Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY210009A
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00:01 As you're well aware,
00:02 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:05 Join us now for today's special program. 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:17 Mending broken people 00:22 I want to spend my life 00:28 Removing pain 00:33 Lord, let my words 00:39 Heal a heart that hurts 00:44 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 00:54 I want to spend my life 01:00 Mending broken people 01:14 Hello and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:18 I'm Jason Bradley, 01:20 and I'm so glad that you decided 01:21 to join us once again, 01:22 whether you're watching or listening, 01:24 we're happy to have you. 01:26 We have an exciting, fast paced, 01:28 fast moving program for you. 01:31 And with we're going to be talking about ASI Lake Union 01:35 and all of the amazing things that God is doing 01:39 through that organization 01:40 and an event that you might want to partake in. 01:44 So you'll find out all about that. 01:47 I want to introduce you to my guest today, 01:51 and we have Joy Kauffman on the set 01:54 and you are the president of ASI Lake Union. 01:57 It's great to have you here. Thanks. 01:58 It's a privilege to be here. Yes. 02:01 And we have Debbie Young, 02:02 the program's chair she's joining us via Skype. 02:06 Debbie, it's great to have you. 02:08 Thank you. It's good to be here. 02:10 I wish you could be here in the studio. 02:12 We miss you guys. 02:13 Yes. 02:15 And we have Gianluca Bacchiocchi, 02:19 and he is a board member with ASI Lake Union. 02:23 It's great to have you here. 02:26 Great to be here. 02:27 Thank you. Yes, sir. 02:28 You're welcome. 02:30 And Christopher Randall, 02:31 VP for evangelism with ASI Lake Union. 02:34 How's it going today? 02:37 Real good. 02:38 Sun is shining. Amen. 02:39 Amen. All right. 02:41 Well, before we dive into the program, 02:44 find out about your roles 02:45 within the organization and all of that. 02:47 We're going to be blessed in song by Stephanie Dawn 02:51 and it's entitled, "One Pair of Hands." 03:22 One pair of hands formed the mountains 03:28 One pair of hands formed the sea 03:34 One pair of hands made the sun and the moon 03:40 Every bird, every flower, every tree 03:47 One pair of hands formed the valleys 03:52 The ocean, the rivers and the sand 03:58 Those hands are so strong 04:02 So when life goes wrong 04:05 Put your faith into one pair of hands 04:12 One pair of hands healed the sick 04:18 One pair of hands raised the dead 04:24 One pair of hands calmed the raging storm 04:31 And thousands of people were fed 04:37 One pair of hands said I love you 04:43 And those hands were nailed to a tree 04:49 Those hands are so strong So when life goes wrong 04:56 Put your faith into one pair of hands 05:15 Those hands are so strong 05:19 So when life goes wrong 05:22 Put your faith into one pair of hands 05:28 Put your faith 05:30 into one pair of hands 05:47 Amen and amen. 05:49 What a beautiful song. 05:50 Joy, tell us a little bit about ASI. 05:53 What does ASI stand for? 05:55 And talk a little bit about your role 05:58 with the organization? 05:59 All right. 06:00 Well, thank you for asking and, Jason, 06:02 you just joined the board of ASI Lake Union. 06:05 So I'm officially giving you your hat. 06:07 And this says what the acronym stands for. 06:09 It's Adventist Layman's Services and Industries. 06:13 And so, what we are is a group of people 06:16 that come together. 06:18 We're not paid by the church, 06:19 but we come together as businesses 06:21 and leaders throughout 06:23 all different walks of life and also ministries. 06:26 And we partner together to see that we can share Christ 06:30 in our marketplace, wherever it is. 06:31 And so there's, 06:33 it's like an extended family of the church 06:36 and Lake Union is one chapter. 06:39 Every union has a chapter of ASI. 06:42 And so, we're kind of like smaller reunions. 06:45 And then once a year, Lord willing pre-COVID, 06:49 we would get together at the very start of August 06:51 for a huge family reunion across the nation. 06:54 And often people would come from around the world 06:56 to encourage, 06:57 inspire and equip us 06:59 to share Christ in the marketplace. 07:00 Nice. Amen. 07:02 Yeah. And that's crucial. 07:03 Like how do you witness in a secular society? 07:06 How do you take Christ into the marketplace? 07:09 So I feel like ASI really fills that void 07:14 and creates a great networking space. 07:16 Exactly. 07:18 And there's so many people that, you know, 07:20 it's been around for 70 years, so it's inspired very early on. 07:23 And our heritage goes 07:24 all the way back to Madison College, 07:26 where it was starting with this idea 07:29 of being self-supporting. 07:30 So the ministries would find ways actually to, you know, 07:34 earn their living through the ministry 07:37 and then it could be expanded 07:38 without creating that dependency. 07:40 But then we also have ministries that, you know, 07:43 can apply and get funding to help get wings. 07:46 And that's been a blessing for many different ministries, 07:49 including the one I lead. 07:50 Amen. 07:52 Yes, FARM STEW. 07:53 Yes, yes. Yeah. 07:55 But today I have my ASI hat on, so... 07:56 Absolutely. 07:58 So what's it like being president 07:59 of ASI Lake Union? 08:00 Well, I started in that role 08:02 actually about a month before things shut down. 08:04 Okay. 08:06 So we've really pivoted as an organization to see 08:08 how we can serve people now. 08:11 And I will say, 08:12 ASI has never been better, honestly, 08:16 every Thursday night we have what's called ASI hour 08:19 and a lot of the experts and business leaders will go on 08:22 and share their techniques and stories. 08:25 And it's just, it's very encouraging, 08:26 especially for people 08:28 working from home to just connect. 08:30 And so I encourage people to check that out, 08:32 asiministries.org. 08:34 And then as a chapter, 08:36 we decided we would come and partner 08:38 with the national organization. 