The event was available to all and included three main tracks: a Community Emergency Response Team certification, emotional and spiritual care certification and Adventist Thrift Ministries summit. Read More
Published in NorthWest Adventists by Makena Horton
Adventist Community Services was one of 70 national member organizations that participated in the annual National VOAD Conference held from May 2-5, 2022, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme for this year was “Empowering Resiliency”. Despite having not met in person since 2019, the 2022 Conference was well attended with over 700 people attendees, including around 350 first-time attendees. ACS leaders from the North Pacific Union Conference, and Texas, Georgia-Cumberland, Allegheny East, and Chesapeake conferences joined the NAD ACS team at the event. For some of us who were first-time attendees, the First Timer Orientation Session gave an insight on the VOAD Community and the role of the network within the disaster community.
The mission and purpose of National VOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) is to provide a forum where organizations can gather to collaborate and network, sharing knowledge and resources, to effectively assist communities affected by disaster. ACS is one of the few original founding members of National VOAD which was founded in 1970 when seven voluntary organizations convened together to discuss how to improve responses following Hurricane Camille in August 1969.
There were fifty exhibitors and sponsors. Besides ACS, the exhibit hall was filled with booth displays from several other faith-based disaster response and relief organizations such as FEMA, American Red Cross, Islamic Relief USA, Salvation Army, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Mennonite Disaster Services, Good360, and United Methodist Committee on Relief, and etc. We had ACS volunteers from the Chesapeake and Allegheny East conferences who helped us out by managing the ACS exhibit and educating people on our services.
In addition to the exhibit, the other highlights of the conference consisted of various plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities.
The North American Division Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) celebrated its 50th anniversary at the ACS Convention in Grapevine, Texas from April 7-9, 2022. It was widely attended by more than 200 ACS directors, pastors, lay members, ministry leaders, volunteers, and those interested in community outreach. Many traveled from regions around the nation, as well as from Canada, Bermuda, and even Indonesia, to attend this monumental event. The convention was also offered virtually for those who were unable to attend in person.
The opening session on Thursday, April 7th, commenced with a devotion entitled “Who Is My Neighbor” by Pr. Jamie Kowlessar, senior pastor of the Dallas City Temple church. Carl Wilkens, founder of “World Outside My Shoes” and former ADRA Rwanda director, provided the initial keynote message, which was followed by workshop sessions on fundraising, media and communications, youth involvement in ACS, and seniors ministry. Retired ACS director, Dollie Williams, was honored for her 66 years as community services leader in Chicago. She was presented with a lifetime achievement pin by W. Derrick Lea, executive director of NAD ACS. 
On Friday, April 8th, the devotion was given by Dr. Mansfield Edwards, president of Ontario Conference. The general session speaker was Dr. Calvin Watkins, vice president of evangelism at NAD. Workshop sessions on this day covered topics such as government relationships with ACS, disaster response, AmeriCorps, and refugee ministry. Colette Newer, associate director of NAD ACS, ushered in the Sabbath with a short devotion, which was followed by a mini concert by Jaime Jorge.
Sabbath morning began with a devotion by Theodore Sargeant, director of Ministries of Compassion at the Ontario Conference, followed by nine ministry highlights. The featured ACS ministries shared what they are doing and how their ministry is impacting their local community. Dr. Alexander Bryant, president of the North American Division, delivered the sermon for the Divine Service entitled “Two Classes, Two Paths, One Way”. A panel discussion was held in the afternoon to discuss the vision for ACS, challenging issues faced by ACS leaders today, and the future of ACS.
As we spoke about what is currently taking place around the North American Division, there was also discussion on determining how we move forward and enhance the scope of ACS ministry, resulting in the initiation of two committees. One committee will focus on refugees entering the NAD territory, and the other will focus on getting our young people in the Church connected with ACS.
The closing ceremony on Saturday night started off with special music by Paul Heflin, followed by remarks by Pr. Joe Watts, former ACS and DR director of Texas Conference and Southwestern Union. The keynote message was delivered by Dr. Sung Kwon, former executive director of NAD ACS. He currently serves as associate professor of leadership at Andrews University, and director of the new social innovation concentration for the Master of Arts (MA) in leadership program. The convention was brought to a close with the NAD ACS team honoring Kwon for over 20 years of exceptional leadership, dedicated service, and commitment to ACS ministry.
