Global Public Campus Ministries Weekend to Take Center Stage

By: Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventist university students who study on public campuses around the world will take part in a special weekend event titled Global Public Campus Ministries (PCM) Weekend, October 19-21, 2018.

The Global PCM Weekend aims to connect and involve students, academics, and professionals in mission and service in their universities, home churches, and communities. It is the third such joint event organized by PCM Ministries for the world church.

“We trust that our university students as ambassadors of God in public university this weekend will be able to impact these campuses where secularism fills the environment,” said Jiwan Moon, PCM director for the Adventist world church. “I know that our students will move as Daniel did in the past by testifying and sharing the truth about God, Who is above all that happens in this world.”

The weekend will include a Friday evening activity on the university campus; a worship celebration on Saturday (Sabbath) morning aimed at friends from other faiths who are invited; and on Sunday, a special project to benefit the community for students and professionals to take part in.

The weekend is concerned with finding ways to connect Adventists with fellow students and engage them in church worship and fellowship, empowering them to follow Jesus, embrace His mission to serve the needs in their communities, and thus change the world, Moon said.

A 24-hour live broadcast will be transmitted on Hope Channel, starting on Friday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. and running till Saturday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. Worship services will be broadcast live from around the world starting in Fiji, followed by England, Lebanon, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Panama, and other countries, where university students and professionals will gather to worship and talk about the importance of campus ministries and projects completed.

The program will let university students know that they are valued and that God has a mission and a purpose for them as messengers of the cross in places where they live, Moon said.

In the Inter-American Division territory, for instance, the live program will air at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time from Panama City, Panama, said Hiram Ruiz, PCM director for the church in Inter-America.

“This weekend will be a reinforcement of our growing ministry across our 24 unions [church administrative regions],” said Ruiz. “We are convinced that Adventist students do not go to public universities only to prepare for their careers but also to share the good news to those around them and to get ready for eternity.

“Global PCM Weekend will remind our students and professionals across Inter-America that it is not about setting themselves aside like under a blanket,” Ruiz said. “[It is about] becoming proactively involved in establishing a center of influence on campus and reaching out to the needs of the community.”