08:40 We did a spring meeting here last year at 3ABN, 08:44 thanks to the leadership here. 08:45 But then this year we are here launching 08:49 our virtual fellowship, 08:50 which will take place mid-April. 08:52 And there's going to be more details about that 08:54 coming from our other guests. 08:56 Absolutely. 08:57 And let's hear from our program chair, 08:59 Debbie Young kind of what her role entails. 09:03 Perfect. 09:04 Debbie, what's your role entail as program chair? 09:09 Well, I've had the pleasure of being able to lead 09:12 the development of the program for the last few years. 09:17 And so it really is working with the team to decide 09:22 on what our theme is gonna be, 09:24 what speakers we want to showcase, 09:28 what projects do we wanna highlight. 09:30 And so it's just putting all the pieces together 09:33 for the program. 09:34 So it's actually a wonderful experience to have. 09:37 Amen. It sounds like that's a lot of moving parts too. 09:41 Yeah. 09:43 It can be, especially now as we're looking to host 09:46 our first virtual spring fellowship. 09:49 It's taking us on territory, 09:51 in territory that we've never had before. 09:54 Amen. 09:55 Now, Gianluca, talk to us 09:58 about being a board member of ASI, like union. 10:01 What made you, or what inspired you 10:03 to get involved with ASI? 10:06 Sure. 10:07 You know, I come to ASI from probably 10:10 a slightly different perspective 10:11 because you know, 10:13 a lot of the people that have been involved 10:14 in the ASI over the years have been people 10:16 who have either ministries 10:17 or they have their own businesses, 10:19 or are somehow, you know, 10:22 have been focused on how they can actually 10:26 use evangelism in their own, 10:29 very own business or ministry. 10:31 I'm actually an international finance lawyer. 10:35 And it's part of a law firm. 10:37 You know, it's not my own business. 10:39 It's part of a much larger organization, 10:42 but I knew that what ASI offered 10:45 as far as that focus on evangelism, 10:48 being able to reach out to people, you know, 10:51 in ways that I couldn't do on my own 10:53 and to be able to be inspired 10:55 and how to share Jesus in the marketplace, 10:58 you know, in my own business. 11:00 And so I knew I had to be involved 11:02 and there was a board member 11:04 that said basically Gianluca, you're on the board. 11:07 And just like, I didn't have a choice. 11:11 And I tell you, 11:13 it's been a fantastic experience 11:15 working on the board 11:16 and working with Debbie and others Joy 11:19 to also to help plan these types of events 11:21 like the spring fellowship, which, you know, 11:23 we believe is just a phenomenal event each year 11:26 to bring people 11:28 from the Lake Union Chapter together 11:29 to inspire each other, 11:31 to figure out what ministries 11:33 we wanna focus on for the next year. 11:35 And so for me, 11:37 it's really been an honor and a privilege 11:39 to be able to work 11:40 with all of these wonderful people 11:41 and to be inspired by each other 11:44 as to how we can actually share Jesus 11:46 in our marketplaces. 11:47 Amen. Amen. 11:49 Christopher, what's it like being the VP for evangelism 11:54 'cause that's a huge element within ASI? 11:59 True. 12:01 In many cases we've taken that evangelistic approach 12:04 to work on mission trips and ministry projects. 12:08 We've built schools and churches in the States, 12:13 as well as in Central America and in the islands. 12:17 My connection to ASI is as CEO of Randall Residents, 12:21 it's a family owned business 12:23 where I lead a group of about 12:25 a thousand associates to create a remarkable living experience 12:30 for seniors across the Great Lakes Region. 12:32 Our legacy of caring for seniors 12:35 is multi-generational. 12:36 My grandmother built the first purpose-built nursing home 12:39 in the state of Michigan back in the late 1940s 12:41 and attended 12:43 her first ASI Convention in 1951. 12:46 My parents had been active in ASI since the late 1970s 12:50 and my wife and I continued to support this organization 12:54 that I essentially grew up in. 12:58 Wow. 12:59 So yeah, it truly is a legacy for sure. 13:03 So how has ASI 13:05 and I want to throw this out to everyone. 13:07 How has ASI impacted or influenced your work, 13:11 family and ministry? 13:13 Well, I'll start here in the studio. 13:15 For me, it's just been such a blessing, 13:19 I mentioned it's being given wings. 13:21 And honestly, 13:22 ASI has done that 13:23 through the mentorship of people, 13:25 who've gone before me 13:26 through the business partnerships 13:28 and donors that have said, 13:30 "Hey, you know, 13:32 if ASI gives you this stamp of approval, 13:34 it's a legitimate ministry." 13:36 And so, you know, 13:37 for you that are listening, 13:38 whether you are just starting 13:40 in your first job, maybe you're a student, 13:42 maybe you own a business, that's, 13:44 multi-generational like Chris or somewhere in between. 13:48 Maybe you're just starting a ministry 13:50 or maybe you've been at it for years. 13:51 ASI is for you. 13:52 And so we really want to get you involved 13:55 and we're here from the Lake Union Chapter, 13:57 but there's chapters all across the country. 13:59 We want you to be involved in ASI 14:01 and to have the benefits of being part of a family, 14:04 and who knows it may give you wings too. 14:06 Amen. Amen. 14:09 Debbie, how has ASI impacted your life? 14:12 Oh, it's had a tremendous influence 14:15 on my thinking about work in ministry 14:18 that they're not work and ministry separate, 14:21 but really work in ministry 14:23 as hand in glove working together. 14:25 And my husband and I have been truly blessed. 14:28 I've been blessed to be able 14:30 to be the president of the ASI National 14:33 and to be able to actually connect 14:35 with a number of the different ministries 14:37 and organizations and meet people 14:40 who are really passionate about sharing Christ 14:43 in their marketplace has done a lot 14:45 to steer my perspective in looking at well, 14:49 what can I do more to share Jesus where I am? 14:53 I'm a nurse by education 14:54 and I actually work in an oncology area 14:57 and it's been a blessing to be able to find 15:00 and take advantage of opportunities 15:02 to share Christ in new and different ways. 15:04 Praying with patients, 15:06 offering them some of what I might 15:09 have experienced personally, 15:11 that might be a benefit to them. 15:12 So it really has kind of restructured my thinking 15:17 about what I do not just at home or even at work, 15:22 but as I go from place to place. 