This department has both a general as well as specific purpose in view. Its general purpose has to do with helping to improve, in a cohesive way, the conference's operation and focus in relation to its core mission. The department also serves the more specific purpose of pursuing church growth with a high degree of intentionality and co-ordinated action through such means as church planting & Adventist Mission funds, church revitalisation, and a special initiative known as LIFEdevelopment. In short, this department exists in order to optimise the mission performance of the South England Conference.
A main objective of the Church Growth Department is trying to coordinate the evangelism focus for the South England Conference, for example, coordinating Mission Objectives to ensure church growth especially in areas not targeted of focused on in the past.
We aim to target and cultivate areas where there is not yet any SDA presence, trying to recruit new help and assess areas that we can start new projects in.
To make sure that we initiate projects and plants that will run successfully, each new development will be directed by and issued with guidelines of the requirements for registration. These guidelines help to distinguish between Church Plants, which are more intentional and systematic, and Church Groups, which all the other developments fall into.
Along with forming new church groups and plants, we do also work to revitalise our current churches. It is not just the growth of new projects that we are concerned with; we have to look after our existing ones so that they continue to grow too! The growth of our churches is categorized into eight areas for development, so that each can be assessed on how they are progressing.
We have found that there is a lot of support for the LIFEdevelopment process. The Department trains our Church Growth Coordinators from each church so that they can take the programme back to their area, expanding and extending its reach.
Something that we are working on at the moment is establishing a Church Planting Strategy in co-operation with the British Union Conference.
Read more about Aris | Read more about Sophia
Aris
Why did you decide to start working for the church?
I personally felt called by God to work for His Church, and started working for the SEC in 1987 when we came over from Greece. Initially I served as a Pastor in various churches and then was called to work at the SEC Offices as Director of the Personal Ministries and Sabbath School Departments. A couple of years ago I took up my present position in this department.
What would you say are the challenges of your job?
I feel the greatest challenge of my job is to make a breakthrough in terms of church growth in areas and population groups that have not been impacted so far.
What are the highlights of your time as director of this Department?
I think that the biggest highlight is seeing people being enthused for Jesus Christ, stepping out of the box and incarnationally reaching people whose lives in turn, are transformed through the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Back to Top
Sophia
Sophia works alongside Aris in our Church Growth Department, helping out with the administrative side of their work. She supports this department and assists wherever needed. She also organises Conferences such as 'You Will Be My Witness' which took place in March 2008, Church Planters' Educational Trip to Holland in May and the SEC Church Planters' Exchange, 'Mission…Possible' which will take place in Greece during October 2008.
Why did you decide to start working for the church?
I know God provided the opportunity, He led me here and 'now I wouldn't have it any other way!' My previous job would have wanted me to work once a month on the Sabbath so I couldn't continue in that job. Over the years I have worked in most departments including administrative secretary to the President and I have gained positive experiences here at the SEC.
What would you say are the challenges of your job?
Following up the progress in their respective areas, of those who attend our training events sometimes proves to be a challenge.
Also, I think a bigger challenge for me was a personal illness and returning to work after a long break. I was actually told that my health would decline, however the doctors saw me gradually progressing and getting better! After that, I could certainly say that it was God, not me! I saw God working a miracle with me, albeit through a different process to the ones we see in the Bible, but still to the same effect.
What are the highlights of your time working in your position?
I am really enthused about people who want to step out of the ordinary, in faith, and say that they want to be part of something new and challenging. This is a highlight for me, I feel that 'God just wants us to trust Him enough to take the step forward first, and then He'll take over'.
Back to Top
Not by Chance, but by Intelligent Design
We as Seventh Day Adventists of all people should be the first to do all we can to let the whole world know that human beings, this world with everything on it, as well as this vast expanse of the universe are not the result of a big bang but of a Big, and Almighty Creator God whose creative, redemptive and recreating power we celebrate every Sabbath!
Satan has spread far and wide the false theory of evolution to direct the minds of people away from the One who created mankind. Day in and day out from books, countless articles and documentaries, from childhood right to the old age, people are being fed this false theory with no concrete and solid scientific basis. Our children are being bombarded with it as soon as they attend school and even before that from all the media. It is our sacred duty to stand firm on the Biblical inspired account and be well informed so that we counteract these false claims against the eternal truth of God's creative power.
So the SEC Church Growth department thought it fit to launch this webpage link where our people can be further responsibly informed on this vital Biblical truth . As we and our children come in contact with the post-Christian mindset, let us be ready to defend our Biblical position, and teach accordingly our children.
Please send us any material on this subject which you think will serve this purpose, so that it can be considered for inclusion on our webpage.
