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Mission SONlight Chatt Extra 17 MS3Q26 EUD · Mission SONlight CHATT

0:09
Welcome to Network 7's Mission Sunlight Chat.
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This special report this quarter from the Inter
0:14
-European Division. And Jordan joins me here
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in the studio for the special report. The EUD,
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which is known as the Inter -European Division,
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sometimes called a division of countries in Western
0:26
and Central Europe, interwoven with another division.
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which is the Trans -European Division, a .k .a.
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the TED. So we have the EUD and the TED, Jordan.
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That's right. It can get a bit confusing when
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you look at the map and you see all the countries
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layered, this one beside this one, that one,
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so on. Yeah, yeah. As you said, the TED and the
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EUD are intertwined across the... the continent
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of Europe. And so when you look at the map, TED
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and EUD kind of take up the northern western
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side into the center part of Europe. Right. And
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the politics and geography and language play
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a big part in how the church leaders have assigned
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the division and have separated them for being
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able to travel to the divisions and work together.
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Right. So there's designations for the countries.
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And as they figure out the layers, This particular
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quarter, we are traveling in the EUD, which,
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of course, is based in Bern, Switzerland, which
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we've been to a number of times. I've been there
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a number of times. I can't remember. Have you
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been to Bern? I have been there before, yeah.
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Okay. So this particular trip, of course, we
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did not go to Bern, but we're bringing our audience
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to the Seventh -day Adventist Church's quarterly
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13th Sabbath offering projects, the overflow
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projects. So offerings taken through the quarter
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go to designated mission projects. This one goes
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to... what is called the overflow projects. And
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so let's take a look at the projects for third
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quarter 2026. Sounds good. From Network 7's Media
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Missionaries, welcome to Mission Sunlight. During
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this quarter, our Media Missionaries travel to
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the Inter -European Division to learn about projects
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aimed at supporting youth and young adults in
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Belgium and Italy. Twenty -two countries make
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up the territory in this region that has a diverse
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population of more than 340 million people. The
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EUD is a division with many countries with various
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languages and cultures. We have countries from
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the eastern part and the western part of Europe.
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and sometimes it's not so easy. All of the units
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are having different missionary projects, COIs,
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and other kinds of missionary projects. A lot
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of devoted persons, lay members, pastors, institutions,
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who are working for God, trying to give their
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best for the gospel. During this quarter, our
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media missionaries visit Italy and Belgium to
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share stories of how our brothers and sisters
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are bringing hope and the gospel to those around
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them. On September 15, 1874, Jay and Andrews,
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along with his children, Charles and Mary, left
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their home in the United States to travel to
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Switzerland. As the first official Adventist
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missionary, Andrews would continue the work begun
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by Michael B. Czachowski. Czachowski, a Polish
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Franciscan monk converted to Adventism, labored
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in the Waldensian Valleys in northern Italy and
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later in Switzerland, where he founded the first
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Adventist church outside North America in Tremelon.
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When Andrews arrived in Switzerland, there was
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no church infrastructure. An organized plan didn't
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exist, but Andrews approached the task that lay
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ahead with determination. I know of but one way.
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Find a field of labor, ask God to help, take
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off your coat, and pitch into the work. Istituto
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Universitario Aventista, often simply called
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Villa Aurora, is an Adventist college located
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in the hills near Florence, Italy. It serves
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as a training center for workers eager to share
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the good news with the Italian -speaking population
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worldwide. The current need at the school is
3:58
for a student dormitory. The Institute's mission
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statement is aimed at equipping students to contemplate
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life, proclaim faith in the eternal gospel, nurture
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hope in the coming kingdom, and learn and embody
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love. without reservations or discrimination
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in the service of a church attentive to the needs
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of the most vulnerable and of a more just society.
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Youth and young adults need a strong foundation
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of faith to face the challenges in today's secular
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society. A vital part of this formation is a
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space where youth can participate in both physical
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and spiritual activities. A portion of this quarter's
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13th Sabbath offering will be used in the construction
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of a youth and camp center in Belgium. Stay tuned
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next for the full report of the ministry happening
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throughout the Belgian Luxembourg Conference.
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On July 6, 1869, in the Advent Review and Sabbath
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Herald, J .N. Andrews reminded us of our need
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to provide ways for others to hear the story
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of Jesus. Where is our zeal for perishing souls?