15:25 Okay. 15:26 Now, would you say that it's also helped 15:29 to strengthen your faith as well? 15:31 Oh, absolutely. 15:33 Absolutely. 15:35 The different stories that you hear from individuals 15:39 who are sharing at ASI Conventions 15:42 or that I've gotten to know 15:45 to see how God has worked in their lives, 15:47 tells me that God can work in my life the same way. 15:50 And so, it has actually encouraged me to reach further 15:55 and to ask God for bigger things to do, 15:58 and to be able to lean on Him with a stronger faith 16:02 as a result of what I've experienced 16:04 and what I've witnessed in others. 16:06 Amen. 16:07 Christopher, how has ASI impacted your life? 16:11 I know we know the legacy that's there, 16:14 the rich legacy that's there, 16:16 but how has it impacted your life and your faith? 16:20 You know, ASI encourages and challenges me 16:24 to find ways to share Christ through my sphere of influence. 16:29 And that can be as simple as my interactions 16:32 with residents and coworkers, business associates, 16:36 over the years that's prompted colleagues 16:38 to pursue helpful living 16:41 and attend the CHIP program with Han Steel. 16:45 Some have attended church with us. 16:47 Others have request Bible studies. 16:50 A few years ago, 16:52 my father wrote an article in a industry publication 16:55 that talked about fighting burnout, 16:58 and how a weekly Sabbath 17:01 is an important part 17:03 of our physical and spiritual health. 17:06 And that has prompted 17:08 applicants for our leadership positions to say, 17:12 I want to learn more about your Sabbath 17:14 or, you know, 17:15 I want to work for an organization 17:17 that holds those kinds of values. 17:19 Yes. 17:21 That's awesome. 17:22 Gianluca, how have you been impacted 17:26 both in your faith 17:27 and your family's life with the ASI Lake Union? 17:34 Yep. 17:35 You know as I was mentioning earlier, 17:37 you know, because of the type of business, 17:40 excuse me that I'm in, now, 17:42 it's actually have a kind of like an odd arrangement 17:45 where my family lives in Michigan 17:48 in St. Joseph very close to Berrien Springs, Michigan. 17:51 And I actually, my office is in New York City. 17:53 So I have to commute back and forth. 17:55 And so, the way I have been thinking about ministry 17:59 and the way ASI has helped me shape 18:01 my thinking around ministry is that on one hand, 18:04 I want to be involved in 18:06 supporting other people's ministries. 18:08 People, you know, 18:10 like Joy with her FARM STEW 18:11 and there's many other ministries 18:13 that are part of the Lake Union. 18:16 And we just believe that, you know, 18:18 supporting ministries is an important part 18:21 of our own spiritual walk. 18:23 And we're just so thrilled when we see the developments 18:26 and things that are going on. 18:28 We can see how God is working in multiple people's lives 18:31 through these ministries. 18:32 And then on the other hand, when I am actually, you know, 18:36 in New York when I'm in the office, 18:39 or if I'm traveling, 18:40 'cause I have to do a lot of travel for my work. 18:42 You know, it challenges me to think about like, 18:45 what ways can I introduce people to Jesus? 18:48 And for me, 18:50 one of the biggest ways I've been able 18:53 to introduce people to Jesus is through the Sabbath. 18:56 You know, I work in what I'd call a 24/7 culture. 18:59 And so for people to see you working 19:01 24/6 instead of 24/7, 19:04 it always brings up that, that conversation about, well, 19:08 why are you taking a Sabbath off? 19:10 And so, and I really try to encourage people, 19:13 whether, you know, 19:15 they want to become a Seventh-day Adventist or not. 19:17 I said, take a day off, 19:19 you know, take, you know, 19:20 try to whether you want to take Saturday off, 19:22 which is the day I believe is the Sabbath or Sunday, 19:25 you know, try to take time off, 19:26 try to be with your family. 19:28 And so I try to instill what I call healthy principles 19:32 in as far as living how to live with your family, 19:35 how to prioritize things in your life. 19:39 Things like health and nutrition and exercise. 19:44 You know, I'm an avid triathlete 19:47 and marathoner. 19:48 And so in the office, 19:50 I even have a standing treadmill desk 19:51 that I walk and work at the same time. 19:54 And that's why I try to really always, you know, 19:57 focus on the health message. 19:58 Trying to get people, you know, to get, you know, 20:01 to think about life as a holistic, you know, 20:05 to think like holistically and not just, you know, 20:08 compartmentalize. 20:09 And so, 20:10 ASI has really challenged me to both, you know, 20:13 focus on how to support other ministries, 20:15 but yet also how to live out, you know, 20:17 my belief in ways that can bring people to Jesus 20:20 who are really 20:22 in what I would consider to be a very secular world. 20:24 Wow. 20:26 That, so basically rest is unheard of 20:28 in your industry pretty much. 20:31 And... It is brutal. 20:34 Yes. 20:35 You're challenging me to rethink my time management 20:38 methods with walking and working. 20:40 I'll have to get my life together... 20:44 for sure. 20:45 Well, just so you know, 20:46 I'm actually sitting now for the first time today, 20:48 you know, like I've standing, 20:50 you know, working the whole day, 20:51 this is the first time I'm actually sitting down. 20:53 But yeah, I mean, that's just the thing 20:55 is that if you can combine 20:57 healthy principles and, you know, 21:00 use them throughout your day, you know, 21:01 it's when you start in the morning 21:04 with your morning worship 21:05 and your morning exercise and starting your day 21:08 with proper nutrition and being active throughout the 21:11 day, there's a cascading effect of all these things. 