Reports from the Seventh-day Adventist Church's 13 world regions indicate that the Sow 1 Billion initiative to distribute 1 billion brochures worldwide inviting people to Bible study is receiving enthusiastic reception throughout the world church.
Reports from the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s 13 world regions indicate that the Sow 1 Billion initiative to distribute 1 billion brochures worldwide inviting people to Bible study is receiving enthusiastic reception throughout the world church. Brochures carry a “Don’t Be Afraid” message and an invitation to study the Bible.
Reporting to the participants of the Spring Meeting, a two-day business session of the church’s Executive Committee, Sow 1 Billion leaders reiterated the fact that the initiative involves all levels of the church—from leadership to lay members. The Sow 1 Billion program presented an update on how the church is responding to a plan that will see an official launch in September 2003.
“To some…who have not been involved in witnessing, I see them experiencing that joy of witnessing after this event [the beginning stages of Sow 1 Billion],” said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the church in East-Central Africa. “This is becoming a real big blessing as the church focuses on the mission.”
“Less than 30 percent of our people [in the South Pacific] are really involved in witnessing,” said Laurie Evans, president of the church in the South Pacific. “This is a marvelous resource to encourage them to be direct with their neighbors…We live primarily in a postmodern, secular world and this tract is something that appeals to everybody.”
“I think it’s a marvelous initiative for our church,” Evans added. “It’s not confrontational—it’s easy to do. It gets our people involved.”
Bettina Krause, Sow 1 billion coordinator, told delegates, “Everyone can be involved in working together with our brothers and sisters around the world toward a common goal.”
Krause said that the church in the Northern Asia-Pacific region has a goal of distributing 42 million brochures; the church in East Central Africa has a goal of 130 million; the church in South America, a goal of 123 million; and the church in Inter-America has a goal of distributing 130 million brochures. These are just a few of the areas the church is working in on this project.
But, Krause added, “Having giving you those numbers, I think it’s important to recognize that Sow 1 Billion is not about statistics, it’s not about numbers. It’s primarily about two things: putting Bible studies in the hands of people who desperately need to connect with God’s word; and to encourage lay people to take that first step toward seeing outreach evangelism in terms of personal responsibility, not just the work of evangelism experts.”
According to Jim Zackrison, director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries for the world church, one of the primary delivery systems for interests from the Sow 1 Billion initiative will be the Bible correspondence schools, which are set up around the world. The International Association of Bible Correspondence Schools, organized in 1999, is the delivery system for Go One Million, Sow 1 Billion, and other interest responses.
“In order to handle these interests, we would hope that the divisions, unions, conferences, missions and sections [of the Adventist Church] will strengthen their Bible school program, because it now becomes major and vital to the success of the other [regions],” Zackrison told the delegates.
A timeline for Sow 1 Billion was given to delegates as a guideline of goals to follow as the initiative moves through its various stages.
