From April 25–27, 2023, the Northern Asia-Pacific Division held its Stewardship Ministries Advisory at the SANYU Health Education Center in Taiwan. The event was organized by department director Kim NakHyung and focused on the theme “God First.”
The purpose of the advisory was to awaken the stewardship spirit in these end times—a “God First” spirit among church members. During the pandemic period, there were many crises the division faced, including economic challenges. The churches had to change the offering-giving mode to electronic. Therefore, a spirit of “God First” is needed for every church member. The conference was open to all Stewardship Ministries directors of the NSD; approximately 21 people were in attendance.
The Taiwan Adventist Academy (TAA) student choir opened the conference. NakHyung gave a warm welcome and presented an inspiring message. He emphasized that mission and stewardship are the two wings of the church.
The keynote speaker was Pastor Marcos F. Bomfim, Stewardship Ministries director for the General Conference. In the beginning, he said, stewardship was God’s assignment for humanity to acknowledge Him as Creator, Redeemer, and Lord and manage His affairs on planet Earth, guided by His first principle: love. Bomfim reminded attendees that Satan has aimed to lead humanity to put self first. Christians must be aware that knowing God is the source of everything.
During the conference, Pastor Bomfim also spoke about a variety of issues impacting offering and tithe. He emphasized regular, systematic giving in his lectures, derived from Ellen White’s Counsels on Stewardship. The attendees enthusiastically shared their opinions, thoughts, and suggestions for consideration through the group activities and heard many amazing, inspiring testimonies regarding stewardship from the division’s mission fields.
During the day, conference participants had the opportunity to visit Sun-Moon-Lake and the Aboriginal Cultural Park as a refreshment in nature.
A fantastic stage was prepared for this advisory, a communion ceremony, mission reports, testimonies, a noon prayer meeting, and an awards distribution.
The communion ceremony was especially inspiring. During the ceremony, candlelight created a warm atmosphere. NakHyung asked the attendees to put two drops of olive oil on the palms of their partner, then pray for each other. Through this activity, attendees’ hearts were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and they recommitted themselves to the Lord. It was a significant time during the advisory.
At the end of the program, Pastor Bomfim and NakHyung stood at the door and offered a special farewell to all the attendees as an opportunity to say “thank you” for their dedication.
All participants were very enthusiastic and blessed by the entire program. A memorable day came to an end, and the participants returned home with great joy.
They thanked God for His protection and guidance for this amazing, meaningful Stewardship Ministries Advisory.
