As president of the Hawaii Conference I am excited to report there is a passionate sense of urgency among our people as this planet gasps its last breath. Jesus is Coming Soon! “Behold, I am coming quickly” Jesus of the apocalypse declares! We live in momentous times and what an opportunity to passionately and persistently pursue the purpose and mission God has given us right here in the Hawaiian Islands.
The reality is that evangelism is taking on a new face in the Hawaii Conference. Lay members, instead of only heading to a foreign country to hold evangelistic meetings, are now planning meetings for their own communities.
With this renewed passion and commitment for evangelism here are some of the goals our churches focus on:
- Develop plans for reaching the lost (our mission)
- Organize evangelism outreach teams
- Recruit/Train/Mobilize members
- Develop a lifestyle of evangelism (sowing, reaping, retaining)
- Conduct at least one reaping campaign in each church
To help realize these goals the Hawaii Conference has entered into an exciting partnership with ShareHim, a supporting ministry specializing in providing training and tools for lay people and pastors to conduct evangelistic reaping events. ShareHim is directed by Robert Folkenberg Sr. This partnership fits perfectly with our Hawaii Conference emphasis on creating a culture of evangelism. Instead of viewing evangelism as an event that occasionally occurs on the local church calendar we are now seeing and experiencing evangelism as a lifestyle for the local congregation—a continual process of sowing, reaping and retaining. Simply put, a lifestyle of evangelism! The goal is to provide a safe place for people to come to know Jesus, embrace the Seventh-day Adventist message, and grow to become disciples who, in turn, share Jesus and the Adventist message with others.
With 2009 declared as the “Year of Evangelism” in the North American Division the Hawaii Conference kicked off this special year of soul-winning in January with a ShareHim boot camp training on the Islands of Kauai and Maui. We were blessed to have Jeremiah Weeks from ShareHim, along with Elder Eliezer Graterol (our Hawaii Conference ShareHim coordinator), provide excellent teaching and training.
This intensive weekend of instruction is designed to provide practical information on how to preach and conduct an evangelistic reaping event. Relevant and practical topics include how to make appeals, how to do home visitation and technology issues. There is also time for practicing evangelistic preaching.
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<p>There are several factors which will help us stay focused on this mission. First, we need the power of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. Second, the persistent prayer intercession of those passionate for the lost. Third, the undivided determination and commitment of God’s people to be intentional in choosing to live a lifestyle of evangelism.<br />
Finally, it will take nothing less than our all and very best to see an impact for God’s Kingdom here in Hawaii. God is more than eager to make this a reality if as faithful followers we choose to make that kind of consuming commitment. It is imperative we remember as we move forward that God is much bigger and abler than us and we must keep our eyes fixed on Him who can do “exceedingly more than we can ask or imagine.”</p>
<p>May God help us stay passionately focused on how to reach the lost in Hawaii as we eagerly anticipate the soon Second Coming of Christ!</p>
<p><strong>Ralph S. Watts III</strong><br />
<strong>President</strong><br />
<strong>Hawaii Conference</strong></p>
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