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Where are the acts of self -denial and cross
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-bearing on our part to save our perishing fellow
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men? Each individual can do what devolves upon
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himself for the accomplishment of this great
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work, and with their united action, the work
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is wrought. On Sabbath, September 26, you will
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have the opportunity to unite with our brothers
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and sisters in the Inter -European Division.
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Our joint offerings will provide the necessary
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facilities to train and deploy young adults on
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the greatest mission on earth, telling others
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that Jesus is coming again. Reporting from the
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Inter -European Division, we are the media missionaries
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of Network 7, and this is Mission Sunlight. Christopher,
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it's interesting to see how the church is wisely
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looking. to the future and how that pertains
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to what they're doing right now and reaching
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out to the people in their own division. Right.
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So they definitely have a vision plan there in
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the EUD and particularly in the conference we're
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about to visit. Let's go to the next story and
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see how they're implementing that plan and rolling
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it out with the EUD's Belgium Luxembourg Conference
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and their youth department with summer camps.
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Yeah, let's go to summer camp. Today, our media
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missionaries travel to the Franco -Belgian Union
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Conference. This region includes the four countries
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of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Our
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report today comes from the Belgium -Luxembourg
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Conference, where reaching the youth is a vital
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part of the ministry outreach. Youth and young
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adults are not forgotten here in the Belgium
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-Luxembourg Conference. Rather, they are the
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first priority. We have an active youth ministry
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here in Belgium and Luxembourg. Our programming
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includes Week of Prayer. a beginning of the year
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gathering, annual summer camps, and participation
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in activities organized by the Inter -European
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Division and the General Conference. Summer means
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campers going to summer camp. In Belgium, it
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is no different. Currently, we have three camps
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taking place here in the region. The first is
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our Adventurer Camp for campers aged 7 to 10.
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Our Print Explore Camp is for ages 10 to 13.
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And our third group is ages 13 to 16. Every summer,
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young people experience far more than just a
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few days away from home. They discover a community
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where everyone is welcomed, valued, listened
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to, and encouraged. They build friendships that
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often last a lifetime. When I come to camp, I
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look forward to being with my friends. We've
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grown closer to each other and strengthened our
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friendships. Relax my mind when I'm here. I feel
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like when I'm at home, I'm always on my phone.
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And when I'm here, I'm just always with my friends.
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And not only that, I also get closer to God.
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During their daily activities, campers are internalizing
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life skills and character traits. Campers learn
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to serve, work together, take responsibility,
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and care for others. They discover the beauty
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of God's creation. They grow in confidence both
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in themselves and in God. They take time to reflect
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on life's deepest questions. When I'm singing
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or when I'm listening to the preacher, when he's
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talking, I feel like that's how I also get closer
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to God. This is also a time to better understand
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myself and what is in my heart. We sing a lot
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at camp. My friends and I enjoy learning new
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songs to sing at home. The spiritual moments
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are especially important to me. These moments
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help me grow in my walk with Jesus and become
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his disciple. Helping campers grow spiritually
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is a vital part of camp programming. Many campers
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deepen their faith. Some discover Jesus in a
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completely new way. Others choose to dedicate
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their lives to him through baptism. But our camps
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do more than shape the lives of those who attend.
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They also shape those who lead them. Teenagers
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become counselors. Counselors become leaders.
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Leaders become committed servants in their churches
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and in society. For generations, Adventist youth
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camps have helped prepare men and women who will
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serve God throughout their lives. We're here
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at Camp to learn, especially about God and what
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the Bible offers us. We shouldn't think of camp
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as just being with our friends. We must look
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beyond that. We have a small conference, currently
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just over 3 ,100 members, but our youth group
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is quite large. Given those proportions, nearly
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800 young people sign up for AGYA activities
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every year. Planning summer camp and other youth
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activities is challenging. Today, organizing
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our summer camps is becoming increasingly difficult.
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Suitable campsites are becoming harder to find.
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We have far fewer sites available. Changes to
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school holiday calendars have intensified competition
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for suitable sites. Some locations we relied
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on for many years are no longer available. We've
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been renting campsites every year since the end
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of World War II. That's 80 years. Since the floods
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in Belgium four years ago, many campsites have
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been lost because camping is no longer permitted
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there. Church leadership has developed a far
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-reaching vision for the camp's development and
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purpose. We're not simply dreaming of a piece
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of land. We're dreaming of a place. A place where
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young people can return year after year. A place
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where families can gather. A place where leaders
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can be trained. A place where churches can organize
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retreats, training events, and fellowship weekends.