“This was life-changing. It gave life to the things we have been saying in our local area,” said one of the participants who attended in person. Another said, “I love coming to the conventions and being able to connect, be blessed, and get fresh ideas on how to serve and help the growth of our community services.” One of the virtual attendees stated, “Streaming through the website and not Zoom or YouTube was an excellent idea. It balanced accessibility with limiting distractions in a way that kept quality, while allowing our not so tech savvy members to not have to figure out how to stop things popping up as they viewed.”
The participants were blessed with uplifting music, inspirational messages, informative workshops, and a time of reflection and networking. They also had the privilege to take a tour of the ACS depot in Keene the following day after the convention. “I thank each of those that participated either in person or virtually. Your willingness to be a part of the 50th Anniversary Convention helped make it a successful one,” stated W. Derrick Lea. 
Adventist Community Services continues to serve as a resource for communities around the North American Division. Though we are still in the middle of a pandemic, various ACS entities have found ways to actively be engaged in ministering to the needs of their community members who are facing hardship. The city of Fayetteville in North Carolina is one of several cities that have been affected by the ups and downs of the economy and many have found themselves lost in this environment. The ACS Center of the Abney Chapel Adventist Church began communicating with other Adventist churches and faith communities around North Carolina to determine how they can be of assistance. Through these conversations, ACS Coordinator Judy Toney, was able to organize a Food Distribution day on November 14, 2021, where she convinced around fifteen partner organizations to set up Distribution Sites in their community. “The day turned out to be a great success and enabled us to not only give goods but pray and serve as a resource connecting those often forgotten with help both today and into the future,” stated W. Derrick Lea, ACS Director for the North American Division.
New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church partnered with Mind Changers and Amazon for a Back-to-School outreach on Saturday, August 7th, where they distributed 625 backpacks with supplies to the Westside community in Huntsville, Alabama. New Life/Maranatha had 192 backpacks for K through 6th graders and 83 ACS tote bags for middle school and high school students. Amazon brought 250 pre-packed backpacks and Mind Changers had the rest. Besides the school supplies giveaway, the community members also enjoyed free food, music, and games. South Central Conference Adventist Community Services (ACS) provided popcorn and snow cones and they fed their volunteers vegetarian pizza. The organizers had hot dogs, hamburgers and chips, drinks, etc. for the general population. The festivities continued the following day with a family movie night. The event organizers were glad to see a large turnout from the community, enabling them to create local relationships by focusing on their needs.
The Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program (NLCP) 2021 was held in Orlando, Florida, from August 2-4 (Monday – Wednesday). It was co-sponsored by the North American Division Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) in partnership with Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI), Andrews University, Central California Conference, and Human Resources of the General Conference. The program was well-attended by over 40 participants from around the North American Division. We had a diverse group that consisted of ACS directors, conference and church leaders, pastors, leaders involved in various ministries, and those interested in starting a non-profit organization.
The workshops included topics on urban ministry, cross-cultural ministry, conflict management, marketing and communications, volunteer engagement, and inspirational, impactful, and strategic leadership. Participants were also given opportunities to network and engage in discussion with one another. “Being able to engage in conversation with people of similar interests and passion for non-profit leadership is very enlightening,” one participant said. Another said that this was his first time attending the NLCP and loved everything about it.
By: Sasha Charles-Prince, Community Services Coordinator for the College Station SDA Church
The church family at the College Station Seventh-day Adventist Church has actively been living their motto of: LOVING AND GUIDING ALL TO KNOW JESUS, TO GROW IN JESUS, AND TO GO BE LIKE JESUS.
In 2020 and 2021, we participated in multiple outreach projects in our community. We have formed a relationship with Twin City Missions, a local non-profit that works with homeless and displaced families. We have worked with them to provide care packages for displaced families that are moving out of the center and into homes. We have been able to provide over 30 boxes of non-perishable food items, as well as 40 Christmas hampers to the center’s families as well.
