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HOMELAND CAMPAIGNS: Thus far, 492 ShareHim homeland campaigns have been registered for this year. God is blessing the efforts of laymen and women that put time and energy into sharing our Good News right here at home. Remember to: • Be deliberate and form an Outreach Leadership Team • Utilize available resources: Sowing Resource Catalog • Keep a list of names of people that you want to reach for Jesus. Pray over each nameINTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGNS: 805 international campaigns have been scheduled for the year 2009. 318 of these campaigns are sponsored through the partnership of ShareHim and Quiet Hour Ministries and give college students (and accompanying faculty) the opportunity of solidifying their own faith through proclaiming our message. This year, 21 Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities are participating. These schools, in Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Jamaica, Korea, Norway, Romania, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA, have students sharing Him around the globe. Most of these student-led campaigns are occurring this summer, so please lift them up in prayer. If you feel impressed to cover the $500 site cost (or any amount) of a student-led international campaign, you can make a donation on-line or call 1-844-742-7344. . |
THE TESTIMONY: Privileged to be a Part of a World-Wide Church | The Santa Maria Valley Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist church is located in Santa Barbara County, California. Our membership is between 170 and 180, and we usually have 80 members, plus visitors, come on Sabbath.
Last year, through the encouragement of Pastor Johnson from the Central California Conference and the resources I received from ShareHim, I was able to prepare myself to be in charge of our first evangelistic series held by laymen. This year, on March 28, 2009, our church began another series led by lay evangelists. It ended with a baptismal celebration on April 11. In preparation for this event, several students had been receiving Bible studies. At the end of the series, 8 people were brought to Jesus’ feet.
Oscar Hernandaz is one of the young men that accepted Jesus and His truths. At first, he did not want to be baptized, arguing that he was planning on going back to Mexico at the end of this year and was afraid of what his parents would say and concerned that he would not have a place to worship. He did not know if he could find a Seventh-day Adventist Church in his home town. I was able to explain that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a world-wide presence and was able to connect Him with a pastor from his home town, Acapulco.
Oscar did decide to be baptized on Sabbath, April 11, along with the rest of the Bible students. It is wonderful to be part of a world-wide church and I give thanks to the Lord for using me as a tool.
Emilio Velez-Sanchez
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THE TEAM: Lives Changed in Yakima, Washigton
| The small Outreach Team knelt and prayed that God would impress people to attend the ShareHim Boot Camp. “Lord, help us to find at least seven or eight to go.” When the evangelism training began, 14 from the Yakima Church were present, including five teenagers.
In August, 2008, the youth led the way with four teens preaching a ShareHim reaping series. Many people re-committed their lives to Christ, and one precious believer was baptized!
Next, the Outreach Team asked Sterling Sigsworth, an engineer, and Pastor Harry Sharley to be speakers for the second reaping series, Decoding Prophecy, in April-May, 2009. Sigsworth and Sharley had something in common: neither had ever preached a full evangelistic series before.
The low-budget reaping series was lifted up in prayer by the church. Names from “seed-planting” outreach events (health seminars, fair booth, and home Bible studies) formed the mailing list for nearly 700 color brochures and invitations.
On the opening weekend the speakers preached two sermons each night to 70 people with a refreshment break for friendship-building. Over the 15 evenings, 40 non-member guests attended at least once. Lives were changed by the Spirit’s power. When eight people were baptized, the church broke into spontaneous applause for what God had done!
Mike Loye, age 25, couldn’t stop smiling as he shared his baptismal vows. God had saved his life twice: once, only a few months before, when he had contemplated suicide because of drugs and hopelessness; and again, when he gave his heart to Jesus.
Cheryl Meadows was invited last year to a women’s Bible study Growth Group and was later invited to come to Sabbath School and church. On May 9, Cheryl and a friend she'd invited to join her were baptized together.
Juventino Martinez met the pastor and other members at the church’s food bank in 2007. After home Bible studies, he accepted an invitation to attend a community-wide Veteran’s Day program at the church. “Tino” recalled growing up in Texas and being befriended by the kind Seventh-day Adventist lady next door and attended Sabbath School and church school. After decades away from church, he was baptized and welcomed back into the church family.
The Outreach Team is now praying a prayer of thanks for Christ’s salvation and life-changing power released when they stepped into the unknown for God.
Pastor Harry Sharley
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THE IDEAS: Reaching the Unreached | In the far northern part of California where we live, many towns are small, isolated and largely unreached by the Seventh-day Adventist message. One such town, 10 miles from where we live in Mt. Shasta, is the old railroad town of Dunsmuir (pop. 2,000). Early this year our church accepted the challenge of reaching this community for Christ. On a cold Sabbath afternoon in January, we began knocking on every available door in town. Here’s how we shared HIM:
• Paired a young person with an adult • Knocked on doors and asked people if they listened to KBLN (Better Life Broadcasting Network which rebroadcasts 3ABN’s signal) • Left a 3ABN hanger on each door • Conducted a survey on health, family and world events • Offered Bible Study and Prayer
At the end of each Sabbath afternoon outreach, we gathered in a member’s home and shared and prayed together. It took us five weeks to complete the initial goal. Many were interested in learning about vegetarian cooking, family issues, smoking cessation and more. Our follow-up is ongoing. So far we have offered two free vegetarian dinners at the Dunsmuir Community Center with between 50 and 75 attendees. This gave us the opportunity to share even more literature. We’ve conducted a vegetarian cooking class and held a Daniel series – both of which drew contacts from Dunsmuir.
We have been able to start several Bible studies with members of the community and have a reaping series planned for December, 2009. We also hope to bring in a Bible Worker. Please pray for our church in Mt. Shasta as we continue to reach out to our neighbors in Dunsmuir.
Pattie Guthrie |
| ANNOUNCEMENT: ShareHim is compiling stories of lay women and men in action for God. These stories may have taken place at home or abroad. If you have a story to tell about your international campaign and have another story to tell about how God used you here at home, we want both of those stories. Of course, pictures make stories come alive so please send your stories and pictures (unedited, high resolution) to: Don't hesitate to contact us with any comments or suggestions. We welcome your testimonies and any ideas for witnessing that are working for you and your Outreach Leadership Team. Sincerely, The ShareHim Team ShareHim | P.O. Box 43234 | Charlotte | NC | 28215 | USA |
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| | The Challenge | GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL..."
MARK 16:15 |
| Quiet Hour Ministries | Partners in Evangelism |
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