Midyear Meeting in China
 

June 18 2009, Shenzhen , China

Church leaders and lay members attended this years’ Northern Asia-Pacific Division Midyear Committee at the Sunshine Hotel in Shenzhen, China from May 11 to 12, 2009. Participants shared reports of the work being done in their territories and various institutions. Attendees were encouraged by the feedback of how God was using individuals and projects to expand His kingdom and prepare a people for His Second Coming.

Delegates learned of the 51 Pioneer Mission Movement pastors who have been sent to different countries within and outside of NSD territories. The His Hands Mission Movement has grown to around 1300 missionaries from all over the NSD. On every given day HHMM missionaries go door-to-door two by two planting seeds, nurturing and guiding those they come in contact with into a relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ. The Communication and Leadership Advancement reported on its first intensive session. The program takes church workers and leaders from the NSD and provides leadership and language training. Over the course of the next two years, forty people will have improved their talents to become a greater blessing to God’s mission. With the 59^th Session of the General Conference only a year away, meetings surrounded plenary discussions and deciding the distribution of delegates.

In addressing the enormous challenges the church faces with regards to coordinating mission, a Roadmap for Mission document was drafted by the General Conference to establish some guidelines in this regard. With diverse thoughts, cultures and perspectives, the document emphasizes the unity of the church and its mission as well as provides timely how-to advice for administrators to consider for their territories. The document encourages church members and administrators to work together. The current spirit of the age discourages people to turn from one religion to another. It holds to the idea that all world religions are valid expressions of the human spirit. Despite this fact, the document reminds us that as Adventists we have a special mission with specific instructions of how to deal with cultural and religious differences given us through the Scriptures. Roadmap for Mission covers a wide spectrum of issues including the examples of the apostles, the writings of other religions, contextualization and how to deal with situations where freedom is restricted. It reiterates our identity and reminds us of how to remain open and honest about said identity.

                                                   - Maike Stepanek