21:14 And people notice it, you know, 21:15 when I'm out about in the office 21:18 or traveling and I'm meeting other people, you know, 21:21 they can absolutely notice a difference 21:24 and they will ask you a lot of questions. 21:26 And so I truly believe the best thing we can do 21:29 when we're in a, 21:31 more of a secular environment 21:32 is to really live out our faith, 21:34 you know, in the little things, 21:36 because people will notice those things 21:38 and they will create opportunities to discuss Jesus. 21:40 Amen. 21:42 It opens the door, that's for sure. 21:44 Chris, why don't you speak to us about mission activities? 21:47 Sure. 21:49 You know, ASI provides opportunity for us 21:52 to come together, pool 21:54 our resources and accomplish 21:57 more as a group than we can do individually. 21:59 Gianluca talked some about sponsoring other ministries, 22:04 but we've also been very good at choosing 22:08 our own mission projects to go on as a group. 22:12 We've done church building in Wisconsin and Illinois. 22:17 We've built a cabin at Camp Au Sable in Michigan, 22:20 and we've taken construction projects, 22:24 medical clinics and evangelistic programs 22:27 or VBS programs to Honduras and Cuba, 22:31 Dominican Republic, Panama. 22:34 We look for times or opportunities 22:37 where we can take skilled labor and unskilled labor, 22:41 the very young and the very old, 22:43 the foreign travelers and the local natives. 22:46 And we can work side by side in accomplishing 22:49 and furthering, furthering God's work. 22:53 One project that really caught our hearts 22:56 and we returned to multiple years in a row 23:00 was Las Palmas Orphanage in Dominican Republic. 23:05 Can I tell you a miracle story here? 23:07 Oh, yeah. Please do. 23:09 One particular year our main project 23:13 was waterproofing the roofs of these buildings. 23:17 You can imagine if you're running 23:19 a school and caring 23:20 for orphaned children 23:23 to have water come through the roof 23:25 is certainly not a sustainable situation. 23:29 We identified the best product to use and quickly realized 23:33 that we really could only afford. 23:35 We only had the funds to do one building. 23:39 After prayer, 23:41 the distributor 23:42 involved the manufacturer of the product, 23:45 and they decided to make this a demonstration site. 23:48 And we ended up with two or three times 23:51 the amount of material 23:52 that we could actually afford for this project. 23:54 Wow. 23:55 Then on the day of delivery 23:57 there was a nationwide strike 23:59 of the delivery companies, and we again, had to pray, 24:02 how are we going to get the materials 24:04 to accomplish our project? 24:06 And the distributor found some drivers 24:11 that knew of our work and wanted to be supportive 24:15 and found a way to get the product to us, 24:18 so that we could start waterproofing these homes. 24:21 And then at the end of the week, 24:23 as we're trying to finish the project to make sure 24:26 we have this complete, 24:28 we see the storms come in and, you know, 24:31 sitting on a roof, 24:32 trying to do use a water sealer 24:35 is not gonna be productive when it's raining and storming. 24:39 So again, we prayed, 24:41 we had a season of prayer on the roof 24:43 and watch the storms on radar and in the sky bypass us. 24:49 And we're able to complete the work. 24:51 It's just when you put yourself out there like that, 24:56 and are fully at the mercy of God and His influence, 25:01 it's amazing to see how He does work. 25:02 Yes. Amen. 25:04 Yes, it's like exercising 25:06 your faith muscles too, you know, 25:08 with that prayer and seeing the results 25:11 and just God opened incredible doors, 25:14 that's truly a miraculous story. 25:17 Joy, I want to come to you. 25:19 And just talk to us a little bit 25:21 about the annual spring fellowship convocations. 25:25 Sounds good. 25:26 I would love to talk about the spring fellowship, 25:28 but I just have to pick up on something that Chris said. 25:30 They talked about building churches 25:32 and he mentioned Illinois. 25:33 And I showed up for my first ever ASI in 2017. 25:37 I was a fairly new convert 25:39 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 25:41 And after introducing myself, I said, 25:44 I was part of the Princeton Seventh-day Adventist Church. 25:46 And actually Chris' father 25:49 and many others in the room 25:50 were involved in actually building that church. 25:53 And it was one that I had stepped a toe in close 25:56 to 11 years ago now for the first time 25:59 ever going into a Seventh-day Adventist Church 26:01 for a cooking class. 26:02 And that was my entree. 26:04 So when I realized ASI had actually built the church 26:07 that you know I was brought into 26:10 and discipled, I was, 26:11 I felt like I was already an ASI member for life. 26:13 Amen. 26:15 So you had multiple connections with the ASI? 26:17 Exactly. 26:18 God was planning ahead, way ahead. 26:19 So anyway, 26:21 but the spring fellowship you know, 26:23 in our good old days, we used to get together. 26:25 And I think we have a couple of pictures from, 26:27 you know, our ASI family of friends 26:29 getting together physically, 26:32 and hopefully they'll pull up that picture. 26:34 Yeah, we've had a lot of fun with our spring fellowships 26:37 and that's some of the folks on our leadership team, 26:39 Julia O'Carey with ASAP, Tom Morrissey, 26:42 our former president and his daughter, Kathleen, 26:44 who's now in charge of communications, 26:47 Patty Ella Ventura with Outpost Centers. 26:50 I'm sorry with O Caimen. 26:52 So anyway, we have a great team, 26:54 had a lot of fun. 26:55 We'd hear great presentations and everything, 26:57 but now of course we're going virtual. 26:59 So this year, 27:01 the theme that Debbie came up with her committee 27:04 is faith not fear. 27:06 Oh, I like that. 27:07 And it's perfect because, of course, 27:09 a lot of people actually are struggling 27:11 with their mental health and, you know, 27:12 really wrestling with the fears around COVID 27:15 and the economy and, you know, 27:17 last day's events and everything, 27:18 but we don't have to cower in fear. 27:21 We can be strong in faith. 