United Together in Mission

Editorial by Gary Gibbs

God has called His last-day people to reach everyone, everywhere with the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. As members of the Pennsylvania Conference, He has assigned us this corner of the Earth as our mission field. The harvest of souls Jesus will reap at His return will be largely influenced by our faithful attention to the mission in which God has entrusted us.

Our mission strategy for 2024–2028 sets an intentional focus on discipleship, evangelism and rediscovering the Seventh-day Adventist advantage of the Sabbath and living healthy lives. Our six initiatives are:

Love Jesus

The heart of Adventism is a love relationship with Jesus. The goal of this initiative is to help every member experience Jesus’ love. A return to our first love will not undermine obedient discipleship but will elevate it. Let’s unite to create a movement in which your church is known for its love of Jesus.

Rediscover the Sabbath

The most identifiable feature of an Adventist is Sabbath observance. Our Sabbath experience with God and each other can be the most appealing and fulfilling experience of our week. This initiative is to help our churches and members rediscover and restore the blessings of the Sabbath, where the experience people have at our church on Sabbath is so positive that it is life-transforming.

In One Accord

The early church caught the fire of the Spirit when they were united in “one accord” to share the Good News. God anointed and blessed them with the Holy Spirit’s power to win thousands to Christ. He has promised to do the same and more for his last day church. During this quinquennium, we will use personal and public evangelism to reach everyone, everywhere for Christ, proclaiming the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:6–12.

Shine the Light

God has called us to share the gospel with the 13 million people living in the cities, towns, villages and countryside of Pennsylvania. Millions in the Commonwealth will never meet an Adventist who can personally share the glorious message of salvation. This is why this initiative will use modern internet technology to make the gospel accessible to every household through truth-filled messages and Bible studies.

Get Fit for Life

God created us with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions. As far as possible, good health in these four areas is essential to happy, productive lives and to Christian growth. This initiative will place a renewed focus on God’s plan for healthy living, inviting members and the community to experience God’s healing and wholeness.

Arise and Rebuild

Knowing our church and school facilities reflect God to those around us, we are committed to provide properties that best facilitate worship and reveal His glory to our communities. This initiative will help congregations develop church-specific plans to clean, declutter, paint, repair, remodel and update our facilities to better serve their communities.

God is on the move across Pennsylvania, and He invites us to join Him in His kingdom work, each one of us using our gifts, talents and means. As we unite to fulfill our mission and pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to see God impact lives for eternity. We encourage each church board to adopt these initiatives and find ways to personalize them for their members and community. Learn more at paconference.org/mission-strategy.

Gary Gibbs serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Conference.