200,000 Graduate With New Skills for Sharing JesusThe Inter-American Division trains thousands of members as it seeks to underpin continued rapid growth.
Posted October 31, 2014
By Libna Stevens, IAD
Nearly 200,000 Adventist members in Central America and the Caribbean have been awarded certificates for undergoing hours of training in areas such as how to give Bible studies, how to conduct an evangelistic series, or how to share Jesus with children.
The yearlong initiative, organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Inter-American Division under the banner “Year of Non-Formal Education,” aims to maintain an rapid increase in church membership in the region, one of the fast-growing in the world.
Division president Israel Leito told a four-hour graduation ceremony for 500 of the graduates in Willemstad, Curacao, that the training of the pastors, administrators, and regular church members sought to prepare them to better serve the church and the community.
“The preparation you have received will help you understand the expectations of the Lord for He is ready for you to give everything of yourself,” Leito told the 1,500 people who attended the ceremony, which was also streamed online to include the thousands of other graduates.
“What you will receive is not just a certificate, it is a moment of dedication, it is a moment when you tell the Lord, ‘I want to use it for your honor and glory,’” the Curacao native said. “This will facilitate service, facilitate the mission of the church.”
Read more here:
http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/200,000-graduate-with-new-skills-for-sharing-jesus