Family Ministries Videos

Family Ministries Feature

Accepting a Challenge

     Last January, at the North America Division’s Ministries Convention held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Ron Clouzet (NAD Ministerial Association Secretary) challenged pastors and ministry directors to set a goal for souls in 2009. Clouzet handed out pieces of paper asking participants to make a personal pledge about the number of people they would lead to Jesus this year.
     Alanzo Smith, Director of Family Ministries for the Greater New York Conference, took his paper, prayed over it, and wrote 100 souls in North America. While baptizing hundreds of people around the world each year as a family evangelist, Smith found this task more daunting in North America.
     During the meetings held in 2009, Dr. Smith, an ordained minister and licensed marriage and family therapist, preached sermons on relationship themes, challenging his audiences to develop stronger families and to give their lives to Jesus. The results were awesome, the stories refreshing. A 10-year-old girl brought her mother to Smith, asked him to prepare her for baptism with positive results. Another person decided to close her business on Sabbaths in order to be baptized. A third person found a wet flyer on the street and attended the meetings because of the information she read there.
   Through God’s power and grace, Smith held four evangelistic meetings (South Hampton, Bermuda; two in Brooklyn, New York; and in Rockville, Maryland) for a total of 10 weeks resulting in 124 baptisms.
   NAD Family Ministries sees its primary work as making disciples for the kingdom of God. Alanzo Smith’s example is one we hope to see replicated throughout North America in the days, months, and years to come.

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Marriage Conference - Riverside, CA

Riverside, CA—On November 14, 2009, close to 100 couples from the Southern California region and beyond participated in From This Day Forward, a one-day celebration of marriage commitment opened to the general public and held at the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa in Riverside, California.
   Sponsored by Family Ministries of the North American Division, the Pacific Union Conference, and the Southeastern California Conference, this was the last of four marriage conferences taking place across North America in 2009.
   The event consisted of presentations made by Allan and Deirdre Martin from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, Brenda and Mike Auderhar from the Upper Columbia Conference, and by Elaine and Willie Oliver from NAD Family Ministries.
   During a day that lasted from 9:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon, couples learned skills on communication, problem solving, forgiveness and commitment. They also learned how to be intentional about scheduling times for just having fun and developing spiritual and physical intimacy in marriage.
   One participant shared: “This is our second time to do this with you guys. It saved our marriage the first time, jump started it, and here we are again only to celebrate and recommit ourselves to each other.”
The event concluded with the renewal of wedding vows and the challenge to have the kind of marriage that gives honor and glory to God by being a strong witness to the Truth. Twelve of the participants requested Bible studies and are being followed-up.
   The next From This Day Forward marriage conference takes place on May 15, 2010, in Stamford, Connecticut. For additional information download the 2010 brochure on the home page.

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Journey Toward Intimacy Marriage Retreat - Bermuda

Restoration Ministries, under the leadership of Pastor Damon Hendrickson, invited Dr. Willie and Elaine Oliver, Family Ministries Directors of the North American Division, to present their Journey Toward Intimacy Marriage Retreat in the Bermuda Conference. Twenty-four couples, including Dr. Jeffrey and Pattiejean Brown, President and Family Ministries Director of the Bermuda Conference, were present to hear the Olivers deliver riveting presentations such as “Becoming Intimate Allies”, “Nurturing Fun, Friendship, Sensuality and Sexuality”, and “Forgiveness and the Restoration of Intimacy.” Willowbank Christian Retreat Center was selected as the venue and provided a wonderful setting for couples to examine their marriage covenant and renew their marriage vows.

Marriage Conference - Minneapolis, MN

Sixty-four couples gathered at the Sofitel Hotel, in Bloomington, Minnesota, for the North-American Division One Day Celebration of Marriage Commitment program, From This Day Forward, co-sponsored by the Mid-America Union Conference and the Minnesota Conference. NAD Family Ministries Director, Willie Oliver, and his Wife Elaine Oliver, marriage and family consultant for NAD were the presenters alongside Claudio Consuegra, VP for Administration, and his wife Pamela, Education Director, of the Minnesota Conference where they are also the Family Ministries Directors. The group included a couple married for only two months and another married for fifty-four years; a great diversity of ages, ethnic, and professional backgrounds.