27:23 And so, we also are taking that theme 27:25 and moving it into what are the practical things 27:27 we can do from a health message 27:31 to prevent ourselves from, 27:33 you know, having the worst consequences. 27:35 And so I think I'll maybe hand it over to Debbie 27:38 to add more about the details. 27:40 Yes. 27:42 So yeah. 27:43 The theme that we've come up with it wasn't something 27:46 that we had to ponder very long 27:48 with the kind of uncertain times 27:51 that we're living in. 27:52 We recognize that what really we needed 27:55 to put our anchor in was our faith in God. 27:58 And with the different challenges to our health, 28:03 especially with COVID. 28:05 We knew that there were a number of people 28:07 that were in our society, people that we were, 28:11 would connect with were afraid 28:13 and didn't know what to do and where to turn. 28:17 And we know where to turn. 28:19 We know that God has everything in control, 28:21 and we thought that it would be really important 28:23 to emphasize that God wants us to be healthy, 28:28 so that we can respond to His leading and His biddings 28:31 and to fulfill His purpose for our lives. 28:35 So the faith not fear came with two anchor point texts. 28:41 One was Hebrews 11:6, 28:45 "Without faith, 28:46 it is impossible to please God." 28:48 And one in Exodus, 15:26 that essentially says, 28:52 "If you do all that I have asked you to do, 28:56 if you are diligent in following my statutes, 28:59 I will put none of these diseases on you." 29:01 So there is a work 29:03 that we can do to optimize our health. 29:06 And so we wanna be able to pass that information 29:08 on to people who will come to the convention 29:11 and also to encourage them that as they do their part, 29:15 God will do His part. 29:17 And so we want to encourage their faith to grow 29:20 and to hold onto Jesus. 29:22 I'm looking forward to this convention here. 29:26 Debbie, why don't you speak to us a little bit about 29:28 maybe some ministries that have been or projects 29:31 that have been supported in the past? 29:34 Sure. 29:35 So in addition to what we've done 29:37 with mission trips, 29:38 going overseas 29:40 in different parts of the country, 29:41 we also provide support for ministries 29:45 that will provide an application 29:49 and ask for some assistance, 29:51 so that they can grow their ministries. 29:53 And so they can enlarge their reach. 29:55 So in the past, for instance, 29:57 we've provided support to Harbor of Hope. 30:02 It's a church actually located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. 30:05 And Benton Harbor, 30:07 Michigan actually is a church that has, 30:10 I'm sorry, is a community 30:11 that's been in the national news 30:13 for one of the communities 30:15 that has a lot of societal challenges. 30:17 And so the Pastor Taurus Montgomery 30:20 and his church Harbor of Hope 30:22 there in Benton Harbor has really taken 30:24 to heart the commission to go 30:26 and to really meet the needs of the community. 30:29 And so that photo that you just saw 30:31 was a part of a health outreach that they were doing, 30:35 Rise Up is, was the challenge. 30:37 And he really is specifically looking to assist 30:41 and lift up and give support to the youth in that community. 30:45 So we're really happy to be able to provide support 30:48 for that project. 30:50 Of course, as you know, for FARM STEW, 30:53 Joy has lead that efforts 30:57 in different various countries 31:00 in on the continent of Africa. 31:02 And so we wanted to be able to provide support 31:05 for the continued outreach of that ministry 31:08 to teach people 31:09 how they can live and provide for their families. 31:14 Then ASAP is another one where that has provided support 31:21 for an individual 31:23 who has come over from another country 31:26 and is really wants to serve the refugees 31:31 that have come from other countries 31:33 seeking refuge here in the United States. 31:36 And he may be, he was a pastor that in his country, 31:40 but when he comes over here, 31:42 he may not be able to function as a pastor, 31:43 but he really is operating as a pastor to reach out 31:47 and to touch the lives of those refugees 31:50 that are here and are looking for support 31:54 and want to, you know, 31:57 increase or improve their faith in God. 32:00 So to be able to provide support for him 32:03 to be able to do that as he is also working 32:05 to support his family was something 32:07 that we felt was important. 32:09 Yes. 32:10 What are some things 32:12 that are taken into consideration? 32:13 And perhaps either, Debbie or Joy, 32:16 if you want to answer this. 32:17 What are some things 32:19 that are taken into consideration 32:20 when it comes to supporting ministries 32:23 that apply for funds? 32:25 Well, I'll take a stab at it. 32:27 Really, I think the impact for evangelism, 32:31 the kingdom impact is really important. 32:33 We also are looking for ministries 32:35 that are in our union. 32:36 So that includes Indiana, 32:38 Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. 32:41 And like I said, 32:42 other unions have their own process as well. 32:45 And we really want to have something 32:47 where we can also make sure that they're accountable. 32:50 So we would do require a report to come in, 32:54 showing us how the funds were used 32:55 and how that impact was made. 32:57 Nice. 32:59 And what are some current projects 33:01 that are being supported? 33:02 Okay. 33:03 I think Chris is touching on that. 33:05 I know Care for Cuba is one that's worked, 33:09 we're supporting this year and Oak Haven Health 33:12 has a health ministry and we're supporting them 33:15 as they add to their exercise room and steam room, 33:20 so that they can do the hot and cold treatments 33:22 and continue their health ministry. 33:24 Yeah. 33:25 Nice, nice. 33:27 And, Debbie, you sounded like you were gonna say something 33:29 just a minute ago as well. 33:30 Yeah. 33:32 So yeah, a couple of the other projects, 33:33 just to add to those that Chris just listed 33:36 is Strong Tower Radio. 33:38 It's based in Cadillac, Michigan. 33:40 And so, we want to provide support, 33:41 so they can enlarge their ministry 33:43 by upgrading their equipment. 