Contents Editorial � 3 Some Suggestions P.F. Lemon Time to Move Ahead � 4 C.E. Bradford We Can Really Do It! � 6 J.W. Wilson 360,000 Copies of Great Controversy � 8 W. Ruba He Shared � 10 Ed Desjarlais The Goal Is Reachable! �12 W.R. Bornstein Montreal Target City for Canada � 13 C. Sabot Conference Goals 14 Presidents Report Karate to Christ � 18 L.R. Krenzler Does Christian Education Win Souls? � 20 H. Sackett .1r � tr • SPECIAL ISSUE Vol. 51, No. 20, November, 1982 P.F. Lemon EDITOR June Polishuk ASSOCIATE EDITOR Allan Colleran ART DIRECTOR L. Neal ALBERTA CONFERENCE EDITOR D. Melashenko BRITISH COLUMBIA CONFERENCE EDITOR D.M. MacIvor MANITOBA-SASKATCHEWAN CONFERENCE EDITOR L Lowe MARITIME CONFERENCE EDITOR G.D. Karst NEWFOUNDLAND CONFERENCE EDITOR W.J. Clemons ONTARIO CONFERENCE EDITOR C. Sabot QUEBEC CONFERENCE EDITOR Issued semi-monthly, annual subscription price in Canada $5.00. Out of Union $10.00. Official Organ of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada: President, J.W. Wilson; Secretary, P.F. Lemon; Treasurer, N.W. Klam; Auditor, L.D. Dunn; Departmental Directors: Communication, L.R. Krenzler; Education, J.D.V. Fitch; Health, � Personal Ministries and Sabbath School, C.S. Greene; Ministerial, W.R. Bornstein; Public Affairs, D.D. Devnich; Publishing, W. Ruba; Stewardship, P.A. Parks; Trust Services, F. Lloyd Bell; Youth, L.E. Janzen; Consultant to Health Care Institutions, A.G. Rodgers. Printed by Maracle Press Limited, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Second class registration number 0912. Address all enquiries to 1148 King Street East Oshawa, Ontario 1,111 1H8 2 P.F. Lemon, Secretary S.D.A. Church in Canada 1000 DAYS OF Some REAPING Suggestions 1. Revival in your church. Perhaps a special day of fasting and prayer. 2. Improved personal relationship with the Lord. 3. Be sure you are "sold on the Message" yourself. You cannot create a need in others if you do not find a need for Christ yourself. 4. Visitation of members to help them cultivate gifts and talents. Not all can give Bible studies, but all can do something. 5. Study of needs in the community and how your church can help to meet those needs. 6. Care in selection of key persons in key offices of the church. 7. Encourage members to become friends outside of the church group as well as inside. 8. A Seminar on "Action and Loving." 9. Invite visitors to our homes. 10. Ministers take laymen with them to Bible studies. 11. Youth working for youth. The Youth Department has many suggestions. 12. Retired people working with retired people. 13. Showing by example. Modeling for others. 14. Guard carefully each name. They are precious. Keep a proper file of interests. 15. Sowing seed. The more you sow the more possibilities of germination and growth, and the more you will harvest. The special issue of the Signs is an excellent way. 16. Share personal testimonies at church. These will have more influence than a sermon many times. 17. Vacation Bible Schools, children's story hours, etc. 18. Be innovative. Brainstorm. Try something new. Let's get the job done so Jesus can come. Editorial 0 ne thousand days between September 18, 1982 and the General Conference Session in 1985 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The goal is to have an average of 1,000 baptisms a day during these 1,000 days, adding one million new members to the church. One thousand days equals 24,000 hours, or 2,040,000 minutes. Thus there would need to be one baptism every two minutes during that time. Have you ever seen 1,000 baptisms at one time? There were more than 1,200 baptisms recently at one time at Manila in the Philippines just prior to the recent Annual Council held there. Read about it in Elder J.W. Wilson's article in the November 4, 1982 Messenger. During the 1981 Annual Council in Washington the following recommendation to the world church was passed: To launch an unprecedented worldwide soul-winning thrust, placing unquestioned priority on evangelism in all forms and at all levels, by dedicating the one thousand days preceding the 1985 General Conference Session in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the claiming of one million souls for Christ. These One Thousand Days of Reaping will be launched on Sabbath, September 18, 1982, in churches throughout the world and will conclude on June 15, 1985, the second Sabbath before the General Conference Session. "One thousand souls a day for a thousand days" will be the world goal during the One Thousand Days of Reaping. How can this be accomplished? It is being done in many parts of the world field. Why there, and not here? Could it be that those in poorer parts of the world where hope in this life is almost non-existent, find a hope in the Advent Message that gives them a will to keep on keeping on 'til Jesus comes? Could it be that we in a nation "rich and increased in goods" think we "have need of nothing"? Where do we go from here? We know what needs to be done. Why don't we arise and do it? We have already heard of the 1,000 Days of Reaping. It has been written in the Adventist Review, the Canadian Adventist Messenger, and conference newsletters. It has been discussed at ministers' meetings, camp meetings, and in numerous other ways. Has your church really made active plans to participate in this greatest of all world thrusts to take the Advent Message to all the world? In September your Canadian conference and union officers met to study the needs of the Adventist Church in Canada. Among other recommendations was one which stated: "VOTED: To prepare and circulate a special issue of the Canadian Adventist Messenger dealing entirely with the 1,000 Days of Reaping." This is that "special issue." Its purpose is to in some way inspire each of you to actively participate in this great project. The hope of your Messenger committee and editors is that this will have that effect. The plan is that each issue during the 1,000 days will have one or more pages dedicated entirely to the 1,000 Days of Reaping giving suggestions you might use, and/or relating thrilling stories of conversions. Does your church have a story which you feel has real interest and might inspire someone else in the Christian way? If so, send it in right away to your conference communication director. Try to get a good, clear, black and white glossy picture to go with the story. In a few weeks each conference will receive sets of special slides, to be used with the Mission Spotlight projector, about the book known to most of us as The Great Controversy. This is to be the special emphasis book to be used during the 1,000 Days of Reaping. It will have a new name for this project, Cosmic Conflict with a subtitle "Good and Evil Wage War for Planet Earth." Hundreds of thousands are now being printed by our own Maracle Press here in Oshawa, and will be shipped far and wide from here. You will soon be informed about the special price and how to obtain them. May God richly bless each one of you as you take your part in the 1,000 Days of Reaping. P.F.L. