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East Jamaica Conference

Communication Department 74 Constant Spring Road ▪ P.O. Box 181▪ Kingston 10 ▪ Jamaica W.I.

Tel: (876) 924-1061-3, Fax (876) 924-0263. E-Mail: communication@ejcsda.com

website: http://ejcsda.com

April 18, 2013

To: All Pastors, Elders, Leaders and Church Members

Dear Brethren:

Sincere Christian greetings!

Please see important dates and events of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists below:

(1) GEMS Anniversary - Hagley Park SDA Church - April 20, 2013 The GEMS anniversary celebration will take place at the Hagley Park SDA Church on Sabbath April 20, 2013 @ 3:30 p.m. All churches are reminded that seats for their GEMS Cabinet will be reserved up to 3:20p.m. General seating of members will take place from 3:00 to 3:25 p.m. The guest speaker will be Dr. Tez Brown Cotterell. The dress code for mentees is black bottom and solid colour top. There is no special dress code for mentors. It is important that all GEMS be in attendance along with their mentors. You are advised to take your lunches to church so you can be on time for the service.

(2) EJC Elders' Association General Meeting - April 28, 2013 All Elders are invited to attend the next meeting of the East Jamaica Conference Elder's meeting on April 28,

2013 at the Andrews Memorial SDA Church in the Youth Room upstairs. The meeting will begin at 10:00 am and

is scheduled to end by 1:00pm. All Ordained Elders and Elders in Training are invited to attend this very important

meeting which will be the first since the installation of the new Elders' Association Administration. Please be on

time.

Item # Page #

GEMS Anniversary - Hagley Park SDA Church - April 20-2013

EJC Elders' Association General Meeting - April 28-2013

EJC School of Evangelism 2013 Module III begins - April 28-2013

North Street SDA Church hosts Health & Information Fair - April 21-2013

Gordon Town Church hosts Blessed Hope Gospel Series- April 28- May 22, 2013

Notices From The Stewardship Department

Notices From The Publishing Ministries Department

Notices From The Sabb. School/ Personal Ministries Department

Notices From The Children’s Ministries Department

Notices From The Women’s Ministries Department

Notices From The Youth Ministries Department

Schedule of Upcoming Events in the EJC

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(3) EJC School of Evangelism 2013 Module III begins on April 28, 2013

The EJC School of Evangelism 2013 Module III commences on April 28, 2013 at the Constant Spring SDA Church

from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. Please accept our sincere apology for the change in date of this event which was

previously announced for April 21, 2013. All Sabbath School, Personal Ministries & Community Services personnel

are expected to be in attendance.

(4) North Street SDA Church hosts Health Fair and Expo- April 21, 2013

The North Street SDA Church presents a grand Health and Information Fair on Sunday April 21, 2013 under the

theme: “Together, we can make a difference,” on the grounds on the North Street SDA Church between 10am and

3:30pm. This Health and Information Fair is aimed at offering health services as well as services by governmental

and non- governmental agencies to the members of the community. It also seeks to help young people to realize

their full potential. The Consumer Affairs Commission, Heart Trust NTA, PATH, The National Youth Service,

TRN, NIS among others.

(5) Gordon Town SDA Church hosts Blessed Hope Gospel Series

The Gordon Town SDA Church presents the Blessed Hope Gospel Series with dynamic Evangelist Odiaka Walker

and Co- Evangelist- Pastor Anthony Taylor, from Sunday April 28, to Sunday May 22, 2013. This event will be

held at the Gordon Town SDA Church, and we ask that where possible, you seek to support this evangelistic

venture.

(6) Notices from the Stewardship Department

To climax Stewardship Week, the East Jamaica Conference’s Stewardship Department will be hosting a

special Stewardship Meeting on Sunday, April 21, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. at the Conference Board Room.

The main Presenter will be Pastor James Daniels, Associate Stewardship Director of the Inter-American

Division. Considering the financial forecasts, we are anticipating challenging times for our church and for

some of our business and professional members in the corporate world. We assure you that the information

presented will be helpful. We look forward to seeing you on April 21.