33:45 So as they share testimonies and messages, 33:50 it will be a blessing to those that they have been touching 33:54 lives for years already. 33:56 We also want to have, 33:59 we continue to provide support for FARM STEW, 34:02 for ASAP and for Harbor of Hope 34:06 and as was mentioned Oak Haven Health. 34:10 So we're looking and praying that God 34:13 will help us to be able to provide that support, 34:16 even though we can't meet together, 34:18 we can hold the hands up of ministries that are out 34:22 there serving others and trying to give the gospel of peace 34:26 and Jesus' soon coming. 34:28 Amen. 34:29 You know, as we speak about the messages, 34:31 I think we should go to Gianluca and find out 34:34 about the speaker line up. 34:36 Absolutely. 34:38 So this is amazing because, you know, 34:42 if we were to do this in person, 34:43 we would, I don't think we could pull this off. 34:46 So this is one of the benefits of this virtual time 34:49 that we're living in right now that we can actually 34:52 bring in some just amazing speakers 34:55 that can touch on a number of different topics. 34:57 And so we're super excited about the lineup 35:00 of speakers that we have. 35:02 So kicking off on Friday evening, 35:04 typically on Friday evening, we will have a speaker 35:08 that will kind of open up the weekend. 35:10 And this year we're gonna have, 35:12 you guys may know him by the name, 35:15 Chef Chew or Chef Chew, 35:17 GW Chew. 35:19 Yes. 35:20 Who I think has been on your Dare to Dream program 35:22 before in the past. 35:23 Yes. Absolutely, Chew's challenge. 35:26 Yeah. 35:27 He's an, you know, has an amazing story 35:29 and that he's gonna be sharing 35:31 his testimony for those of you 35:32 who don't know a lot about him, 35:34 but he's an African-American entrepreneur 35:38 who is living in California. 35:40 He opened up a vegetarian restaurant 35:43 or vegan restaurant in Oakland 35:45 following Ellen White's writings about 35:47 or having a ministry, a food ministry in Oakland, 35:51 like they were having on Market Street 35:53 in San Francisco. 35:54 And he then has gone on from not only opening up 35:58 his own restaurants and doing cooking classes, 36:00 but then actually starting up a food company 36:04 called Better Chew, 36:05 or that's the name of the brand of the product that he creates. 36:08 And he even is selling it through whole foods. 36:12 And so he just has an amazing story of how, you know, 36:15 he grew growing up and, you know, 36:17 becoming a Seventh-day Adventist, 36:19 he didn't grow up in the church. 36:20 He became a Seventh-day Adventist 36:22 using his colporteuring skills to be able to really, you know, 36:26 be able to, you know, sell his ideas, you know, 36:29 to people in the marketplace. 36:30 And so you don't wanna miss his testimony 36:33 because he really has an inspiring testimony. 36:35 And I encourage, you know, any young people, 36:38 especially to come and listen to his presentation, 36:43 because if you have any ideas or have any desire 36:46 to become more entrepreneurial, this guy, you know, 36:50 he has lots of good tips for that. 36:52 Yes. 36:54 And then, Sabbath morning, 36:56 we're gonna have Dr. Magna Porterfield. 36:59 She is a psychologist and she has an amazing clinic 37:04 where they help people 37:06 on how to optimize their health. 37:08 You know, they have resources for both mental 37:11 and physical health, 37:13 and she wants to focus on mental health. 37:16 So her presentation is gonna be on how to achieve 37:19 and maintain positive mental health, 37:21 which as Joy mentioned during this time of COVID 37:24 is very important. 37:25 But as we know, the statistics, 37:27 even around COVID before COVID were dismal 37:31 as far as the percentage of people 37:33 suffering from depression and anxiety. 37:36 So, I mean, I think only COVID exacerbated that. 37:39 So her message is one that you will not wanna miss 37:42 on how to optimize your mental health. 37:45 And then we will also be having Dr. David DeRose. 37:49 He is actually a pastor and at the same time, 37:52 a medical doctor who actually is the president 37:56 of Compass Health Consulting 37:58 and he's written numerous books. 38:00 And he has, he just brings a, 38:03 just a wonderful connection 38:04 between the spiritual and the physical. 38:07 I mean, he is somebody who will be able to provide us 38:11 a message on how we can use biblical principles in order 38:15 to find peace and to achieve the type of health 38:18 that we want and should have at this time. 38:22 In the afternoon, we're gonna have... 38:25 Some of you may also be familiar with Rico Hill. 38:28 He has been involved in media for many years. 38:32 He was part of MTVs Nickelodeon and then vice president 38:37 of programming for Turner Broadcasting. 38:39 And he left that world 38:41 and then started his own media ministry. 38:44 You may be familiar with it, 38:45 it's called Beehive International, 38:48 and he's going to be presenting his own testimony 38:51 again about how to use our health message 38:54 as a way to evangelize 38:57 and how to minister to other people. 38:59 So you don't wanna miss his testimony 39:02 and what he has to say about health evangelism. 39:05 And then finally, 39:07 we're also privileged to have Wes Youngberg. 39:10 I think many of you may know Dr. Youngberg. 39:12 He is truly one of our outspoken, 39:17 you know, 39:19 influencers on the area of health optimization. 39:22 He's just an amazing resource. 39:26 And again, during this time of COVID, 39:28 and just in general, 39:29 if you look at the health of our population 39:32 whether you're Adventist or not, 39:34 you know, we have a lot of work to do on the health front. 39:37 And so we're gonna be able 39:39 to have a wonderful conversation 39:41 with Wes and really focusing 39:42 on how we can optimize our health. 39:45 So as you can see faith over fear, faith not fear, 39:50 what we're trying to get people to understand 39:51 is that there's a lot of tools that God has given us. 39:55 You know, we were to live according to His principles. 39:58 If we follow a lot of these laws that He has given us, 40:01 you know, we'll be able to achieve 40:03 that mental and physical health, 40:05 you know, that God really wants us 40:07 to be able to experience. 