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Scripture offers in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
A lamp. A light. A path.
Not a floodlight illuminating every horizon at once—but a lamp, close to the feet, sufficient for the next step. Not a map charted by algorithms—but a light, personal and present, cutting through whatever darkness crowds the way. Not a superhighway of infinite options—but a path, narrow enough to walk with intention, wide enough to walk together.
This is what families need today.
We live in a VUCA world—one convulsing with volatile ideas that shift before we finish a sentence, uncertainrealities that dissolve the moment we reach for them, complex dilemmas that resist every easy answer, and ambiguous ethics that reframe right and wrong as matters of personal preference. The digital age has not invented these forces, but it has amplified them to frequencies our grandparents could scarcely have imagined.
In such a world, the temptation for families is to grab whatever light is nearest—the screen, the scroll, the algorithm's warm and flattering glow. These offer motion without direction, connection without depth, answers without wisdom.
Our calling as Family Ministries leaders is to hold the lamp higher. That’s why our Family Togetherness Week of Prayer Resource Book for this year is titled Anchored Family in a Digital World, to help guide families to a place of light and meaningful connection with each other and with God.
That means helping families build daily rhythms around God's Word—not as a ritual defense against modernity, but as a living encounter with the God who sees their actual path. Morning and evening devotions. Sabbath conversations. Table talk grounded in Scripture.
The world will keep accelerating. The Word will keep illuminating.
Anchor the families within your sphere of influence there—and that path will securely lead them to a future filled with God’s presence and peace.
Remain encouraged and faithful!
Maranatha!
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Willie and Elaine Oliver, Directors
GC Family Ministries
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ADVENTIST FAMILY MINISTRIES
MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS
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Mission Statement
Adventist Family Ministries serves the church in discipling families and individuals through grace-filled relationships, equipping them to reflect Christ’s love and pass on a transformational faith to the next generation.
Vision Statement
Individuals and families reflect Christ’s love in preparation for His soon return.
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FAMILY TOGETHERNESS WEEK OF PRAYER
SEPTEMBER 6-15, 2026
ANCHORED FAMILY IN A DIGITAL WORLD
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We live in a world that moves faster than our souls can follow. Volatile markets, Uncertain futures, Complex challenges, and Ambiguous moral landscapes press upon our families from every direction. Into this already turbulent reality comes a relentless digital intrusion—notifications that splinter our attention, algorithms that shape our desires, and screens that so often sit where sacred conversation used to live. Around dinner tables, in bedrooms, and even in quiet moments of family worship, the noise of the world competes for the hearts of those we love most.
This Family Togetherness Week of Prayer invites us to pause, breathe, and return. Not to a nostalgic past, but to the timeless Word of God that has anchored His people through every storm of history. The psalmist declared, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). In a VUCA WORLD, Scripture is
not merely comforting—it is essential. It orients us when everything shifts, steadies us when the ground trembles, and clarifies what matters when voices multiply.
| During this family strengthening week, let us reclaim our homes as holy ground. Let us silence the noise long enough to hear God’s voice. Let us teach our children—by example—that the deepest belonging is found not in the glow of a device but in the presence of the Savior and the embrace of family. | This Week of Prayer resource will be available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and many other languages. |
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Did You Know?
AFFIRMATION OF MARRIAGE
| In this section we will share on a regular basis voted official church statements on family issues. | |
Issues related to marriage can be seen in their true light only as they are viewed against the background of the divine ideal for marriage. Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus Christ to be both monogamous and heterosexual, a lifelong union of loving companionship between a man and a woman. In the culmination of His creative activity, God fashioned humankind as male and female in His own image; and He instituted marriage, a covenant- based union of the two genders physically, emotionally, and spiritually, spoken of in Scripture as “one flesh.”
