18 Sep 2025, 07:17Careen Lawrence
Cross-Departmental Evangelism: SEC Training Day Unites Church Leaders for Mission
SEC Training Day Unites Church Leaders for Mission
“God expects personal service from everyone to whom He has entrusted a knowledge of the truth for this time.” (Welfare Ministry, p.16)
The Sabbath School Department and the Personal Ministries Department came together on Sunday, 14 September 2025, to deliver a training day for the South England Conference at Hyland House School. The day commenced with song service led by Arianne Boldeau and Abigail Wright-Stephenson, joined by Music Director Dwight Johns and his band. Directors Pr Nerine Barrett and Pr Kwadwo Kwarteng-Ampofo were joined by Ray Patrick, Manager of Adventist Radio London. Others who were involved in delivering workshops included members of the Sabbath School team: Sr Qian Miller, Sr Claudia Thomas, and Sr Ronielia McKenzie. The main takeaway from the day was the importance of working together as the body of Christ to win souls for the Kingdom.
Across the South England Conference, we constantly hear, Go SEC, Inspired for Mission, but what does it mean to be inspired for mission? The training session on Sunday helped to unpack what this means and what it looks like. Firstly, for us to be inspired for mission, as a body, we must be willing to work cohesively as a community—not as individuals in separate departments, but across different departments within the church. Being inspired for mission is understanding that none of us, as individuals, is unimportant.
Cycle of Evangelism: Organising Church Departments for an Integrated Ministry to Preach the Gospel
Pr Kwadwo shared that without a sense of evangelism in the churches, there will be tension, and the church will then become dead. With the invitation from Christ to be fishers of men, we, as individuals and as the church, must labour with God—for the Holy Spirit will not fall on the church otherwise.
For departments in the church to be amalgamated, they must follow three steps:
Pray
Study the Word of God
Get the Power of the Holy Spirit
The church is to be a training ground for evangelism, allowing individuals to be rooted and grounded in Christ. The church can only get to this place when individuals and families spend time in prayer and Bible study within their homes. Each church department should then be involved in evangelism through the use of our gifts, and each department should be present in the community.
For the church to work together in evangelism, a combined evangelism strategy is necessary. The secret of success in doing this is “found in harmonious working of our people.” There are five steps involved in organising a combined evangelism strategy:
Planning – completed by the church board and should be shared with members
Church preparation – small groups to be organised and missionary teams should be started for visitation and Bible studies
Motivation – plans should be prayed for and presented to the group
Training – developing a training programme to equip disciples for work
Participation & Action – begin small group meetings, start Bible studies and find interests through surveys
For a church to successfully deliver a cohesive evangelism strategy, the leadership should be shared with church members. It is also important to note that Total Member Involvement should be at the forefront of the church’s plan to commence and lead evangelism in the community.
Evangelism Within Sabbath School
Before we can see Sabbath School as a space for evangelism, we must first understand the crucial role it plays within our churches. Pr Nerine shared that Sabbath School has been the bedrock of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and without it, the church will lose its spirituality. Sabbath School is essential to our spiritual growth.
While Pr Nerine shared with us that Sabbath School is crucial and we should utilise it for evangelism, we can’t ignore the information shared by Sr Ronielia regarding research that was carried out. Sr Ronielia shared that youth attendance and engagement within Sabbath School is generally low, thus reducing its effectiveness in teaching; therefore, we see a decline in the retention of our youth.
To move towards using Sabbath School for evangelism, we must understand the individuals in our churches and consider how to reignite the passion for Sabbath School. Results from research showed that some young people would like Sabbath School to be more interactive and for it to be held later in the day. Knowing that within Sabbath School we should be able to identify our missing members and reach out to them—particularly if we have small groups—is essential.
For our Sabbath School departments to adequately be a centre of evangelism, the Superintendent must chair the Sabbath School Council, leading them to work together with other departments within the church. Through delegation of responsibility, curating themes, and succinct and thorough planning, the Sabbath School department will be able to motivate members to become the workers God intended us to be.
It is also crucial that our Sabbath School teachers are available to guide small groups. Sr Claudia shared that there are five things our teachers should be doing:
Praying
Preparing
Planning each quarter
Having a presence on Sabbaths
Keeping the lessons present
A church’s Sabbath School department needs to be interactive, lively, and inspirational for the spiritual growth and development of its members. Evangelism should be core to the Sabbath School department—not only to gain new members, but also to retain current members, particularly our youth.
Evangelism Beyond the Church
Ray Patrick shared that the radio is the biggest evangelistic tool—not for the church, but for the unchurched. He shared that a Bible study is held every Thursday at 7:30, where listeners are taught about Jesus, baptised, and taught everything else afterwards.
Attendees were able to learn more about how Adventist Radio London has helped the non-churched. There was a baptism in August: three young ladies who were listeners received Bible studies and took the step to be baptised. Additionally, Patrick has been holding a 12-step programme for addicts, with the final step being in person at Acton Church.
Lastly, evangelism is not a one-man job. It is not something we need to depend on our pastors to do. We all have a part to play. Within our churches, by working across different departments, we can plan how best to reach those on the outside. If we have individuals in our circles whom we may not feel confident sharing Bible studies with, we do not need to feel that all is lost—we must use the resources we have, such as Adventist Radio London.
