2015-2017 Mid-term Constituency Report (English)

Vol. 4 Special Issue 2017 Mid-Term Constituency

involvement home church community world

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

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CONTENT CONSTITUENCY 2015-2017

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President

Church Planting

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Executive Secretary

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Education

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Lake Whitney Ranch

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Men’s Ministries

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Treasury

Evangelism

Ministerial

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Adventist Community Services

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Family Ministries

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Association and Trust Services

Health Ministries

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Communication

Women’s Ministries

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Youth and Young Adults

Hispanic Ministries

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PRESIDENT

Carlos Craig

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As I report to you, the people of God, here at the halfway mark of the 2015-2019 Quadrennium, the words of the psalmist in Psalm 27 come to mind: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed, that I would see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living.” The past two years have certainly brought their share of challenges and hurdles, yet we have been privileged to be situated in a place to have seen and witnessed the goodness and blessing of the Lord, upon both His people and His work here in the Texas Conference.

It is said that numbers don’t lie, and the swell in this Conference’s membership to over 57,000 has been breathtaking to witness. The Texas Conference, by God’s grace, is the fourth largest Conference in the North American Division by membership. It is the third largest Conference in the North American Division in tithe, which speaks to the faithfulness of God’s people. But, more vital and more impressive than the numbers, is the spiritual vitality, vigor, and enthusiasm that I have seen in our church leaders, pastors, in our schools and teachers, in our young adults, youth and children, Bible workers, and Conference office staff. I have felt extremely privileged to work alongside these individuals who represent the Lord in the communities of Texas!

I think now of the new initiatives that began during these past two years. The Education Department implemented a new program called Educate for Eternity, which has opened the door for new, first-time students to attend our schools. The Youth and Young Adult Department partnered with the Evangelism Department on training opportunities like Glad Reaper – evangelism training for our young adults that equips them to reach their peers in school and at work. The Treasury Department, under the leadership of Edwin Romero, established an employee

portal, creating a streamlined channel for reporting. And our Print Shop continues to shine under the leadership of Mario Ledezma, the man I often refer to as “the hardest working man in the office!”

Our teachers and pastors are on the front lines of a spiritual battle to rescue the lost and positively impact Texas for God’s kingdom.

The sacrifices that they and their families make on a daily basis are inspiring. I think of individuals like teachers Tom Kennedy and Al Beyer, who climb into buses each school day and drive a route picking up kids along the way, proceed to teach all day in a classroom, then climb back in the bus and drive the route again after school to safely deliver kids back to their parents. For all our challenges, there is a lot of dedication being exerted by those who serve the Lord, His people, and the communities of this great state!

I have indeed seen the goodness of the Lord displayed in His people and His servants. As we all know from the captivating events that surround us in our nation and around the world, Christ’s return is imminent.

As I’ve mentioned before, we feel good about our baptismal numbers each year. Still, every time I drive up and down Interstate 35, I am reminded how those who die on Texas highways every year exceeds the number of those who enter the ranks of the Church.

With your help, our impact in the state will make it to the next level. Many of our schools and churches are doing wonderful things in their communities, but so much more can be done. During these next two years, let’s strive to see the goodness of the Lord while seeking to serve Him here in Texas!

SECRETARIAT God has blessed the Texas Conference over the past two years. We’re incredibly thankful for your partnership as we work together to complete God’s work here in Texas.

Membership Growth When the work began here in 1877, the Texas mission was established with two churches and 92 members. The early pioneers had a vision to reach this state with the Three Angels’ message. Now, 140 years later, we are happy to report that the Texas Conference has crossed the 57,000 membership milestone.

By the end of 2016, our Conference had grown to a total membership of 57,029. This is a net increase of 4,378 over the end of 2014. The growth is a reflection of the 5,341 baptisms and professions of faith in the last two years, and we praise God for the individuals who have connected their lives to Christ and have joined this worldwide movement.

Mid-term Overview Two Year Statistical Summary The statistical summary graph here provides key information for 2015-2016 at a glance.

The data is condensed into two major groupings: added and dropped.

1. Added: Growth through baptisms, professions of faith and transfers-in.

2. Dropped: Transfers-out, apostasy, missing members, and deaths.

The decade of membership growth shown here gives a snapshot of the past decade, and highlights how much God has blessed our territory.

Elton DeMoraes

Local Clerks & eAdventist Membership The Texas Conference now has more than 179 churches utilizing the North American Division eAdventist reporting system. Last year, we implemented a local church clerk certification program. Once the certification is completed, the church receives $200 for the purchase of a computer to be used by the local clerk. By the end of 2018, our goal is to have 85 percent of our churches participating in the eAdventist online membership program.

Sheri Denny served in this department until July 1, 2016 before moving to the Ministerial Department, while Rubi Garcia joined us on August 1. They both have served the field well, however, it would be almost impossible for the Conference to maintain accurate membership records without the faithful

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SECRETARIAT assistance of dedicated local church clerks who volunteer countless hours to maintain the church’s membership.

New Companies and Churches God’s work is also expanding here with the development of new congregations and companies. In the past two years, we have organized four churches and 12 new companies. To date, we have 244 churches, 58 companies and 28 schools. We thank God for the many pastors, educators, office staff, and members who help us enlarge God’s kingdom!

Paul Hunt

New Churches Los Fresnos Spanish, Plano Spanish, Houston Spanish Southeast, and Henderson Spanish.

