Women’s Ministries Emphasis Day

June 14, 2008

“Show Me the Savior-Then I Shall See”

Written by Heather-Dawn Small

General Conference Women’s Ministries

Produced by Department of Women’s Ministries

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Dear Sisters:

You hold in your hand the 2008 Resource Packet for Women’s Emphasis Day entitled “Show Me the Savior-Then I Shall See.” I prepared this program myself. This year Raquel Arrais (WM Associate Director) and I decided to write the sermons for WM special days ourselves. We hope and pray that you benefit from these messages as much as we did from writing them.

The title of the packet is “Show Me the Savior-Then I Shall See.” How often we go through life yearning for a glimpse of Jesus. Seeing our lives and the world as Jesus does changes our lives and our perspective on life. That is what we pray this packet will do for our sisters. Our prayer is that each one of us will see our Savior in our daily lives, and as a result He will color all we see.

In this packet we are also including a PowerPoint presentation with a seminar entitled “Distinguished Women of Service.” At the General Conference on a wall opposite the Women’s Ministries department there is a display of pictures of the women in this PowerPoint. Sometimes we forget those sisters who came before us, those women who charted a path for us to walk. The road was long and hard, and some of them died never seeing their dreams fulfilled, never seeing women of the church taking their places with their brothers, side by side, working to win a world for Jesus.

We are asking that you add to this PowerPoint from you own field some pictures and names whether at the division/union/conference/mission level. There are women in each of our fields who are outstanding women of God. So add their pictures and some information about each of them. Then we are asking that you send the new PP back to us at the General Conference. We would like to expand the names and pictures of the women in our display. We would like to include women from various cultures and countries.

This year we are asking that you especially remember the following divisions: East Central Africa Division (pray especially for our brothers and sisters Kenya), Euro-Africa Division, and Euro-Asia Division. The following pages contain reports of the work in these divisions, and we seek your prayers on their behalf. This information can be included in your Sabbath School program, perhaps by women dressed in the costumes of some of the countries found in these divisions.

We thank each of you for your many, many hours of service in this ministry. Know that we are aware of your sacrifice and your love for God that motivates all you do. We send you our love.

Know that we pray for you every Monday morning at the General Conference Women’s Ministries department.

Blessings and joy,

Director

Women’s Ministries

Table of Contents

Page

About the Author 5

Featured Divisions 6

Worship Service Outline 12

Sabbath Morning Sermon “Show Me the Savior-Then I Shall See” 13

Friday Evening or Sabbath Afternoon Suggestions 18

Women’s Scripture Chorus 19

Women of Distinguished Service 20

E.G. White Quotes 28

Women’s Ministries-How to Be Involved 29

About the Author

Heather-Dawn Small presently holds the position of director for Women’s Ministries at the General Conference of SDA. Heather-Dawn is the wife of Pastor Joseph Small and the mother of a daughter Dalonne, who is 25 years old, and a son Jerard, who is 17 years old.

Prior to coming to the General Conference in 2001 she held the position of Children’s and Women’s Ministries Director for the Caribbean Union Conference located on the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago for five years.

Heather-Dawn loves air travel, reading, embroidery, scrapbooking, and stamp collecting, and she enjoys ministry to women. As she travels the world she has three passions: to see more women involved in evangelism, to encourage women to be involved in ministry to others–especially young women, and to share the joy that God has given her in spite of life’s many challenges. Her favorite word is “JOY” and her favorite saying is “Don’t let anyone steal your joy.”

Featured Divisions

· East-Central Africa Division

· Euro-Africa Division

· Euro-Asia Division

East-Central Africa Division

Joy Gashaija, Director of Women’s Ministries

Territory: East Central Africa is comprised of ten countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kenya: The East African Union is the largest Union in the world church, and about 65 percent of the members are women. The women in this Union are very actively involved in all areas of the Ministry. Currently the country is going through serious political turmoil. There are serious tribal conflicts following the recent elections. Many people have lost their lives, homes, and property, and many have become refugees. Thousands of women and their children are greatly affected. The work of our church has been affected. The Union had organized some big training seminars to take place in Central Kenya conference and Kenya coast field. These have been cancelled. The question is whether these tribe conflicts will leave the church members united and women still at the forefront in ministry?

Uganda: The Women’s Ministries department in Uganda has put emphasis on Evangelism and Literacy Training. Many women have improved their financial status after learning how to read and write. Currently the women in Uganda are busy organizing a Division-wide congress to take place in July 2008. It is anticipated that nearly 5000 women will attend this congress.