(7) Notices from the Publishing Ministries Department

Sabbath, May 11 will be EJC Publishing Day at King's Chapel SDA Church, Windward Rd. Sabbath

School will begin at 9:15 a.m. Special feature of the day will be the Publishing Symposium at 4:00 p.m

where we will learn more about the Publishing Ministry in EJC. We invite all Pastors, Publishing Directors,

Heads of Departments and members in general (zones 1 - 4) to be there.

(8 ) Notices From The Sab. School / Personal Ministries/ Comm. Services Department

1. The Ambassador Search for 2013 continues, why wait? Registration forms are available on line -

registration fee, $200.

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2. The EJC School of Evangelism 2013 Module III commences on April 28 (please accept our apologies

for the date changes due to other calendar events). All Sabbath School, Personal Ministries &

Community Services personnel are expected to be in attendance.

3. May 4, Vision One Million Day - each member is asked to take at least one visitor to church.

N.B. Sabbath School superintendents and Personal Ministries leaders are reminded of the Sabbath School end

of quarter report, which is due on April 10, 2013 (the 10th of each month following the end of the quarter, report

form & explanation sheets are available on line). All weekly evangelistic reports from your church must be

sent to the EJC office by Wednesday. .

(9) Notices from The Children’s Ministries Department

1. Convention 2013 will be held at the Stadium Community Church on May 4, 2013and at Hampton Court

SDA on May 18, 2013. The dress code is white dresses and pink, white and blue accessories for the girls

and dark bottom pants and white, blue or pink shirts for the boys.

2. May is that special time of the year dedicated to educating our children about many things. Kids love

sweets and worms love sweets. The Children’s Ministries, Education, Communication & Health

Departments will offer a life changing seminar especially for your child. Date and venue to be announced.

CMD’s, Parents/Guardian, let’s dedicate that evening for our children. Dress code- Fit for Jesus polo shirt

or pink or blue tops.

3. 5K Health Run/Walk and Children’s fun day is a big affair that no one should miss. This will be held June

5. Come join in the fun. Meals will be provided. See application form and flyer for details.

4. Kindly make your order for the FIT4Jesus tops. You can also take your shirts to Logo Stitch to have them

place the logo on it. These shirts will be needed for many other activities like our Child Preachers’

Graduation (September), 5K Health Run and Children’s Fun Day (June 5) and the Botanical Retreat in

June.

5. The song ‘Fit With Jesus’ is our theme song for 2013. CMD’s please teach it to the children.

6. Counting down! ASI Missionaries to Costa Rica August 2013! ALL stakeholders and or representatives

of the ten sites as well as interested persons are invited.

7. St. Thomas CMDs, kindly send us the names of all children that are to be trained in the Child Preachers’

Training, immediately. Your facilitators are ready to begin. The training will be done in St. Thomas.

8. Children’s ministries team leaders, let’s pray and plan to reap at least one soul per quarter per church. May

is the month of special reaping for our department. Since our mandate is soul reaping, this is a reminder

that all CMDs are expected to engage our children in their own crusades or the crusades in their churches

as well as BAPTISMS.

9. Child Preachers' Training is one of the requirements of every church. CMDs ensure that at least 1 child is

engaged in this activity. This training can be done at your church. Kindly solicit assistance from your

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Pastor and Elder. Our mission is to; under the guidance of the Holy Spirit enable each child to become a

disciple ‘Fit for Jesus’. 10. The objective is to enhance growth and consolidation by:

a) Providing appropriate doctrinal programmes to keep our children actively engaged in the 'Word' lead

children to becoming loyal to God and His Church

b) Increasing the number of child preachers

c) Training more children to participate in the programmes of the church

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10. Child Preachers’ Training session will continue on Sunday, May 5, 2013, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon at the

EJC Board Room.

11. Child Preachers’ Training can also be conducted in your church. Kindly inform the office if you have

conducted or is conducting or will conduct this training in your church.

