"They’re looking for your heart,” says Tara Flynn, of the addicted, the homeless and the ex-cons who come to Health Works Under the Banyan. Health Works is the ambitious outreach of Tara and her husband, Michael, to the unfortunates on the big island of Hawaii.
The Flynn’s unusual story inspired Adventist professionals and ministry personnel attending this year’s annual Pacific Union Conference ASI Convention in Honolulu April 27-30.
ASI, the acronym for Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries, is an organization focused on bringing Christ into the marketplace. The “Members in Action” time each morning and evening showcased individual accounts of what God has done: divine guidance and intervention, answers to prayer, opportunities to witness about God’s goodness, and exciting responses to this commitment to share Christ.
Many stories were associated with the “New Beginnings” DVD series — an evangelism seminar developed by ASI and the North America Division as an outreach tool for use by ordinary people. Zaharie Mandache preached it in Romania; Norman and Gail Reitz used it in Africa and India; the Carlos Lopez family shares them in after-hours groups at their medical offices. Their stories prove that anyone, even a child, can successfully conduct evangelistic meetings.
Other stories came from Holbrook Mission School, Day Star Academy and Gospel Outreach. LLT Productions outlined “The Seventh Day” television series and what God has done in their arenas during the past year and what they look for in the future.
The ASI program was spiced with music by ASI Treasurer Ron Christman, the Samoan Gospel Heralds, Phil and Joey Draper and a local Korean women’s choir. Randy Roberts, pastor of the Loma Linda University Church, preached, as did Michelle Seigel, Hawaiian prayer warrior, and Steve Rinker, dentist and youth evangelism director for the Pacific Union chapter of ASI, who encouraged attendees to lives of faith. "Worried people have a very hard time being generous or thankful or content," he said.
ASI illustrates that ordinary people can make a difference. “I’m not a McCain, I’m not a Campolo,” says Randy Roberts. “I only have me.” But with each “me,” God can do amazing things.
ASI financially supports many special outreach projects. This year was no exception. Attendees contributed a record amount, raising more than $20,000, to support nine projects, including Health Works Under the Banyan, Haiti Mission Outreach, Calexico Mission School and Margaret Okari Children’s Foundation (an orphanage in Africa). These funds will go toward construction of facilities, motorcycles for missionaries and evangelism tools.
"I have been so blessed," said first-time attendee JoAnn Buller as the weekend came to a close and ASI members scattered to their various endeavors. To learn more about ASI, call 301-680-6450, visit www.asiministries.org or e-mail asi@nad.adventist.org.