Tanzania: Women had a great Congress in Arusha that drew close to 3000 women, both Adventist and non-Adventist. At the end of the Congress more than 50 people gave their lives to Christ; these included two professional Moslem women.

In most big towns especially in areas such as Mbeya and Dares –salaam, Women Ministries is still being fought by some pastors and church members, including some women. The department is being called derogatory names and work is difficult with a lot of intimidation faced by the women leaders. Many churches in Tanzania don’t allow women to preach or teach, especially in the church.

The Division Executive committee has put a task force in place to look at women’s involvement in the church. We pray that the taskforce will come up with a meaningful and acceptable report.

Ethiopia: Women’s Ministries work in Ethiopia had been very slow in past years because women lacked confidence to take up leadership roles, but currently the work has gained momentum under the leadership of Ester Anema, who works as a volunteer. The women have held a number of seminars and congresses, and a lot has been understood about the role of women. Women still shy away from leadership responsibility. We need the Women’s Ministries to be provided with a budget so that Esther can work full time for the ministry.

Eritrea: The church in Eritrea was closed some years back. People have no freedom of worship in homes. Grass has covered some of the church buildings. Women’s Ministries is the only active department in the closed church. We have had few baptisms through personal evangelism. The women visit homes, give bible studies, provide for the needy, and offer training on the critical challenges. Non-Adventists send their children to homes where worship takes place, and the women give them Bible study. The non-Adventist parents say, “The children who go to the women’s teachings are well mannered.” More and more parents are bringing their children to receive instructions. This is a situation of a closed church but open hearts. We need the church in Eritrea to be opened and freedom of worship granted.

Somalia: Women’s Ministries work is limited. We need wisdom from God to penetrate this part of the world with the gospel work women.

Djibouti: Other religions are not allowed in this country. There is no established church leadership in Djibouti, but we have a clinic that is operated by Adventists. One of the government women officials (presidential advisor) visited ECD headquarters in Nairobi. The ECD Women’s Ministries director, Joy Gashaija invited her to her office and shared with her Women’s Ministries training material and the six critical challenges that face women. The woman was impressed and as a result she invited Joy Gashaija to go to Djibouti and train the Moslem women in her country.

Rwanda: This is a country with a history of the terrible genocide that took place in 1994. The negative marks of this genocide that claimed over a million people can be still seen in the traumatized young orphaned girls that were raped, single mothers, and older women who miraculously survived the genocide but are destined to die either from treatable diseases or hunger because they can’t fend for themselves.

Women’s Ministries leadership is actively involved in ministry. The women have established a center that can train some of these girls and provide them with practical skills that will enable them to be involved in small scale self help projects or even be employed. More than three thousand women have received training from the Women’s Ministries center since its establishment three years ago. The center needs financial support, stable and skilled leadership, and knowledge of the Bible truth for all those who go through this Women’s Center in Kanombe.

Burundi: Burundi is a war torn small country that has had continuous ethnic conflicts and wars over the years, thus hindering financial stability. Many of the women in the church are illiterate and so poor that they can go for months without being able to give even a coin in offering in church. This poverty, coupled with refusal of women to participate in church, has hindered the introduction of Women’s Ministries programs, which would have helped in solving some of the existing challenges.

The first ever Women Ministries Congress was held last year to help women have at least a glimpse of what Women Ministries can offer for their betterment. The women in this part of the county need a lot of exposure; the few women who are educated don’t want to participate in the ministry.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Work is very difficult, especially for the women leaders in Congo, because of the vastness of the area. The roads are poor or non-existent. The women have to ride bicycles, sometimes to very far places, if they have to minister to women through training. Sometime it takes a day or two of bicycle riding to reach the seminar place.

In rare circumstance where a plane has to be taken, it will be a cargo plane, and most of the planes are old. It is a big risk boarding a cargo plane because of lack of passenger facilities, but usually circumstance will dictate that leadership has to travel to a particular place.

West Congo Union: In addition to the challenges of transportation, in west Congo, although women are willing to serve in Women’s Ministries activities, some elders in the church don’t allow them to speak. This situation has caused some women to feel unaccepted and therefore to shy away from any responsibility in the church that requires them to speak before men.

East Congo Union: Women’s Ministries work in East Congo is progressing very slowly; this is mainly because of poverty caused by the ever-present political wars in the country. It is very difficult to get women leaders together to even carry out advisory meeting. They have no road transport because of bad roads. The field’s leadership can not afford air tickets to transport women leaders to go out to train women or even attend the advisory meeting that takes place once in five years. The Women’s Ministries director just sends the women training materials, but they may not understand the material.

