East Jamaica Conference

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
Communication Department

December 20, 2013

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.

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East Jamaica Conference Office Closure Notice - December 19 Camp Meeting 2013 Dubbed A Success Youth Congressoree Begins Today - December 20, 2013 MetroMission14 Special Offering- December 28, 2013 Notices from the Sabbath School / Personal Ministries/ Community Services Dept. Notices From The Youth Ministries Department Letter From Health Ministries Department and Notices Notices from the Children's Department Notices from the Women's Ministries Department Special Events Happening in some of our Churches Notices from the Communication Department Schedule of Upcoming Conference Dates and Events

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(1) EJC Office Closure Notice The East Jamaica Conference Office will be closed as of Thursday, December 19, 2013 and will reopen for business on Thursday January 2, 2014. We use this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe and peaceful holiday and a happy and prosperous new year when it comes. (2) Camp Meeting 2013 Dubbed a Success

Hundreds gathered at the Kencot SDA church on Sabbath December 14, 2013 to witness the culmination of a very memorable Camp Meeting. "Maranatha Our Lord Cometh" was the theme for this year. (See the latest news section of our website www.ejcsda.com for more)
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(3) Youth Congressoree 2013 Begins Today - December 20, 2013 1. YOUTH CONGRESSOREE 2013: Youth, Youth leaders, Pastors, Parents and friendsits Youth Congressoree time againDecember 20 & 21. Friday night @ Half Way Tree Church and on Sabbath @ the Karram Speid Auditorium, Merl Grove High. Guest speaker will be Pastor Keith Morris from the USA. Plan to be there!!! (See flyer below for details).

2. YOUTH AWARDS BANQUET 2014: Venue: Hotel Four Seasons, 18 Ruthven Rd. Kgn 10. Cost: $3,000. Each church is asked to sponsor a youth to this banquet which may be the individual nominated for an award. Tickets are available from your Youth Leader and at EJC. Only a few more to go as we have limited spaceDont be left out in the cold, get your ticket now!!! (See poster below) (4) MetroMission14 Special Offering - December 28, 2013 All churches in Jamaica Union were requested to collect a special MetroMission14 offering on Sabbath December 7 and 28 , 2013. We use this opportunity to encourage members to bring a liberal MM14 special offering on December 28. These funds will be used for the upcoming mission to the city campaign which requires extensive financial resources. (5) Notices from the Sabbath School / Personal Ministries / Comm. Services Department 1. We use this opportunity to encourage each member in our churches to continue soliciting Harvest Ingathering Funds and that all Treasurers do a weekly remittance to the Conference. 2. Personal Ministries leaders are encouraged to make frequent and consistent (weekly) evangelistic reports to the PM Dept. of the Conference including your project (in your cluster) for the Week of Generosity/Day of Kindness, celebrated October 12-17, 2013. (Please include pictures where possible). We are requesting your Small Groups updates. 3. All Sabbath School Superintendents are reminded to ensure the implementation of the Parent Care Group (PCG) & Operation Reclamation and to register the relevant names to the MM14 Initiative. (6) Notices From the Youth Ministries Department 1. THANK YOU ALL!!! (Please see letter attached) 2. YOUTH CONGRESSOREE & AWARDS BANQUET 2013: Over this weakened youth from across the constituency of East Jamaica Conference will meet in an expression of praise and celebration at Youth Congressoree from December 20-21, 2013. On Friday night @ Half Way Tree Church On Sabbath @ Karram Speid Auditorium, Merl Grove High. Guest speaker will be Pastor Keith Morris out of the USA. Plan to be there!!! We commence the afternoons programme at 3:00 sharp with a March Pass. Remember to take your lunch and lots of water on Sabbath. NCU Radio will be there (See flyer for more detail). Join True Purpose Ministry in the evening at 7:00pm for their grand musical concert. Then on Sunday we will celebrate the achievements of our youth at our annual Youth Awards Banquet to be held at Hotel Four Seasons, 18 Ruthven Rd. Kgn. 10. Cost: $3,000. Each church is asked to sponsor a youth to this banquet which may be the individual nominated for an award. Tickets are available from your youth leader and at EJC. Only a few more to go as we have limited spaceDont be left out in the cold, get your ticket now!!! -2-

