ADVENTISTIDE KOGUDUSTE EESTI LIIT 2007–2010
Estonian Conference of the Adventist Church
named two main and intertwined areas
in the beginning of the last period:
relations and communication.
Both areas have been developed
inside our church but also externally.
During the period we have stepped
towards generational change among pastors.
5 new pastors have started their ministry
and 2 pastors have retired.
This has increased the need
for training and education.
Conference, in cooperation with Union and Division,
organized several seminars for conference workers
but also other church officials and members.
A new church was planted in Keila town,
which was first where a new kind of
evangelistic seminar,
called “Discover Christianity” was tried.
So we have a new place where advent message
is regularly proclaimed.
The number of active small groups
has grown during the period also.
Jőhvi Adventists are building their own church.
A ground was bought into the heart of the town
and now the construction work is on its way.
The building is supported by the conference,
individual sponsors and Adventists
from all over Estonia.
At the construction of this first Adventist church
in East-Virumaa, the walls are already rising.
Work of the Conference is not only
in starting new initiatives,
but also upholding the work
of different existing departments.
Work with children and young people
has always been one of the important cornerstones
of our Conference.
Every summer we have camps for pathfinders
and young people.
Every autumn youth gather for youth days
and in winter for Bible and Ball days.
In spring children are singing at the
traditional Song Day.
As a new development we can mention
the birth of the functioning youth council
which has broadened the field of youth work.
Summer Family camps have focused on
family as a whole.
A sizable book “For Couples” was published,
which filled an important gap
in our literature choice.
Through special services the attention has been
turned to prevention of family violence
and to the women’s role in churches and homes.
A summer camp for seniors has turned into a
new tradition, bringing brothers and sisters
with life experience together
from different parts of Estonia
and offering them a chance to meet
old friends and coworkers.
For better organizing of the publishing work
a publishing committee was created,
dealing with coordination of the translators
and editors and starting new book projects.
A list of new books and reprints has been published.
For the first time Adventists are having this year
a morning devotional book
which is written by local Adventists themselves.
For the last two years Adventist churches shared
special books on the spring Mission Day,
proclaiming good news
among their friends and neighbours.
The idea of Mission Day was well accepted
and many people have found new joy
from sharing our books.
Important part of communication these days
is work with the internet.
During this last period
Conference bought its own server,
which brought almost limitless possibilities
for digital work.
Indrek Ploompuu was hired as a IT-specialist
and Jaanus-Janari Kogerman was affirmed as a webpastor,
whose responsibilities is to administer
the “Pastor answers” section of our website
and coordinate digital missionaries
under the TED's LifeConnect project.
Our radio work has seen some remarkable developments.
Our pastors and members are doing regularly
morning devotionals for Estonian National Radio
and Christian radios.
Several Adventists are active in different positions
at the Christian Family Radio.
Estonian Conference has been active
in different global Adventist Church’s
initiatives and programmes.
Last August we welcomed the Big Bible to Estonia
and with the delegation which was following this Bible
in 66 languages we visited Estonian Bible Society,
Family Radio and held two services in Tallinn
and Tartu churches inviting people
to rededicate themselves to Bible reading.
Important focus has been put also to the social matters
that are relevant to our society.
We started this working period
with the theme of the year “Children – Gods Gift”
by focusing to children in Estonia.
As a part of this year we organized open conference
“Children’s raising environment”
where the main speaker was former member of
European Parliament and president of the
Estonian Union for Child Welfare Ms Katrin Saks.
Last October we organized in cooperation with
the Finnish Union and Andrews University
a seminar at the Tallinn University
about youth risk behaviour.
Dear fellow christian!
Brother and sister!
I stand here today as a person
who looks back in time
and I´m thankful to God for all these
events, experiences and contacts
that the Lord has given through different times.
Today I´m grateful to my coworkers
and friends with whom we have been able
to be a part in Gods work
– think together, be together,
act together and also share worries together.
I´m very thankful to my team with whom
I have been able to work in the Conference,
to all the department leaders,
to everybody in our churches
in our small Estonian community.
I´m thankful to every member.
Today I´m thinking to all of you
in prayer so that the Lord would bless us all
and the whole church in its everyday life and work.
If I could have chance today
to have a say looking at the future,
then I have one dream and a wish.
I wish that our church could have a trust
in our society, because in my mind
believing in God comes through people.
What we preach about God, comes through human lips.
My dream is that our acts could be trustworthy
in the eyes of the society,
so that people could trust to believe in God
in this time and place.
This is only solution to the problems of this world
and also problems around every person.
The solution is in the gospel
but people have to accept it and trust it.
I hope that delegates here today think about it
in their prayers how the church living
among this society can win that trust in the future
so that the gospel could spread in our society
and that the faith in God would grow.
This is my dream and my wish and I´m very happy
that the possibilities to preach that gospel today
is much greater and I wish that these contacts
through different channels could get better
with people around us. Thank you!