New Companies San Antonio Spanish Southeast, San Antonio Spanish Northwest, San Antonio Spanish North, Cedar Hill Spanish, Denton Spanish, Laredo Spanish The Mines, Conroe Spanish North, Arlington Spanish South, Pflugerville Spanish, Houston Spanish Westchase, Cypress English, Irving Living Springs, Houston Ghanaian, San Antonio Filipino All Nations, and Richardson New Life Korean.

Constitution and Bylaws Committee The Executive Secretary is the chairman of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of the Texas Conference. For the past six months, this committee has devoted many hours to revising and proposing changes to our constitution and bylaws. Please take a moment to review this document before coming to the session.

A Multicultural Movement We continue to be blessed with great diversity among our churches, companies, and groups. In addition to the many cultures,

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countries, and people groups represented in our English-speaking churches and the tremendous growth in our Spanish-speaking congregations, we are also privileged to have Korean, Kenyan, Haitian, Brazilian, Vietnamese, and Slavic groups among our Conference.

Changes and Transitions On July 1, 2016, Ysis España, who had served the Secretariat Department for 35 years, retired from denominational employment. I had the opportunity to work with her for six months and was blessed by her dedication to the Secretariat Department, as well as to the field.

Rhonda Garner, who previously served as the Administrative Assistant during my time in the Ministerial Department transitioned to Secretariat after Ysis’s retirement.

After a department realignment, Human Resources, which was previously under Treasury, is part of Secretariat. We believe this change will make us even more effective in serving our pastors, teachers, and staff.

Word of Gratitude Many great things have happened throughout the Conference during these past two years. As you can see, we’ve experienced membership growth, multiple churches and companies were organized, and we’ve established enhanced services to assist our constituents in a more efficient manner. However, all of these can only be accomplished with the help of dedicated pastors, teachers, office staff, locally hired employees, and volunteers. To each of you, we say thank you for a job well done. I close my report with the inspired words of Ellen White from her book, Life Sketches: “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord had led us, and his teaching in our past history.”

TREASURY

We have been abundantly blessed by the Lord and the faithfulness of His people in this Conference over the last two years. Texas is currently the third strongest Conference in the North American Division in tithe, investment in Adventist education, and working capital.

In January of this year, our Conference Treasurer, Edwin Romero, accepted a call to the North American Division. Soon after, our Undertreasurer, Wirmin Alcantara, accepted a call to the Potomac Conference and left at the end of February. These calls, combined with the fact that an audit had not been scheduled to begin until the middle of April, has had a direct effect on our ability, or lack thereof, to provide an audited financial statement for our Mid-term Constituency Session on April 30, 2017.

We are extremely grateful to John Page, Southwestern Union Conference Treasurer, who worked for many years in the Texas Conference as the Undertreasurer, and who

has come in to assist us with vital accounting preparation for the April audit. Without such assistance, we would be months away from being prepared for the audit. We are confident that a published audit will be available sometime in May or June at the latest for you, our constituents. In the meantime, we will continue to do our absolute best to steward the Lord’s money with integrity.

We promise to rely and depend upon His grace as we work to complete His work here in the Texas Conference! Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we seek His guidance and direction for the next leadership of the Treasury Department. We hope to be able to introduce a new Treasurer and Undertreasurer at the April 30th Mid-term Constituency Session.

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ADVENTIST COMMUNITY SERVICES

Joe Watts

Sherry Watts Over the last 10 years, The Texas Conference and the Southwestern Union have shared Sherry and Joe Watts’ time and expertise in disaster response with the North American Division. During that time, the Watts continued to serve in Texas, the Southwestern Union, and the North American Division as needed. A couple of years ago, after ceasing to serve the Division, the Watts agreed to work part-time on a stipend for Texas Conference and Southwestern Union, leading out in Adventist Community Services and Adventist Community Services Disaster Response.

The welcome back has encompassed eleven disasters in the last few months, including a Christmas tornado in Garland, a tornado in Van, and floods in Wichita Falls, San Marcos, Central Texas, Southeast Texas, and the Houston area. Hundreds of buckets containing cleaning supplies, along with prepackaged clothing outfits, personal care kits, blankets, sheets, mold inhibitor, and toilet paper were distributed across our territory to thankful families.

Adventist Community Services volunteers share the love of Jesus with those

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who have been affected by unfortunate circumstances. The volunteers’ skill, as well as their willingness to give of themselves as they assist us in responding to disasters, is greatly appreciated. Working in Adventist Community Services is a blessing to us because of the faithful members and volunteers across the Texas Conference and Southwestern Union. It is also a tremendous witness to those in our communities as they see us reaching out to help others in times of need.

Members of the Seventh-day Adventist churches across Texas are making a difference in their communities through outreach such as: · Food pantries that provide food for families in need. · God’s Closet – a new concept that allows the church to provide clothing to families on a seasonal basis. · Homeless ministry, which is becoming a part of more outreach ministries. · Back-to-school backpacks that provide needed school supplies. · Plant-based cooking seminars. · Fairs for children in the community.

Jesus desires for us to help others. While there are literally hundreds of ways that we can serve our communities, Adventist Community Services continues to search for new ways to meet the needs of those in our communities.

Each year, area meetings are held in various churches around the Texas Conference for Community Services Leaders gather to network and learn about new outreach methods. Disaster Response classes are also offered throughout the year.

If your church would like to host a disaster training, please contact Joe or Sherry Watts at 817.641.7679.