North East attached territory: Women’s Ministries has embarked on literacy training for almost every woman who is interested in reading. Over three hundred women have learned how to read and write. Many of them gain confidence after literacy classes and have joined primary schools. They pay equivalent of US $5.00 per month, but some cannot afford them so they drop out.

There is a common prayer request from all Unions, and that is for the women to find funds to be able attend the Division congress, July 23-28, 2008. The women in ECD will be very happy to know that their sisters in the whole world are praying for them. We highly appreciate this gesture of love.

Euro-Africa Division

Christiane Vertallier, Director of Women’s Ministries

Territory: Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Holy See, Iran, Italy, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, and Western Sahara; comprising the Czecho-Slovakian, Franco-Belgian, North German, Romanian, South German, and Swiss Union Conferences, the Austrian, Bulgarian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish Union of Churches, and the Trans-Mediterranean Territories. The membership is 175,157 as of December 2007.

France: Women’s Ministries is very reserved, implanted in the north part of the country and begins in the south part with good hope of development.

Belgium: No official Women’s Ministries department. An international group is working with mostly women from South America. There are weekly meetings with a group of women.

Spain: The main activity in 2007 was the training of women for leadership. There are two teams of specialists: medical doctors, psychologists, professors, who are involved in the Leadership training seminars around Spain. With quite an important fund from the Government through the association “Pluralismo y Convivialad”  to conduct these seminars over three year, the WM department is in the process of giving high qualification to our sisters to serve the Church as disciples of Christ, to Touch a Heart and Tell the World.

Italy: Women are involved in preaching: a couple of women pastors and several women elders. Women leaders in local churches are running seminars on self-esteem, "Love and Prayer Save" (for parents), prayer groups, and ADRA micro projects. This year the WM department will face a struggle by breaking the silence on domestic violence through specific initiatives. The first women’s ministries congress was held last September 2007, which encouraged a large number of sisters to represent the WM department in their church.

Germany North: Women working with the Leadership Certification training. After Romania, Germany North Union has the largest participation of non-SDA women attending meetings.

Germany South: One of the main concerns in 2007 was to develop and promote the Leadership Certification training program in cooperation with the ICD (Institute for Christian Service). The department offers these one-day/weekend courses in the German-speaking areas. This project makes available to women a continued education opportunity. The goal is to encourage them in many areas of life to discover and put into practice their gifts and skills.

Another point of focus is programs for the family: Family Sabbaths and the “Welcome Baby” material. This is a form of friendship evangelism particularly for young women and new mothers. Another new program is developed for multicultural retreats that promote contacts between women of different origins to understand each other better. This is a joy that the Women’s Ministries participated in reclaiming 77 women. In 2008 we will have a first Singles’ Congress organized by the Women’s Ministries Department.

Romania: The women are very much involved in ministry. The meetings of the local church take place monthly and the prayer-groups weekly. Women in Romania are involved in many projects: evangelism, reclaiming former members, sharing literature, daily meals for the poor, and vegetarian cooking-classes.

Switzerland: Women's Ministries is experiencing a great development.  Its challenge is to combine three national languages, Swiss-German, French, and Italian in two conferences with very different cultures. The work in the two Unions is exploding, a result of intensive prayer, great engagement, and successful public relations. In 2007, the Swiss-German conference, with only 2500 church members, reported 1300 meetings organized by women and 10,600 persons attended (25% of them non-SDA).

Austria: Women's Ministries has been active the last 11 years. Every year there are training seminars. There is a lot of small group evangelism and women are preaching more in our churches. Last year 14 people got baptised because of women's service in the church.

Bulgaria: More than 70% from the church's members in Bulgarian Union are women. Many of them are intelligent, talented professionals. Some of them are elders and other church's leaders. They need good training to serve and to lead other women. About one hundred women participated in Leadership Certification training Level One. Women’s Ministries is planning  level Two training in 2008 and is involved in a platform against violence and trafficking of women and children.

Portugal: More of our women assume the important roll in representing the church in its Great mission of sharing the message of Jesus’ return.  However, these same women are punished by separation and divorce–an increasing problem in society and consequently in the church.  But the Lord has helped and by the grace of Christ they will continue making progress.

ATMA: Adventist Trans Mediterranean Association. Please pray for countries in the 10/40 window–a very challenging territory.

Tunisia: There is joy in the small group of women in Tunisia. Around10 ladies of at least 8 different cultures are united in love for the Lord and for the others. They meet in small groups or alone and minister in several different ways. Each week they attend trainings on the theme, “To Know Oneself Better to Better Serve,” to improve their skills in witnessing, Bible study, and prayer groups. They practice witnessing by visiting orphanages, hospitals and the elderly. Every lady is using her own unique, creative talents with her spirit focusing on service for the Savior.

