Weekly News & Updates | April 11, 2024 | |
Pierre E. Omeler Elected as General Vice President for the Adventist Church | |
Pierre E. Omeler, newly elected General Conference vice president, and his wife, Myra. | |
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On April 10, 2024, the General Conference Executive Committee elected Pierre E. Omeler as a general vice president. The decision came during the second day of the church's Spring Meetings held at its headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, and is effective immediately.
Omeler has been the Atlantic Union Conference president since November 17, 2021. Prior to his appointment as president, he served the Atlantic Union Conference as executive secretary (2016-2021) and vice president for Haitian and African ministries (2011-2016). Omeler also held the position of Haitian Ministries director (2008-2011) and senior pastor (1991-2008) in the Northeastern Conference.
Omeler, who assumes his new role with a pledge to serve with "dignity and honor for the glory of God," emphasized the unique calling of the Adventist Church. "We love this church," he affirmed. "We believe this is the only church with the mission to preach the three angels' messages and to remind the world of the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Source: Adventist News Network
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Children's Prayer Breakfast: A Blessed Encounter | |
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On March 3, Joy of Troy church in Troy, New York, hosted its inaugural Children's Prayer Breakfast, extending an invitation to the community. The gathering saw a turnout of 15 children, accompanied by many parents, including four from the community. Three Joy of Troy teens also helped prepare the breakfast and participated in the program.
Puppets played a significant role, facilitating discussions on prayer and acting as emcees, garnering great enthusiasm. Two biblical characters, Samuel and Peter, made appearances, delivering messages to attentive children. The children read scripture, reflected on prayer topics, and shared insights with the group. Various crafts highlighted prayer aspects, followed by intercessory prayer among the children. Subsequently, one child sought guidance from a parent on how to pray for them.
Weeks later, the kids still remember the prayer acronym for TACOS (Thanksgiving, Adoration, Confession, Others, Self) that they learned at the prayer breakfast. The entire event was a blessed encounter, immersed in prayer and infused with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Annette Barnes, elder, Joy of Troy church
| Photo: Annette Barnes, Joy of Troy elder, and Emmanuel Horja, a teen volunteer from Joy of Troy church, serve as puppeteers during the Children's Prayer Breakfast program. [Joy of Troy communication] | |
April 2024 Gleaner Available Online | |
In Mark 16:15 there is an invitation for each member to do their part in loving others, caring for the needs of others, and reaching others for Christ. The April 2024 Gleaner highlights how education and evangelism are one. Read stories about how Atlantic Union schools and students are doing their part to share the good news of the gospel in different ways. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." This message is still valid today. The people and their needs may be different, and the methods may be different than in Jesus' time, but the message is still the same.
Read about Atlantic Union students fulfilling the Great Commission through compassionate service and much more in this month's Gleaner.
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The Hopeful Coming to Theaters April 17 and 18 | |
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Tickets to The Hopeful are now available for April 17 and 18 in 900 cinemas across the United States—from New York to D.C., Chattanooga to Riverside, Orlando to Kettering.
"This will be the largest evangelistic campaign by the Adventist Church in 2024," says director Kyle Portbury. "Our prayer is that pastors will encourage members to pray for three people who are not with them in the pew and invite them to this community event telling the story of the early Advent movement."
Funded by Hope Channel International, the film was created as a tool to spread the gospel and tell the story of hope through the lives of the early Seventh-day Adventist pioneers. (Click the image above to watch the trailer.)
Click below for more information and resources.
What's the Story Behind The Hopeful?
For Pastors: How to Use Cinema Evangelism with Your Members
Resources
Sources: Hope Studios and Hope Channel International
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Do you have an alumni weekend, church event, or special event happening at a church, school, or other entity within the Atlantic Union? Click HERE to let us know! | |
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April 19-20
ASI Atlantic Union Spring Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, with guest speaker Eric Walsh, M.D. Click HERE for more information.
April 26-28
Greater New York Conference Women's Prayer Retreat, "The Circle of His Love." Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Piscataway Somerset, 21 Centennial Ave. Piscataway, NJ. Space is limited. Click HERE for more information. Registration deadline: April 11.
April 27; 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
SNEC Women's Ministries Symposium with DeeAnn Bragaw, NAD Women's Ministries director. Registration is required for this free event. Click HERE to register and for more information.
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May 24-26
Embracing Mental Health in the Church, sponsored by Northeastern Conference Health Ministries. Hybrid event. Click HERE for more information, meeting IDs, and passcodes.
July 7-9
North Country Women's Retreat sponsored by New York Conference Women's Ministries at Camp Cherokee in Saranac Lake, NY. Guest presenter: Lynn Ortel. For more information, contact Barbara Bridgers, [email protected], or call (315) 469-6921.
July 21-27
USA Skills Week at Union Springs Academy for students in grades 8-12 during the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, call (315) 889-7314, or click HERE.
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Atlantic Union Conference Events | |
Let's Pray More!
Atlantic Union Conference Prayer Ministries invites you to pray together each Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the last Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
Zoom Meeting ID:
954 6819 9577
Password: PrayMore
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"Preaching Training" for Women
Learn the importance of preaching, how to analyze biblical stories, organize a sermon, discover the art of public speaking, and more. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, but there is no cost. The courses are available in English and Spanish. Scan the QR code to register. For more information, call (978) 368-8333, or email [email protected].
Click HERE for English seminar information.
Click HERE for Spanish seminar information.
Training Dates: April 13; May 18; June 22; July 27
| Save the Date! Planning Giving and Trust Services Continuing Education Event | |
2024 Planned Giving and Trust Services Continuing Education Event, October 21-24, at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, Connecticut. Registration information is coming soon! Click HERE for the flyer.
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About Atlantic Union Conference
Founded in 1901, the Atlantic Union Conference is the headquarters for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the northeast United States and the islands of Bermuda. It serves six conferences, more than 134,233 members in 613 churches and 94 groups, 43 schools, and numerous community-based ministries.
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The Atlantic Union Gleaner FYI is a news and information bulletin produced by the Communication department of the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. You are free to reprint any portion of the bulletin without the need for special permission. However, we kindly request that you identify Atlantic Union GleanerFYI whenever you publish these materials.
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