Arising from the diversity of the two human genders, the oneness of marriage images in a singular way the unity within diversity of the Godhead. Throughout Scripture, the heterosexual union in marriage is elevated as a symbol of the bond between Deity and humanity. It is a human witness to God’s self-giving love and covenant with His people. The harmonious affiliation of a man and a woman in marriage provides a microcosm of social unity that is time-honored as a core ingredient of stable societies. Further, the Creator intended married sexuality not only to serve a unitive purpose, but to provide for the propagation and perpetuation of the human family. In the divine purpose, procreation springs from and is entwined with the same process whereby husband and wife may find joy, pleasure and physical completeness. It is to a husband and wife whose love has enabled them to know each other in a deep sexual bond that a child may be entrusted. Their child is a living embodiment of their oneness. The growing child thrives in the atmosphere of married love and unity in which he or she was conceived and has the benefit of a relationship with each of the natural parents.
The monogamous union in marriage of a man and a woman is affirmed as the divinely ordained foundation of the family and social life and the only morally appropriate locus of genital or related intimate sexual expression. However, the estate of marriage is not God’s only plan for the meeting of human relational needs or for knowing the experience of family. Singleness and the friendship of singles are within the divine design as well. The companionship and support of friends looms in importance in both biblical testaments. The fellowship of the Church, the household of God, is available to all regardless of their married state. Scripture, however, places a solid demarcation socially and sexually between such friendship relations and marriage.
To this biblical view of marriage the Seventh-day Adventist Church adheres without reservation, believing that any lowering of this high view is to that extent a lowering of the heavenly ideal. Because marriage has been corrupted by sin, the purity and beauty of marriage as it was designed by God needs to be restored. Through an appreciation of the redemptive work of Christ and the work of His Spirit in human hearts, the original purpose of marriage may be recovered and the delightful and wholesome experience of marriage realized by a man and a woman who join their lives in the marriage covenant.
This statement was approved and voted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM) on April 23, 1996.
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REAL FAMILY TALK
WITH WILLIE AND ELAINE OLIVER
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Can someone feel lonely even in a crowded room?
This week on Real Family Talk with Willie and Elaine Oliver, Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel joins the conversation on the loneliness epidemic and the rise of social isolation.
Together, they explore how loneliness affects our health, why meaningful relationships matter, and what one person can do today to begin reconnecting with the world around them.
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| REAL FAMILY TALK COLUMN ON ADVENTISTREVIEW.ORG | |
Q: We raised our daughter in the church. She was involved in almost everything—Sabbath School, Pathfinders, youth group, church school, community service, summer camp, camp meeting—and our home was intentionally spiritual. We prayed together, had family worship, and went to church regularly. Now she is in her mid-20s and has completely walked away from any interest in spiritual matters. She isn’t hostile, just indifferent. We feel as though we have failed. What do we do?
A: First, let us say this plainly: You have not failed. The ache you carry is real, and it speaks of the depth of your love—for your daughter and for God. But pain is not the same as failure, and her present silence does not write the final chapter of her story. What you are experiencing is one of the most common and most heartbreaking realities of Christian parenting. And you are far from being alone...
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
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Inter-European Division (EUD)
ADVENTIST FAMILY MINISTRIES ADVISORY IN THE INTER-EUROPEAN DIVISION
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From June 14 to 17, Adventist Family Ministries directors from across the Inter-European Division gathered at the Adventist University of France in Collonges-sous-Salève—near Geneva, Switzerland—for their five-year strategic advisory.
A major highlight was Dr. Willie Oliver's presentation, "Emotional and Cultural Intelligence for 21st Century Leaders," which challenged directors to cultivate awareness of both emotional needs and cultural dynamics in ministering to modern families.
The event was led by Dr. Roberto Iannò, newly elected EUD Family Ministries director, who stressed the urgent need for pre-marital education and marital enrichment frameworks suited to the European context.