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A place that can also welcome external groups
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whose values align with ours. a place that is
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alive year -round, a place where nature, friendship,
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and faith come together, a place where people
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learn to love God, love one another, and care
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for His creation. This center will become much
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more than a building. It will become a home for
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youth. Good stewardship of finances and renewable
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resources is also part of the planning. This
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place has been carefully designed with the future
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in mind. It will gradually reduce the cost of
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renting facilities for many of our activities.
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It will serve several ministries of the church.
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It will host training events, retreats, camps,
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family gatherings, and whenever appropriate,
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outside groups that share our values. We also
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want it to become a model of responsible stewardship
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by progressively integrating sustainable solutions
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such as energy efficiency, rainwater harvesting,
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environmental care, and respect for God's creation.
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Our goal is not simply to build. Our goal is
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to create a missionary tool that will serve God's
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work for decades to come. What is the purpose
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of owning our own camp? It's about providing
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facilities, a place that belongs to the young
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people, where they can experience moments of
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connection year after year. Each local church
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is essentially an outpost. that could also benefit
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from the culture. The impact of camp programming
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often extends well beyond the immediate need,
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with many of its positive effects lasting for
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years to come. Imagine this place 20 years from
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now. Then imagine it 50 years from now. Thousands
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of young people will have laughed here, prayed
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here, sung here, served here, discovered God
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here, found their calling here. built lifelong
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friendships here. Some may even meet the person
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they will marry one day. Some will become pastors.
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Others will be teachers, parents, missionaries,
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church leaders. Others will simply become faithful
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Christians whose lives quietly reflect Christ
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wherever they live and serve. All because one
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day men and women chose to invest in a generation.
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On Sabbath, September 26th, you will have the
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opportunity to invest in the youth of Belgium.
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Your gift is a part of your legacy and carries
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eternal consequences. We're not asking you to
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help us build a building. We're moving you to
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help us build a legacy, a place where today's
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young people and the generations that follow
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can meet Jesus, grow in faith, discover their
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gifts, and learn to serve others. Investing in
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young people is investing in the future of the
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church. When we invest in young people, we are
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doing far more than constructing walls. We are
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helping shape lives that will bear fruit for
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God's kingdom for generations to come. I'm grateful
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our church organization plans camps for different
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age groups. I've been attending camps since I
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was very young and enjoy doing this with my friends.
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I've learned many things about God's Word and
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who He is during my time at camp. I would like
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to say thank you to the World Church. for having
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this opportunity of having the permanent camp.
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Thank you to the World Church and for your offerings,
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which will help our dreams of a church camp come
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true. I sincerely want to thank the Global Church
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for the help that they can provide. It is a wonderful
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opportunity for us to benefit from this offering.
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Worldwide support for this project is something
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beyond our wildest hopes. From the media missionaries
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of Network 7 in Belgium, this is Mission Sunlight.
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So, Jordan, you and I are Pathfinders at heart.
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We believe heavily in the Pathfinder program,
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certainly a part of your youth, part of my youth.
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I can remember my Pathfinder program in Florida
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was not attending the very first international
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Pathfinder Campery, and I was heartbroken. I
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thought, this is the coolest thing, all these
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Pathfinders from all over the world. So I went,
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I found another club that was willing to take
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me on, let me be a part of their club. And I
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got sponsors to help me attend. And I went to
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that Pathfinder Camp where you might not remember
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this because I think this was close to when you
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were born. This was in 1985 in Camp Hill, Colorado.
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By the way, you know, my wife and I visited that
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here about a year plus ago. That location, which
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of course is just a beautiful region in the Rocky
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Mountains. It is. And just kind of a field now.
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old Army segments of the field, how it was broken
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up. And, of course, those segments were there
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and were part of the division of how they separated
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the Pathfinder Clubs way back in 1985. Lots of
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interesting lore there, but maybe our listeners
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don't care about all of our history. But we do
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love Pathfinders. We do. And that campsite would
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no longer be able to host the International Campery
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because it's grown so much. But, you know, they
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say once a Pathfinder, always a Pathfinder. Sure.
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And it's exciting to see how they're implementing
15:53
the Pathfinder program there and know that if
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somebody was to travel there, they could. could
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join the local Pathfinder Club and they would
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feel like they're right at home. Right. Pathfinders
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is like just a big family around the world. So
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these, of course, aren't the only youth we met
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in Europe. We also visited the Italian Adventist
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University, affectionately known with its historical
16:13
name, which is Villa Aurora in Florence, Italy.
