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2013 General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists All rights reserve

12501 Old Columbia Pike,Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601

800.648.5824 www.Adventist Mission.orA

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GREECE 4 Michels Dream | October 5 6 Standing for Her Faith | October 12 8 The Brothers | October 19

10 The Open Door | October 26

ENGLAND 12 Learning to Lead | November 2 14 Finding Her Niche | November 9 16 A Significant Life | November 16 18 Its Messy! | November 23

MACEDONIA

20 Gods Path to Peace | November 30

22 Growing Believers | December 7

24 The Test | December 14

26 The Invitations | December 21

RESOURCES

28 Thirteenth Sabbath Program | December 31 Resources

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On the Cover: Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people(Matthew 4:19, NIV). Greek fisherman cleans his nets.

C o n t e n t s

Yo u r O f f e r i n g s a t Wo r k Three years ago part of the

Thirteenth Sabbath Offering helpedpurchase Bibles for children in Israel,Pakistan, and Sudan. These childrenreceived their Bibles while attending asummer camp in Israel. Theyre gratefulto have Gods Word to help build theirfaith and share Gods love with others.Thank you for your offerings to helpothers follow Christ.

= stories of special interest to teens


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This quarter features the Trans-European Division, which includesmore ethan 20 countries and severalisland groups in Europe. The division ishome to more than 200 million people,but only about 83,500 are Seventh-day Adventists. Thats a ratio of oneAdventist for about every 2,400 people.The Trans-European Division is thechurchs smallest division, yet its needsequal far larger regions of the world.

The ChallengesThe challenges of reaching thesecular, postmodern world of Europe forChrist are complex. People are lookingfor relationships, but not with God.Restaurants and stores are busy, butchurches are almost empty.

Greece is staggering under highunemployment and economic hardship.

A significant number of the 500Adventists in Greece are immigrantswho struggle to find permanent work tosupport their families.

The church is growing amongimmigrants, but the dominant religionoften thwarts efforts to rent neededfacilities for worship.

Macedonia is a small country north ofGreece. Its few members are working hardto share the gospel with their neighborsand with visitors to their beautiful

country. They want to establish a laytraining center where they can learn thebest ways to spread Gods love.

Newbold College, located in southernEngland, is Trans-European Divisionsonly four-year college-level institution.With about 300 students, it is a smallschool with a huge mandateto trainworkers from throughout the division.

One challenge is to keep its buildingsstrong and safe.Bible 3-D is an innovative plan to

introduce thousands of people to theAdventist faith through hands-on exhibitsthat introduce the story of redemptionwithin each countrys culture.

Yours for the kingdom,

Charlotte IshkanianEditor, Mission

D e a r S a b b a t h S c h o o l L e a d e r ,


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Michel (Michael) had dreams, bigdreams. He lived in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (Congo), acountry that cannot offer a great deal ofhope to its young people. Although hehad completed a university course, hecouldnt find decent work. He wanted to

improve his English so that he could oneday teach in a university. He decided tomake his way to Europe.

He arrived in Greece with great hope,but he quickly discovered that thecountrys faltering economy offered few jobopportunities. Michel had no money, no work,no family, and no friends from his homeland.But he was not alone. He met many others

who were stranded, as he was. He found aplace to live with several other immigrants,and together they struggle to survive.

Friendship in the ParkWith no work, Michel often spent an

hour or so in a nearby park. One day he metGeorge, a man from Michels homeland.The two began talking, and George quickly

Michels

DreamMichel

turned the conversation to God.Michel believed in God and often prayed.

But George told him things about God thatMichel had never heard before. Michellistened intently. When George invitedMichel to attend the Adventist churchwith him, Michel smiled. He knew a fewAdventists from the Congo and had readsome Adventist books back home. Sure,Ill go with you, he told his new friend.

On Sabbath Michel listened as thepastor urged the congregation to keep theSabbath day holy, for God is holy, and He

had created the Sabbath as a time to spendwith God and worship Him.

After church Michel asked Georgemore about the Sabbath. George openedhis Bible, and the two began to study theSabbath. George explained each Bible textabout the Sabbath, and by the time thetwo had finished their study, Michel hadno doubts that the Sabbath was Gods holy

day and that he must keep it holy.Michel continued meeting George inthe park, where George taught him otherBible truths. They studied Revelation, andMichel learned that this book was filledwith precious information that he hadnever understood before.