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The Advisory served as a launchpad for unified vision and collaborative planning, ensuring that resources and training programs reach local churches effectively across EUD during the 2025–2030 quinquennium. Directors also strategized on contextualizing the OneVoice27 world church initiative for their respective countries. The catchphrase "Have you seen Jesus in your home today?"—which emerged from the Family Ministries World Advisory at World Headquarters earlier this year—guided content development and served as a personal challenge to each family represented.
To address rising challenges such as marital instability and shifting cultural norms, leaders reviewed the updated Adventist Family Ministries Leadership Certification Program 3.0. This digital-ready curriculum is designed to equip regional Family Ministries leaders, pastors, and lay leaders with biblical and evidence-based tools for building stronger, healthier marriages and families.
A meaningful moment of shared reflection came as directors unanimously affirmed the priority of caring for their own families. The Advisory concluded with a prayer of consecration for the directors' families and for the shared mission across the EUD territory.
Roberto Iannò, Inter-European Division director of Adventist Family Ministries
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South American Division (SAD)
ADVENTIST FAMILY MINISTRIES ADVISORY IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION
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On April 8, 2026, the Family Ministries Advisory of the South American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SAD) was held in Brasília, Brazil. The gathering brought together leaders from across the territory with the purpose of aligning vision, strengthening strategies, and reaffirming commitment to the mission.
The program featured the special presence of the World Family Ministries Director, Pastor Willie Oliver, whose participation brought inspiration, direction, and spiritual strengthening to those in attendance. The council's overarching theme was "Integrated in Mission," with the guiding direction "Grounded in the Bible and Focused on the Mission" and the motto "Everything Begins at Home."
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Throughout the gathering, participants experienced meaningful moments of prayer, spiritual reflection, the sharing of experiences, and the presentation of projects. The environment fostered open dialogue about the challenges families face today, as well as the pursuit of practical and biblical solutions.
Among the key topics addressed were the centrality of the family—as God's first project and the foundation for building spiritual identity—stood out prominently. In addition, the world church’s initiative OneVoice27 loomed large in our discussion and planning. Throughout the meeting there was an emphasis on faith and the transmission of values not being limited to formal moments but expressed in daily relationships within the home.
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Issues related to sexuality, the restoration of fragile families, and the development of initiatives that promote healthy marriages, strong families, and purposeful fatherhood were also discussed.
The council reinforced the understanding that the strengthening of the family directly impacts the life of the church and the fulfillment of the mission. It thus became evident that a living church is born from strengthened homes, where Christ is lived out in practical and intentional ways each day.
Alacy Barbosa, South American Division director of Adventist Family Ministries
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Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD)
FAMILY MINISTRIES ADVISORY STRENGTHENS UNITY IN MISSION
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Adventist Family Ministries directors representing 14 unions across 11 countries in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) gathered for the quinquennial Advisory at the Headquarters in Silang, Cavite, in the Philippines, from June 29 to July 1, 2026 under the theme “Integrated for Mission.”
Dr. Willie Oliver and Dr. Irelyn Gabin, GC and SSD Family Ministries Directors, respectively, led the three-day advisory, aligning ministry priorities and strengthening commitment to mission.
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Key presentations included Family Roots and Routes, Emotional and Cultural Intelligence for 21st Century Leaders, Integrated for Mission, Creating a Culture of Professional Excellence, Leadership Certification, and Premarital Education.
Dr. Elaine Oliver, GC Associate Director of Family Ministries joined the Advisory by Zoom with her greetings and encouragement. “Our mission is prevention,” she said, “and if we can help families address challenging issues to fortify their relationships, they can be resilient in facing life’s storms.”
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One of the highlights of the Advisory focused on the participation of Family Ministries in the OneVoice27 initiative. Presented by Pastor Arnel Gabin, SSD Vice President for Evangelism, he emphasized that families can be active centers of disciple-making, witnessing, and hospitality.
“This advisory gave us clearer direction and renewed passion to be more intentional in ministry,” the union directors collectively emphasized as they shared reports from their territories.