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So this is a really fun country and a fascinating
16:19
historical campus. Let's check it out. Today,
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we are in Florence, Italy at Villa Aurora. The
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Italian Seventh -day Adventist Theological Seminary.
16:29
The Institute was founded in 1940 through the
16:32
initiative with the Italian Mission. The Division
16:35
and the General Conference were also keen to
16:37
establish a school and train missionaries and
16:39
pastors for the Italian field. The Italian field
16:42
had very few members at the time. There were
16:45
only about 2 ,000 Adventists here. Many of these
16:47
regions were controlled by the fascist empire
16:50
of the time. Missionaries from abroad, especially
16:52
those from allied nations, including the United
16:55
States, faced significant challenges. As a result,
16:59
it became necessary to deploy Italian missionary
17:02
pastors to North Africa to evangelize. This was
17:06
one of the main reasons behind the effort to
17:08
establish the school. Religious liberty was threatened
17:11
in those days, and today it continues to face
17:14
challenges around the world. Although the 1948
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Italian Constitution made provision for compatibility
17:22
of freedom and equality in religious matters,
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Catholicism remained the official state religion
17:27
in Italy until 1984. Today, Villa Aurora continues
17:32
the mission to train young adults to share the
17:35
story of Jesus and his soon coming. Nearly 30
17:39
years ago, a program was initiated in collaboration
17:42
with the American Consortium for Italian Language
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and Culture. This year marked a significant milestone.
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All university degrees awarded by the Adventist
17:50
University Institute are now officially recognized
17:53
by the Italian state. As Italy is a member of
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the European community, these degrees are also
18:00
recognized across the European Union. We are
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the first Adventist university in Europe to hold
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a distinct offering of doctoral -level programs.
18:08
and Villa Aurora has a very very important space
18:13
for dialogue, for multicultural encounter between
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people. We learn as students how important is
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the religious freedom and how I would say it's
18:26
important to defend this right not just for us
18:30
but to all other religions and how important
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is to find the right way. to have dialogues with
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them, to have dialogues proper to defend their
18:42
rights when they are in need, because of course
18:46
there are some risks, there are so many people
18:48
persecuted. Located just 15 minutes from the
18:52
center of downtown Florence, Villa Aurora is
18:55
steeped in history. The school did not originate
18:58
at this specific location. It began in another
19:00
part of Florence, at the former site of the publishing
19:03
house. which was relocated to make way for it.
19:06
That served as the seminary's first home in 1940.
19:09
In 1947, immediately following the end of World
19:13
War II, the need for more space led to the purchase
19:16
of this villa where we are now. Dating back to
19:19
the late 14th century, the villa once belonged
19:21
to the Medici -Riccardi family, a prominent family
19:24
in Tuscany, particularly in Florence. When the
19:27
Italian mission acquired it and the extensive
19:29
surrounding grounds, it became the institutional
19:32
home of our school, the current Italian Adventist
19:35
University, and took on the villa's original
19:38
name. Next year we will be celebrating our 18th
19:42
anniversary of this campus. Although the university
19:45
is not as large as some of its sister schools,
19:47
creative methods are used to attract students.
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We have around 600 between students and volunteers.
19:54
The whole group of these young people comes from,
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I would say, around 10 countries in Europe and
20:00
Africa, North America and South America. The
20:03
Institute has equipped itself with a range of
20:06
tools for broadcasting lectures online. This
20:08
supports both synchronized participation, where
20:11
students can join and interact with classes in
20:14
real time from a distance, allowing students
20:16
to watch lectures and follow the course on their
20:18
own pace. This has enabled us to make our institute,
20:21
including bachelor's and master's degree programs
20:23
and their various specializations, available
20:26
to a wider audience beyond our church itself.
20:30
Our student body isn't limited to young people
20:33
from Adventist families seeking better preparation.
20:36
whether as lay people or those with a calling
20:39
to serve the Lord as pastors. We also attract
20:42
individuals who already hold a degree and are
20:45
interested in theology, as well as pastors from
20:48
other denominations and religious confessions.
20:51
We have several such students interested in delving
20:54
deeper into specific topics within. It is inspiring
20:57
to observe pastors from different faiths engaging
20:59
with doctrines that are unique to us. Their studies
21:02
are broad and covering general Christian history
21:05
and topics like dogmatics and prophecy. Key aspects
21:08
of our Adventist faith, since pastors from other
21:11
communities actively study this material, we
21:14
see it as a potent evangelism tool to share our
21:17
faith, convictions, and interpretation of God's
21:20
Word. Historical buildings require upkeep. The
21:23
project this quarter is to renew some of the
21:26
student housing. There is a need for more rooms
21:28
to allow Villa Aurora to carry out its welcoming
21:31
mission. as we have done up to now. The new dormitory
21:35
may not be that exciting of a project to you.