Michel was excited about what he waslearning and immediately began sharing

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Victoria is 14 and a student living inAthens, Greece. She attends a publicschool, and part of her studies includesreligion classes twice a week. Religion

class is required, she explains. Only thosechildren who arent Christianssuch asMuslims and Buddhistscan be excusedfrom these classes.

Most of the students arent reallyinterested in religion class, she adds.They dont read the Bible or their Biblestory, so they dont know the answers tothe teachers questions. The teacher asks

questions about the story were studying,but the kids dont raise their hands toanswer. So the teacher looks at me. Sheknows that I know the answer.

Victorias DecisionAfter class some students asked Victoria

how she knows so much about the storiesthe teacher discusses in religion class.

Standing for Her Faith

Victoria told them that she attends churchevery week, where she and the otherchildren study the Bible together. I readthese stories in the Bible, she answered.

On her way home from school, Victoriadecided to take her Bible to religionclass. Maybe that will help the other studentssee that God is real and that His Word isimportant, she thought. Victoria begantaking her Bible to school. Sometimesthe textbook missed important points in aBible story, so Victoria asked the teacherfor permission to read the story from theBible. Often her teacher agreed.

Encouraged by her teachers openness,Victoria asked for permission to inviteher classmates to bring a Bible if theyhad one so that they could read thelesson together from the Bible. Shewanted her classmates to know exactlyhow the story was written in Gods Word.

But most of the children had only the New Testament, so they just listened asVictoria read the story from the Bible.

Gods BlessingMy classmates and my teacher respect

my faith, Victoria says. This is unusual,for most children who dont attend thestate church are given a hard time about

Victoria

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G abi and his family strolled along apath in a park near their home incentral Greece. The chilly autumn breezerustled the dying leaves and sent someflying. As the path neared the street,the family saw two young boys begging.The boys walked awkwardly from car tocar. Gabi heard their plea for coins andrealized that they were Romanian, asGabis family was.

Why are they begging? Gabis son,Samuel, asked, pulling his fathers sleeve.Gabi didnt have an answer. He had nomoney to give the boys, so he guided hisfamily toward home. But questions swirledin his mind. Why are these boys begging onthe street in Greece? Where are their parents?But he had no answers.

Gabis SearchGabi and his family had left their

homeland of Romania and come to

The Brothers Gabi

Greece in search of work. But hard timeshad hit Greece as well, and they foundno regular work. The family stretched thelittle money they made to pay their rentand buy meager food. But the memoryof the Romanian boys begging on thestreet haunted Gabi. The next day Gabisearched for the boys, but they werent atthe traffic light.

Gabi met Peter, a man who knew theboys. Theyre brothers, Peter said.Theyve been hired to herd sheep forsomeone. Gabi sensed that the boyswere in danger, but Peter didnt know anymore. Gabi felt heavy hearted. He prayedfor the boys safety and searched for them.But he couldnt find them.

Seven months later Gabi answered aknock on his door to find Peter with oneof the brothers. This is Costel, Petersaid. Fear filled the boys eyes.

Come in, Costel, Gabi said. Youresafe here. Sensing that the boy didntbelieve him, Gabi continued, This is yourhome now. You are part of our family, justas my children are.

Found and LostCostel hesitated and then stepped into

the room. Gabi showed him where hecould put his few things. You can sharethis room with my son, Gabi said. The boylooked around before placing his small bagand a few coins on the dresser. The nextmorning when Costel awoke, he counted

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[Ask a high school-age boy to present this first-person report.]

T hree years ago I learned that mymother had breast cancer. I wasconfused and devastated. How couldGod let this happen to her? Would shedie and leave us alone? My friends didntunderstand, and I felt that I had no oneto talk to.

One day I saw her crying in her room.When she saw me, she called me into

her room. Its OK, she said, seeing theterror in my eyes. God is with us andwill protect us. She urged me to read herfavorite psalms. Davids words bring mecomfort, she said. Theyll help you, too.