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." II Cor. 10:4 NIV. Move Ahead. C. E. Bradford It's time to move ahead in North America. We have too long been timid, tentative, tenuous. We have allowed the enemy to steal the march on us, to occupy the ground. We have succumbed to a siege mentality, trench warfare strategy, maintenance-style ministry. We have bought into the wrong scenario; that of "man-come-of age," moratorium on God talk, thoroughly secular society, impenetrable. We have been too much into survival. We are scared stiff of public opinion, what others think about us. We need to move ahead in North America. We need to 4 throw these cautions to the wind. We need to stop counseling with our fears. Gallup says there are signs that we are on the eve of a profound religious revival. Martin Marty calls us a continent of seekers searching for values. A revisionary society with options wide open. And the spectre of the mushroom-shaped cloud still hangs on Damocles' slim string, causing the people to "faint with terror at the thought of all that is coming upon the world . . ." It is time to move ahead in North America. Time to shake the "trench" mentality. Time to bring the big weapons out of mothballs. "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to "Do something, do it soon, with all thy might; An angel's wing would droop if long at rest; And God Himself inactive, were no longer blest." Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 308. demolish strongholds." (II Cor. 10:4 NIV). Now comes the One Thousand Days of Reaping. A challenge big enough and bold enough to lift us out of the status quo, to stir us, to galvanize us to action. It is as if the Spirit is saying to us, Don't just stand there, do something! (Why stand ye here idle all the day?) Don't stop to quibble, criticize, rationalize, complain or question. "Do something, do it soon, with all thy might; An angel's wing would droop if long at rest; And God Himself, inactive, were no longer blest." Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 308. We have had our church growth studies, our seminars, our retreats, our planning sessions. We've strategized, theorized, philosophized. It is time now to go to work. This is what David said to Solomon as he turned over to him the temple building responsibility. You have the design blueprint, you have a vast store of materials that I have C.E. Bradford is President of the North American Division. brought together, you have skilled personnel in abundance, you have the building site prepared. Now to work! "Men of action are needed — men who will labor with earnest, ceaseless energy for the purifying of It all begins with you. You are a part of the body of Christ. the church and the warning of the world." Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 187. It all begins with you. You are a part of the body of Christ. You have a part to play, a function within this body. May the Lord grant us all largely of His Spirit so that the church in these last days may become the church triumphant, "terrible as an army with banners." For at least one thousand days the emphasis is on action. � t 5 J.W. Wilson We Can Really Do It! DAYS OF REAPING One thousand days! What fascinating activities will happen across Canada during the nest thousand days? What glorious victories will be won? What magnificent challenges will be met? Could it be that the thousand days will be the first stage in a collective, global effort by God's people to fulfill the divine commission which will climax with the coming of Jesus? May it be so, and may the fruits of total evangelism be realized with the addition of one million souls as has been projected. Do we remember that we have been counseled "God will soon do great things for us, if we lie humble and believing at His feet. More than one thousand will soon be converted in one day." Now that is a lofty challenge for us today, but how do you suppose it sounded to the small group to whom it was given many years ago, and who had just sent out their first foreign missionary eleven years previously? "One thousand in one day" — Can we imagine the incredulity of the faithful who were at that time experiencing church growth at the rate of about four per day! How could this prophecy ever be fulfilled! Just about one hundred years later, at another meeting, these marvelous words of Ellen White would be taken up again. The call has gone out "to launch an unprecedented worldwide soul- winning thrust, placing unquestioned priority on evangelism in all forms and at all levels, by dedicating the one thousand days preceding the 1985 General Conference session in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the claiming of one million souls for Christ." How thrilling to note that the document further calls for a commitment on the part of all Seventh-day Adventists to prayer, repentance, Bible study and witnessing. The call is also sounded to provide a thorough grounding for all new converts that they might be strong in the faith. We rejoice because the objective is obtainable. As this is written the average accessions in the world field are approximately 800 6 In Canada our base has been just about five additions per day during the past twelve months. Acceptance of the thousand days of reaping challenge would mean an increase of two per day to a figure of seven. We can, with God's help, really do it! per day. We can do it. - God will bless mightily when clergy and laity alike prioritize in their own lives the necessity of developing tremendous efficiency and commitment to evangelism. In Canada our base has been just about five additions per day during the past twelve months. Acceptance of the thousand days of reaping challenge would mean an increase of two per day to a figure of seven. We can, with God's help, really do it! North American Division president, Charles E. Bradford, invited us to our greatest efforts. With the North American Division working at maximum efficiency God can bless us in this Division during the next thousand days with 144,000 souls. Does this biblical note strike a response in our hearts? Let us take this mountain - "we are able to possess it!" J.W. Wilson is President of the Canadian Union Conference. Recommendations for Success For the Pastor 1. Preach "Adventist" sermons, focusing on evangelistic subjects. 2. Plan to have one evangelistic crusade in the district each year. 3. Plan to hold two youth baptismal classes each year. 4. Plan Youth Baptismal Sabbath or Month, May 1983, October 1983. 5. Build a "Pastor's Training Ability List." This could facilitate training and support ministries between districts as you become aware of fellow pastor's talents. For the Church Member 1. Develop personal prayer list. 2. Make a commitment of time and gifts to sharing the gospel with others on a regular basis. 3. Build a "Laymen's Spiritual Gift List." This will facilitate the efficient use of laymen's talents and gifts. 