ASSOCIATION AND TRUST SERVICES

Roger Mekelburg

Lynette Ecord

Rudy Salazar of ministry within the Conference also benefited from gifts and bequests, including evangelism, Christian education, Texas Vision, small church building fund, and tithe funds, as well as several unrestricted bequests for the Conference to use as needed.

If you would like to learn more about how you can further the mission of the church through your estate planning, we invite you to visit our website at TexasConferenceLegacy.org. You may also contact us at 1.800.847.2792, or email trust@txsda.org.

Jerrod Songy

Wes Schram

The Planned Giving and Trust Services Department provides assistance to individuals who wish to include one or all of the various ministries in the Texas Conference in the distribution of their estate through a Will, Trust, or Charitable Gift Annuity.

As of December 31, 2016, after many years of dedicated service, both Joe Ray and Ed Stacey have transitioned out of this department. Jerrod Songy has been asked to serve as the North Texas Field Representative. By the time this goes to print, we hope to have hired someone to replace Elder Stacey as our South Texas Field Representative, as well. They, together with Rudy Salazar, who joined us in 2014 and is our Central Texas Field Representative, are eager to serve our members in

the field. Roger Mekelburg (Director), and Lynette Ecord (Associate Director), as well as Sofia Fuentes (Administrative Assistant), round out the department.

During 2015-2016, 441 individuals wrote Christian Wills through the Conference, with an additional 16 families establishing Trust Agreements and Charitable Gift Annuities benefiting the church. During this same period, bequests and gifts of nearly $1.8 million were received from our faithful members through their estate plans. These funds benefited local churches, such as Keene and Keene Spanish, Joshua, Marshall, San Antonio Scenic Hills, Seguin, Wichita Falls, Edinburg, and Gulfhaven, as well as the Gulfhaven and Cypress Bend Church Schools. Various areas

Association The Texas Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists is the legal corporation that holds title to all church, school, camp, and other properties. Our staff is here to assist our local congregations with a variety of real property issues, including religious exemptions for property taxes, demolition, right-of-way and easement issues, property purchases and sales, lease agreements, and construction or remodeling projects.

Please remember that if your congregation is going to be involved in a project of any kind that requires a signature, those signatures must be from those officers of the Texas Conference Association, as stated in the corporate documents of the Texas Conference Association.

We are here to serve each of you as members of the Texas Conference as we work together to further the Lord’s work here in Texas. Thank you so much for your support and prayer.

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COMMUNICATION

Jason Busch

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The Communication Department of the Texas Conference has a wide variety of responsibilities, from publications, to media to coordinating the audio-visual aspects of several major Conference events. We strive to communicate what is going on in the Adventist church in Texas to our members and other audiences. We also aim to help our churches effectively communicate to their communities. Within our responsibilities is working closely with the Texas Conference departments to manage the Conference website, as well as weekly eNewsletters to our employees. Additionally, the Texas Conference newsletter, FLAMElite, has regularly informed members of major decisions, upcoming events and departmental responsibilities. You can find it in your local church bulletin every other month.

We also encourage all church and school Communication Directors and leaders to contact our department should they need any communication mentoring in their areas.

One of our major projects of 2016 was the creation of a new Texas Conference website, launched in December. Our primary goal for this new look was to create something for everyone - members, employees, and people who know nothing about the Adventist faith. Find us online at TexasAdventist.org for event dates and locations, departmental information, and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs.

The FLAME, our quarterly Conference magazine, continues to push the envelope in denominational publications. In 2013, we aimed to create a magazine that would pique the interest of anyone who came across it, with the goal of igniting a passion for living and serving in Texas. In 2014, we released a mobile friendly e-version of the magazine on our website, Facebook page, and at issuu.com/TexasAdventist. Being online has grown our circulation from 20,000

households to a potential worldwide audience. The 2017 Spring issue marked another redesign, as we transitioned toward a more minimalist look while keeping the same great content people have come to expect. The FLAME has also been recognized with numerous awards from the Society of Adventist Communicators. We are humbled and honored to have received those awards and want to pass the praise on to our designers, photographers, writers, and translators while acknowledging that the real recognition belongs to God. The best part of our job comes from being able to tell great stories from right here in Texas. Like the story of Nerv Thomas in the Fall of 2015, a man who landed in the United States with only the clothes on his back and a will to succeed. His dedication to the Sabbath has let more than a few jobs slip by, but God blessed him all the greater for it. Or the story of Rehema Mahijibhai in Summer 2016 issue, a woman who experienced the loss of a child and disintegration of her marriage, yet still praises God for the wonderful things He’s done for her. Most recently, we told the story of Joe Ray, a man who’s been in ministry for over 65 years and still isn’t slowing down.

Ultimately, the Communication Department facilitates ministry. We work together with churches, schools, leaders and members to share stories that impact, inspire and connect our church, members, and communities.

CHURCH PLANTING I recently heard that more people die in Texas traffic accidents each year than the number of new people we baptize into our Adventist churches throughout the state. Can we change this trend in the Seventh-day Adventist church? Absolutely!

Statistics show us that two healthy churches always reach more people than one larger church of an equal size, and we see this repeatedly in Texas. In 1962, the Richardson Church was the only Adventist presence in North Dallas. By 2000, the church had a membership of around 500 people. That same year, the congregation decided that it would start planting new churches as part of its evangelism and growth strategy. At the end of 2016, Richardson had ballooned to 972 members and $1.5 million in annual tithe – excellent results for our denominational standards! Even the 11 new congregations it helped plant during that same period had reached a total membership of 1,902 and a combined annual tithe of over $1.7 million. Stories like these repeat themselves throughout North America and point to church planting as an effective long-term strategy for church growth.