Finding God in His WordI nodded numbly. How could I tell her

that I wasnt sure that God cared about

The Open Door

Konstant inos

me or what happened to our family?Mothers surgery was successful, and

eventually life felt normal again. But I stillwondered if God really cared about me,just a kid.

One night I pulled my Bible from theshelf and let it fall open. It opened to thestory of Job. As I read Jobs story, I beganto realize that if Job could have that kindof faith, I could, too.

I started reading the Bible again, andI felt God working in my life. The moreI read, the more I learned, and the moreI felt Gods love in my life. I realizedthat God was using my mothers illnessto teach me how much He loves me.What I didnt know was that God wasstrengthening my faith for what was tocome next.

Grandpas ChallengeMy grandfather was a traditional Greek

man, strong and stubborn. My family isAdventist, and Grandpa picked at our

faith whenever he could, accusing us andmaking us defend our faith. We beganavoiding the subject of religion. Myparents despaired that we would neverconvince Grandpa that God loved him.

Then we learned that Grandpa hadpancreatic cancer. It had spread, and thedoctors said he wouldnt live long. In hisusual stubborn manner, my grandfather

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A nette was a new Adventist. Shewanted to study theology, but shewasnt sure she could afford to study at

Newbold College, the Trans-EuropeanDivisions college and theological school.Her youth leader urged her to apply for ascholarship from the Danish Union. Sheapplied and was accepted.

I know that it was God putting thedesire to study the Bible in my heart,Anette says. Ive learned so much at

Newbold. We have abundant Bible studygroups and discussion groups in which Ive

learned to accept others opinions, evenwhen they differ from mine. Ive grown inthese discussions.

Anette isnt sure what Gods plan is forher. Ill leave that in His hands, she says.

Newbolds Ministry to Millions Newbold College is Trans-European

Divisions only college-level educational

Learning to Lead

Anette, Marija, Lyn

institution. Located outside London,England, it serves students from all20-plus countries and numerous islands ofthe division as well as students from some40 other countries around the world.

Newbold is strongly multiethnic, saysPhilip Brown, principal of the college.Students come to study for a semesteror a year or four years, to earn a diplomaor a degree. Some come to learn English,and others come to study theology. Mostare Adventists, but some dont know whoAdventists are. This mixture makes a richenvironment to discover and learn.

If You ExistMarija [Maria] grew up in Macedonia.

She often felt alone and discouraged andlonged for acceptance. Often she prayed,God, if Youre alive, please help me!One night she dreamed that an angelappeared and assured her that God lovedher. She awoke filled with joy.

After high school Marija moved toEngland to work as a live-in babysitter andimprove her English. But the family she

was assigned to treated her badly. Oncemore she felt abandoned. Then she metanother girl from Macedonia who invitedher to church. Marija went, hungry forfriendship and eager to immerse herselfin English. The worship service was sodifferent from what she had grown up withthat she wasnt sure what to make of it.

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Melissa moved into her dormitoryroom at Newbold College. Shesmiled when some of the other studentsstopped by to greet her. Her Englishwasnt as good as she thought. Oh, howI wish I had studied English more seriously, she thought.

But she learned quickly, and didnt feelso alone when she realized that many ofthe other students knew less English thanshe did. She marveled at the internationalmakeup of Newbold. Students from fourcontinents were studying there, and someknew almost no English.

Teaching and LearningKim,* her roommate in the dormitory,

was from Korea, and the two workedhard to understand each other. Theirconversations often wandered from schoolto work to personal lives. One day Kimgrew silent for several minutes, thinking.Then she looked at Melissa and asked,How can I believe in God?

The question surprised Melissa, whothought that Kim was a Christian. Can

Finding Her

NicheMelissayou teach me about God? Kim continued.Melissa wondered where to begin. She hadgrown up in a Christian home, and hergrandfather had been an Adventist pastor.But she felt at a loss for words. Where do I

begin? she prayed.Kim and Melissa spent a lot of time thatyear talking about God. Melissa realizedthat God was using her to introduceher roommate to Jesus. During theirconversations Melissa learned what itmeans to share her faith. And in sharing,Melissas own faith grew. Sometimes Kimasked Melissa to pray with her. Melissaprayed, and then Kim prayed the prayer inKorean. Melissa would become so excitedabout their conversations that often shecouldnt sleep. I was seeing Kims faithgrow, and it amazed me, Melissa said.