4. Make time for personal Bible study. For the Church 1. Prepare a statement of mission. 2. Plan for your church to grow, increasing the membership by 10% each year. 3. Organize prayer and fellowship groups. 4. Plan one "Laymen's Evangelistic Meeting" in each church each year. 5. Make preparation to get the most value from "outreach activity" by organizing small mission groups for service. For the School 1. Develop church school prayer lists. Have students prepare a prayer list and notify the people that the students will be praying for them. 2. Encourage church school students to work with VBS interests. Have activities at the school one afternoon a week for VBS interests. 3. Arrange for church school students to organize small mission groups for service. For the Conference Leaders 1. Make available a Church Ministries Resource Notebook to each pastor and church to give ideas for expanding personal involvement in soulwinning activities. 2. Make available to pastors and churches information about the many ways to improve the image of the church in the community. to be placed in Canadian homes during the Thousand Days of Reaping. The Thousand Days of Reaping campaign has been launched worldwide. A mass This is to be the special emphasis book to be used during the 1000 Days of Reaping. 3601)00 copies of great Co overswy At Maracle Press in Oshawa huge rolls of paper feed the Web which prints and folds 20,000 signatures of Great Controversy an hour. Pressmen Bruce Adams and David Newman keep check on the printed sheets. Can it be done? Yes . . . with very little effort and expense. The paperback edition of Great Controversy has been printed in Oshawa and will be available through the Adventist Book Centres for only 80 cents per copy. distribution of Great Controversy is being promoted throughout the North American Division. At the Maritime camp meeting I asked for a show of hands of those who would be willing to distribute at least *10 copies of Great Controversy in the next three years. Every hand went up. A one hundred percent participation by all church members in Canada would place over 300,000 copies in the home. What an impact this would have! The literature evangelists have a goal of one copy per day. This is another 60,000 copies. We appeal to all church members to participate, support and promote this mass distribution plan of this important book for our time. Order your 10 copies from the Adventist Book Centre now. By doing this, you can be sure that you contribute to the sowing effort which will yield a large harvest during the Thousand Days of Reaping. + W. Ruba is Director of Publishing, Canadian Union Conference. Covers for the paperback edition are applied at the rate of 3000 per hour on the mini-binder. The 1000 Days of Reaping edition will be entitled Cosmic Conflict. Great Controversy comes off the 3-knife trimmer and receives final inspection by Bert Carter, bindery foreman, before they are packed into cartons for shipping. *Read how Harry Fell spent his last dime to buy literature to give away. He kept the tracts in his pocket and, says Harry, "There ain't a day gone by without me giving away two or three tracts, sometimes more." See page 10. I had recently joined the Adventist Church. I was having a hard time adjusting to the new way of life. I was standing in the middle of a lumber town, it was late in the afternoon and it was cold. Although many passed me by, no one spoke, my pocketbook was empty and I was timid to ask for a handout. - By Ed Desjarlais Iwas standing there bewildered when I spied an elderly grey haired gentleman, his back was bent, his shoulders stooped, and he was walking slowly toward me. "Hello," he greeted, "I'm Harry Fell. I live just around the corner and it's supper time. Care to join me?" This was my first acquaintance with Harry, the most loving and generous man I ever met. While still in his teens Harry became a self-made Adventist just by reading the Bible. He recognized that Saturday was the seventh-day Sabbath and for a long time he kept the Sabbath by himself. It was much later when he found people with a common belief and was baptized into the Adventist church. Since the day he accepted Christ to the day he died, he had but one theme, and that was to share, to share his knowledge of Jesus Christ, to share his food, money, lodging with his fellowmen. "I am like a boxer," he stated, "I'm always waiting for an opening when I talk to someone, to throw in one good punch for my Saviour." As a young man Harry worked as a cowboy on various ranches, then became a farmer, a lumberjack and finally a literature evangelist. "All my life," he said, "I kept religious literature in my pocket and there ain't a day gone by without me giving away two or three tracts, sometimes more." He took his theme of sharing more seriously in his latter years when he realized that our church had done very little or nothing to evangelize our Indian people of Canada. He poured his savings in one pool and bought books, Bibles, literature and magazines. He also built a flat bottom boat and with his friend, they launched the boat in the Mackenzie River, N.W.T. They flooded that part of the country with Adventist literature. They sold books to those who could afford it and gave them away to those who were too poor to buy. With a twinkle in his eye he remarked, "We ended up giving most of our literature away." "There are millions of people out there that can hardly read, and I am writing for them in the way they can understand it." At the age of seventy he built another boat. Again he spent his last dime to buy the printed material so he could sell it or give it away. With his grandson, Roy, they launched the boat in the Mackenzie River and followed the same route as he did once before. There were miraculous incidences along the way. The most outstanding was when they ran out of gas. They prayed and just around the bend they found a forty-five gallon barrel filled with gasoline. Again they prayed for food and a short distance away they found a box of goodies miles from civilization. "Thou preparest a table before me." Psalms 23. When Harry finally retired and moved next door to me, I thought his services for the Lord had come to an end, but no, his theme of sharing just took on a new phase. I couldn't count how many times I stood by my window and watched him walking by on the road, in slow motion, like a tortoise, his back bent heavy toward the ground, each step a struggle. In the plastic pack which he carried was religious literature tied neatly in bundles, addressed to missionary fields all over the world. Often when the weather was bad, I'd jump in my car, catch up to him, and offer a ride to the post office. I was most fascinated when I walked into his room one day. He was sitting by the table, his glasses hung near the end of his nose. There were typewritten papers and loose handwritten pages scattered in a jungle mess all about him. When I inquired what he was doing, he