It was just a few months after our Lake Union Session in 2001 when the world changed. We continue to see and feel the effect of those changes. No one needs to remind us our freedoms are under attack by powerful religious forces.

Hope for the Homeland was our response in 2002. Michigan Conference held 212 evangelistic meetings; six thousand guests attended the opening meetings and there were nine hundred baptisms. Praise the Lord! It was the highest number in 21 years. Ninety lay preachers joined 120 pastors to conduct those meetings. Pastors not only prepared and held their own meetings, but also coached their lay brothers and sisters on how to do theirs. As members, we can look back at our response to the tragedy of 9/11 and know that when God said “Move!” we moved. We did not just wring our hands. We united, and by God’s grace made our best efforts for the Lord.

Then there is the story of Clare, Michigan. Several years ago the Michigan Conference had to disband the church and sell the property. Various efforts were made to revive the work there. Finally, a small company was started, but then it failed and the group asked the executive committee to disband it. The Lord led the Conference to ask retired literature evangelist director, Russ Thomas, a pastor, and his wife, Faith, if they would help. A month later the executive committee was asked to restart the company. By May 5, 2001, the group bought ten acres on I-27 and broke ground for a new church.

By February 1, 2003, Clare members opened the doors to a beautiful church. Three months later they dedicated it debt free with 35 members. By December 2005, they had 66 members. You do the math.

What is the secret of their success? They do evangelism the old-fashioned way. First, they have at least one part-time colporteur, Pam Knechtel, who works very closely with the pastor. She finds the interests. The pastor and his wife follow them up. Members are assigned to give Bible studies. Then, the pastor “persuades” one of the Conference evangelists to hold a week-long “reaping” series. They always have a crowd of guests. Of course, the members are there as well, giving the meetings their full support.

The church members and their pastor are already making plans to start work in a nearby town where there is no church. Nothing beats door-to-door, cooperation between the pastor and members, Bible studies, public evangelism, love, and the truth. I wonder what would happen if we tried this everywhere? The results are predictable!

Consider the General Youth Conference (GYC). As many of you know, the Michigan Conference is sponsoring Secular Campus Ministries, under the direction of Samuel Pipim. Young people have a way of generating wonderful surprises. Israel Ramos, along with some others, decided it was time for Adventist young people to unite to help finish God’s work. They were weary of the shallow, entertainment preaching and music that so often was directed at the youth. They wanted to be part of sharing the distinctive message and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They started networking with youth from all over the country and organized a training convention that would affirm the faith and equip youth to witness.

Their first convention was held in Southern California. They expected 200; more than 400 came. The next time they held it in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They expected 800; 1,200 came. The next time they held it in Sacramento, California. They expected 1,200; 1,800 came. In December 2005, they held it in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They expected 2,200; 3,700 came.

In order to help prepare for Mark Finley’s evangelistic meetings, on Sabbath afternoon 1,800 young people visited 9,000 homes. To date they have received requests for nearly 1,000 Bible studies. GYC! Young people invented it. Young people organized it. Young people are running it. They believe God deserves their best. They want to do their part to see Jesus come again soon.

Look at ARISE (A Resource Institute for Soul-Winning and Evangelism), run by David Asscherick, a minister, and his team. They train Bible workers each year for the Michigan Conference. We have far more requests for these graduates to do Bible work than we can meet. Adventists made their greatest advances in America when Bible workers were given a high priority. We must get back to doing door-to-door work and giving personal Bible studies. Some of the greatest teachings of Jesus were given to one person at a time—Nicodemus, and the woman at the well.

Last year, Camp Au Sable staff saw 453 people make decisions for baptism during their summer camp programs. God is blessing with record attendance. We want to do all we can to see youth make that decision to give their lives to Jesus.

We are grateful for our 47 schools. Great Lakes Adventist Academy is enjoying one of its highest enrollments. Every day the lives of our youth are being nurtured and encouraged toward the Kingdom of Heaven.

There is a lot of health outreach going on in our churches. The health and temperance department has developed their third outreach tool for churches to use. The latest, Living Free, focuses on addictions. The first of twelve, in a magazine series that can be used with neighbors and friends, is completed. It is titled, Balance—Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Then there were the hurricane disasters. This conference membership responded with nearly $200,000 in donations. Several truckloads of goods were sent into the disaster zone. In addition, many volunteers staffed the Michigan Conference mobile kitchen that fed the warehouse volunteers in Louisiana.

We are urging our members to have their own parish. Your neighbors need you! Is there anyone in your neighborhood who is sick, addicted, depressed, out of work, lonely, or grieving? Are there single parents, people going through a divorce, marriages in crisis, youth in trouble, or parents who are distressed? Are there people who are wondering about spiritual things? Are there those who long to know somebody who knows the Lord? Maybe they are tired of all the “Christian” glitter and need a real Christian to connect to. What if we just decided to visit our neighbors every few weeks just to pray for those who would like for us to? We need to be about our Father’s business, neighbor to neighbor. Not to see what we can get, but to see what we can give.

Jay Gallimore is the Michigan Conference president.