40:08 Yes. 40:09 You know, this is a very timely event 40:12 with all of the things that are taking place. 40:14 This is very, very timely. 40:16 We've talked about the speaker lineup. 40:18 We've talked about the conference and all of that, 40:21 but how do people register? 40:23 How can people, if they want to attend, 40:25 how can they register? 40:27 Well, we're very excited because it's not just 40:30 for Lake Union anymore, right? 40:32 With virtual people can come from around the world. 40:35 The dates are set Friday evening 40:39 and that is April 16th. 40:41 And then all day Sabbath on April 17th 40:45 and we have our website. 40:47 And actually, if you could pull up the logo, 40:49 that would be great. 40:51 So it's Faith not Fear is the conference. 40:53 And then it's a bit hard to see there at the bottom, 40:55 but it's asiministries.org. 40:59 And actually I think 41:01 that we're gonna have a link from there. 41:03 You can also type in ASI Lake Union 41:06 and find it there as well. 41:08 So we're really excited to invite people. 41:11 And also on the end, 41:13 they'll show the phone number to call as well. 41:15 So I know, Debbie, you had a few more things 41:18 to say about registration too. 41:22 Oh, no, that we just want everybody to come. 41:25 Even though, and as Gianluca said, 41:28 this is one of the blessings of a pandemic. 41:31 The virtual environment has allowed us 41:32 to travel the world and to hear everyone to be able to share. 41:37 So we want you to join us on April 16th at 7:00 PM 41:42 Eastern and on Saturday, on Sabbath at 10:00 AM 41:47 Eastern as well as at 4:00 PM Eastern 41:51 for those special presentations. 41:54 Also know that we won't just be sitting and listening 41:58 to others or the keynote speakers. 42:00 We actually have members within our Lake Union 42:03 who have really taken to heart some of the admonitions 42:07 and the challenges of being more healthy. 42:12 You heard Gianluca say that he was health advocate 42:16 and that he is a triathlon and marathoner. 42:20 I tell you, talking with him has really inspired me 42:22 and I've had to dust off my treadmill. 42:24 But we actually have a couple of our members 42:29 who have lost weight. 42:32 So they haven't had pandemic weight 42:34 as so many people have talked about, 42:37 but have actually lost weight 42:39 because they've been able to kind of focus and refocus 42:41 their attention on what matters. 42:44 So what matters is really putting Jesus first 42:47 and how can I be equipped 42:49 and better tooled to His service. 42:53 And one of those answers 42:55 is to be a better physical specimen. 42:58 And so if you can be more healthy 43:00 then we can be a better witness 43:01 and a testimony to the world about 43:03 what Jesus can do through you and what you can do for Jesus. 43:07 Yeah. That's an excellent point. 43:08 You know, I'm gonna have to put my fork down 43:11 and pick some weights up or something. 43:13 I gotta get it together over here. 43:15 No, you definitely wanna pick those weights up. 43:18 You know, picking up heavy food won't do the trick. 43:21 That's right. 43:23 Well, I was hoping I could, you know, get, 43:25 reap some benefits through osmosis or something. 43:29 You know, actually Debbie was referring 43:31 to Carmelo Mercado 43:33 who actually is with the Lake Union 43:35 in a very high position, I think. 43:37 And he is going to be sharing his testimony and honestly 43:41 it is so inspiring. 43:42 And the thing about ASI 43:44 is you join a community of people. 43:46 And so, you know, we all have our local churches 43:49 and they're great, right? 43:51 Some are small, some are big, 43:52 some are inspiring some maybe some weeks not, 43:55 but you know, I think with ASI, 43:57 we can get that energy from each other, whether it's, 44:01 you know, because somebody is really 44:03 getting great progress in their business 44:06 or just need encouragement in their business 44:08 or maybe their ministry story has a miracle like 44:10 Chris was just sharing, 44:12 and we can actually bring that back 44:13 and energize our local congregations as well. 44:16 So we are... 44:18 ASI is supportive 44:20 of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 44:21 Yes. 44:23 But this conference is for anyone, 44:25 any of you 3ABN listeners. 44:27 We want to provide you with health tips. 44:29 We want to engage you as well. 44:32 And so the other thing Debbie said is, 44:34 it's not just gonna be a virtual 44:35 where you're staring at the screen. 44:36 We have, Carmelo actually figured out the technology 44:39 where we can break out into sessions 44:42 and breakout rooms and, you know, 44:44 have prayer times together, 44:45 have discussion times together. 44:47 So we're going to have facilitated discussions 44:48 and it won't just be, you know, staring at the screen. 44:51 Yeah. 44:52 So there's a wide variety 44:54 that will be engaging for everyone? 44:55 Exactly. 44:57 That's excellent. 44:58 You know, as I look at ASI and what ASI does, 45:01 ASI Lake Union, what are the needs of ASI? 45:06 Because they provide for so many ministries and help 45:09 to support other organizations and all of that stuff. 45:12 But what does ASI need? 45:14 How can people help support ASI? 45:16 Well, I'll start. 45:18 And then I'll hear from the others on Skype here. 45:20 But I would say our need is more members. 45:22 We want people to be involved. 45:25 We want people to basically access the benefits 45:27 that we enjoy as members. 45:29 And so, it is a bit of a process 45:32 because we want people that are going to show 45:34 the character of ASI. 45:37 We want, you know, 45:38 sort of the specimens like Debbie was saying, 45:41 so there is an application process, 45:43 but we really want to engage and have more members because, 45:48 you know, I go back to Stephanie Dawn's song 45:52 about the hands, you know, two hands can do very little, 45:56 but when we add our hands to other people's hands 45:59 and we become this body of Christ, 46:01 where Christ is the head, 46:02 He's giving us our charges, 46:04 but there's all these different body parts at work. 46:07 That's how I see ASI working together. 