Last year when New Albany Church members prepared for their youth to participate in the Elijah Project (see March 2007 Lake Union Herald), they were not aware that Adventist-laymen's Services and Industries (ASI) would hold its 2007 International Convention right across the river in Louisville, Kentucky. ASI was instrumental in funding the Elijah Project, and they also sent representatives to witness the young people in action.
How happy the New Albany Church members were to learn that ASI would include their church in the Youth for Jesus project, scheduled immediately before the 60th ASI Convention, which was held August 1–4.
In January, ASI provided a project coordinator, and in February a site coordinator was assigned to work with just the New Albany Church. Bible workers arrived in April, and in June everyone was happy to receive more Bible workers and some of the students who participated in the Youth for Jesus training school.
Beginning in April, there was an eight-week training session to prepare church members to give Bible studies correctly. Forty of the New Albany members attended the course. Many held Bible studies with their neighbors and friends.
The Bible workers and students flooded the neighborhoods, knocked on doors, and followed leads from Amazing Facts, It Is Written, and other sources. They also searched their communities for others who were looking for Bible truths. They enrolled many in Bible study courses. During this time, church members also held a Stop Smoking clinic, a health expo, and a vegetarian cooking class.
After studying the Bible with many interested people in the area, the Bible workers invited their students to attend the Revelation Speaks evangelistic meetings, which began July 6 and continued the the rest of the month. Four Louisville-area churches, two Indiana churches, and one satellite church in Frankfort, Kentucky, participated. The Bible workers, along with the Youth for Jesus students, provided the preaching and helped with the music, children's programs, greeting, and ushering for the meetings. The New Albany Church youth also participated in preaching, special music, greeting, and the children's programs. The Frankfort Church, which had been closed for two years, re-opened with more than 20 people participating in a branch Sabbath school.
The series of evangelistic meetings culminated in an area-wide baptismal service on July 31 at the Pewee Valley Church in Kentucky. Mark Finley delivered a wonderfully encouraging message. Following his message, area pastors baptized 45 new members; 33 others had already been baptized. In all, 149 precious individuals made decisions to follow Christ.
Joyce Blake is the New Albany Church communication secretary.