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The advisory also welcomed collaborating directors who work alongside Family Ministries, including Dr. Armand T. Fabella, a professional psychologist with his presentation on Parenting Coaching.
The gathering concluded with a commitment service led by Pastor Roger Caderma—SSD President—calling leaders to unity, collaboration, and mission-focused service.
Irelyn Gabin, Southern Asia-Pacific Division director of Adventist Family Ministries
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West-Central Africa Division (WAD)
FAMILY MINISTRIES IN THE WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION IS "ALL SET TO GO" FOR 2025–2030
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The West-Central Africa Division (WAD) Adventist Family Ministries (AFM) Advisory for this quinquennium was held May 18–20, 2026, in Bonoua, Côte d'Ivoire, under the inspiring theme "Integrated for Mission." Union directors from across the WAD gathered to reflect on the role of families in advancing the church's mission in today's rapidly changing world.
On May 18, the WAD AFM "No One Left Behind" initiative was officially launched. Dr. Willie Oliver served as keynote speaker, and WAD President Prof. Bassey Udoh launched the initiative with prayer for all families. The initiative emphasizes intentional inclusion, care, and support for the church family as well as for those outside the fold.
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The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration among church departments and integrating family-centered approaches to evangelism, discipleship, and community engagement. Participants were involved in small-group discussions, strategic planning sessions, and prayerful deliberations.
Dr. Willie Oliver, World Director of Adventist Family Ministries, served as the key resource person for the Advisory. Additional resource persons included Prof. William Koomson (WAD Publishing Ministries), Pastor Ham Minho (WAD Digital Evangelism Coordinator) who gave a remarkable presentation on WAD’s involvement in the OneVoice27 global church initiative, Dr. Abiodun Olaoye (WAD Youth Ministries Director), Mrs. Emah Same (WAD Children's Ministries Director), and Dr. Bright Osei Yeboa (WAD Stewardship Director).
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Delegates also took an educational excursion to the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro. The visit offered an opportunity to appreciate the historical, architectural, and spiritual significance of one of the world's largest basilicas, while fostering fellowship among participants.
The Advisory concluded with renewed dedication to the World Church's commitment to integrated mission—Grounded in the Bible and Focused on the Mission.
Ugochukwu Elems, West-Central Africa Division director of Adventist Family Ministries
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| FAMILY MINISTRIES CALENDAR | |
FAMILY TOGETHERNESS WEEK OF PRAYER:
September 6-12, 2026
FAMILY TOGETHERNESS DAY OF PRAYER
(FOR MARRIAGES, FAMILIES AND RELATIONSHIPS):
Sabbath, September 12, 2026
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Technology, Ethics, and the Future: Navigating the Digital Age with a Biblical Focus
Biblical Research Institute
| Technology, Ethics, and the Future explores how biblical principles can guide us in navigating the challenges and opportunities of the digital age while staying true to our mission as a church. Though Scripture does not directly address modern phenomena like smartphone use, bioengineering ethics, or leveraging TikTok for evangelism, it provides enduring wisdom that can be applied to these modern challenges. |
Marriage: Biblical and Theological Aspects
Biblical Research Institute
| This book offers thoughtful and detailed studies on several areas of concern for the individual Christian and the church at large. After showing the beauty of marriage and the relevance of Scripture to a sound understanding of marriage and sexuality, this volume tackles crucial topics such as singleness, gender and roles in marriage, sexuality, religiously mixed marriages, and divorce and remarriage. |
Sexuality: Contemporary Issues from a Biblical Perspective
Biblical Research Institute
| SEXUALITY: Contemporary Issues from a Biblical Perspective is the sequel to Marriage: Biblical and Theological Aspects. Focusing on sexuality, this volume addresses several topics of contemporary relevance to individual Christians and church communities around the world. It wrestles with matters directly or indirectly related to marriage, such as cohabitation and polygamy. It also examines topics not necessarily connected to marriage, such as sexual addiction, cybersex, robotic sex, rape, female genital mutilation, child sexual abuse, and queer theology and practice. |
Family: With Contemporary Issues on Marriage and Parenting
Biblical Research Institute
| FAMILY: Contemporary Issues on Marriage and Parenting concludes the three-volume series on marriage and sexuality published by the Biblical Research Institute. This volume addresses topics and issues relevant to the family from the perspective of a biblical theology of marriage as established at creation. A major goal of this volume is to bring biblical clarity to the challenging topics its authors have addressed and thus help readers face challenges regarding family and sexuality based on the authority of God’s Word. |
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OneVoice27
Launching on September 5, 2026, this worldwide project is a member-driven, Christ-focused initiative that celebrates 2,000 years since Christ’s baptism and the beginning of His ministry. Its preparation includes a global prayer initiative, reading and reflecting on Christ’s life through The Desire of Ages, and studying the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation.