We need your prayers for our Women’s Ministries leaders, for the ministry of our sisters in local churches and all the women that come to the numerous meetings. A lot of work and energy is developed to Touch a Heart, and Tell the World, but only God can change the hearts of these persons, so that they come to Christ and enter God’s kingdom at Jesus’ second coming!

Euro-Asia Division

Raisa A. Ostrovskaya, Director of Women’s Ministries

Territory: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia (including Abkhazia), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan; comprise the Moldova, Southern, Ukrainian, and West Russian Union Conferences, the Caucasus and East Russian Union Missions, and the Belarus Conference and Far Eastern Mission. The membership is 138,617 as of December 2007.

Please pray for the ministry projects our sisters have implemented:

Teacup Ministry – This is a fully developed outreach program. Rather than host tea events for the women in the church, these events are planned specifically for the community. Men and women are invited to attend, and our sisters serve tea along with simple but tasty snacks. The main focus is on the church and the community becoming acquainted. Many friendships have been formed as a result, and many are being let to Christ through this ministry of friendship evangelism.

Prison Ministry – How can the women of our church help women who are incarcerated in a meaningful and life-changing way? Our sisters in ESD decided to host a family day at a women’s prison. On this day, our sisters arranged with prison authorities to bring husbands and children to visit their mothers and wives in prison. What a day of rejoicing that was for these women to see their children after months or years of separation. Our sisters prepared meals, gifts for the children, and family games. Many tears were shed, but this was offset by much laughter and hugs of joy.

“Get to know your community” events – The need for people in the community to know more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church is great, and so our sisters host events at their local conference or union offices. They invite the neighbors to come and visit the office, and they display crafts and plants, have health checks and massages, vegetarian cooking, and even artwork done by the women. This has proved very popular, for many in the community were curious about what was taking place behind the walls of our church offices.

Show me the Savior-Then I Shall See

Worship Service Outline

Call to Worship Psalm 34:1-3

Opening Song SDA Hymnal #1

Pastoral Prayer Please keep in mind the special needs of women in –

· East-Central Africa Division

· Euro-Africa Division

· Euro-Asia Division

· Your local congregation

· Women’s Ministries in general.

Offertory Reading

Offertory Song

Responsive Reading Ephesians 1:3-8

Special Music

Children’s Story

Sermon Show me the Savior-Then I shall see

Closing Hymn SDA Hymnal #462

Closing Prayer

Show Me the Savior-Then I Shall See

Prayer

(PP1)Today I want to take you on a journey. A journey down a road that some of you may have already travelled and some of you are yet to make. This is a journey of challenges and change.

In Bible times there were a number of people that Jesus had to meet so that they could see their lives as He saw it. Then in response to Jesus’ presence they could ask for His help.

(PP2)There are a number of people in the Bible who experienced spiritual healing. Here are a few:

• Samaritan Woman at the well–she experienced spiritual and emotional healing
• King David–after his affair with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, he received healing from the guilt and shame of sin and renewal in his relationship with God
• (PP3) Peter–after his betrayal of Jesus, he received the healing from his guilt and remorse
• Naomi–after losing husband and sons, she needed healing from bitterness and anger towards God
• Paul–struck down on the road to Damascus was in need of spiritual healing and a personal relationship with Jesus

(PP4) Paul is the one that I want us to focus on today. Turn with me to Acts 9 where our story begins. Let’s read a few verses beginning at verses 1–6 (It would be nice to have a reader for your Bible verses).

Acts 9:1-6

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

(PP-5) He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

  "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (NIV)

(PP-6) What an amazing story. Here is a man who was consumed with passion to work for the Lord (or so he thought). He believed with all his heart that he was God’s arm of justice to destroy the new believers. Why? Because they were going against all the traditions and laws he held dear. Paul was a Jew of all Jews. Remember what he said about himself (Reader – Phil 3:4-6)

Philippians 3:4-6

…though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (NIV)

So what happened next? What is the rest of the story?

What really happened to Saul? I mean…

• He was religious. True
• He was zealous. True
• He was committed to the task. True
• He believed in what he was doing. True

Paul gave up everything to pursue his goal. He was obsessed with putting an end to Christianity and to all Christians.

When Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus Paul was affected both physically and spiritually. He lost his sight, but he was spiritually blind before he was physically blind. God had to find some way to stop him, set him straight, and show him the right path. Paul needed healing–spiritual healing so He could see, truly see.

(PP-7) What happened?