explained how he had been writing "We haven't done anything to reach the Indian people yet, and they too must hear the Three Angels' Messages." the plan to salvation in simple language, and he had it published into small pamphlets and paid the publisher with his own money. I asked him why he had done that. "Well," he said, "There are millions of people out there that can hardly read, and I am writing for them in the way they can understand it." Those pamphlets are scattered today in the N.W.T. and some parts of Europe. While he sat there at the table he uttered words which haunt me to this day. He said, "The time is short and we have much work to do. We must carry the gospel to the ends of the earth, and we must do it now!" Then his face turned more sombre and he stared at the floor as he spoke, "We haven't done anything to reach the Indian people yet, and they too must hear the Three Angels' Messages." As we carried brother Harry Fell to his final resting spot, I thought, here was a model of a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. He shared Jesus Christ with whomever he could. He shared his services with those who needed a hand. He shared his food with the hungry. He shared his pocketbook to buy printed gospel. He came to this world with nothing and left as an HEIR of the heavenly kingdom. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 2 Timothy 4:7. Ed Desjvlais is an Indian author from Lacombe, Alberta. Small Mission Groups for Service "The formation of small companies as a basis of Christian effort is a plan that has been presented before me by One who cannot err . . . let the members be formed into small companies to work not only for the church members but for unbelievers also." (Evangelism, p. 115) A mission group can be adapted to a church of any size and can meet in any location which is convenient, including the intimate setting of a private home. It is layman- led, can involve everyone in the church. It is intended to be used as a team support for whatever mission project the group members choose for themselves. It can grow, divide, multiply naturally, yet stay small and personal. It provides a workable setting for members to develop their specific gifts, ministries and services. There is a ministry to be found for everyone in mission groups. Training seminars on how to start a mission group are available through the Ministerial Association Secretary of your conference. W.R. Bornstein is Ministerial Director, Canadian Union Conference. Dedication of Time, Talents and Spiritual Gifts Every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10), and many Christians are multi-gifted. Each of us can know what our spiritual gifts are and how to use them. God does not give gifts which He does not "call" the recipient to use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him without equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it. If you know your spiritual gifts and use them, you will be a better Christian and more able to allow God to make your life count for Him. Spiritual Gifts Seminars are available through the Stewardship Director of your conference. Adventist Youth for Service Our juniors, earliteens and senior youth can mobilize themselves for youth ministry in Revelation seminars and other kinds of mission projects. In groups they can study the Bible, undertake one mission project, or even learn at least one new skill, and they can use their group as a means of planning and holding social events. "Let them organize into bands for Christian service, and cooperation will prove an assistance and an encouragement. Parents and teachers, by taking an interest in the work of the young people, will be able to give them the benefit of their own larger experience, and can help them to make their efforts effective for good." (Education, p. 269) See your conference Youth Director for further help. Home Cell Groups Home cell groups provide a real opportunity for people to find a meaningful involvement in the life of their church. Not everyone can be an elder or a deacon in a large church, and not everyone can teach Sabbath School, but with home cell groups there is an opportunity for everyone to become involved. Each week members may gather in their neighbourhood cell meetings, where they have an opportunity to worship the Lord, to pray together, to learn from the Word, and to enjoy loving relationships with their fellow Christians. Some neighbours will gladly accept an invitation to a home cell meeting and thus one may become a missionary to his own neighbourhood and an agent for spiritual revival in that neighbourhood. Home cell groups may also choose to invite their neighbours in for doctrinal Bible studies or cottage meetings as a special project. Contact your conference Personal Ministries Director for further help. Churches as Training Centres No evangelistic thrust can be successful without on-the-job training in Christian witnessing and leadership. This can be accomplished if we will make our church buildings centres of training for Christian workers. A schedule of training sessions can be adopted by every congregation, and the pastor may become a teacher, together with the help of experienced layworkers, as well as the Conference and Union departmental staff. Some churches may request to be designated by the Conference as an official "Training Church" where our people from other Adventist churches in the area may come to receive classes and field training in successful Christian witnessing and leadership. The "Training Church" is a project of the Ministerial Association Secretary of your conference. We can do no less than be joyful for what the Lord has done for Canada THE GOAL IS REACHABLE! � W.R. Bornstein In the past many of our conferences have led the North American Division in percentage of growth! These triumphs, however, should not satisfy. For the past several years the percentage of membership gain, year after year, has decreased. This means we have been losing our momentum of growth. During the One Thousand Days of Reaping (1982-1985) we plan to regain that lost momentum in Canada. This is no time to be slowing down; rather it is time to quicken our pace! The challenge is for all our conferences and churches to set new baptismal goals that will not only challenge the faith and imagination of our people, but will also be reasonable and reachable. If we will each set our own goals and then bend every effort to gain victory, we will reverse the trend. We extend this challenge to every worker, every church, and every lay person in Canada. 