(10) Notices from the Women’s Ministries Department

1. GEMS anniversary will take place at the Hagley Park SDA Church on Sabbath April 20, 2013 @

3:30 p.m. All churches are reminded that seats for their GEMS Cabinet will be reserved up to 3:20.

p.m. General seating of members will take place from 3:00 to 3:25 p.m. The guest speaker will be

Dr. Tez Brown Cotterell.

2. Retreat 2013 plans are in full gear. The office is now accepting deposits. Book early and save.

Mentors your place is reserved. Fun loving adults who are not mentors, come for a full package of

physical rejuvenation.

3. Visit the Andrews SDA Church ‘Moms in Touch’ prayer session every fourth Wednesday in each

month on the church grounds. March 27, 2013. Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

4. Coming soon will be our ‘Mother Daughter’ Conference. Watch the site for further information

and details. Our coordinator is Sis. Cynthia Thompson.

5. EJC I.M.A.P. launch will be held on June 15, 2013. Our coordinators are Sisters Heather Morgan

and Dolsie Allen. Our speaker will be Dr. Eric Nathan. This is your opportunity to come learn how

to build lasting relationships. You are asked to bring a visitor with you.

6. 5K Health Run/Walk and Children’s fun day is a big affair that no one should miss. This will be

held June 5. Come join in the fun. Meals will be provided. See application form and flyer for details.

7. Women’s Ministries team leaders, let’s pray and plan to reap at least one soul per quarter, per

church, that is at least four souls for 2013. April is the month of special reaping for our department

8. Moms in Touch is the initiative that is aimed at caregivers spending time in prayer. WMD’s please

ensure that this is an active programme under your leadership. More than ever, Moms especially

need to be praying together.

Parenting Tip

Parents, raise us children to walk away from you one day as capable and independent adults. Keep preparing

us for that day so that you will be more independent too and can enjoy us, your children as “people” and

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“grown-ups” and that is a very pleasant stage of life indeed. Remember, “If a child lives with Christ and

His Word, he learns the value of abundant living and eternal destiny”.

(11) Notices from the Youth Ministries Department

1. Day of Prayer for Youth: On May 11, 2013 the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Youth

Ministries Department will have a “special day of prayer” for its youth with the settled confidence that “prayer

changes things.” We invite not only our youth but also our more experienced and spiritually mature members to

join us in intercession on behalf our youth and the challenges they grapple with. Let’s Pray Until Something

Happens (P.U.S.H). Please see document attached.

2. The Uniform Handbook from IAD is now available at the Conference. It’s a must have as the changes/new

format will be mandatory for Pathfinder Festival in November. Cost is $500.00 per copy.

3. Sports Evangelism kicks off on May 18, 2013 with a dress parade and rally. The completion itself begins on

May 25, 2013. These events will commence at 7:30pm SHARP! Registration cost per team $5,000.00 (to be paid

at the EJC Office by May 13, 2013). Please check the youth website at ejcyouth.webs.com for flyer and further

details.

4. Summer Camp: The annual summer camp will be held from August 13-20, 2013 at Robin’s Bay. Cost has

been reduced to $6, 000 (includes a T-Shirt). Groups of five will enjoy a further 5% discount. Each church is

being asked to send a delegate. Youth start planning to be there. Last year was great but this year promises to

be greater, more fun, fellowship and spiritual nurture. Summer Camp is for everyone not just members.

Registration closes on July 26, 2013. Forms can be accessed from the EJC website. ABSOLUTELY NO LATE

FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!

5. Bible Boom: Keep promoting the Bible Boom and make plans to conduct your church and district play offs

scheduled for June and July respectively. For further details please see the Bible Boom flyer on the EJC website

or contact the Bible Boom Coordinator, Angela Bernard at angelb_77@yahoo.com

6. Labour Day Projects: If you haven’t started planning your district and zonal projects you are late. Catch the

moving train and let’s go!!!

7. ASI Mission Crusade-Costa Rica 2013: The Children & Youth Ministries Departments are seeking to identify

two SDA youth between the ages of 15-19 who speak Spanish to be a part of the ASI Mission Crusade in Cost

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Rica this summer. Interested persons may contact Sis. Claudette Genas or Pastor Hanson Drysdale at the East

Jamaica Conference office for further details.

