South Pacific Division

Thousands Engage with Hope VA During PNG for Christ Program

Hope Virtual Assistant was put to the test during PNG for Christ with more than 83,000 messages received from contacts and replied to on any given day of the 16-day program.

May 25, 2024

Papua New Guinea

Tracey Bridcutt, with ANN Staff

Promoting Hope VA across various sites led to 8500 individuals engaging in free Bible studies and health lessons.

[Photo: Adventist Record]

Hope Virtual Assistant (VA) was put to the test during PNG for Christ with more than 83,000 messages received from contacts and replied to on any given day of the 16-day program.

Promoting Hope VA on various sites led to 8,500 individuals engaging in free Bible studies and health lessons through WhatsApp.

Pastor Russ Willcocks, senior ministry systems specialist for the South Pacific Division, said the PNG for Christ program demonstrated Hope VA's potential as a powerful discipleship tool, seamlessly integrating technology with real-world evangelism.

“The success of this initiative has set the stage for the anticipated expansion of Hope VA to other parts of the South Pacific and beyond, with plans to offer it on the Facebook Messenger platform in time,” Willcocks said.

As Hope VA continues to evolve, the potential to impact more lives grows.

Recently added additional features and integrations with Adventist Technology’s new THRIVE application enabled Hope VA to share sermon notes during the PNG for Christ campaign. For each of the 10,000-plus downloads made during the meetings, Hope VA invited users to register for further information from the Church on a range of interest topics.

“As Hope VA continues to evolve, the potential to impact more lives grows, promising a future where technology and faith go hand in hand in nurturing the journey from first contact to baptism and beyond,” said Mike Wolfe, manager of the ministry projects team at Adventist Technology.

Building on technology developed at Novo Tempo, Brazil, Hope VA is revolutionizing the way individuals can access and engage with spiritual and health-related content. Designed to bridge the gap between digital and face-to-face connection, it offers a pathway from social media interaction to engagement with the local church.

“Hope VA’s integration with our new THRIVE Contact Management System will help the Church in its efforts to ensure that every decision to explore Bible studies is met with comprehensive support and guidance,” said Pastor Matt Atcheson, of Adventist Technology.

“Further integrations between discipleship and leadership platforms are underway. We are working on connecting Hope VA and THRIVE with the ministry development portal to give pastors and conferences the tools they need to see the discipleship taking place under their care.”

The original article was published on the South Pacific Division news site, Adventist Record.