How Do I Pray?One night when the lights were out,

Kim whispered that she wanted to pray.The two girls were silent for several

minutes, and Melissa wondered why herfriend was silent. Then Kim whispered,Melissa, how do I start?

Pray to God as you would talk to afriend, Melissa said gently. And Kimstarted praying.

Another evening Kim prayed, ThankYou, God, for a good day. Melissa, how wasYour day? Melissa was surprised, for she

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I was born in Estonia, a small countrythat was part of the Soviet Unionduring Communist times. In thisatheistic environment my father was anAdventist pastor.

My parents were honest with uschildren about the dangers we couldface as Christians. We knew that ourfather had once been locked in a mentalinstitution because of his faith. I learnedto remain quietly on the sidelines, notwanting to bring attention to myself.

My siblings and I attended public

schools, for there were no Adventistschools. As I grew up, my faith and mycourage grew as well, until I was ready tostand for my faith and was baptized intothe Adventist Church.

Hope for a Bright FutureCommunism fell, and slowly our

freedoms increased. After high school

A Significant Life

Mervi

I studied linguistics, the science oflanguages. I completed my degree and wasoffered a job with a linguistics researchgroup. With the promise of a goodincome, I relaxed. Gone were the days ofwondering what the next meal would be

and if Id have a coat for winter. I wouldbe able to take care of myself.

The next year I was offered a job asa lecturer. I was dizzy with success. Mysupervisor urged me to pursue my Ph.D.But soon I realized that somethingwas missing. Life began to feel . . .insignificant. I realized that years fromnow what I was doing would not matter.

When I told my supervisor andcolleagues that I wanted to take a year offand study theology, they couldnt believeme. They thought I was crazy. You haveyour name on the door of an office in amajor university, they said. Why wouldyou want to leave that?

I could understand their concern. Evenmy parents questioned my decision. Will

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Please! Nine-year-old Thomas*stood just inside the church door,tears streaming down his face. Ive triedeverything I know to get my parents tocome to Messy Church, but they wontcome. Pleasemay I come without them?

The woman at the registration desk gave

Thomas a hug. Of course you can come,she said, drying his tears. She motioned fora church member standing nearby to comeand introduced Thomas to her. Thomassmiled gratefully and led the woman to thecraft room, where Messy Church was aboutto begin.

A Unique ProgramA 9-year-old begs to attend church? You

betif its Messy Church. Messy Churchis an outreach program that began in2004 in an Anglican church in England.Its purpose then and now is to providea family-friendly worship experience forchildren and their parents who wouldntnormally attend church.

In 2009 some energetic Adventist

Its Messy!

Messy Church k ids

women in Stanborough Park AdventistChurch outside London adapted the MessyChurch program for their community. Andit works! When the program first began,most children were from Adventist homes.Today these children are askednicelyto stay home so that non-Adventistchildren can attend Messy Church andlearn to love Jesus.

A Ministry for FamiliesWhat is Messy Church? Think Vacation

Bible School on steroids. Children frominfants to 13 meet in age-appropriategroups to hear a Bible story and do a

craft that will help cement the lesson intheir minds. When the theme was theparable of the sower and the seeds, onegroup of children created grass caterpillarsby stuffing soil and grass seeds into anylon stocking, tying knots every fewinches, and then adding pipe-cleanerantenna and googly eyes. They took theirgrass caterpillars home, watered them,

and watched them grow. Mine is stillgrowing, 7-year-old Eleanor says proudly.And she remembers the story of the sowerwho scattered seeds, some on rocky soil,some on dry soil, and some on good soil.She knows that Jesus wants her to scatterseeds of His love just as the sower scatteredseeds of grain.

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W hen I was in my 20s, I was aprofessional musician, one of thebest in Macedonia. I played with someof the best singers and bands in thecountry. My family was rich, and life waseasy. Then our family fortune failed, andwe lost our house. I developed health

problems and had no peace.I left Macedonia and went to Canada,

looking for happiness. I married a Serbiangirl, and we settled down. I found workperforming for weddings, and eventuallymade enough money to buy a home and arestaurant. But then my wife left me, andI grew despondent. I gambled away mymoney and lost everything. I returned to

Macedonia in search of peace, but I didntfind it. I sensed that my problems were theresult of witchcraft, so I attended somesances and visited fortunetellers. Thingsonly became worse.