The purpose is to mobilize the worldwide church family, with the goal of receiving Bible study requests and leading into global harvest events in September 2027.
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Revival and Reformation
The GC Family Ministries joins the Revival and Reformation initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, presenting practical ideas to bring your family to a spiritual revival and by so doing reach families for Jesus.
| | Don't miss our monthly column on the Family Ministries Website, where we answer questions about family, faith, and relationships from a Biblical perspective. Check out the Real Family Talk Blog for resources to strengthen and inspire. | | Watch Adventist Review TV for family-friendly, Gospel-oriented content. Share programs that bring viewers face-to-face with the good news, strengthening families, inspiring hope, and offering healing for all ages. | | Adventist Review Newsletter | Subscribe to the Adventist Review Newsletter and stay informed on the latest news of the World Church. | | |
In this issue:
Adventist Education Workers' Perception of their Workplace Environment.
| | FAMILY MINISTRIES TOOLBOX | | Family worship gives every family an opportunity to Rebuild the Family Altar of God daily. Rather than forcing families and children to have regular family worship, it is an occasion for family members to build stronger relationships with each other and with God. Family worship also offers family members an opportunity to make God central in their lives each day. | | |
We hope the 2026 Adventist Family Ministries Resource Book—Family, Faith, and Focus in a Digital World—our prayer is simple: that your family will discover how to thrive, not just survive, in our digital age. That faith will grow deeper, focus will become clearer, and family bonds will strengthen through both meaningful connections and intentional breaks from the screen.
| | Hope for Today's Families | |
The missionary book of 2019, Hope for Today’s Families, can still be used to share hope with families in your respective communities.
In addition to the presentations in Apple Keynote, PowerPoint or PDF, you will also find print-ready Study Guides that participants may use to follow your presentation of the seminars.
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Family to Family
Church & Family Guides
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Mission to the Families in the Cities is a resource each Adventist Church and family can use to reach relatives, neighbors, and friends to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
Available in English, French and Spanish.
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The Couple's Bible includes numerous resources and study tools. It has been specially prepared for couples at different stages of their lives.
English
French
To order copies of the Couple's Bible for your ministry network, send us an e-mail.
| | Connected: Devotionals readings for an intimate marriage | |
Written by Willie & Elaine Oliver contain 52 devotional reflections designed to help couples pause, pray, and then choose an answer to help strengthen their relationship.
If you are interested in translating or distributing this devotional, please contact the Stanborough Press Publishing House.
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Real Family Talk with
Willie and Elaine Oliver
| Is a weekly 30-minute program hosted by the Olivers debuted in October 2012, and airs on Hope Channel, Hope Channel Europe, and Hope Channel International. | | Willie and Elaine Oliver engage Adventist Review readers in their monthly column Real Family Talk, providing spiritual and social-scientific perspectives on real family issues. | | | |
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family.adventist.org
Strengthening Marriages, Families, Relationships,
Inspiring Hope and Bringing Healing.
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