The Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) held a Week of Spiritual Emphasis with the title “Vision One Million 2020.” The NSD has set a new goal to reach 1 million church members by the year 2020. Currently, the NSD has about 690,000 church members, but we want to increase the number of baptisms by about 400 percent. This goal may seem impossible to accomplish, but “all things are possible with God”(Mark 10:27).
The Week of Spiritual Emphasis took place from January 25 to 29, 2016. This one was a little bit different from previous ones in the selection of speakers. In the past, speakers for the Week of Spiritual Emphasis had come from different countries, but this time we invited our own directors and associate directors to preach messages related to mission situations in the NSD.
There were five speakers, and each day we were blessed by another inspired message from the Bible.
Monday: Byun SeongJun, associate director of communication, “Times of Refreshing” (Acts 3:19)
Tuesday: Mrs. Nilde Itin Lust, associate director of family/children/women’s ministries, “Cheer Up! On Your Feet! He’s Calling You” (Mark 10:49)
Wednesday: Choi YoungIl, director of health ministries, “God’s Way” (Philippians 1:6)
Thursday: Song SungSub, associate secretary, “Always Obey God! God will be with us always” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Friday: Jairyong Lee, NSD president, “Total Member Involvement” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Each day, the special time of spiritual renewal began with music led by Pastor Cho DaeYeon, the new Golden Angels’ associate coordinator, followed by a welcome message and “Believe His Prophets” scripture reading. Every time the messages were rendered, the participants’ hearts were drawn to the throne of God’s grace. The speakers delivered inspired messages to encourage and to fill the spiritual needs of the NSD leaders and staff.
On the last day of the week, Dr. Jairyong Lee, NSD president, preached a sermon with the title “Total Member Involvement.” Dr. Lee showed how great the mission challenges are in our Division territories. He quoted from Ellen G. White’s writings, “Everyone who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of his fellow men”(AA, 110). “The church of Christ on earth was organized for missionary purposes, and the Lord desires to see the entire church devising ways and means whereby high and low, rich and poor, may hear the message of truth”(6T, 29). Dr. Lee emphasized that it’s time to go to the big cities for “Urban Evangelism,” since there are 105 big cities with a population of 1 million in the NSD out of 503 world big cities.
The participants were greatly blessed by the special messages shared each morning. Now the NSD’s office administrators, departmental leaders, and support staff can move forward into a new year with this new mission and vision!