Our Texas Conference Church Planting Department has four major goals. First, we want to cast a vision for mission-driven church multiplication and to encourage all Texas conference churches to adopt church planting as an inseparable part of their evangelism and growth plan. From 2015-2016, God blessed our Conference with 31 new church plants – some as stand-alone groups targeting new geographic areas while others were planted by a mother church. In 2017, we have already organized six new church plants in Houston, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Our second goal is to develop a curriculum to equip our church planting leaders in becoming effective lay pastors for our new congregations. This is being

accomplished through annual area church planting rallies and through the training each of our local area English- and Spanishlanguage coordinators provide in their assigned districts. Our annual SEEDS Church Planting Conference draws hundreds of attendees desiring to be trained in church planting and growth strategies. We also assign a Texas Conference pastor to be the active coach for every lay planter in Texas.

Our third goal is to assist our new church plants to grow into healthy companies and churches. During the last two years, 24 of the 31 new plants grew to company status and more than four of those have already reached full church status.

The fourth goal of our department is to inspire all of our churches established in metropolitan areas to be involved in planting a new church every 10 years, either on their own or in partnership with other churches.

When we consider that we have over 320 churches, companies, and church plants in Texas, we should aim to plant around 14-17 additional churches every year.

Would you join us in making your church a multiplying church? Remember, it is not about the number of buildings we have, but about people being saved for eternity!

Boyan Levterov

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EDUCATION

John Hopps

Raul Aguilar “We believe that all children have a right to learn and our schools should strive to meet the needs of all students.” This statement encapsulates the philosophy of the leaders and teachers of the Texas Conference. In an effort to make this concept a reality, the Texas Conference Office of Education and the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists have developed forward-looking goals for students and teachers. Development committees have been hard at work developing guidelines and creating materials to achieve those goals.

This committee, The Special Needs Committee, guided by Damon Gilliam, adapted the NAD REACH (Reaching to Educate All Children for Heaven) guidelines

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Ellen Thomas

Carol Bradley

to the unique environment in which the Texas Adventist School System operates.

REACH is a program designed to improve the educational opportunities for students with learning and/or behavioral difficulties, as well as those students with the potential to accelerate their learning schedule. The Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventhday Adventists recognize this program’s importance and have partnered to concretely support this initiative by pledging $35,000 to begin.

The committee has: Developed a plan to use the NAD REACH manual to encourage teachers in helping students to succeed by learning to cope with any difficulties (or learning challenges).

Identified and started negotiations with a diagnostic resource center capable of providing services throughout the statewide Texas Adventist Education system.

A second emphasis involves improving student success in mathematics. This program is specifically designed for students in grades 1-6. The Math Curriculum Committee, composed of teachers actually teaching mathematics in grades 1-6, created a Texas Math Essentials Guide which: · Outline essential Go Math concepts. · Coordinated essential Go Math concepts to NAD standards. · Established benchmark testing materials. · Provided a Mathematics Record Card for documentation purposes.

· Provided basic fact test reinforcement to develop fluency with basic math facts.

A third major development by the Texas Conference Office of Education was to appoint teachers from all levels to further enhance the Social Studies curriculum. The goal of this committee was to: · Develop an online Social Studies Resource that could be accessed by all on the Texas Conference website. · Create a special resource for teachers to aid in integrating Texas History back into the NAD Social Studies sequence of study.

The Texas Conference Office of Education is not alone in striving to make sure all students have an opportunity to succeed. The Texas Conference of Seventhday Adventists has earmarked $250,000 in increased academy operating budget.

The Conference has further committed to fund $375,000 to the Educate for Eternity program. This program is designed to help first-time students by subsidizing their tuition.

Indeed, the Texas Conference and the Texas Conference Office of Education are committed partners in assuring that all students may have an opportunity to experience Christian education.

EVANGELISM Jesus is coming again soon! Everyone in Texas and beyond needs to be invited to accept Him as their Creator, Redeemer, Healer, Savior, Lord, Intercessor, and Soon-coming King, embrace all Bible truth, and unite with a vibrant Adventist group. In the Evangelism Department, our mission is to help mobilize every pastor, teacher, employee, young person and older believer in carrying out this mission.

We praise God for a number of things including new awareness of Adventists in the public eye as a result of Ben Carson’s presidential run and the Hollywood film Hacksaw Ridge, global mission efforts such as Total Member Involvement in Rwanda, Romania, and Ukraine, and mission efforts within Texas like Target Dallas and Target Central Texas in 2016, Target Houston and Target Valley in 2017, Multiply Austin 20162017, and Andrews Seminary Field School in Houston this year.

We are thrilled to report that we had nearly 2,700 baptisms and professions of faith, and over 3,000 new Homes of Hope in 2016 alone! We have helped train new evangelists in conjunction with the Youth and Young Adult Department, handed out 1.5 million GLOW tracts, including 100,000 at the Super Bowl in Houston, and have generated thousands of new Bible study interests.

We hope to reach new cultures by establishing a training center for refugees, immigrants, and international students, and one-day intensives with Scott Griswold are beginning this year. Additionally, Texas has adopted a global mission and hopes to establish Adventist work in ten cities throughout the Middle East and North Africa between 2015 and 2020.