1) 1000 k — 4 C. Sabot C. Sabot is President of the Quebec Conference. •• • 41.111011 ow 411 ••• .5 • Montreal has been designated as the target city for Canada during the 1000 Days of Reaping. Our goal is to double the churches and groups in Montreal during this period. Right now, we have 9 churches and by the grace of God we will have 18 churches and groups by the end of the 1000 Days of Reaping season. To reach that goal, the Lake Union Soul Winning Institute program will be the main evangelistic approach which has been designed and developed especially for dense city populations. We need your prayers because Montreal is our city, the largest city for all of Canada during these "1000 Days of Reaping." Let us all pray most earnestly for Montreal's more than 3 million people who need to know the Lord and be ready for His appearing. • •I ••=4 Ofthe • 41111111 111111' • ONI••• a ono L,•,01,"'" •1641•101 •• ""-- "—Vote ams 110.4•• I. al. • mew • • IMO *ft Lem,•••• I I � Mi � • • • All• ...•••••••••,, Sam.. 11••••••••••• am•••.. awl • ••• aim •••• V/•••• al• �•••• ••••••••••- � •••• •Ml••••••• • •••• ••• � •••••• ••,•• • . � .111••••••••••. W•••• A • , ••••••.••••••••• ea • � - • � •••••re •• OMEN* �*BM • IIMI• • Ye � •111.• *MEW IN • , • , • *all • • Noy • 111"11111111 ,• • • if. 11: It • • • � s • sr • .011• .:01: • sag lim a es, ••• • •I • • • • • • • • • • 11•• MI • • • • , • • •• � f/•••••• � mi • AIMS. 41. • NO me: � ION! �NUM - 111110•1 a WO • 111 41I• • 1110 • • COUNTRY-WIDE FOCUS ON MONTREAL TARGET CITY FOR CANADA 1000 1000 Presidents Report on Conference Goals By now, all the Messenger readers are very much aware of the "1,000 Days of Reaping" program already in process. However, the implementation and thrust will be different in each conference in Canada. In this special edition of the Messenger you will learn about each conference's goals and how they plan to achieve them. Quebec r,esSuT C. Z Win the Quebec Association are happy to share with you our goals and the ways of achieving these goals for this very timely project. Our main goal is to involve our entire membership in dedicated evangelism, first by a spiritual renewal and secondly by more active evangelism. 1. To achieve optimum spiritual renewal, we suggest - for everyone: a. 30 minutes of personal Bible study each day. b. Maintain a constant prayer vigil with our Lord. c. To establish small cottage prayer groups. Note: It matters not the time, the day, nor the place where these cottage meetings are to be held. What is important is that we pray together at least once a week other than our regular Sabbath services. d. A deep study of our basic doctrines so that we may be able to explain them in the simplest manner to others. 2. To become totally involved and active in evangelism we suggest: a. Each member to win one soul to the Lord every year (every member to be constantly searching for a soul to save while at the same time participating in his or her prayer vigil, praying that the Holy Spirit may lead them to a hungry soul searching for the Saviour. b. Systematically visiting all interested in truth, especially the "It Is Written" interests; to appoint an active Interest Coordinator in every church or company. c. Systematic distribution of the Signs of the Times (La Sentinelle in French). d. Missionary territory to be assigned to every church member. e. To emphasize smaller Sabbath School classes - maximum of 12 members. f. To establish "Talent oriented" groups (1 group for each major talent needed for evangelism). g. To increase our stewardship percentages to the equivalent of the tithe (10 + 10) so that the Conference may receive its share to carry forward a much stronger evangelistic program. May the Holy Spirit prepare our hearts that we may be willing to dedicate time and effort to work together to reach these worthy goals. Ontario G.W. Morgan President In the Ontario Conference we are very excited about the al ° 1000 DAYS OF REAPING prospects of the 1,000 Days of Reaping and committed to a program to do our share. We know that victory can be realized only as laity and ministry unite their combined forces for the outpouring of God's spirit. Therefore, in Ontario, our plans lay heavily in training and support of both groups for successful soul winning. Already, this past summer, our Personal Ministries Department conducted a very successful lay preaching training seminar called "Maranatha II." As a result, many action group teams have been formed in the conference. In one church some eight of these groups are now in operation. They meet for fellowship, study and witnessing. There are between ten to fifteen individuals in each group which means that over one hundred members in this one church are now organized into direct soul winning programs. Another Maranatha program is planned for July of 1983. We are also committed to a strong public evangelistic reaping program. Realizing that much of this will fall under the pastor's responsibility, we are planning an intensive evangelistic seminar in January of 1983 for the pastors who will be conducting public meetings. This will be a practical, down- to-earth workshop on how a pastor can operate successful evangelism in his church or district. In addition to this seminar, another is planned for pastors who would like to get involved in Cable Television progamming. We hope to have many of our local pastors on television as a means of seed sowing. We also have other exciting evangelistic plans. At the time of this writing Joe Crews, of The Amazing Facts, is conducting a large campaign in the Kingsview Village Church. Our conference evangelist has a full schedule of important campaigns. A number of departmental directors in the conference will also be holding meetings. In the fall of 1983, Elder C.E. Bradford, President of the North American Division, will be conducting a major crusade in Toronto. These are just a few of the many plans. We request an interest in your prayers that the power of God will work in a mighty way upon the lives of the millions that must be reached in the province of Ontario. Maritimes Lawton G. Lowe President The church in the Maritimes has accepted the challenge of the 1,000 Days of Reaping, and we have laid plans and objectives to be carried out in all of our churches. For instance, our baptismal goals for the conference are as follows: For the remainder of 1982 55 baptisms For 1983 - 200 baptisms For 1984 - 225 baptisms Until G.C. Session 1985 125 baptisms To reach these objectives we have agreed as Pastors and laity, to hold at least two reaping meetings each year in every district. It is our plan to harness more lay preachers to increase the number attending Bible Study Groups. We believe that our lay involvement will increase in all churches as they see some definite results from our witnessing program. We have many towns and villages that have never heard the Advent message, and it is our determination to begin work in some of these places such as Liverpool, Lunenberg, Windsor, Amherst, all in Nova Scotia; Newcastle, Bathurst, Dalhousie, Campbelton, all in New Brunswick, before the 1,000 Days of Reaping are over. It is also planned that our schools will become training centres for our youth so they, too, can become involved in our soul winning program. We believe our youth will catch the spirit of this new emphasis and many young people will be among the 500 souls we plan on