21:38
The Gospel Commission, the Three Angels Messages,
21:40
should be. This new dormitory will bring you
21:44
ready, fit, and trained to share that gospel.
21:47
We have seen strong demand, especially from students
21:50
themselves, to come and study in Italy. Consequently,
21:53
this number has grown over the years, creating
21:55
significant logistical pressures for the Institute.
21:59
Currently, the male and female resident halls,
22:01
as well as other small facilities that normally
22:04
serve the student body throughout the academic
22:06
year, are completely full, and we even have a
22:09
waiting list. This drives us to find solutions
22:12
to expand our accommodation capacity. On Sabbath,
22:15
September 26th, you will have the opportunity
22:17
to influence young adults on a campus far from
22:20
your hometown. These students are eager to study
22:23
and prepare to tell others that Jesus is coming.
22:27
Their housing situation should not have to be
22:29
at the top of their concerns. Plan now for your
22:32
gift that will be used to renew the student housing
22:34
at Villa Aurora. Thank you for what you choose
22:37
to donate. Thank you for the support you give
22:39
us. Even if you may not yet know our university,
22:43
we would love to have you visit us. Receiving
22:46
those kind of offers are not just to make new
22:49
buildings. It's about having, as I said, more.
22:54
space for more people to join us to study the
22:57
gospel the theology students we We are really
23:01
missing people who study theology in Europe,
23:04
especially, I would say, in Italy. And there
23:06
are so many people who want to study there. And
23:08
maybe more places would be great to join the
23:11
gospel together, to preach, to learn how to preach
23:14
the gospel together. That is the main goal of
23:16
our school. Thank you for remembering and supporting
23:19
our mission here at Villa Aurora. We are the
23:22
media missionaries of Network 7, reporting from
23:24
the Inter -European Division. This is Mission
23:28
Sunlight. So one of the things that sticks with
23:31
me from this story is the religious liberty aspect
23:33
of Italy. And, you know, it's the heart, the
23:38
seat of the Catholic adherence and recognition
23:40
to some degree of embracing other faiths, including
23:44
the Seventh -day Adventist Church. Right. A place
23:47
that hasn't always welcomed other faiths is finding
23:51
at least welcoming. other faiths for the time
23:55
being. Of course, religious liberty is an important
23:58
issue for Adventists and anyone wanting freedom
24:00
to practice their faith. So glad to hear the
24:04
intrepid desire to grow and rightly train in
24:07
this area at this university, the Army of Youth
24:10
in Italy. Good story. Great project. Bricks and
24:15
mortar isn't always exciting to people to give,
24:17
but what they're going to be able to do there,
24:19
the expansion of more students is, of course,
24:22
a big deal. And that bricks and mortar will impact
24:23
lives. It's not just the building. It's the students
24:26
that are living there and the opportunities that
24:29
they have to walk and talk to other people of
24:32
different faiths and from different countries.
24:34
Right, and if you're worried about whether the
24:36
roof is leaking or whether the place is ugly
24:38
or it's just not comfortable, it doesn't feel
24:40
at home. That's a big deal. You know, you want
24:42
to be able to focus on your studies. Right. Yeah.
24:45
So great, great projects. Hearing about the youth
24:47
camp, hearing about this university campus. So
24:51
props to the EUD. We're glad to visit and glad
24:53
to tell their story, the story of Jesus. Yeah.
24:56
Thank you so much for joining us. This is our
24:58
program for today. This has been Mission Sunlight
25:01
Chat. This has been a Beeson Brook production
25:05
in association with Network 7 Media Center. Executive
25:09
Producers Christopher and Rebecca Beeson Roddy
25:12
Scarborough Don and Nancy Van Ornum Associate
25:16
Producers Jordan and Ashley Wagner Your host
25:19
today, Christopher Beeson, Director of Production
25:22
and Audio Engineer, Jordan Wagner. To suggest
25:25
guests, topic questions, to pray with us, or
25:28
to give, visit missionsunlight .org or text us
25:31
at 423 -855 -4877. You may write to us at Network
25:38
7 Media Center, Box 25468, Chattanooga, Tennessee,
25:43
37422. This has been a production of Network
25:47
7 Media Center.