Although we’re excited by the projects we’ve undertaken, we aren’t without our challenges. There are 24 million people

Dan & Lois Serns

Lynwood & Peggy Spangler

in Texas who have been untouched by the Adventist message, as well as hundreds of cities with populations over 10,000 without any kind of Adventist presence.

We think that every believer in Texas can be a prayer warrior, GLOW missionary, baptism coach, and establish a Home of Hope. Going one step further, every congregation, school, and Adventist institution can form a plan for giving Bible studies, creating small group sessions, and following through with those who have expressed interest in the Bible message.

Then, we will be able to fulfill Ellen White’s charge to, “…go as far and as fast as possible.” {Evangelism 18.4} Remember what the Bible tells us in Matthew: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Visit TexasEvangelism.org for more information.

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FAMILY MINISTRIES

Ruber & Ketty Leal

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“In You, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When God pronounced this promise to Abraham, it was a clear statement that God wants every family to be blessed.

This is the philosophy of the Family Ministries Department of the Texas Conference. Our purpose is to provide the necessary tools so that every family here can experience the blessing that God has promised.

In order to facilitate God’s blessings upon our families, Family Ministries works handin-hand with many pastors and local church Family Ministries Coordinators in helping them foster an environment that encourages every family member to actively engage in restoring God’s image in their lives.

Family Ministries recognizes that the only way to really impact and influence families is by equipping local leaders who are passionate for this area and who are willing to invest their lives ministering to local church members. Since 2008, this department has directly worked with over 3,000 families through trainings, workshops, and retreats.

Our department also writes Family Matters for FLAME magazine, which reaches over 20,000 homes every quarter.

During 2015-2016 the Family Ministries Department held over 20 workshops and retreats providing many families with the tools needed to experience the joy of a healthy family.

One of our major goals during 20152016 was to co-labor with the Ministerial Department to equip our pastors to better make a significant impact in the lives of premarital and married couples. So far we have been able to certify over 50 of our pastors as PREPARE/ENRICH facilitators.

Our goal is to have over 90 percent of our pastors certified by the end of 2018.

Another joint initiative with the Ministerial Department was to begin providing marriage retreats exclusively for our pastors and their

spouses. In October 2016 we held the first ForeverONE Marriage Retreat for the North Texas pastors at the Westin in Frisco. Our goal is to continue offering these retreats once per year in different areas of Texas to encourage our pastors to participate.

On September 16-18, 2016 the ForeverONE Marriage Retreat provided an unforgettable weekend for both English and Spanish couples at La Torretta Lake Resort in Montgomery, near Houston. Over 250 couples attended this retreat, making it one of the largest marriage retreats in the North American Division.

The Family Ministries Department is always ready to serve the local church and their families in any area of need that will allow every family to enhance their lives in becoming the joyful families that God has created us to be.

We praise God for the opportunity to serve the families in our Conference and for the way He has led this ministry the last nine years. For more information or how our department can serve you and the local church please contact us at 817-790-2255 ext. 2108 or visit us at TexasAdventist.org.

HEALTH MINISTRIES Errol Bryce

John 14:12 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Jesus touched many with compassion, teaching in churches, preaching the good news, and healing all kinds of sickness and diseases. Multitudes followed Him. In a world seeming to spiral out of control, the focus of the Health Ministries Department is to simulate the ministry of Jesus. In adopting this focus, much effort has been expended over the last year to integrate evangelism with health and promote an evangelism that goes beyond words. God has opened doors, leading us to find new paths.

Especially heartening was the willingness of Conference workers to participate in a one-day retreat with a 40-day follow up. They organized themselves in small groups and chose to make important changes in their lives. The plan is to make this event an annual one.

On the invitation of Gary and Erica Blanchard, the Health Ministries team

partnered with the School of Evangelism in North Texas (SENT), an entity designed to train young evangelists. A partnership with the Men’s Ministries Department and its Coordinator, Sean Harris, also led to the men of the Conference being encouraged to engage in better health practices. Many churches reported that the men came back energized with a zeal to be fit and healthy.

Another training seminar called Sharing Health for an Exciting Finish drew 550 participants.

The Lord led in a process of innovative evangelism as Health Ministries Department personnel sought to scale down Your Best Pathway to Health to fit the local church. How could we achieve Total Member Involvement and generate baptisms in the process? Three mega clinics conducted in Texas provided important clues, one led by Floyd Courtney and Pat Humphrey in Killeen, another led

by Sean Harris, Shawnah Shelton, and Errol Bryce in Mansfield, and the third led by Dr. Dona Cooper-Dockery in collaboration with pastors in the Rio Grande Valley.

However, as exciting as these events proved, Amen Clinics in Ogden, Utah, and Las Vegas were the most instructional, since they baptized 115 people. In preparation for this year’s six Amen Clinics, and eager to learn their strategy, Health Ministries personnel in Texas invited THRIVE, an evangelistic team from the Nevada-Utah Conference, to share experiences in Houston, McAllen, and Dallas.

The elements of explosive growth are emerging with the concept of Total Member Involvement: everyone mingling, showing compassion and demonstrating hospitality from the parking lot to the pulpit, church members distributing GLOW tracks, adopting a plant-based whole foods diet, and deploying health coaches. Baptismal coaches are reaping and leading people to small groups to stay connected. While we continue to pray, we anticipate even greater works under the Holy Spirit’s leading.