New Friend, New HopeOne day I was invited to travel to

Australia and play in some concerts.

Gods Path

to PeaceI l i ja

There I met Petko, a fellow Macedonianmusician, and we became friends. Petkowas different; he talked about Jesus andGod. I knew little about God, so I listened.He asked to read the Ten Commandmentsto me, and I agreed. When he read thefourth commandment, I stopped him andasked him what Sabbath meant. Petkoexplained that Sabbath was the seventhday, Saturday. This was strange to me, and

Petko didnt know a lot more than I did, sohe offered to introduce me to Trifun [TEE-foon], a friend of his. He knows lots moreabout the Bible than I do, Petko offered.

When I met Trifun, I told him I found itdifficult to believe that God exists or thatHe cared about me. Jesus cares so muchabout you that He died for youand allthe people in the world, Trifun said.

Every evening as I read theBible, demons tor tured me. I

couldnt sleep.

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T atiana wrung her hands as she prayed,God, can You hear me? Why dontYou answer? Her son was in trouble, andTatiana prayed every day, but it seemedthat God wasnt answering.

The True WayOne day while praying, Tatiana

thought, Surely with all the religions inthe world, there must be one religion that

follows Gods way in every matter.Tatianabegan praying that God would show herHis true church.

She found a Bible and began reading it.But it was so difficult to read that she setit aside. Later she tried it again. But againshe found it too difficult to understand.She cried to God, I believe that this Bibleis Your Word, and I believe it can lead meto You, God. Please send someone to teachme about the Bible.

The Man With the BibleTwo days later Tatiana answered a

knock at the door and saw a man standingthere, holding a Bible. Would you like to

Growing

BelieversTatiana and K lime

study the Bible? the man asked. Stunned,Tatiana realized that God had sent thisman to her. She opened the door wider

and invited him in.The man sat down and opened his Bible.

Tatiana sat nearby and picked up her Bible.Together they prayed and read portionsof the Scripture. He explained what thetexts mean, and gradually Tatiana began tounderstand what God was telling her.

The man, George, returned several timesa week for three months. Tatiana invited

her husband, Klime, to join them, butKlime would leave when George arrived.However, when Tatiana and George beganstudying prophecy, Klime stayed to listen.

Tatiana and Klime began reading theBible on their own. They found passagesthat puzzled them and asked George aboutthem. But George was a new believer too,and he didnt always know the answer.

Tatiana asked George what church heattended. George explained that he was aSeventh-day Adventist. Does your churchfollow everything that the Bible teaches?Tatiana asked hopefully.

Yes, George said. Then he explainedthat there was no Adventist church in thecity, so the handful of members meet intheir homes.

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[Ask a teen boy and girl to present this first-person report.]

Christian: Im Christian, and this is Sanja[SAN-yah]. Weve grown up together in theAdventist church in Macedonia. Ours is asmall country just north of Greece, and thechurch there is very small, with fewer than500 Adventists in the country. We havemore members on the books, but many havemoved to other countries in Europe lookingfor work and better living possibilities.

Sanja: Christian and I have just begunhigh school. We are studying in a specialschool that focuses on subjects that willprepare us for our future careers. I want to

be a doctor.Schools in Macedonia are crowded,and most operate on two schedules, withstudents attending class in the morningfor two weeks and then the afternoon andevening the next two weeks.

Everything went well for the first twoweeks of school. Then the next two weekswe went to school in the afternoon. This

meant that in the winter, we wouldnt beable to attend classes on Friday, for thesun sets as early as 4:00.

Christian: The church members knewabout the school issues and were prayingwith us. My mom went to the school to

talk to the principal and the teachersabout our dilemma and to request that webe allowed to miss the classes that metafter sundown on Friday evening.

We dont make exceptions for religiousbeliefs, the head teacher said. If thesestudents wont attend all their classes,they must change schools. She walkedinto her office and closed the door. The

conversation was over.Mom went to see the director of theprimary school I had attended to ask foradvice. The woman asked about us andwhere we were studying. Dont worry,she said. My husband and the director ofthe high school are friends. Well see whatwe can do to resolve the problem.