(12) Schedule of Upcoming Conference Dates and Events

Adiese A. Jonas

Asst. Director,

Communication

Dates -2013 Event Location April 20 GEMS anniversary Hagley Park SDA Church

April 21 Stewardship, Treasurers', Auditors' Certification Seminar EJC Board Room

April 27 District Dialogue - Hagley Park SDA Church

April 28 Launch of 2013 School of Evangelism Constant Spring SDA Church

April 28 General EJC Elders' Association Meeting (Youth Room) Andrews Memorial SDA Ch.

May 4 Vision One Million Day Everywhere

May 4 Children's Convention Stadium Community

May 4 Day of SDA Books (Publishing Department) Everywhere

May 11 Youth Day of Prayer

May 11 Publishing Day Celebrations and Symposium Kings Chapel

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April 9, 2013

To all Pastors, Elders & Youth Leaders

Dear Brethren:

Re: Sports Evangelism, 2013

Warm Christian

greetings!

Please be reminded that Sports Evangelism kicks off on May 18, 2013. As the name suggests,

the games are just an avenue for presenting the gospel, and we aim to make the events

as seamless as possible. To this end, it has become necessary to have dialogue with your

sports coordinators/representatives who happen to be catalysts for this process.

Against this background, we are inviting all sports coordinators/representatives to a critical

meeting to be held on Sunday April 21, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kencot S.D.A church, where

we will outline the activities for 2013 and provide useful information relating to sponsorship,

promotion and effective evangelism tools for the events. All queries will be facilitated at this

meeting.

In the event that you do not have an elected sports coordinator, we suggest you send a

representative to the meeting, as we are desirous that all congregations be informed. We

are confident that many will be ministered to through this medium who would otherwise have

been unreached.

In the meanwhile be reminded that, although the dress parade will be held on May 18, 2013,

the actual competition does not begin until May 25, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Registration cost per

team is $5,000.00, and should be paid at the East Jamaica Conference Office on or before May

13, 2013.

We solicit your prayers and look forward to seeing your full

participation.

Yours in Christ,

Hanson Drysdale (Pastor) Youth Director, EJC

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April 16, 2013

To all Pastors, Health Ministries Directors,

Health Professionals & Church Members

Dear Brethren:

Greetings in name of our Lord.

Let me use this medium to express appreciation to those persons who have supported the Annual Healthy

Lifestyle Retreat over the past twelve years. The purpose of this Lifestyle Retreat is to sensitize and to motivate

members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to make Lifestyle changes, and to train local church leaders

how to conduct effective Health Outreach Programmes.

We are mindful of the instruction given to us by the servant of the Lord in the book Evangelism; page 534:

“Public meetings should be held to introduce the subject of Health; schools should be held in which those who

are interested can be told more particularly about our health foods, and how a wholesome, nourishing,

appetizing diet can be provided without the use of meat, tea or coffee.” Brethren let us put Health Reform on

the front burner now before it is too late.

Therefore, we are encouraging as many members as possible to attend this year’s Health Retreat to be held at

our mini camp site, Golden Acres, in Golden Spring, on the 13th to the 16th of June 2013.. Come in your

numbers and take along with you your non- Adventist friends. Some topics to be presented are:-

How to Run a Detox Programme, How to use home Remedies, Colon Irrigation,

Diabetes Reversal, Massage Therapy, Vegetarian Cooking Class, Exercise Wellness,

Nutrition and many more topics.

The theme is “Happy and Healthy . . . God’s wish for His People.”

If you are planning to stay on site please take along with you your bedding and your personal things. We start

on Thursday, 13th June at 9:a.m. The cost for the Retreat is $7,500; this covers meals, accommodation and

Presentation Material. Enclosed is a Registration Form Kindly fill out and send this back to the office by

May27, 2013.

Remember 5k Run/Walk entry forms must be in the office by April 27. Late entry forms and fees,

before May 7, 2013. No forms will be accepted after the May 7, deadline.

Yours in Master’s Service,

Dr. Leonard Steele, Director

HEALTH MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT

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