46:10 And we need more people 46:12 and we need all of us to be listening to Christ. 46:14 Yes. 46:16 Does anybody want to add anything to that? 46:20 Oh, this is Debbie. 46:22 And I'll just add that. 46:23 I think what ASI needs is for all of us 46:25 as members to constantly challenge ourselves, 46:29 to think about what we can do more for Jesus, 46:33 that we want to be conduits of blessing for others. 46:37 So how can we reach the neighbor next door? 46:42 One of the things 46:44 that I've tried to do is make sure 46:45 that I go to the same establishment 46:48 for some services, 46:49 so I can develop a relationship that might open doors 46:52 for me able to be share. 46:53 So again, we want everyone to always be thinking, 46:56 what can I do more for Jesus? 46:59 It's something that I've heard Danny Shelton 47:01 say before on 3ABN is the blessing is in the go. 47:06 So we've got to go and we got to think about 47:09 what we can do when we go so that we can reach others, 47:12 and let them know that Jesus is coming soon. 47:14 Amen. 47:15 Amen. Yeah. 47:16 And I would just add that, 47:18 you know, what, we need are ideas. 47:20 You know, I believe that in this time 47:23 that we're living in, 47:25 you know, there's so, things are changing 47:28 so fast in the way that Christ 47:31 is being portrayed in the media, 47:34 you know, religions being portrayed in the media, 47:36 you know, there's ways that, how can I put it? 47:40 There's so many types of media out there today 47:42 that didn't really exist 5, 10 years ago. 47:45 And we need ideas of how to tap into this 47:47 because there's a message being put out there 47:51 about who Christ is, 47:52 and it's not necessarily the right message. 47:54 And so, we need ideas 47:56 at how we can actually penetrate and be able 48:00 to have a much greater influence out there. 48:02 And, you know, people who are willing to step up 48:04 to the plate and to be able to put their time, 48:07 their energy, their other resources, 48:09 whether it be monetary or just talent behind us, 48:13 because I truly believe that we need people 48:16 to be engaged, to come up with new innovative ideas 48:20 and to be, you know, 48:22 as active as possible in sharing Jesus, 48:25 because I believe that there's an information war out 48:27 there and we need to do our part 48:29 to make sure that Christ is being properly, 48:32 you know, presented 48:33 and the attractiveness of our message. 48:35 And yet at the same time, making sure people understand, 48:39 hey, if you are a follower, 48:40 it also does require certain sacrifices and, 48:44 you know, being able to do things 48:46 in the community to help others. 48:47 So there's, there are these both aspects 48:49 to being an ASI member and we need people's ideas 48:52 on how to implement that. 48:54 Yes. 48:55 So how to implement that and lead people to Christ 49:00 in the workplace by providing a Christ-like example, 49:05 because I think you really nailed that, 49:07 you know, with there being a misrepresentation 49:11 of Christ's character. 49:13 I've talked to some people about 49:15 like search engine optimization and all of those things, 49:19 and it used to be where people would Google 49:22 about Jesus and they would get 49:24 all of the wrong type of information. 49:28 So I love that ASI is covering every single facet, 49:32 every single base there. 49:35 Joy, what else would you like to add 49:38 before we go to the address role? 49:41 Well, the thing I would just like to encourage 49:43 is for people to learn more about 49:46 the different things that ASI 49:47 is involved in and the different ministries, 49:49 because, for example, 49:51 Adventist World Radio is one of the ministries. 49:54 I don't know how many people I've sent 49:56 Cami Oetman's Unlocking Bible Prophecies stories too, 50:01 but you know, that's a way of digital evangelism. 50:04 I didn't even know what digital evangelism 50:06 was until I joined ASI. 50:07 So it's kind of just tailing on what Gianluca was saying, 50:12 learn what resources we have to share Christ 50:15 in all of the different realms of our lives. 50:17 And we just hope people will come. 50:20 We hope you will come if you're listening. 50:22 And again, we want to invite you 50:24 to go to the asilakeunion.org website and, you know, 50:29 sign up and join us and not just join to listen, 50:35 but apply these healthy habits that we can make 50:38 that will allow Christ glory to shine through us 50:41 in a brighter way. 50:43 Yes. Amen. 50:44 So real quick, what are some of the challenges 50:47 that you think people face 50:49 when sharing Christ in the workplace? 50:52 Wow, well, like Gianluca said, you know, 50:54 it is a very secular environment 50:56 and we all know people 50:57 that the minute you say the name of Jesus, 50:59 their face just changes. 51:01 But I think living out like Debbie was challenging us 51:05 to do living out the love of Christ, 51:07 living out the kindness of Christ, 51:09 living out the patience and the generosity of Christ. 51:12 That's what I've seen in so many ASI members. 51:15 And it's what inspires me 51:17 to want to get closer to Jesus myself. 51:20 And I think the challenge for all of us is distraction. 51:24 Satan loves to take our minds and do anything, 51:27 but focus on prayer, 51:29 focus on the Word and focus on loving others. 51:32 And so, I just wanna call us to draw close to Christ 51:36 so that we can reflect His glory to the world. 51:39 Amen. Amen. Yeah. 51:41 He wants to pull us away from anything to do with God. 51:44 And nowadays there's so much vying for our attention. 51:48 So that's absolutely right. 51:50 We want to go to the address role 51:53 and then a brief news break and we'll be right back. 51:57 For more information about ASI Lake Union, 52:00 please contact them at PO Box 287, 52:03 Berrien Springs, Michigan 49103. 52:07 That's PO Box 287, 52:09 Berrien Springs, Michigan 49103. 52:12 Their phone number is (269) 473-8247. 52:16 That's (269) 473-8247. 52:20 Their website is asilakeunion.org. 52:24 That's asilakeunion.org. 52:27 You may also email them at communications.luasi@gmail.com |
Revised 2021-03-22