This year, the South Pacific Division (SPD) is celebrating Adventist Heritage Month in October by holding a number of events and compiling a daily devotional. Church members can take part in these events in different ways in their local churches—or as individuals, as many of the programs will be livestreamed.

“Heritage Month allows us to delve into and connect with our story—with daily devotionals, events, and programs each weekend which all link to our heritage,” said David Jones, Adventist Heritage director.

On the first Sabbath in October, there will be a picnic for church members on the grounds of Sunnyside, Ellen White’s former home in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia. However, those who are not locals are being encouraged to join their church family and friends for a picnic wherever they are.

On October 14, the Wahroonga Church will host the 125th anniversary of Adventist Record, as the publication’s rich history of reporting on mission will be celebrated and the publication will be rededicated.

The weekend of October 20–21 will be The Great Appointment 2.0, with an event at Avondale University, a Sunnyside Singalong on Friday night, and the launch of a new Pathfinder honor.

On the final Sunday of October, the second installment of the Ellen White Symposium will be streamed online, featuring a number of high-quality presentations on how Ellen White relates to contemporary Adventism.

The daily devotional and other parts of the month have been worked on as a joint effort between Adventist Heritage, Adventist Record, and the SPD’s Ministry and Strategy team.

“You may be wondering what Adventist heritage has to do with vision and strategy in ministry,” said Sven Östring, director of Ministry and Strategy for the SPD. “Remember what Ellen White herself said: ‘We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.’ As you dive deep into the faith journey of your family, the lives of other people around the Pacific, and in the history of our Adventist Church, you will find fascinating and encouraging stories. These stories will motivate and inspire you to courageously step out with Jesus on His mission and become actively involved in His thriving disciple-making movement.”

For more information and to sign up for the devotional, visit heritage.adventistchurch.com.

The original version of this story was posted on the Adventist Record website.