From the church’s earliest beginnings, “Go Ye Therefore Unto All the World” has sounded the call to mission for Seventhday Adventists. The prophetic future described in the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White, identifies a last-day church, filled with the Sprit, having God’s Word on their lips, working with angels reaping the greatest harvest of souls in the history of the world.
TELL THE WORLD is a response to the call to mission. Its foundation rests in the revival and reformation of God’s people and provides every Seventh-day Adventist an opportunity to become involved in what the Bible calls the “latter rain” – the great harvest. Read what follows with a prayer in your heart. Pray that you will see clearly what God is asking you to do. If you don’t see it, pray again and again.
TELL THE WORLD 2011 offers every Seventh-day Adventist in the world an opportunity to get involved in the mission of the church. But renewed commitment to mission will only emerge from believers who are rediscovering their ‘first love’ experience with Jesus. TELL THE WORLD 2011 will only serve God’s purpose if the Holy Spirit performs the miracle of spiritual renewal in the hearts of God’s people. This church directly supports the church’s long-range TELL THE WORLD initiative by pointing members to a Word-inspired relationship with Jesus Christ.
GET INVOLVED
TELL THE WORLD 2011 calls each member to:
• Invite friends to fellowship opportunities
• Introduce friends to Jesus by sharing great truths of God’s Word
• Show kindness in practical Christian service to others
Each department, service and institution of the world church will be encouraged to find ways to broaden and deepen member participation in this initiative.
DIVISIONS, UNIONS, AND CONFERENCES
Culture-specific plans for TELL THE WORLD 2011 will be developed by divisions, unions and conferences/ missions to meet needs in their areas of responsibility.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
The General Conference will use global resources, networks of communications and materials development to assist what must primarily be local expressions of TELL THE WORLD 2011.
REVIVAL AND REFORMATION LAUNCH
On January 1, the world church will launch the Revival and Reformation program in which each member will be called to prayer, Bible study and will be asked to plead for the Holy Spirit, seeking God’s will and purpose for their lives.
EASTER WEEKEND OR “HOLY WEEK”
TELL THE WORLD 2011 will initially use the spiritual and cultural visibility of Easter weekend (April 22-24, 2011) or “Holy Week” (April 17-24) to draw community attention on Sabbath, April 23, 2011 to the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Framed by the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, the initiative will communicate the gospel values of hope, new life, and trust in God’s love for each human being.
BAPTISMAL GROWTH
TELL THE WORLD 2011 calls the church to concerted and coordinated action early in the 2010-2015 quinquennium, and thereby sets the stage for an unprecedented period of baptismal growth during the next five years.
PHASE 1: PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY
Through General Conference-supplied media, and through communication channels available at each level of church organization, especially including the local congregation, each Seventh-day Adventist member will be called to a renewed focus on personal prayer and Bible study. Members will be urged to pray individually and with others for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, seeking God’s will and direction for their lives.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. By December 2011, 80 percent of church-attending members will indicate by survey a consistent involvement in personal prayer and Bible study.
2. By December 2011, 80 percent of church-attending members will indicate by survey a consistent involvement in advancing the mission of the church through personal effort and witness.
PHASE 2: INVITE A GUEST TO CHURCH
Personal renewal inevitably grows and strengthens the body of Christ, and revived members will want and need an opportunity to share their faith in a coordinated evangelistic opportunity. Every Seventh-day Adventist member will be urged to invite at least one guest to Sabbath School, corporate worship, or a smaller-scale home-based fellowship on Sabbath, April 23, 2011.
Promotion of this unique one-day event will be coordinated by divisions, unions, and conferences/mission to focus member attention on this special outreach opportunity.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. On April 23, 2011, at least 10 million guests will attend a Seventh-day Adventist church somewhere around the world.
2. On April 23, 2011, at least 10 million Seventhday Adventist members will invite and host at least one guest for Bible study and worship.
PHASE 3: GOSPEL PRESENTATION
Through the enhanced community awareness created by the April 23, 2011 event, 10 million guests will be invited by church members to a three-day series of meetings focusing on Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and Second Coming. Divisions, unions, and conferences/missions will work collaboratively to create inspiring Easter week presentations on Jesus, the Hope of all ages, and distribute appropriate materials to each congregation or institution hosting the three-day event.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. During the week before or after Sabbath, April 23, 2011, 6 million guests will attend a three-day series focused on Jesus as Savior.
2. Eight million Seventh-day Adventists will invite guests, plan events, and implement the presentations at thousands of local sites.
PHASE 4: FORMING COMMUNITIES OF RESPONSE
Friendships and relationships built through the April events will yield in heightened interest in the Bible truths of Seventh-day Adventism. Every church-attending member will invite at least one guest to join a small prayer or Bible study group at the congregational or community level during the five months following the April 23, 2011 event. Divisions, unions, and conferences/missions will align resources to create awareness, provide resources, and train leaders to facilitate approximately 1 million for prayer and Bible study groups worldwide.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. A world-wide baptismal celebration on Sabbath, November 5, 2011 will welcome 1 million new members into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
2. Seven million Seventh-day Adventists will host events, invite community friends and guests, and implement the small group and reaping opportunities associated with TELL THE WORLD 2011, Phase 4.
PHASE 5: STRENGTHENING NEW BELIEVERS
New believers welcomed into the embrace of Seventh-day Adventist congregations in the weeks leading up to and including the worldwide baptismal celebration on November 5, 2011 will be supported by carefully designed discipling and nurturing experiences appropriate to their region and culture.
Small group Bible study and fellowship experiences, prayer and revival events in local congregations, and opportunities for training in witnessing and evangelism will help new believers find security in their new faith and equip them with tools to effectively testify to the power of the resurrected Jesus.
EXPECTED RESULTS:
1. One million newly-baptized Seventh-day Adventists will be invited to participate in faith-building and discipling experiences immediately upon their baptism, and equipped between then and the next Celebration of the Resurrection to share their faith with neighbors and friends.
WORKING TOGETHER
Each department of the church should lay plans to be dynamically involved in Tell the World 2011.
“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.” —Ellen G. White, Life Sketches, 196
CONCLUSION
“It is a perilous mistake to imagine that unless a young man (or woman) has decided to give himself (herself) to the ministry, no special effort is required to fit him (her) for the work of God. Whatever may be your calling, it is essential . . . to become colaborers with Him, going forth to save those who perish. . . ” (White, Fundamentals of Christian Education 216, 217).
The world of today is marked by the great scenes described in Matthew 24. Jesus is soon coming again. As leaders in God’s cause, do not rest until every member has been refreshed by the Spirit and goes forth to TELL THE WORLD.