baptizing during the 1,000 Days. Our Literature Evangelist team is growing and they are planning on group canvassing an area and then conducting their own evangelistic crusade. This will bring a whole new emphasis to the literature work in the Maritimes. Naturally, we have solicited the cooperation of every department and of every member in our conference. We believe, that under God's blessings the membership of the Maritime Conference will be more than 2,000 before the year 1985. Please pray for us. Newfoundland Gerry D. Karst President Newfoundland is the land of opportunity during the 1,000 Days of Reaping. The baptismal goal, voted and approved by the constituency in February, 1982, translates in 275 baptisms. Currently our membership stands at 725, and the members in Newfoundland voted to pray and work for 1,000 members by the end of the 1,000 Days of Reaping. Anticipating a year-end closing membership 1000 DAYS OF REAPING Conference Goals Newfoundland Continued . . . of 775, we project an 11% growth rate to achieve this goal. Plans for the 1,000 Days of Reaping include a major evangelistic campaign each year in St. John's, as well as one full campaign in each pastoral district each year. To supplement this front line thrust, the youth department is preparing for youth crusades. The teachers in our schools began the year with a commitment to classroom witnessing. The publishing department is fostering a program of encouraging the Great Controversy Project of placing 10 copies per member during the 1,000 Days of Reaping. Some laymen are laying plans for next summer, after a successful kick-off this summer, to continue an anti-drug and alcohol campaign utilizing the unique attraction of a 1927 Ford Roadster Hotrod. This car, the finest and fastest in all Newfoundland, attracts many young people who are then given helpful literature and counsel. The New Life Crusade Team has accepted the challenge of conducting five crusades per year. They will assist in raising up a new church in Conception Bay South, Pasadena, and other places. Radio Station VOAR has plans in place and is airing programs to reach the many listeners in the area. Recently the host of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television program commented that VOAR is the station his family listens to. Others who believe our message have heard it from the Voice of Adventist Radio. Newfoundland is the land of opportunity. You can be a part of it by praying for us. May the harvest be bountiful! Alberta Did you know that if every member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Alberta was responsible for baptizing one person this year and this ratio continued for the next 81/2 years, that at the end of the 81/2 years there would be 2,300,000 Seventh-day Adventists in Alberta? Two million three hundred thousand happens to be the population of Alberta at the present time. Now someone is sure to say that we have just quoted an impossible dream. But we would challenge you with a possible dream — 1985 by 1985. By the end of the 1,000 Days of Reaping at the time of the General Conference Session our prayer objective is to have 1985 new additions to the Seventh- day Adventist Church in Alberta. That is a 10% increase every year. Putting it another way, if every ten Adventists in Alberta were responsible for baptizing one person for the next three years, our prayer objective would be reached. Really, that doesn't sound so impossible, does it? We are living in a very critical time of earth's history and our call must be, "Come, for all things are ready." Alberta Conference Organizes for Action The 1,000 Days of Reaping is very important to us here in Alberta. All pastors and church leaders have received a copy of the Alberta Unified Evangelism Manual which is our guide to follow for church revival, church nurturing and church outreach. Each church also received a Church Planning Guide to give guidance for the church board in planning a total church inreach and outreach ministry. The manual gives methods; the church chooses to operate a program which will fit its spiritual gifts and particular setting. Every Church and Company in the Alberta Conference has or will be this fall holding at least one church board meeting where for the entire duration of the board meeting there will be but one item on the agenda, 'Church Growth Plans for our local church for the next twelve months.' These plans and ideas will be transferred to a Planning Guide, a copy of which will be sent to the Conference Committee. Thus the Conference Committee will be able to have an overview of this great forward thrust and be of assistance where possible. We look for a great lay worker movement with lay preachers, lay evangelists, house-to-house workers, and literature workers to make the 1,000 Days of Reaping a success. We look to every member of the church in Alberta to do something — small or great. If everyone does something, we will reach our objective of a 10% growth in membership in each church each year. 1985 by 1985 1985 by 1985 is not merely a slogan here in Alberta. We believe that God is willing and prepared to reward our faith as well. We are looking for a 10% increase in the number of Churches and Companies by 1985. Thus far 5 new Companies have been organized: Forest Heights in southeast Calgary, Fort Vermilion in Northern Alberta, Okotoks south of Calgary, Peace River in the town of Peace River, and Clive. 4 new Churches have been organized: Clareview in northeast Edmonton, Lacombe Community, Drumheller, and Wetaskiwin. Objective — Two Series A Year The objective for every pastor in our conference is to H. Larsen President 1o00 DAIS OF REAPING 1A • • 1000 DAYS OF REAPING • • 1000 DAYS OF REAPING hold two series of evangelistic programs a year — one in the area where there is already an SDA Church and one in a brand new area. In addition, each pastor is to train and involve the lay members in soul winning. The Conference staff is also involved since plans are underway for every minister in the office to conduct one evangelistic crusade a year. Soul winning is serious business. We are living in catastrophic times which call for extraordinary plans and methods. Alberta is prepared to do its part in the 1,000 Days of Reaping. Our Commander-in- Chief, Jesus Christ, said, "Lo, I am with you alway." That promise has never been rescinded. Manitoba - Saskatchewan D.M. MacIvor President The Conference from administration through the departments and local church pastors is concentrating on public evangelism. For two years we have been concentrating on training some of our young pastors in the area of public evangelism. They are gearing themselves with additional equipment and are prepared to go. The net result should be souls won and kept for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Community Outreach The two provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are almost completely covered with the Adventist Radio program "It Is Written." The