Mom thanked the primary school

The TestChrist ian and Sanja

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Rasim stood shyly on the fringe of hisneighbors small yard. It was the firsttime he had attended the childrens Bibleclub at Auntie Jadrankas [yah-DRAHN-

kah], and he wasnt sure what to do.Come, sit down with the other

children, Auntie Jadranka said,beckoning him to an empty spot on theground. Rasim sat down among the otherchildren and relaxed. He listened intentlyto the story Auntie Jadranka told andtried to follow the other children as theysang songs about Jesus. From that week

on, Rasim joined the children for theirBible club. He didnt know much about

Jesus, but he was happy to learn.

Another InvitationAuntie Jadranka invited Rasim to go

to church with her on Sunday, and heagreed. He enjoyed church and wentevery week until his father told him to

The InvitationsRasim

stop going. Rasim obeyed, but he missedSunday school.

Several months later Rasim begangoing to a mans house to read the Bible.It wasnt as interesting as the childrensBible club, but he enjoyed the candy theman gave the children. Then his father

told him to stop attending the meetings.Rasim obeyed.

Uncles ChallengeRasims uncle came to visit. He learned

that Rasim was interested in God gavehim some books. Ill teach you aboutGod, he told the boy. Jesus is not God.And He didnt die on a cross for you oranyone! Uncle said.

Rasim listened respectfully to his uncle.He read the books his uncle gave him. Buthe doubted what the books said. If this istrue, he thought, what about the things Ilearned from Auntie Jadranka?

The NeighborRasim knew that his neighbor, Bio,

was a Christian. Rasim decided to talk to

him about God, but he wasnt sure whereto start. My uncle says that Jesus didntdie on the cross, Rasim challenged. Tohis surprise, Bio didnt argue. He simplyopened his Bible to Matthew and read thestory of Jesus crucifixion.

OK, maybe youre right that Jesusdied on the cross, the boy said, but

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Narrator: How does one share the gospelwith people who are too busy or toowrapped up in their own concerns to careabout God? The leaders of the Trans-European Division (TED) are grapplingwith this question and have come up withsome exciting answers.

Many people living in the TED areconsidered secular and postmodern. Theirlives focus on material gain, circles of

friends, and secular pastimes. Restaurantsand theaters are busy; churches are not. Godis not part of most of the peoples lives.

We must reach people any way wecan, one division leader said. And God isshowing them innovative ways to do justthat. Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offeringtoday will help fund some of theseoutreach efforts.

T h i r t e e n t h S a b b a t h P r o g r a m

Participants: Three to six speakersa narrator and two or more reporters. If yourgroup is small, two reporters can take turns presenting the project reports. [Note:participants should be familiar enough with their material so they can present it with

appropriate emphasis.]Props: A map of the Trans-European Division. (Scan the map on the back page of thequarterly or download it from www.AdventistMission.org and project it onto a screen.)A PowerPoint presentation listing each project as its presented will help listeners keeptrack of the projects theyre giving to.


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Reporter 1: Imagine children pullingon their parents hands, begging themto hurryto church! In a region of theworld where as few as 10 percent of thepopulation attend church regularly,families are discovering that MessyChurch is a fun way to spend timetogether and learn about God.

Messy Church is a program similar toVacation Bible School, but it meets oncea month. Each program focuses on a Biblestory and includes a craft that helps cementthe story in childrens minds. A rousingsong service and a family meal follow,providing fellowship time for all ages.

Children and adults alike arespreading the word that Messy Churchis awesome, epic, and so much fun.Many beg to return after just one visit.

Children must bring an adultaparent, grandparent, or guardiansothe entire family can benefit from theprogram. Judging by the success of thepilot program at Stanborough ParkAdventist Church outside of London, this

program will make a huge impact in otherareas of the TED as well. Part of todaysThirteenth Sabbath Offering will helptrain leaders from across the TED to adaptMessy Church for their own regions.