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HISPANIC MINISTRIES & EVANGELISM

Osvaldo Rigacci

Ruben Bullón

We thank God for sustaining and blessing us in these first two years of the latest quadrennial term. We rejoice because of our Hispanic congregations, their members, leaders, and our team of pastors. All of them continue to contribute to the growth of His kingdom in our Conference.

Growth remains consistent and we are happy to report that our Hispanic membership in the Texas Conference reached 24,924 at the end of 2016. This represents almost 44 percent of total Conference membership. We continue to be the largest Hispanic group in our North American Division.

Our department oversees 147 churches, companies, and groups. These are led by a passionate team of 67 pastors and six Bible workers, as well as 9 volunteer pastors.

During the last two years, four churches and 10 companies have been organized, and we have 11 groups that are working to be recognized as companies.

As a result of our members’ commitment to the mission and various evangelistic projects, 3,319 people gave their lives to Jesus and joined Hispanic congregations during

the last two years. This represents an average annual growth of 6.65 percent relative to our membership. Many of our churches are also working with Homes of Hope. Complementing the task in the homes, 245 reaping crusades on average have been conducted each year in local churches. It is remarkable that most churches participate in the sowing and harvesting cycles at least twice per year.

We continue to collaborate with the Evangelism and Ministerial Departments for Area Evangelism Trainings, Elder’s Encounters, and Area Leadership Summits for Church Departmental Directors. Last year, we even had a track designed for deacons and deaconesses. Materials and resources were provided for each participant in order to strengthen the sense of individual and corporate purpose.

Financially, the Lord has blessed His people abundantly. Even with several challenges, and no matter what crisis or negative situations have occurred in our demographic group, faithful church members from Spanish-speaking congregations have given about $29 million in local tithe over the last two years, with an annual average increase of 5.27

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percent. About 45 percent of that figure goes to local and world offerings. It is a fact that, even in circumstances of need, our members have shown fidelity and generosity to the Lord and His work.

In the area of Hispanic Evangelism, Ruben Bullón has conducted an average of 11 Harvest Evangelism Campaigns per year by collaborating with local and district evangelistic projects. In addition, he has trained members by producing and distributing both Bible study and small groups materials. We have also integrated two part-time Bible workers who alternate from city to city.

Our MOREhope projects targeting metropolitan areas have produced tremendous results. We typically have 3-4 MOREhope projects each year. It has been a joy to see churches participate in bringing others to Jesus. It’s no coincidence that our growth is steady, and we thank God for what He’s doing in our churches.

I thank God for my administrative team and colleagues around the Conference for the consistent support they have given us to carry out our work. I also thank Ruben Bullón, our Evangelist, and our Administrative Assistants, Abigail Espinosa and Esther Rendon, for their service and dedication.

LAKE WHITNEY RANCH Currently, we are working with the Army Corps of Engineers to get our two new boathouses, in addition to purchasing cooling units for our meeting and kitchen tent, placing picnic tables, rest areas, and water stations, cedar fencing, and other needed amenities.

Ken Reiber

Susan Reiber

Lake Whitney Ranch sits on 880 acres and exemplifies the beauty and tranquility of Texas. Visit our 400+ acres of pristine beauty on the south side of the ranch, which includes large oaks, wild flowers, all types of wildlife, and several waterfalls, or visit the beautifully and recently furnished lodges on the lake surrounded by an additional 400+ acres of natural splendor, a recreational pond, plenty of wildlife, and serenity.

We have recently completed all the necessary revisions and handicap requirements at the lodges and feel blessed to have been able to beautifully furnish the living spaces and bedrooms. We have working fireplaces on both levels for your enjoyment on the cooler days and nights, and each room is climate controlled for your individual comfort. Each of the three lodges has two rooms upstairs, each with a king-size bed and a balcony overlooking Lake Whitney, while the four bedrooms downstairs have a queen-size bed and comfortable chairs in which to sit and enjoy the lake views.

Whether it’s a weekend getaway for your family, church group, school, Pathfinder or Master Guide Club, or even a wedding, Lake Whitney Ranch is honored to plan your perfect weekend.

In 2017 alone, we have already hosted or will soon host a retreat for pastors’ spouses with Ministerial Director Rodney Mills, a youth pastor retreat with Youth and Young Adult Director Gary Blanchard, the Lewisville Church retreat, Burton Academy Drama Club and Choir, and the 2017 Pathfinder Camporee just to name a few.

We are excited to once again have Summer Camp at Lake Whitney this year, and have already purchased a new wakeboard boat with a tower and ballast, some new bicycles, and additional water sport equipment. You’ll also notice improved roads, a new entrance gate, new LED lighting at the entrance, as well as at the hay barn for our rodeos and barn events, new sand at the recreational pond for swimming, canoeing, and baptisms, new roads to the back of the camp houses, and many more improvements.

Looking to the Future Going forward, we plan to proceed with bath and shower facilities for our campers. Equally important, we are turning multiple groups away every month because we don’t have the sleeping, eating, and/or meeting room capacity to accommodate them. For Lake Whitney to be financially sound and require minimal support from the Texas Conference, we need to be able to sleep and feed a minimum of 400-500 additional people. We must be able to run several events simultaneously, as the other successful Adventist camps do.