results are always encouraging, the contacts are being followed up and invitations are being made to seminars and public evangelistic meetings. The churches and schools throughout the Conference are constantly upgrading their facilities so that visitors can feel comfortable with the appearance of these buildings. One of our pastors has already established himself in an outreach through the health monitoring approach. Many contacts have been made, interests have been secured and Bible studies have been started. Health Education Five Day Plans and nutrition classes have been well received in different areas in the provinces. We are fortunate as Seventh-day Adventists to have so much to offer in these two important areas. An excellent way to gain the confidence of people without the pale of the church is through these two areas of service. Literature Evangelism The literature evangelism program is moving forward in a highly organized way keeping up with record literature sales. The Signs of the Times saturation program has gone surprisingly well. A large number of people who write in for free subscriptions to the Signs also include requests for Bible studies which are followed up by pastors and laymen in the churches. Youth Work Three new church schools have been started in the Conference to minister to the youth of the church preparing them for further service. The summer camping program has certainly been the largest ever. The camping program is well organized with a goal of leading young people to make decisions for Jesus Christ. The youth can go back to their homes, be a strength to their parents and a blessing to their church. Stewardship The tithe program is remaining strong and an active program is being carried out to raise funds month by month for the continuing of our senior educational program and for evangelism funds so that our Radio and TV broadcasts can be continued and public meetings conducted. The Conference Advance program also ministers to the Conference's portion of church school; support. Marshalling the church and all of its agencies will mean that the net result of this tremendous effort will be many more souls added to the Kingdom during these 1,000 Days of Reaping. British G.E.Maxson Columbia President In the British Columbia Conference we believe that the life and mission of the church is Evangelism. Therefore we accept, endorse and are developing our evangelism strategy under the concept of the 1,000 Days of Reaping. Strategies Prayer and simplicity of programs: Penetrate — each pastor and congregation target new area Multiply — each involved person taking another along Divide — where feasible, new church Ministers: Encourage all to have on- going evangelism with one major and one minor series each year. Train laity in outreach ministries. Churches: Each church with its 17 Conference Goals British Columbia Continued . . . mission territory. Each a training centre - Personal Evangelism Workshops, Spiritual Gifts Seminars, Biblical Research Techniques Seminars. Each a warm, friendly group who care about people. Fostering small groups. Church Schools: Baptismal class in each. Outreach techniques taught, promoted and practiced. Radiant Living Evangelism Centre is meeting the challenge of greater Vancouver. Strengthen and enlarge its training capacity. SDA Awareness through the news media Ongoing, long-range programs with: News releases, radio and TV spots, radio and TV talk shows, development of above in consultation with Ray Singar - TV, Mike Jones - radio, newspaper. Crusades 19112 — Kelaws. - W. Farag; Pert Alberni — W. Farag; Simamisli— E. Duncan; Port Could= — Radiant Living; Kamloops — Dan Collins; Armstroop — Ray Halvorson; Dawns Crook — Dave Giles; Abluitsferi — B.C. Conference Staff. 1089 — Whey — Ray Halvorson; Cblillwack — W. Farag; Victoria-Joe Melashenko; Smitlors— Henry Bartsch; Piioco Gam — W. Farag; Maims — W. Farag; humor — E. Duncan; Myles — Tucker Brothers; Fends - Roger Hougaz; Crsibrook; WIltoliorso; Williams Lake: Langley — LE Team; Abbotdoni — D. Dunham; Pori Hardy — M. Pedlar, Campbell Moor; ham — D. Wells; Verna; Prince Report; Tome; Klmbody; Kltsliami — B. Thorpe; honcho; Noisoo mid Trail - G. Knowles; Grand Flits - J. Melashenko; Anastroortiroolirlow — E. Potgeiter, Rialto — R. Halvorson; Surrey — B. Thorpe. Enlarging our Conference evangelism equipment purchasing - Don Gray's Multi Media Sets, It Is Written Video Sets written 1000 L.R. Krenzler is Director of Communications and It Is Written, Canadian Union Conference. Das oF L.R. Krenzler REAPING Karate to Christ Brian Volk worked in La Ronge in Northern Saskatchewan as a cook. Being a nominal Christian, he used to go out into the bush in the afternoons, sit by a stream and read the Bible and other books. He enjoyed going to church because he believed God was there. However, he was not totally satisfied. Something was not quite right about the church. Brian was also deeply involved in karate. As he read the Bible, he came to the Ten Commandments. He read the fourth commandment which made the Sabbath very plain to him. There was no question about it. But what about Sunday? At a New Years Eve party in Regina, Brian met Marlene. Because they did not smoke, they went downstairs to get away from the smoke. Brian was enthusiastic about what he had read in the Ten Commandments. "Why does everyone go to church on Sunday when the Bible says Sabbath, the seventh day?" asked Brian. Marlene turned to him, "We go to church on Sabbath. I'm a Seventh-day Adventist. We follow the Bible." "Tell me more!" was his quick response. They talked about the Bible far into the night. Marlene was cautious, not wanting him to lean to Adventism because of her, but rather because of his own conviction. In January he went to an Adventist church. It was different from his church. Nearly everyone had a Bible and the pastor asked them to open it and read from it. Brian was from a religious family, they prayed before meals and before going to bed. He wanted to become a priest, but also wanted to get married and have a family. In January Brian moved to Grenfell about 80 miles east of Regina. Marlene told him of the evangelistic crusade coming in February. During the week he drove in every evening and on weekends stayed with his parents in Regina. After attending the crusade, studying the Bible, reading books and lectures and listening to tapes, he accepted Jesus Christ in a new relationship and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church on April 15, 1981. Brian and Marlene were married June 21, 1981 and in August of 1982 they went to Canadian Union College where Brian is studying theology. Brian also told me that he had a first degree black belt in karate. He learned how to take care of his body but his concern was the time it took and the effect on the mind. He felt that it leads to self-worship by drawing attention to oneself too much. Brian praises God for His providence and leadership. Brian is anxious for 1,000 Days of