Our Community Services department also initiated a Day of Service where our members go into the community to serve and minister to them. We packed diaper hampers and food hampers, and volunteered at the local food bank and laundromats to meet the community and share God’s love with them.
Below are some images of their activities.
The first ACS Emotional & Spiritual Care session at the North American Division headquarters was held on December 11-12, 2018. It was conducted by W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS Disaster Response Director. Twenty-six pastors, lay members, and community service leaders took advantage of this opportunity which provided participants needed practical skills for critical incident response. The majority of participants were from the Chesapeake, Allegheny East, and Allegheny West conferences.
The session started out with the 2-hour ‘Special Issues in Emotional & Spiritual Care’ class which was followed by the 13-hour ‘Assisting Individuals in Crisis’ class forming a joint 2-day intensive program. Derrick presented useful tools and techniques on how to assess and reach people in various critical situations to meet their immediate needs. The session consisted of interactive lectures, group activities, videos, and role-play scenarios. Participants also shared stories and experiences of their encounters with individuals in crisis, and how they addressed their concerns. The session ended with the participants receiving their certificates, followed by a brief speech by Elder Debra Brill, NAD Vice President for Ministries, who addressed the attendees and also appreciated them for their dedicated service and efforts in community outreach.
The classes were well received. The participants found them to be extremely helpful in enhancing their crisis management skills to respond to individuals affected by a disaster or trauma by providing emotional and spiritual care. One pastor stated, “It is helping prepare me as a community pastor to minister to those who encounter emotional crisis.” Another participant said, “These classes provided invaluable information that helps me better to be equipped to serve.” The participants are now eligible to become a credentialed ACS Emotional & Spiritual Care Provider I.
The ACS Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program (NLCP) 2018 was held at Andrews University from September 4-7 (Tuesday – Friday). It was co-sponsored by the North American Division ACS in partnership with Andrews University, Philanthropic Services for Institutions, and Adventist Risk Management. The event was well-attended by over 40 participants from the US, Canada, UK, South Korea, and Myanmar. We had a diverse group that consisted of ACS directors, ADRA leaders, pastors, students, and directors and coordinators from various ministries such as Personal, Compassion, Prayer, and Health Ministry.
The workshops included topics on holistic ministry, community assessment and program development, urban ministry, leadership and team development, ministering cross-culturally, risk management, legal issues, fundraising strategies, grant proposal writing, marketing and communications, volunteer engagement, performance measurement for ministries, and logic model development. The last session of the event ended on Friday afternoon with presentations by each participant on how they can utilize the Logic Model method in enhancing their own community outreach programs and activities.
Visit our NAD ACS Facebook page for photos.
ACS and ADRA participated in an innovative Emergency Management Training program from August 26-31. ADRA coordinated the effort, taking the lead in training sessions and managing the simulation exercise.
Five ACS DR Team members started the training with a three-day classroom session, and ended with a simulation that took place for another three days. The participants received expert knowledge in International response. Some of the topics included Communications, Protection, Cultural Parameters around the world, and United Nations assistance. In addition to the onsite classroom work, each person was required to take over 40 hours of online training prior to class attendance.
The second half of the training called for an exciting simulation exercise when ADRA staff whisked the participants away to an undisclosed location. The exercise entailed real life team deployment, hostages by actors from the community, and objectives and deadlines that had to be met in a way that ultimately served the public best. A part of the exercise involved the Team members being awakened at 3 am by local community participants screaming about a flooding that had destroyed a village next door. Though all this was simulated activity, the realism of the participants raised heart rates throughout the camp.
Even though both ACS and ADRA work with partners outside of the church like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and even Governmental authorities; however, up until this time we had not the opportunity to work together in such an endeavor. W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS DR Director, said “While we both respond to similar disasters, typically the need within the NAD and outside of this area are different. Understanding the rules and environment each of us operates under requires expanding our knowledge, skills and abilities”. Expressing his excitement, Lea continued “I am truly proud of the dedication, enthusiasm and proficiency of our ACS DR team. I also believe a foundation has been laid for more collaborative efforts with ADRA”.