We already have waiting lists during our larger events for people wanting beds, and have several groups who are booking events and reserving specific dates for the next 10 years. We have turned away large groups like the ARME Bible Camp that needs room for 500 people, the NAD has several groups that we have had to turn down, and we’ve also been unable to accommodate several events for Southwestern Adventist University and the Texas Conference because we simply don’t have the capacity. We’d love for Lake Whitney Ranch to be able to book all of these events. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward in this important evangelistic outreach, and let’s continue to make Lake Whitney Ranch A Light in the Heart of Texas. For information and reservations, please email Susan Reiber at sreiber@txsda.org.

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MEN’S MINISTRIES England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Registration is $125, and includes seminars, lodging, food, activities, and more.

Sean Harris

Sergio Rodriguez

The Men’s Ministries Department of the Texas Conference seeks to grow faith, nurture families, serve churches, and impact communities. The English Men’s Ministries group celebrated its first Men’s Summit in October 2016. Over 140 men, gathered at Camp Hoblitzelle in Midlothian to celebrate God’s goodness and seek His wisdom in being victorious in their Christian walk. The theme of the weekend was “ENGAGE LIFE: In It to Win It.” Attendees enjoyed a weekend full of inspirational presentations and group talk, worshipful music, food, and cooperative activities.

Dr. Richard Davidson, a professor at the Theological Seminary at Andrews University, was our Keynote Speaker for the event and his presentations were centered around the life of David. They not only uplifted, but also educated attendees on the sacred role and paramount importance of the man’s role in family, church, and community.

Among the guest speakers were Trevor Oreggio, a professor at Andrews University, Errol Bryce, Health Ministries Director for the Texas Conference, Gordon Jones, Pastor

of Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austin, Minner Labrador, Men’s Ministries Director at Southwestern Union Conference, Paul Coneff, Director of Straight 2 The Heart Ministries, and Carlos Craig, Texas Conference President.

Additionally, there were social activities such as canoeing, basketball, soccer and fishing where men were able to fraternize.

Camp Hoblitzelle turned out to be the perfect setting to host this meeting given the size and comfort of its facilities and the natural environment in which it is situated.

Our leadership team includes Sean Harris, English Coordinator, Sergio Rodriguez, Spanish Coordinator, and Associate Coordinators, Carlos Craig, Paul Hunt, John Tatum, James Milam, Minner Labrador, Samson Sembeba, Roderick Bishop, Travis Patterson, Paul Coneff, and Tom Grove.

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Upcoming Events The next Men’s Summit will be held November 3-5 at Camp Hoblitzelle in Midlothian. The keynote speaker is Bob Cundiff, President of the Northern New

Hispanic Men’s Ministries The Hispanic Men’s Ministries for the Texas Conference celebrates its annual retreat with a high note of relevancy and growing attendance. It is a consistently powerful event. Texas is one of the bases for the NAD’s Men’s Ministries Training Certification, and the Hispanic Men’s Ministries Department provides assistance and resources to the other Conferences around our Union, as well as for two other countries outside of United States.

Please pray for us and for the men that we are expecting at this year’s Hispanic Men’s Retreat on October 13-15, 2017.

MINISTERIAL

Rodney Mills The ministry and mission of the Ministerial Department is to provide encouragement, training, mentoring, and support for the pastors in the Texas Conference. Over the past two years, several programs have continued to help accomplish this mission while others have been initiated with the hope of expanding the ministry of both the pastor and the laity.

In the Spring of 2016, ongoing training for local church elders was expanded to include the elders’ spouses. Since they often serve as a team leading the local church, with or without a title, the spouses were invited to join in the training, education, and support. This has proven to be a huge success and help for team ministry in Texas. In addition, leadership summits were conducted in late summer around the Conference focused on training and equipping deacons and deaconesses for greater service and fulfillment.

A ministerial intern training program meets quarterly at the Texas Conference office for one-day seminars. It is here that

an average of 35 young pastors meet with experienced pastors and discuss various topics in ministry including working with the Conference, evangelism, church health, preaching, and youth ministry. This year, a new element was added to the intern training program. In January, the ministerial spouses of all the non-ordained or newly ordained pastors were invited to Lake Whitney Ranch for a weekend retreat. This was a time of sharing and understanding the varied and sometimes conflicting expectations of ministry. This weekend had a profound impact on the pastors’ spouses who attended, and promises were made to add depth and meaning to their ministry alongside their spouses.

Focusing Leaders continues to impact 30 pastors and their churches during its two-year process. This program creates a sharper vision and clearer understanding of the mission that God has called each of us to share with Him. It continues to help pastors and members alike see the calling that God has placed on their lives. Both pastors and laity are sensing God’s leading in their past and what impact He can have through them in the future with a life dedicated to Him. Other trainings and seminars have been held to help equip the pastors for ministering to couples planning on getting married.

The ministerial department has offered, and continues to offer, certification in premarital counseling. Pastors are then able to help prepare couples for the challenges, struggles, and joys of marriage. In addition, the Ministerial Department has offered training for “Straight 2 the Heart” prayer ministries

by Paul Coneff over the last two years. This seminar helps the pastor to reach the needs of those struggling with addictions, abuse, vices, guilt, and pain through pointing the suffering person to the sufferings of our Lord and Savior.

Finally, after discussion about developing a system of pastoral review, this year marks its advent. Through a simple survey, completed by each church board member, the Ministerial Department is personally meeting with each pastor to review both areas of strength and areas where he or she can continue to develop into more effective workers for Christ.

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of providing the encouragement, training, mentoring, and support that is needed by our pastors in the Texas Conference.

As the Ministerial Director for the Texas Conference, I truly hope to be the “Pastor’s Pastor.”

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WOMEN’S MINISTRIES

Sandy Reyes

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I have the opportunity to acknowledge God’s wonderful works in the Women’s Ministries Department. God has been and still is such a blessing in my life. I am so grateful to Him for allowing me to be a part of the Texas Conference Women’s Ministries.

The Lord’s work is both a challenge and a blessing. I am encouraged every day to seek Him for guidance and direction within His will. His will for our lives is that we live in such a way that others may see Jesus in us. It is this last generation that is to wake up, to see the lost and where they are headed, and to use the gifts that He has given each of us. Let Him reignite the passion in our souls and make His Word like a fire within our bones. Jesus has manifested His love for us on the cross, and out of love for Him and others we are to share the Good News of His salvation and Second Coming. We need to believe and we must proclaim it. He did not choose the angels, the beasts of the field, or the fowl of the air to proclaim it. He has chosen you and me, fallen individuals who have received His grace and who know His forgiveness that we may share with those who do not know Him. He wants to use those who have seen and experienced His wonders working in their lives.

In 2015, The Women’s Ministries Department held Spanish retreats in the Rio Grande Valley and in Conroe. The theme was “May Our Prayers Ascend unto Thine Altar.” They were retreats focused on prayer through the Sanctuary. On Saturday morning, we celebrated the 20 years of Women’s Ministries being re-established at the 1995 General Conference Session in Utrecht.

Women reenacted the list of women that helped in different areas and departments, as well as the first women to go overseas as missionaries. It was a beautiful program that encouraged the women to work for the Lord in their homes, churches, and communities.

In the afternoon, we had five prayer stations that attendees rotated through every 25 minutes. The stations were: Hagar: When you go through your deserts in life, the Lord will be with you. We prayed for each woman’s desert(s).

Hannah: We prayed for our children.

Esther: We prayed that the Lord would give us courage for such a time as this to fulfill the work He has called us to do.

Rebekah: We prayed for our marriages that they may honor the Lord.

Mary: The mother of Jesus. The Lord has asked us to give what is dearest to us. She had to give her son so we could be reinstated where the Lord wants us.

In 2016, the Spanish retreats were held in the Valley and San Marcos with the theme “Flourishing and Serving in God’s Garden.”

It focused on how everyone can serve with their different personalities and make the garden of the Lord flourish so others can see and hopefully be willing to serve.

The English Retreat was held in Conroe with the theme of “Being a Light in a Dark World.” We had the same prayer stations as the Spanish had in 2015. Our wonderful speakers were Janet Page, Kelly Dulac, and Ruth De Paiva.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS Summer Camp Summer Camp offers the chance our young adult staff to minister to young people ages 7-17. It’s also an opportunity for kids across the state to have fun learning about God. We see dozens of campers get baptized and become disciples of Christ and members of His Church every year.

Summer Camp this year will be at Lake Whitney Ranch. Staff Week is June 4-11, Cub Camp is June 11-18, Junior Camp is June 18-25, Tween Camp is June 25-July 2, Teen Camp is July 2-9, and Family Camp is July 9-16. For more information, visit YoungTexasAdventist.org.

Gary Blanchard

Paulo Tenorio

The Youth and Young Adult Department of the Texas Conference has a simple motto: Making Ministers for The Master. It is our desire to see young people meet Jesus and serve others in His name.

We are blessed to have 13,644 young people between the ages of 13-35 in the Texas Conference. If we broke that number down, we have 4,160 between the ages of 13-19, 4,490 between the ages of 20-25, and around 5,000 between the ages of 26-30.

So the vision of seeing every young person become a minister for the Master is a massive one.

The following are some events and programs we have sponsored over the last two years to help facilitate our mission motto.

In partnership with volunteers around the Texas Conference we have helped conduct Camporees, Family Camps, outreaches, parades, and the Ultimate Master Guide race.

These events draw thousands to Jesus Christ.

Clubs Ministries The Texas conference is blessed to have a growing club ministry. We have close to 8,000 Adventurers, Pathfinders, and Master Guides registered, including 150 dedicated volunteers. Club Ministries is designed to marshal God’s “army of youth” and train them to be “a servant of God and friend to man.”

SENT (School of Evangelism in Texas) We have trained over 400 young people in various areas of evangelistic ministry (giving Bible studies, preaching, church planting).

Many young people have returned to their local churches to effectively partner with their pastors.

Glad Reaper At these training retreats, many young people have learned the power of team ministry and the basics of holding an evangelistic effort in their local churches.

Youth Fest Youth Fest is an opportunity for hundreds of young people around the Texas Conference to meet Jesus through preaching, community service, and Spirit-inspired worship.

Mission Trips We’ve led trips to Dallas, San Antonio, Guatemala, Peru, and the Amazon. On these adventures young people are given opportunity to lead out in VBS programming, evangelistic meetings, community service, and/or medical assistant initiatives.

Campus Ministries We recently added campus ministries to our buffet of initiatives. Approximately 80 percent of Seventh-day Adventist young people go to secular universities and need our support.

For more information or to register for upcoming events, programs, visit us at YoungTexasAdventist.org. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Also, feel free to invite us to speak at your churches, camporees, weeks of prayer, and more.

On behalf of the Texas Conference, we want to thank the hundreds of individuals who have donated their time, creative energy, and resources to ministering to young people.

You are an inspiration and a blessing to us, and we look forward to serving with you in the future.

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