The sixty-four couples came from the three conferences represented in the area – Minnesota, Central States, and Lake Region Conferences; and from surrounding states and as far as New Jersey. One participant expressed: “Exciting and comprehensively enriching for the two of us.” Another person said: “It was a way to enrich our marriage and draw closer to God and His plan for my life.”

The day also featured inspirational music by recording artist Denise Barclay from Columbia, Maryland. The Olivers and Consuegras spoke about oneness and intimacy, communication and problem resolution, sexual oneness, and forgiveness as foundational elements to build and strengthen the oneness and intimacy in marriage God intends for husbands and wives. The group enjoyed the couple activities and lunch together, and at the end they stood, held hands, and renewed their commitment to each other and to their marriage. Seven among the participants requested Bible studies and are being followed-up.

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Family Celebration Sabbath 2009

Berrien Springs, Mich.─ This year’s Family Celebration Sabbath weekend was held, July 17-18, at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University. Prominent author and speaker on the topics of sexual addiction and pornography, Mark Laaser, of Faithful and True Ministries was the weekend’s presenter.

Through worship, inspiration, and Scripture-based guidance, the weekend was designed to offer encouragement and help to hurting families and advice for those who minister to them. The weekend also included inspirational praise and worship led by Terrance Taylor, previous youth and associate pastor of Emerald City SDA Church, Seattle, Wash.

Events began on Friday when AdventSource hosted a resource reception in the Seminary Commons, followed by worship in the chapel. Sabbath morning, Laaser preached in the Seminary Chapel and organized a workshop for the afternoon programming. He addressed the issues of human sexuality, sexual addictions, pornography and their effects on the family, challenging all to realize that “Without vision, people perish” and “Spiritual discipline works!” Laaser also stressed the importance of positive vision and pure thoughts, encouraging families to “Take every thought captive” and “Share the vision God has given ... He’ll make it happen.”


L-R Dr. Willie Oliver, Dr. Mark Laaser, Karen and Dr. Ron Flowers, and Dr. Peter Swanson

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Marriage Conference - Philidelphia, PA

“A Sabbath for your spouse…a day of connection.” That is how NAD Family Ministries Director Willie Oliver described the From This Day Forward (FTDF) conference held in Philadelphia on April 25th at the Renaissance Philadelphia Hotel Airport.

More than 60 couples gathered for the conference with the desire to improve their relationship. Some traveled from as close as Philadelphia and others from as far away as Florida. Attendees ranged from engaged couples to those who have been married for nearly half a century. Stephen Roberts and fiancé Kristi De Melo from Louisville, Kentucky made the journey to gather as many tools as possible for a successful marriage before their June 7th wedding.

Nicole and Joel Soto from the Capital City church in Albany, New York, who have been married for 2 ½ years, attended because they wanted to gain more knowledge and experience to fulfill their goal of one day leading out in their own marriage seminars.

After 49 years of marriage, veteran couple Jesse and Thelma Spencer from Philadelphia, still felt there was room for improvement in their marriage. “We never had any lessons prior to getting married, and we’re never too old to learn,” said Jesse Spencer.

Many churches brought large groups, such as the Chestnut Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church located in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania who was 8 couples strong. The Angaza Sharon Seventh-day Adventist Church in Newark, Delaware represented with 18 couples, all from the church’s marriage club.

by LaTasha Hewitt
LaTasha writes from Royersford, PA where she lives with her husband Andre and daughter Omara. She is the managing editor of a healthcare journal and attends Germantown Seventh-day Adventist Church in Philadelphia, PA.

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As Marriage Declines, Church Attendance Falls

by Devon Williams, associate editor of CitizenLink.com

"It exaggerates only a little to say that Americans in their 20s and early 30s divide into two groups of about equal size: those who are married, the majority of whom participate in religion; and those who are not married, the majority of whom do not participate," Wuthnow said at a conference at The Heritage Foundation.

Brad Wilcox, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, said the biggest factor driving the decline in church attendance is delayed marriage.

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Poll Shows Distorted View of Cohabitation

by Devon Williams, associate editor of CitizenLink.com

"One of the best ways to sandbag a marriage before it starts is to live together before marriage."

Nearly half of American adults believe that cohabitation can be good for marriage, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. Similarly, almost half believe living together before marriage has no effect on children.

The survey of 1,007 adults found that 49 percent believe cohabitation makes divorce less likely. Brad Wilcox, associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, said there is a growing body of evidence that suggests otherwise.

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