3. A.Y.S FESTIVAL 2013: The New Haven SDA Church in collaboration with the E.J.C Youth Ministries Department present AYS Festival 2013, at the New Haven Church on December 28, 2013 starting at 4pm. Come join in this wonderful celebration of songs, drama, testimonials and the spoken word. End the year right and be there!!! 4. IAD BIBLE BOOM 2013: Ogarth Bryan representing the JAMU at the recently held IAD Bible Boom competition in Cuba, was placed 12th (out of 20). On behalf of the Youth Ministries Department we salute you! 5. PATHFINDER JAMBOREE 2014: All Pathfinder Clubs get ready to spend your Easter Weekend with hundreds of youth from Jamaica Union @ Pathfinder Jamboree 2014. Keep Posted for more details. 6. JAMU E-News: The Jamaica Union is now inviting youth to submit news items, testimonials, clean Christian jokes, stories, significant happenings in your area and other articles to the EJC Youth Department for inclusion in its upcoming E-Paper. Submission should be sent to ejcyouth_dept@yahoo.com. 7. YOUTH CONGRESS, Guatemala 2014: Registration cost: $ US 80.00. Apply now, Limited space!!! Please see below for cost: Youth Congress, Guatemala 2014 Total cost..Approximately $ 126,000.00 1. This includes accommodation for six (6) nights...$48, 000.00 2. Registration......$8,000.00 3. Airfare on AA thru Miami..$70,000.00 (Requires US Visa) 4. Airfare thru Panama$88,000.00 (no US Visa required but difference
in price approx $18,000.00).

The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible and achieve it, generation after generation. - Pearl Buck (7) Letter from the Health Ministries Department and Notices

NOTICES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Health Ministries Training January 5 - POSTPONED Health Ministries Day - January 8 - Theme: Christs methods of Evangelism- the only Way. Adventist Health Volunteers Training (AHVA) - February 16 Massage Therapy Training Course - April 21 5K Run/Walk and Childrens Fun Day June 1 Healthy Lifestyle Retreat - June 5 7 Global conference on Lifestyle change (Geneva, Switzerland) - July 7-12

Please collect the following:

1. 2. 3. 4. Health Ministries Department Calendar of Events Temperance Pledge Cards Copies of the Ministry of Healing 12 Lesson Outline Report Sheet -3-

The book of the year is Ministry of Healing. Those persons who would like to be members of the Adventist Health Volunteers Association, please attend meetings on the 2nd Monday in each month at East Jamaica Conference and 2nd Thursday of each month at the Morant Bay church for Zone 4. We are expecting all our Health persons to be involved in MM14 in 2014. (8) Notices from the Children's Ministries Department

1. The Bible Spell-a-thon Awards was held on Monday, December 16, 2013, in the EJC Boardroom. Over
15 spellers were awarded. (See the latest news section of our website www.ejcsda.com for more)

2. An appreciation exercise for all 2013 Childrens Ministries team members will be held this Sabbath,
December 21, 2013, beginning at 4 p.m. Venue - EJC Board Room. You are asked to be seated by 3:40 p.m.

3. ASI/IAD Mission Preachers get ready to preach the word in the Metro Mission 2014 Childrens Crusade.
Invite your friends and watch them give their hearts to God.

4. Coming soon: Child Preachers/ Children in Discipleship Training Graduation. Kindly make sure that all
assignments are completed. (9) Notices from the Women's Ministries Department

1. An appreciation exercise for all 2013 Womens Ministries team members will be held on Sabbath,
December 21, 2013. We will begin at 4 p.m. It will last for approximately one hour. We will then rejoin the youth at Merl Grove auditorium.

2. Graduations for Soft Skills and Leadership Certification Training exercises have been postponed until
further notice.

3. Womens & Childrens Ministries Zone 4 Commitment Service will take place on January 11, 2014 at
the Morant Bay SDA Church. Dress code/ preferred colors- Childrens Ministries shades of pink & navy blue; Womens Ministries shades of lavender & purple. Kindly take a fruit to enhance our fruit luncheon meeting. All team members are expected to be in attendance.

4. Womens & Childrens Ministries Zone 4 Commitment Service and luncheon will take place on
January 18, 2014 at the Kencot SDA Church. Childrens Ministries -shades of pink & navy blue; Womens Ministries-shades of lavender & purple are the preferred colors to be worn on that day. Kindly take a fruit to augment our fruit luncheon meeting.