Reporter 2: Another unique programfocuses on the history and culture ofa country to guide people through the

Bibles story of redemption.The program, called Bible 3-D, wastested in Iceland, where producers usedthe nations history and biblical roots tointroduce long-forgotten Bible truths.They created an interactive walk-throughexhibit that included the countrys oldestand most precious Bibles, photographs,and exhibits relating to the stories that

make up the countrys history.We need to draw peoples attention to

Christ any way we can, said Janos Kovacs-Biro, division ministerial and SabbathSchool director. Everyone loves stories,especially stories of their history as a

people. They love to touch and experiencethings for themselves. We created thisexhibition to appeal to these senses.

The exhibition coincided with eveningmeetings held in the same building in theheart of the capital city. Turnout exceededexpectations, and comments from thosewho attended were positive and exciting.

Every country has its own story,

Kovacs-Biro says. We want to findthose stories and use them to build abridge to link people with the Savior.This program shows great promise.Todays offering will help produce similarprograms throughout the TED.

Narrator: Its exciting to find new ways toturn peoples hearts to Christ. Countrieswith very small Adventist populationsface unique challenges.

Greece and Macedonia are ancient andyet modern countries that lie adjacent toeach other. They both are predominantlyOrthodox countries with fewer than 600Adventist believers.

Reporter 3: Greek Mission leadershave learned that its difficult for Greek

Adventists to reach Greek Orthodox. Butimmigrants, who are experiencing greatchanges in their lives, are far more opento hearing Gods message of salvation.

Just a few years ago the GreekMission rented a hall to house a growinginternational congregation in Athens.Today that congregation has grown froma handful to more than 150 members.


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The congregation is rapidly outgrowingits facilities and must find a larger, morepermanent place to worship.

The mission plans to purchase a buildingthat can be used as a worship center for theinternational congregation; an evangelistic

center in which to hold seminars to reachout to the community; and a lay trainingcenter where members can learn how toapproach their neighbors, colleagues atwork, and people on the street with thegospel of Christ. Its a big assignment forone building and one congregation, butthe members are eager to move forward tobring others to Jesus in Athens, Greece.

Reporter 4: Fewer than 500 members livein Macedonia. But they share a zeal forthe gospel seldom seen in other Europeancountries. Members translate evangelisticbooks and Sabbath School materials intoMacedonian to use for outreach and training.Theyre eager to make their church knownto the people of their country.

Church members in Macedonia have avision to establish a missionary trainingand outreach center in one of thecountrys prime vacation spots, a resortcity on Lake Ohrid [OH-rid]. Thousandsof visitors from throughout Europe visitthis ancient city every year to relax,rejuvenate, and enjoy the spectacularviews. Church members are reaching outto the visitors with literature, testimonies,

and prayer. And people are responding.But the believers want to learn how

to reach those within their boundariesmore effectively. A parcel of land hasbeen purchased in the city on which tobuild a church for the small but growing

congregation of believers. The buildingwill house a lay training center whereAdventists can learn ways to share theirfaith more effectively wherever they arein Macedonia.

Reporter 5: Outreach includes traditionalas well as innovative projects. NewboldCollege, the divisions only four-yearcollege, trains young people from acrossthe Trans-European Division and frommore than 40 other countries. Todaysoffering will help renovate the womensresidential hall to provide a safe andhealthful place for young women to livewhile they prepare to serve their Savior.

Narrator: Outreach can be traditionalor innovative, but it must capture

peoples attention in order to reach theirhearts. Todays offering will strengtheninfrastructure and reach out in new andenergetic ways. Lets help the people of theTrans-European Division share the gospelso that others can hear and respond to theSaviors call to come to me (Matthew11:28).

[Offering]


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EDITORIAL Charlotte Ishkanian Editor

Alita Byrd Contributing Editor Esther Lipscomb Contributing Editor Hans Olson Managing Editor Emily Harding Layout Editor

O F F I C E O F A D V E N T I S T M I S S I O N Gary Krause Director Rick Kajiura Communication Director

Nancy Kyte Marketing Director Rick McEdwards Study Centers Director Delbert Pearman Planning Director

COMMUNICATION

Laurie Falvo Projects Manager Charlotte Ishkanian Mission Editor Hans Olson Projects Manager Ricky Oliveras Video Producer Earley Simon Video Producer

Website: www.AdventistMission.org

Mission (ISSN 0190-4108) is produced and copyrighted 2013 by the Office of Adventist Mission, GeneralConference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 OldColumbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904, U.S.A.