“God expects personal service from everyone to whom He has entrusted a knowledge of the truth for this time.” (Welfare Ministry, p.16)
The Sabbath School Department and the Personal Ministries Department came together on Sunday, 14 September 2025, to deliver a training day for the South England Conference at Hyland House School. The day commenced with song service led by Arianne Boldeau and Abigail Wright-Stephenson, joined by Music Director Dwight Johns and his band. Directors Pr Nerine Barrett and Pr Kwadwo Kwarteng-Ampofo were joined by Ray Patrick, Manager of Adventist Radio London. Others who were involved in delivering workshops included members of the Sabbath School team: Sr Qian Miller, Sr Claudia Thomas, and Sr Ronielia McKenzie. The main takeaway from the day was the importance of working together as the body of Christ to win souls for the Kingdom.
Across the South England Conference, we constantly hear, Go SEC, Inspired for Mission, but what does it mean to be inspired for mission? The training session on Sunday helped to unpack what this means and what it looks like. Firstly, for us to be inspired for mission, as a body, we must be willing to work cohesively as a community—not as individuals in separate departments, but across different departments within the church. Being inspired for mission is understanding that none of us, as individuals, is unimportant.
Cycle of Evangelism: Organising Church Departments for an Integrated Ministry to Preach the Gospel
Pr Kwadwo shared that without a sense of evangelism in the churches, there will be tension, and the church will then become dead. With the invitation from Christ to be fishers of men, we, as individuals and as the church, must labour with God—for the Holy Spirit will not fall on the church otherwise.
For departments in the church to be amalgamated, they must follow three steps:
Pray
Study the Word of God
Get the Power of the Holy Spirit
The church is to be a training ground for evangelism, allowing individuals to be rooted and grounded in Christ. The church can only get to this place when individuals and families spend time in prayer and Bible study within their homes. Each church department should then be involved in evangelism through the use of our gifts, and each department should be present in the community.
For the church to work together in evangelism, a combined evangelism strategy is necessary. The secret of success in doing this is “found in harmonious working of our people.” There are five steps involved in organising a combined evangelism strategy:
Planning – completed by the church board and should be shared with members
Church preparation – small groups to be organised and missionary teams should be started for visitation and Bible studies
Motivation – plans should be prayed for and presented to the group
Training – developing a training programme to equip disciples for work
Participation & Action – begin small group meetings, start Bible studies and find interests through surveys
For a church to successfully deliver a cohesive evangelism strategy, the leadership should be shared with church members. It is also important to note that Total Member Involvement should be at the forefront of the church’s plan to commence and lead evangelism in the community.
Evangelism Within Sabbath School
Before we can see Sabbath School as a space for evangelism, we must first understand the crucial role it plays within our churches. Pr Nerine shared that Sabbath School has been the bedrock of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and without it, the church will lose its spirituality. Sabbath School is essential to our spiritual growth.
While Pr Nerine shared with us that Sabbath School is crucial and we should utilise it for evangelism, we can’t ignore the information shared by Sr Ronielia regarding research that was carried out. Sr Ronielia shared that youth attendance and engagement within Sabbath School is generally low, thus reducing its effectiveness in teaching; therefore, we see a decline in the retention of our youth.
To move towards using Sabbath School for evangelism, we must understand the individuals in our churches and consider how to reignite the passion for Sabbath School. Results from research showed that some young people would like Sabbath School to be more interactive and for it to be held later in the day. Knowing that within Sabbath School we should be able to identify our missing members and reach out to them—particularly if we have small groups—is essential.
For our Sabbath School departments to adequately be a centre of evangelism, the Superintendent must chair the Sabbath School Council, leading them to work together with other departments within the church. Through delegation of responsibility, curating themes, and succinct and thorough planning, the Sabbath School department will be able to motivate members to become the workers God intended us to be.
It is also crucial that our Sabbath School teachers are available to guide small groups. Sr Claudia shared that there are five things our teachers should be doing:
Praying
Preparing
Planning each quarter
Having a presence on Sabbaths
Keeping the lessons present
A church’s Sabbath School department needs to be interactive, lively, and inspirational for the spiritual growth and development of its members. Evangelism should be core to the Sabbath School department—not only to gain new members, but also to retain current members, particularly our youth.
Evangelism Beyond the Church
Ray Patrick shared that the radio is the biggest evangelistic tool—not for the church, but for the unchurched. He shared that a Bible study is held every Thursday at 7:30, where listeners are taught about Jesus, baptised, and taught everything else afterwards.
Attendees were able to learn more about how Adventist Radio London has helped the non-churched. There was a baptism in August: three young ladies who were listeners received Bible studies and took the step to be baptised. Additionally, Patrick has been holding a 12-step programme for addicts, with the final step being in person at Acton Church.
Lastly, evangelism is not a one-man job. It is not something we need to depend on our pastors to do. We all have a part to play. Within our churches, by working across different departments, we can plan how best to reach those on the outside. If we have individuals in our circles whom we may not feel confident sharing Bible studies with, we do not need to feel that all is lost—we must use the resources we have, such as Adventist Radio London.
