The East Visayan Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church held its Adventist Community Service Fellowship from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2024, in Barangay Lim-ao, Kananga, Leyte.
The event, themed “The Future Belongs to the Brave,” brought together the Adventist Response Team/Adventist Community Service organizations from the 22 districts in the East Visayan Conference.
ACS is an Adventist organization aiming to inspire and empower church members to help those in need, building trust within their communities and guiding people towards a fulfilling life with Jesus.
They also nurture people toward a restored, abundant life in Jesus, inspired by what the Bible says, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”On the other hand, the Adventist Response Team (ART) consists of trained individuals who handle communication, administrative tasks, security, and emergencies, including medical professionals like doctors and nurses.
Featured guest speakers included Pastor Samuel R. Salloman, EVC president; Pastor Jonathan Muralla, EVC stewardship director; and Pastor Apolonio Pastera Jr., EVC Health Ministries/Sabbath School/Personal Ministries director and Adventist Community Service coordinator.
The event began with the vesper worship at the Lim-ao Seventh-day Adventist Church, with San Isidro District Pastor Jonathan A. Fernandez as the presider. The delegates from San Miguel, Ormoc Merida, and San Isidro joined him in facilitating the program.
In addition, Mr. Orlan Beltran, the Ministry on Wheels president, and Mr. Horem Urboda, the EVC ACS/ART president, welcomed the attendees to the event through short speeches.
Pastor Pastera delivered an inspirational message, reminding attendees of God’s commands to advocate for social justice.
“If one of our fellow citizens becomes impoverished and is unable to support themselves, it is our responsibility to assist them,” Pastor Pastera said. “We should refrain from demanding any form of interest from them.”
Meanwhile, the Sabbath worship service took place at the Lim-ao Covered Court, with Pastor Jayvee Napuli and Pastor Mark Jayrome Daniel handling the program throughout the day.
During Sabbath School, the program consisted of two lectures. Pastor Samuel Salloman, president of the East Visayan Conference, was the first lecturer, while Pastor Jonathan Muralla was the second.
Pastor Muralla, in his lecture, reminded attendees that the ultimate goal of discipleship is to stay connected with Jesus and become more like him by spending time in his presence.
“The call of ACS/ART Volunteerism in the church is a sacred responsibility,” he added.
Furthermore, during the worship hour, Pastor Salloman delivered a reassuring message emphasizing that we have no reason to fear the future.
“We have nothing to fear about the future when we have Jesus. Let us face the future with a big heart and show the world that Jesus holds the future,” he added. “Kung aduna may muabot nga pagsulay sa imong kinabuhi, trust in Jesus. We need to trust Him.” (Should trials come, we only have to trust in Jesus.)
In the afternoon, the event featured a reporting program wherein each district presented a video report or update on activities they conducted within their respective chapters. In this method, each district got to know what others were doing, which could inspire them in one way or another.
The fellowship culminated in a sports event where the EVC Response Team held a friendly basketball tournament Saturday night, which continued for those players who stayed until Sunday.
Pastor Dexie Rey Minardo, the district pastor of the Kananga District, expressed his gratitude to everyone in his area who attended the event.
“We are not only filled with joy but also excited to serve all the responders throughout the East Visayan Conference,” Pastor Minardo said.
By Jeralyn Vanzuela, Move Media Ministry
The original version of this post was posted on Move Media Ministry’s Official Facebook Page