5. ASI/ IAD July 2014 Mission Crusade will be held in Belize. For further information contact the
Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Murlena McKenzie. (10) Special Events Happening in some of our Churches TruPurpose Ministries in association with East Jamaica Conference Youth Department invites you to their Gospel Concert on Saturday December 21, 2013 at 7pm by the Karram Speid Auditorium (Merl Grove High School). The concert will begin right after the end of the EJC Youth Congressoree which starts at 9am at the same venue. -4-

The programme will feature: Odayne Rhoden (New York), Carey Sayles, George Gordon, Jewel Osbourne, Adiel Thomas & Ministry, Acapella Group: Assure and many more. Please see flyer below or for more information call 877-2417.

(11) Notices from the Communication Department 1. All Communication Leaders are asked to submit the list of Church Officers for 2014 to the EJC Secretariat & Communication Department. The information should be forwarded to eastcon@ejcsda.com or ejccommunications@gmail.com. The deadline for this is January 1, 2014. 2. The official Facebook Page for MetroMission14 is up and running and we have started to post there messages of hope that you can share with your friends. Tell your friends about it. Visit the page regularly and send an invitation every time to someone you know. Go to the page now and "Like Us". By doing this more people will become aware of MetroMission14. Follow this link to MetroMission14 Facebook Page. (12) Schedule of Upcoming Conference Dates and Events
Dec 19 Dec 20 - 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 29 Jan 2 Jan 4 Jan 5 - 8 Jan 8 Jan 12 Feb 16

Dates

Closure of EJC Conference Office Youth Congressoree Youth Awards Banquet JEWELS Botanical Retreat

Event

Location
H-W-T & Karam Speid Auditorium Hotel Four Seasons

EJC Conference Office Reopens All Night Prayer Meeting & Launch of Reaping Phase of MM14 Pastors' Prayer Retreat Health Ministries Day Metro Mission 14 Road march Adventist Health Volunteers Training

Kencot SDA Church Camp Verley - St. Catherine Half Way Tree

Phillip E. L. Castell Communication Director

East Jamaica Conference Of Seventh-day Adventists

74 Constant Spring Road P.O. Box 181 Kingston 10 Jamaica W.I. Tel:(876) 924-1061-5, Fax (876) 924-0263.E-Mail: eastcon@ejcsda.com Website: ejcsda.com

December 20, 2013 To All Pastors, Elders, Youth Leaders & Sponsors, Dear Brethren: Compliments of the season! On behalf of the Youth Ministries Department, I use this medium to express profound thanks to you for our support and commitment given during the year. We have made great strides and the enthusiasm of our edicated youth executive council members, youth leaders and youth is an example of what the entire church must attain to finish the work of the gospel. Special mention must be made of the youth in Zone Four (4). You have been a force to be reckoned with over this period and your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed. I also wish to welcome aboard our new youth leaders, and say welcome back to those returning. Working with our youth can be real challenging but at the same time gratifying; therefore take the time to quickly orientate yourself of the grave responsibility to which you have been called. Please bear in mind that the year 2014 has been designated as the year for big city evangelism, hence the launch of Metropolitan Mission 2014 (MM14) in East Jamaica Conference. All our youth are encouraged to be an active part of this mission-driven programme as the primary goal of each department is evangelism. Keeping in line with the main focus of 2014 the Youth Ministries Department will employ the theme, Youth Empowered for Victory, as we make 2014 one of the most victorious years for soul-winning ever! Over the 2014 Easter period, April 17-21, the Jamaica Union will be hosting a grand Jamboree at Camp Verley in Central Jamaica Conference. This will see master guides, pathfinders and adventurers across the length and breadth of Jamaica coming together for this grand four day event. As a result we are asking that your clubs do not plan any Easter camp for this period as your attendance and participation will be required. The former Unites States Secretary of State, Colin Powell once said, There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. I trust that your preparation to guide you into 2014 has long started, as the year promises to be a victorious one for the youth of East Jamaica Conference. Remember that faith is the victory that overcomes the world. .../2

can be submitted to the East Jamaica Conference office with your monthly remittance.

In conclusion, the success of Youth Ministries Department here in East Jamaica Conference is critical to our collective effort which cannot be passive in any way. With this in mind I ask that your annual financial contribution of $1,500.00 per church, be submitted no later than February 28, 2014. Please be reminded that this amount will assist the Zonal Federations in carrying out their mandate. Payments Please see the Youth Ministries Calendar of Events for 2014 for important dates. Additionally, do remember to send us your contact information, including your email addresses, in a bid to foster better communication between church and conference. Our e-mail address remains ejcyouth_dept@yahoo.com. May the God of peace be your Peace during this festive season.

Yours in the Masters Service

Hanson Drysdale DIRECTOR Youth Ministries Department.