Family Life Series Held

“Love in Action Family Life Gospel Explosion” Sept. 5-26, 2009

10/22/09

ATLANTA, GA—The Atlanta Belvedere Seventh-day Adventist Church held the “Love in Action Family Life Gospel Explosion” Sept. 5-26, 2009. With an emphasis on building relationships within the church and the community through family ministries, Shaun Brooks, associate pastor, led out in the nightly meetings. The series ran on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday nights, beginning at 7:00 p.m. and concluding at 8:30 p.m.

With 21 committees commissioned to prepare and plan for this event, the creativity of the groups was clearly demonstrated. Instead of using the church sanctuary for the event, the gym was used. Michelle Johnson and the decorating team did a fantastic job transforming the gym into a banquet-like hall. Neville Hoillette worked tirelessly repairing damaged ceiling tiles and stripping the gym floor. Twenty-five tables were set up thanks to the help of Andre Jones and his team.

With the buildup to the campaign Conrad Cort helped train the members in preparing to witness to family and friends while Alleen Morris, head of the prayer team, conducted a prayer seminar about interceding and knowing God. Her team prayed faithfully throughout the series and reported great breakthroughs in their intercessions.

A team of four Bible workers and four volunteer workers headed by Valerie Robinson were instrumental in going door-to-door and contacting visitors and former church members. The entire church conducted a “Sneaker Sabbath” and went out immediately after the church service to hand out handbills and invitations to community friends.

On opening night there were 25 table leaders headed by Denise Francis and Sharon Sonlin who welcomed visitors at the tables while fostering conversation. Visitors were greeted by smooth relaxing music from the Bamboo Band and ushered to their seats. Light snacks and refreshments were provided by the hospitality committee headed by Joy Hoilette. The volunteers worked tirelessly in preparing dishes such as sweet and sour tofu, salads, and veggie wraps.

For the nightly meetings a different award was provided to various civic leaders as well as outstanding workers in the church. On the first Sabbath, the church had the privilege of awarding the Gwen Keyes Fleming, District Attorney for Dekalb County, with a personally engraved copy of The Great Controversy. Denton Rhone, senior pastor, went on nightly to award several individuals who serve the church and who serve in the community at large.

Each Sunday a different expo was planned to directly impact the needs of the community. On Sept. 6, a health expo headed by Loretta Scarlet provided on-site help to the community. Several individuals learned how to make nutritious choices through eating healthy foods, exercising, and using the power of water. The crowd took advantage of free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and body mass index, HIV screening, and counseling. The health expo also gave the community an opportunity to sign up for numerous health insurance, medical discount cards and dental information, which allow people to be aware of health resources in their community.

On Sept. 13, a financial expo was held, included members from the church family advertising their various businesses as well as the opportunity for local business owners to do the same. Specialists in HUD homes were there to answer questions about purchasing a home and financing. Mechanics, lawyers, therapists, and other professionals provided free information to those who attended. The Young Citizens Association provided counseling services for young people, while the Society for Financial Awareness assisted first-time home buyers and those wanting to improve their credit scores.

On Sept. 20, a Social Service expo took place that included the Georgia Department of Labor, Dekalb Community Crisis Services, Partnership for Community Action, Grady Rape Crisis, and Peachcare Insurance for Children. From these groups, people were helped in bettering interviewing skills and job networking. Some were given information about how to receive help with food, utilities, and rent. Issues concerning mental health and substance abuse were well received by the community and those who came were invited to the nightly meetings.

After all three expos concluded, there had been a total of approximately 300 visitors from the community who were assisted.

During the nightly services, Shaun Brooks sought to highlight the love of God in relationships through family life presentations. The nightly meetings were informative and calculated to stimulate discussions. To prepare the congregation for the presentation, a drama team headed by Roxanne Thomas and Delray Smith brought comical yet thoughtful skits that served as ice-breakers. After speaking for half an hour, Brooks would then allow the table leaders 10 minutes of discussion time with the visitors and members who came. They would seek to find practical ways of applying the messages to their personal situation and then the table leaders would often lead them in prayer for specific needs.

The children’s ministries department headed by Claudette Hendrix played an integral role in helping cater to the children. While the nightly programs were being conducted, her team provided child care under the term “Kids Camp.” There they did arts and crafts, read Bible Stories, and watched Bible programs. This allowed parents who otherwise would have found it impossible to attend each night to do so and enjoy an hour and a half without the kids.

At the close of each Saturday night presentation, members and visitors were invited to stay for a brief social event. Headed by Jemma Lewis, the community was able to see the Belvedere church members laugh and play in wholesome fun. To close off the Love in Action Campaign, the social committee hosted a Love in Action picnic and fun day on the church grounds where there was fun, food and fellowship for all who attended.

At the close of the meetings, 15 people were baptized with others receiving Bible studies. A greater awareness of the church’s presence in the community was felt as several persons have been calling members of the campaign team asking when these beneficial resources would be available again.

By By Winston Armstrong