the participants were involved in special outreach activities in the city of Novi Sad.
On the website www.aycongress.org/media are many video reports and interviews that give a vivid report of this spiritual gathering of the Adventist youth in Europe.
On March 15, 2014 a Global Youth Day (GYD) will give opportunity for the youth and their congregations to be part of a worldwide Mission and Service movement of the Adventist Youth. Stephan Sigg (EUD Youth Ministries Director) said “Global Youth Day invites young people to be the sermon on that specific Sabbath and to be involved in special and manifold acts of kindness and witness in their communities together with young people around the Globe.”
All these mission and service activities will be recorded through a special designed App as they happen on a special GYD Facebook page. Last time, March 14, 2013, more than 10,000 video and picture reports were sent in from youth groups around the world. On March 15, 2014 the Hope Channels of the Adventist Church will work together to produce a 24-hour live report on the service activities of the worldwide Adventist youth. “The Global Youth Day unites the worldwide Adventist Youth in Mission” affirmed Sigg.
Stephan Sigg also highlighted next year's International AMiCUS (Adventist Ministry to College and University Students) Congress from September 10-13 in Lisbon. The Congress is in line with the worldwide Adventist emphasis for 2014 on Creation and is in cooperation with the EUD Education Department. Scientists from various fields willdebate on intellectual biblical arguments on Creation. Students and young adults are invited to "Celebrate Creation“ and to strengthen their faith in our Creator.
The EUD Youth Ministries Department launched the iCOR-Initiative to help congregations grow as intergenerational faith communities and to be more intentional in meeting the spiritual needs of young people in their church. iCOR stands for Church of Refuge. ¨
Decades ago Ellen White (an American author) already stated that “very much has been lost to the cause of truth by a lack of attention to the spiritual needs of the young” (GW 207.1). The whole church needs to be involved and the iCOR-Initiative will not only foster the church’s attention but also encourage members to be spiritual homes for the youth to show them that they belong, they can participate and are also able to be leaders in church mission.
Finally, the Volunteer Program called AYS (Adventist Youth Service) was also part of the report of the Youth Ministries Department. AYS provides unique mission and service activities for Adventist young people to serve as volunteers for 6 to 24 month in the worldwide Adventist church. The AYS program will be advertised in a new and broader way to draw young people’s attention to the many service and mission opportunities their church provides around the world.
Women's Ministries
“Just imagine one Sabbath in Church without women ministering to the church….What would it be like?” With this picture Denise Hochstrasser, Women Ministries director started her report. “It is the mission of Women's Ministries for each woman to find her gift, to develop it and use it for a ministry to society and to the church,” Hochstrasser affirmed.
“Outreach, a ministry for you?” is the motto of the First EUD Women's Congress, September 5-8, 2014 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. “This congress will give you precious tools and give an answer to the motto. Just come and see!” invited Hochstrasser. Visit the page women.euroafrica.org/women-in-action.
Global Mission
Paolo Benini, director of Global Mission, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries EUD, focused his report on the Adventist Mission evangelistic activities in three directions: Global Mission projects, His Hands ministry and Centers of Influence.
Global Mission projects are specific activities with the main goal of church planting. Every country of the EUD territory receives instruction to support this specific mission. “At this time there are 33 Global Mission projects actively working in EUD. Beside that, there are 22 'His Hands' projects (missionary volunteers) and 2 'Center of Influence' (social projects for Communities) all functioning full time in EUD,” said Benini.
Global Mission projects, His Hands ministry, Centers of Influence, and the Ministry of people in need (deaf, blind, etc.) will be discussed during the next advisory held in the Adventist Theological Seminary in Cernica (Romania) on June 12-22, 2014. The guest speakers will be the director of Adventist Missions, Gary Kraus and Larry Evans, from Ministry of people in need representative.
Sabbath School – Personal Ministries
The main goal in this Ministry is to train leaders for small missionary groups. For the Sabbath School the emphasis is in the constitution and training of leaders for the ‘Sabbath School Action Units’. We are happy that after a slow start there are now more than 35 churches involved in this kind of mission.
Many of these churches have had good results in church attendance and involvement of church members in mission and service. “Now we are glad to say that a number of conferences and Unions have decided to join this project” said Benini. In summer 2014 we have planned a congress with all the representatives of all the churches and conferences involved in this kind of activity. Exact date and location will be given later.
Stewardship
Stewardship ministry is focused on training Union and Conference local leaders. The main goal of the seminar is to train “trainers” that is, to help local leaders transform pastors and church stewardship leaders into trainers of stewards. “We have organized advisories and a number of local union seminars mainly in Switzerland, France, Spain, Romania and Italy,” said Benini. For 2014 we have planned three main seminars in three main language groups: German Speaking Countries i.e. Germany, Austria, Swiss German Speaking Conference plus Czech and Slovakian Union (July 18 – 20, 2014). Location still to be chosen. Eastern Europe i.e. Romania and Bulgaria (September 26 – 28, 2014) in the Adventist Theological Seminary in Cernica (Romania). Latin speaking countries, ie. Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Italian/French Swiss Conferences (December 5-7, 2014). Location still to be chosen. These seminars will also include special training for youth that would like to be supporters of Stewardship and care for God's property. This special training came from an EUD study conducted by Larry Evans, World Adventist Stewardship Associate and Corrado Cozzi, EUD Stewardship Associate named Focus Group. A large number of youth interviewed by Evans and Cozzi showed their large misunderstanding of the purpose of Stewardship as a ministry of the church, but it is an assignment given by God to all humankind. “Being active in environmental oriented activities, is one of the first demonstration that we believe in Creation,” affirmed Cozzi. “Stewardship provides reasons for more practical emphasis to the faith in Creation.”
Children’s Ministries
One of the most important projects developed by the EUD Children’s Ministries in these past 5 years has been the Kids in Discipleship Ministry (K.I.D.).
The purpose of this Ministry is to encourage families to bring up their children with a deeper relationship with Jesus and become His disciples. Nothing is more effective than teaching the new generation the principles of a Christian lifestyle, including being a disciple that makes other disciples. Experience has shown the reality of such biblical paradigm.
“After almost 5 years of activities, we are organizing a special K.I.D. Convention for everyone, especially families who want to share their disciple experiences with others from EUD territory and other countries,” said Elsa Cozzi, EUD Children’s Ministries Director. This Convention will take place in Lignano Sabbiadoro, close to Venice, (Italy) on May 1-4, 2014.
“We are looking forward to this special time of celebration and thanksgiving for what God has done, still does and will do, for every family involved in K.I.D. Ministry,” affirmed Elisa Cozzi.
Pictures: 1. Stephan Sigg, EUD Youth Ministries Director; 2. Denise Hochstrasser, EUD Women's Ministries Director; 3. Paolo Benini, EUD Global Mission, Stewardship and Sabbath School Director; 4. Elsa Cozzi, EUD Children's Ministries Director;
