Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, says the church has a responsibility to help new believers grow in their faith by providing them with ongoing spiritual support and a place to worship. Addressing more than 1,500 people gathered at a mission festival in Salem, Oregon, last weekend, Paulsen spoke about the extraordinary growth rate of the Adventist Church over the past decade. But the challenge now, he said, is to “provide new believers a shepherd, a home. We have to help those who have made the decision to follow Christ and give them a place to belong.”

The Willamette Valley Mission Festival, held March 16 at the Daysprings Fellowship Church, celebrated mission work all over the world, and was presented by Maranatha Volunteers International, a lay Adventist organization, and by the world church’s Global Mission initiative.

The program encouraged Salem-area congregations to participate in missions by sponsoring a cluster of 10 villages in Nellore, India. In a special offering, more than $130,000 was collected. The money will go towards sponsoring Global Mission pioneers, or lay missionaries, in 10 villages, as well as a new church building in each location.

Maranatha and Global Mission have been working together for several years to provide long-term, wholistic care for new believers around the world, says Kyle Fiess, marketing director for Maranatha. He points to current work in India, where Global Mission pioneers commit to a village for five years to help establish Christianity in the area. Along with offering health education, literacy programs, and other practical skills classes, the pioneers give Bible studies and organize evangelism meetings. After several months, Maranatha constructs a church for the new congregation.  This combination of evangelistic outreach and providing a permanent place for worship helps firmly establish new faith communities, says Fiess.