Dear Brethren,
On April 23-May 5, 2017 the new program for the missionary school began in Chernovtsy, Ukraine with 40 students in attendance. The students came from Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, and Kazakhstan.
The textbook for the morning classes was Gospel Workers giving the students an overall understanding of ministry in its various forms as well as an understanding of how the church should operate. The students had to prepare for the class by studying the book at home and taking 17 supervised tests before coming to attend the program. During the class, they graded each other’s tests and asked many questions about the practical application of the materials they were learning. At the end, they eagerly awaited the final exam before they could then concentrate on their return home.
In the afternoon class, they became the teachers. The school was divided at first into 9 classes and later into 8 with five students in each class and every class had their supervisor. They were then assigned a chapter in the book Treasures of Truth that contains 40 lessons explaining our message to non-Adventists. They needed to study that chapter and present the prepared PowerPoint presentation the next day to their group of students. The students would then help each other on how to make the presentation clearer.
Usually, there were three experienced workers present during the afternoon and they would take turns going from class to class listening to the presentations and assisting with critiques when necessary. At the end of the two weeks, the students had a chance to have an overall view of our message as presented largely from the Bible and had an understanding of what a person should know prior to baptism. When they returned home, they were assigned to present 10 of those presentations (two to church members, two to non-members attending church regularly, and six to non-members who are not church attendees). This way they will obtain a practical experience in being Bible Workers.
On the weekends the students were assigned local churches to visit, encourage, and in some cases, the students delivered their presentations to the churches.
May God continue blessing the students and those involved in the school. Let us keep them in our prayers as they study, prepare for, and engage in the Lord's work.