Printed in U.S.A.

Fourth Quarter 2013Volume 102, Number 4

ADVENTIST and SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST are theregistered trademarks of the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists .

Text credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, NewInternational Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984,2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rightsreserved worldwide.

Permission is granted to reproduce material fromthis quarterly for use in local Sabbath Schoolsand childrens ministries programs. Permissionto reproduce any portion of this material forsale, publication in another periodical, or othercommercial use must be authorized in writing bythe editor at the above address.

For subscription inquiries, e-mail Steve Hansonat [email protected] or call 1-800-456-3991 or1-301-393-3247. Annual subscription rates peredition: domestic, US$7.50; international, US$14.50.

Next quarter the West-Central Africa Divisionwill be featured. Specialprojects include:

a primary school innorthern Benin

a primary school inDakar, Senegal, inwesternmost Africa

CHILDRENS PROJECT: Library booksfor the schools in Benin and Senegal.

Second Quarter 2014 will feature theSouthern Asia Division.

F u t u r e T h i r t e e n t hS a b b a t h P r o j e c t s

L e a d e r s R e s o u r c e s

For more information on the cultures and history of Greece,Macedonia, England, and the other countries featured thisquarter, check the travel section of a local library or visit a travelagency and ask for brochures.

Visit our website for recipes, language pages, and otheractivities that you can download and print to make mission morefun for children. Go to www.AdventistMission.org. Click onChildrens Mission Magazine in the Mission Resources box.Then click on Activities on the left side of the screen. Selectthe activity or resource you would like to download or print.

Adventist Mission DVD is a free video that features

stories from the Trans-European Division and the worldwidemission of the Adventist Church. Ask your Sabbath Schoolsuperintendent to make you a copy of it for use by otherdivisions. Or go online at www.AdventistMission.org todownload one of the DVD programs.

Remind members also that the ongoing work of the worldchurch depends on the weekly Sabbath School mission offerings.On the twelfth Sabbath, report on mission giving during thequarter and remind Sabbath School members to prepare theirThirteenth Sabbath Offering for the next week.

MissionYOUTH & ADULT


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Helsinki

Athens

Riga

Kaunas

Oslo

Warsaw

Stockholm Tallinn

Dublin

London

Reykjavik

Copenhagen

FINLAND

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SPAIN

SWEDENNORWAY

GERMANY

FRANCE

TUGAL

HUNGARYROMANIA

BULGARIA

DENMARK

POLAND BELARUS

UKRAICZECH

SLOVAKIA

GREECE

NETH.

BELGIUM

IRELAND

SERBIA

MONTENEGRO

ALBANIA

M

LITHUANIA

LATVIA

ESTONIA

LUX.

BOSNIA andHERZEGOVINA

CROATIA

SLOVENIA

SWITZERLAND

MACEDONIA

ICELAND

REENLAND

U. K.

Norwegian Sea

North Sea

BalticSea

N o r t h

A t l a n t i c

O c e a n

1

3

5

4

2

CHURCHES COMPANIES MEMBERSHIP POPULATIONAdriatic 103 13 3,707 9,654,000Baltic 89 0 6,531 6,768,000British 257 42 33,878 67,560,000Danish 45 1 2,527 5,681,000Finland 70 5 4,952 5,387,000Hungarian 105 18 4,700 9,972,000

Netherlands 56 8 5,059 16.694,000 Norwegian 62 2 4,555 4,952,000Polish 116 32 5,781 38,222,000South-East European 210 8 7,968 16,080,000Swedish 36 3 2,757 9,447,000Attached Fields 18 12 1,111 12,462,000(Cyprus, Greece, Iceland)

Total: 1,167 144 83,526 202,879,000

Statistics as of October 2012

PROJECTS

1 Evangelism center in Ohrid, Macedonia

2 International church/evangelistic center, Athens,Greece

3 Renovation of womens residence hall, NewboldCollege, England

4 Bible 3-D exhibition illustrating Gods love through

Trans-European Division

english mq

Documents