1. God entered Paul’s life in an unforgettable way –vs 3
2. Paul experienced a time of disability – vs 8
3. He began to see himself as he was – as God saw him – vs 9
4. Then God healed him – vss 17-18

Why would God go to so much trouble to save one man? After all, who was Saul? He was a viscious man, the Hitler of his day. A man filled with hate. Yet when God looked at Saul, He saw His child. A child who had gone astray and who needed to find his way back to God. So, God stopped him and then sent someone to help him.

(PP-8) Acts 9:15

But the Lord said to him (Ananias), ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.’ (NKJV)

God did not just see a man bent on destruction. God did not see a worthless creature. He looked at Paul and saw a “chosen vessel.” Wow! That’s amazing. God saw potential. God saw possibility.

This is a lesson for us today. What do we see when we look at others? It never ceases to amaze me how quick we are to judge each other based on what we see. How quickly we forget the life-changing power of God. We sometimes forget that we too are human and have done things in our lives we regret. But God never forgets who we are–His child.

(PP-9) God called Paul “a chosen vessel” Act 9:15. Does this text sound familiar to you?

(PP-10) Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:9. Let’s read together “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Here is our purpose in life.

God calls each of us “chosen.” We are precious in His eyes. But are we precious in our own eyes?

God uses many ways to bring us from spiritual sickness to spiritual health. One of these ways we find in the life of Paul. God afflicted Paul for three days with blindness. Why? God wanted Paul’s attention. His undivided attention. And He got it.

So what about you and me? What has God allowed in our lives, or what will He allow in our lives, to get our undivided attention? You know I have discovered that some of us have “harder heads” than others.

So what is God using, or what has He used, to save your life. God will do no less for us than He did for Saul. He wants to save our lives more than anything else in this world. But He has to get our attention. Sometimes we too have to experience a time of “disability.” That “disability” can be physical, emotional or spiritual. It could be a time of joblessness, loneliness, a health problem, a besetting sin that seems to control our lives, it can be people who fail us and cause us much emotional distress. Whatever it takes, that’s what our God will do. Your salvation, my salvation is the most important thing to Him.

(PP-11) As with Paul sometimes God will:

• Step into our life
• Sometimes we will experience a time of “disability.”
• Help us see ourselves as He sees us
• Heal us–spiritually and physically if He thinks that’s best

What can we do? How do we deal with a time of “disability?” A typical reaction is to hide from God. Sometimes to run as far as we can from the problem even if that means relocating to another place. Some of us will retreat into ourselves. We’ll put on the smile and pretend we are fine. We build walls around our lives, shut people out and pretend that we are fine, but the truth is that we are dying inside. (PP-12) If we are to be victorious, we must learn three important things:

1. Don’t run

2. Don’t hide

3. Don’t keep it inside

You see, when we run from God and others, we are running from people who can help us and we are only hurting ourselves. When we suffer in silence and keep all the pain and anguish inside, we become vulnerable to Satan’s attack. He has isolated us from all who can help us. And then he moves in to steal our salvation.

But God lovingly smiles at us. He smiles because He knows that it’s only when our lives are shattered that we look to Him, and then He can put the pieces back together again. God does not leave us at the bottom of the heap. He doesn’t allow our lives to be shattered without stepping in to put the pieces together.

(PP-13) The Psalmist says it well –

Psalm 31:6-8

But I trust in God.

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,

For You have considered my trouble

You have known my soul in adversity.

You have not shut me up in the hand of my enemy,

But have set my feet in a wide place. (NKJV)

(PP-14) So what must we do?

Psalm 91:1

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (NIV)

God wants to stay in a relationship with us. He knows our only hope of salvation is for us to connect to Him and stay connected.

We don’t keep ourselves in God–He does that. 1 Peter 1:5 KJV reminds us that “we are kept by the power of God.”

God reaches down and pulls us up, out of the mud and mire, and He sets our feet on solid ground, Christ Jesus. He heals us.

The end result is that we can see. Paul waited three days. For some it may take months or years, but God will stay with us as we work through our time of blindness. And in the end, as we surrender to Him, He will show us our true selves, He will heal us. He will set our feet on solid ground and cover us under the shadow of His wing.

(PP -15) So what are you waiting for? For a personal encounter with God? We have learned through life’s many challenge that going it alone is too hard. The hymn reminds us,

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a fortaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.” SDA Hymnal #462

(PP-16) God gives us the assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He reassures us that we are not facing life alone. He assures us that with Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). He assures us that He will do whatever it takes to save us because we are precious to Him. He gives us the promise of heaven to come (John 14:1-3), and He reassures us that if we allow Him He will save us.

John 14:1-3

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (NIV)

Appeal: