East Jamaica Conference

Communication Department
74 Constant Spring Road P.O. Box 181 Kingston 10 Jamaica W.I.
Tel:(876) 924-1061-3, Fax (876) 924-0263. E-Mail: ejccommunication@ejcsda.com
website: http://ejcsda.com

September 5, 2014

To: All Pastors, Elders, Leaders and Church Members

Sincere Christian greetings!

Please see important dates and events of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists below.



To access the usual printable version of this week's Communication Advisory file click here.



September 4, 2014

To: All Pastors, Elders, Leaders and Church Members

Sincere Christian greetings!

Please see important dates and events of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists below.


(1) EJC Ambassador Sashing - September 7-2014 @ 4:00pm

The Culmination of the EJC Ambassadors programme will be held this Sunday, September 7, 2014 in the
Conferences boardroom at 4:00 p.m. A special sashing service will take place. Cost: Adults $400 & children $100
(pay at the door).

Each church is encouraged to send two youths to the event (preferably a male and a female) who should be willing to
share what they learn about the Ambassador's program at the sashing, with other young people in their church.

See web banner information below.

(2) JAMU Mens Convention - September 6, 2014

All men in EJC, are invited to attend the JAMU Mens Convention which will take place at the NCU
Gymnatorium on September 6, 2014 under the theme Adventist MenAgents of Change leading to a brighter
future.

Main Speaker will be Pastor Everett Brown, JAMU President. Other speakers include Dr. Eric Nathan, President
EJC and Dr. Trevor Gardener, President NCU.

See poster with more information below. To view video promo from President Nathan Click Here.

NB. Please remember to make provision for your Sabbath lunch.

(3) Notice from the Sabbath School, Personal Ministries & Comm. Services Dpt.

1. IAD/EJC School of Evangelism ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING:

Corporate Class Session- Sunday, September 28, 2014 at Half Way Tree SDA
Virtual Graduation, Sabbath, October 25, 2014

2. Birthday greetings to our seniors, born in the month of September; wishing you good health and a blessed and
peaceful 2014.

(4) Womens Ministries Department

1. Are you interested in relaxation and rest? Do you want to spend less and get more out of your vacation? Do you
want to experience a little personalized ME time in the sand?
If you answered yes to any of the above then start planning for the four day October 2015 retreat. Take your children,
spouses, family and friends. It will be fun and fellowship! Details will follow soon.

2. MOMS in Touch: Calling out all Moms prayer group to pray for our childrens safety at school as well as our
children who have it in mind to attend Sabbath classes.

3. GEMS get ready to support the BEAMS in their Junior Male Convention to be held on October 25, 2014. Venue to
be announced. Dress code -GEMS uniform.

4. Two vacancies exist for household helpers. One of the vacancies will be given to someone trained in the Soft Skills
program. Call immediately 781-1565.

5. As we get ready for our 2015 commitment service we are asking all our adults to be uniformly attired in either of
the following: Lavender or purple suit, black skirts with lavender, purple or pink tops. These tops are available at L.P.
Azar.

6. Womens & Childrens Ministries Appreciation Exercises WM, CM & GEMS

7. November 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). The material has
been circulated for you to share with your church.


(5) Notices from the Childrens Ministries Department

1. Wow! Elder Parks was caught in action at the Olympic Way VBS. He was very involved during the 2 weeks of
VBS starting with devotion and was caught on camera at the graduation exercise. On sports day the children were
engaged in melon and June plum eating competition. Elder Junior Ellis and his chefs also taught the children how to
prepare healthy dishes. Well done CM team.

2. VBS: Hats off to all churches who engaged our children in Vacation Bible School. It was an exciting Journey to
Health Land especially with our visitors. We encourage you to invite occasionally these many visitors that
participated in the VBS program. Remember that for many children this is the gateway to becoming members of the
church. Kindly send your VBS reports and pictures along.

3. Bible Spell-a-thon zone finals will be held on September 20 and 27, 2014 @ 3:00 p.m.

4. Parent tips for 3rd and 4th quarters are in the VBS package. Please call the office for assistance.

5. Come help in the spread of the gospel through the sale of Metro Mission crusade DVDs. A surprise awaits you for
every sale you make. Call the Childrens and Youth Ministries Departments for details.

6. Coming soon! Jewels Father Child Affair. Begin to promote this. Watch the press for details. Remember to invite
some non SDA fathers.

7. Lets get back to basic with our Memory Verse- Get ready for a new start. Kindly have all the children learn the
memory verse each week starting the 1st Sabbath of the 4th quarter and adding each Sabbath so that on 13th Sabbath
the children can repeat the 13 texts from memory.

8. Memorization of the books of the Bible: Many of our children struggle to find the books of the Bible. We are called
on to teach them. Let us find ways to have them learn to spell, sing, repeat and memorize the books of the Bible.


9. Childrens ministries department recommendation
WHEREAS, the Childrens Ministries Department is a ministry to serve and promote spiritual growth, as well as
physical, emotional and social health and skills to youngsters ages 0-14, and recognizing the identity and belonging
issues facing the adolescence group, it was
VOTED, to add the word adolescence to the present department name to assure a sense of belonging needed for
better performance and service to the church by this group of youngsters who are trying to find a place of their own,
believing this will motivate and give them a sense of personal belonging and recognition in their service for God. The
recommended name is: Children and Adolescence Ministries.

(6) Notice from the Family Life Department

1. All Family Life Directors are asked to lay aside Sunday morning, October 12, 2014 for a special morning event
that you will be asked to attend on behalf of your church. Venue and agenda will follow soon.

2. Are you interested in relaxation of body, mind and soul. You are invited to respond positively to a weekend of
rejuvenation with the Andrews Church family at Iberostar. October 17-20, 2014. For persons wishing for a change of
hotel venue here is your golden opportunity. For more information call our department.


3. Begin to plan now for Retreat 2015. Dont be caught napping. This will include our BEAMS, GEMS, Jewels,
spouses, family, co workers, neighbours and friends. More details will follow. In the midst of fellowship imagine a
baptism at this retreat! Lets plan for this. No one will be left out. Special surprise with the churches who will book
early. Watch the press for booking date.

4. Calling all trained personnel in counseling, mediation and HR from zones 1-4 to assist with the team of counselors
who will form part of the core for our Family Ministries. Let us work while it is day, the night cometh when no man
can work.

5. BEAMS: Family Life and Mens Ministries Directors this is a call out to you to send us 2 names (under 16 and
over 17) to represent your church for the October 25, 2014 special Junior Male Convention. These will be trained as
BEAMS representatives.

6. Kindly watch the press for date and time for the pre-marital counseling sessions that will be held in your zone on a
monthly basis. All persons interested in or who intend to enjoy a manageable relationship are asked to plan to make
use of these sessions.

7. There will be a special Singles Day celebration in November 29, 2014. You are asked to plan for this and make it
an out of the ordinary day for this extraordinary set of individuals. A program guide will follow soon.






(7) Youth Ministries Department

1. With the new configuration of some pastoral districts, a few zonal federations were affected. Upon consultation
with the Conference Administration, it was agreed upon to let the Zonal Federations continue as they were, until
the end of the year.

2. September 20, 2014 will be World Pathfinder Day. All pathfinder clubs or churches that will need specialized
services or leaders from the Youth Ministries Department, please make your request at least two weeks before the
date, so proper planning and assignment of key leaders can be done.

3. EJC Pathfinder & Adventurers Examination is scheduled for October 26.

4. BIBLE BOOM September 2014: Its almost time for the play-offs to begin and Bible Boom promises to be
more inspiring, interesting and fun. The Books to be studied are Hosea-Micah. Every AYS must be on board as
we want our youth to become men and women of the WORD!!!


(8) Notices from the Constituency

1. The Elders Association EJC, Corporate Area Chapter will continue the ELders' Certification Training on
Sunday September 14, 2014 at 9:00 am in the EJC Board Room. Guest Presenter, Dr. Newton Cleghorne of
NCU, will present on the doctrines of the SDA Church. All Elders and Leaders are invited and expected to attend.

2. The Omara Road SDA Church will be hosting a grand fund-raising concert in aid of the church building
on September 27, 2014 on the church grounds. Please see flyer below. Refreshments will be on sale.

3. The Family Life Department of the Kencot Seventh-day Adventist Church has planned a Thomson Caribbean
Cruise that will depart from Montego-Bay on March 31, 2015 and return April 7, 2015. Family members and
friends are invited to this exciting cruise. Foremost in planning was to find a cruise that would originate in
Jamaica, so that church members and other interested persons who are without a US visa would not be denied the
privilege of participating in the cruise. Please see flyer below or call Elder Paulette Stewart @ 891-5640 for
further information.

(9) Notices from the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department

1. Knowing your rights: While Seventh-day Adventists enjoy the right to worship freely, check out some of the
latest happenings around the world regarding religious freedom.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled (earlier this year) that Hungary breached the freedom of religion
and the freedom of association when it stripped minor religious groups of their status as churches.
The Church Act, which took effect in January 2012, says the Hungarian parliament has the right to decide in a
two-thirds majority vote whether a given religious community or church may attain a recognized church status
and also, which church gets state subsidy.

After a Constitutional Court decision last year, which found certain provisions of the Church Act
unconstitutional, Hungary recognizes religious communities as having the same legal standing as recognized
churches, but this still doesnt necessarily mean they also receive state financing.

Churches still need to be recognized officially in Hungary to operate, based not only on formalities but also after
considerations such as whether their operations arent a threat to national security. This process is now done by
the government and parliament, instead of the earlier practice when only the parliament had a say.

Prior to the Church Act of 2012, religious communities had been registered as churches by courts based solely on
formal requirements in Hungary and received state funding automatically.

Many of the former churches lost their fully incorporated church status after the parliament recognition. The
Strasbourg Court now ruled that this breached the rights to freedom of religion and freedom of association.

ADAPTED Wall Street Journal, http://blogs.wsj.com/emergingeurope/2014/04/08/european-court-of-human-
rights-hungary-breached-freedom-of-religion/

2. We use this medium to advise members of our church that where members encounter challenges in schools or
the workplace as a result of their religious beliefs that these situations should be brought to the attention of the
Pastor and Religious Liberty Leader of the Church as a first step. If there intervention fails to effect a solution,
then the matter should be brought to the attention of the Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
Department. The email address is :- parl@ejcsda.com.


(10) Notices from the Communication Department

1. Communication Team members, be reminded of our final Workshop ( Zones 1 - 4) on October 5, 2014.
Plan to be there.

2. Latest News Update. Read news updates from here and abroad by following this section of our website at
:Click here for Latest News

3. New District and Pastoral Assignment in Photos
The East Jamaica Conference website is now updated to reflect the new pastoral assignment showing
the names of the churches associated with each pastor.

Click Here to see your pastor and the churches he is responsible for.

(11) Schedule of Upcoming Conference Dates and Events

Dates Event Location
Sept 6 JAMU Mens Convention NCU Gymnatorium
Sept 7 EJC Ambassador Sashing EJC Board Room
Sept 20 World Pathfinder Day All Churches
Sept 20 & 27 Bible Spell-a-thon Zone finals
Oct 5 Communication Workshop EJC Board Room
Oct 25 Junior Male Convention




Phillip E. L. Castell
Communication Director