Reaping to be successful. It Is Written is also anxious for the mass media interests to be reaped. Much sowing has been done, the seed is growing. We must reap. It Is Written has gone ahead in faith to tape new programs. We feel certain you will be going all out to keep all our stations and have new programs too. Thank you to all of our readers who have been so faithful through the years. When we all give as much as we can, God blesses and keeps the gospel "on air" sowing more precious seed in precious minds. God bless all of you. Does Christian Education Win Souls? Continued from page 20 during World War II. My father was away serving his country and my mother was young and hardly ready for the responsibilities of parenthood. She would leave me alone hours and days uncared for. She finally placed me in a home paying one week's room and board and never returned. To this day I have not seen her. Because of the neglect I experienced I was terrified when left alone in the dark. To this day I can see the scary images that would terrify me at night. Because of my fear Papa Sackett would rock me in the squeaky rocking chair until I fell asleep. I can still hear his soothing voice as he would tell me the stories of Moses, Daniel, Joseph and how they were true to God although exposed to the teachings of a Godly home but for a short period of their lives. Papa Sackett would say, "Harry, you may be with us but a short time, but remember God sent you here for a purpose. 'He has a plan for your life. You may not be with us long but be true to God." As a boy, I determined I would be true to God as were those heroes of old. It was not until much later in life I learned that I was legally placed in that home by my father until I was 16. The Sackett s believed in Christian Education. They were on a very limited income, yet tuition and transportation on a Greyhound bus to and from school was not too much of a sacrifice. They said, "Harry, we want you to have every opportunity to be a follower of God." So every day I would walk a block and catch the 7:30 bus to Mountain View and arrive home by the 5:30 bus. When I was 15, I had a horse. I would feed and bed the horses for the night and arrive home before dark. One particular evening I arrived at the corral just at sunset. It was a known fact I was afraid to be out after dark. If I was brave enough to go back down and water the horse I would receive a $5 reward. I knew very well it would be dark before I could get home but the visions of what I could do with the $5 H. Sackett is Pastor of College Park S.D.A. Church. won out and I put a bridle on Silver and started him down the path at a run. I was at the creek as the darkness closed in. Then it happened . . . those things started to appear in the dark. I jerked Silver's head and started up the bank to the dirt road at a gallop. The rocks would kick from Silver's hooves into the bushes and the noises would start and the things would come at me. I hid behind Silver's neck laying my head behind his head and hanging onto his mane. I suddenly thought, I am 15 years old, why am I afraid? I know God can take care of me but I'm scared. Why? That dark night on Silver's back I cried out to God to take this fear away. Immediately a calmness overtook me and the terror I'd known all my life was gone. God worked the first miracle in my life. I was in my second year at Mountain View Academy, just 16, when my Dad showed up. Until then my Dad had been an air mail letter from some exotic corner of the world with a birthday card or a Christmas cheque. My Dad said, "Harry, I've bought a business. Come and live with me." One day he showed up in a new Cadillac convertible and said, "Harry, if you come and live with me this car is yours." The influence of my academy friends, more than anything else, kept me from going. I spent the weekends with dad but found our lifestyles miles apart. His was an exciting life with night clubs, bright lights and modern music. For the first time in my life I discovered I must choose the lifestyle for me, the exciting "Broadway" or the biblical "narrow way." Through Christian friendships and influences I stopped spending weekends with my Dad. Having been given a taste of travel from my Dad, I decided to travel to Canada on a visitor's visa planning to go to Alaska to a fishing site to make my fortune and then on to Australia. Having a temporary visa only I came to Oshawa Missionary College, now Kingsway College, and approached President Manuel requesting permission to attend before continuing my adventure. "I'll never forget his reply, "Harry, if you can work you can attend." I was elated for Mama Sackett had taught me how to work. She believed boys that worked kept out of trouble, so she would water the weeds while I was at school so when I got home there were new weeds to hoe and pull every day . . At Kingsway College I met a girl and that ended the dreams of travel to exotic places. The altar seemed exotic enough. To this point I had not given my life to God. Elder Minchin came for a Week of Prayer and as boy's club president, I showed him around the dorm and campus. I observed him up close and found a real Christian. He had an altar call on Thursday evening of that Week of Prayer. He seemed to be looking right at me as he said, "The Lord is calling you to be a minister." I slid way down in my seat as I didn't want our eyes to meet. The rascal walked around the pulpit and looked me in the eye and said, "God is calling you to be a minister for Him." My mind immediately went to a squeaky rocking chair and Papa Sackett saying, "Harry, God sent you to us for a purpose, He wants you to be a Moses or Daniel or Joseph for Him." Sobbing, I went down to the altar confessing my unworthiness to God. That wonderful experience at Oshawa Missionary College is one that no one can take from me. It was a Christian home and good Christian friends in Christian schools that preserved me so that God could mature the seeds sown in my life at Kingsway College. It's just an added bonus of the Christian life to be here as pastor of the College Church. Thousands of souls like mine will be "reaped" in our schools throughout Canada. Parents, there is no sacrifice too great. Christian education is priceless. It just may be your son or your daughter that is "reaped" during the 1,000 Days of Reaping. Yes, Christian education wins souls - more souls than any other avenue of the Church. I must wait for eternity to tell Mama and Papa Sackett that the sacrifice was not in vain. The Christian home, the Christian education has resulted in my determination to thank them at the feet of Jesus one day real soon! t 19 k DAYS OF REAPING Wmodern preachers resist telling our own story because of the risk of being misunderstood. The might the theme of what God has done for me shine through. I was born of a Baptist father and a Catholic mother apostles had no such restraints. They went everywhere testifying as to what God had done for them. In this, my story,