Church Ambassadors

232 Pages·2014·2.12 MB·English

John Graz, Author
Penny Estes Wheeler, Editor
A Grace Brown, Graphic Designer
The author assumes full responsibility for the accuracy
of all facts and quotations as cited in this book.
Copyright © 2014 by:
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring MD 20904 USA
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-0-692-27980-9
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Unless otherwise indicated all scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, New International
Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Texts credited to NEB are from The New English Bible. © The Delegates of the Oxford
University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970. Reprinted by
permission.
Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982
by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Texts credited to NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copy-
right © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.
Bible texts credited to Phillips are from J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English,
Revised Edition. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of the Macmillan
Publishing Co.
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Church Ambassador
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Photo Credits
Front Cover: Top image—istockphoto.com; lower left image—Adventist News Network; lower right image—
Adventist Mission. Introduction: Top image—istockphoto.com; lower left and right images—Adventist News
Network. Section One: Top image—istockphoto.com; lower left and right images—Adventist Mission. Section
Two: Top image—Adventist Mission; lower left image—Adventist Mission/Ansel Oliver; lower right image—
Adventist News Network/Ansel Oliver. Section Three: Top image—Adventist Mission; lower left image—
Adventist News Network/Ansel Oliver; lower right image—Adventist Mission. Section Four: Adventist Mission.
Section Five: Top image—istockphoto.com; lower left image—Adventist Mission/Ansel Oliver; lower right
image—Adventist News Network/Ansel Oliver. Section Six: Top image—istockphoto.com; lower left and right
images—Adventist Mission.
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Foreword by Ted N C Wilson .........................................................................................................................................................................11
Words from Delbert W Baker ........................................................................................................................................................................13
Words from Bert B Beach ................................................................................................................................................................................14
Words from the Author ....................................................................................................................................................................................15
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................17
Section 1: Twelve Keys to Being a Good Ambassador .......................... 23
twelve Keys to being a Good ambassador .............................................................................................. 25
expanding the Keys....................................................................................................................................... 27
1. Understand Your Role and Mission ................................................................................................... 28
Be a Bridge Builder ................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
2. a Good appearance Makes a Good Impression ............................................................................. 31
The Way You Dress ................................................................................................................................................................................. 33
3. Introduce Yourself correctly ............................................................................................................... 34
a. Meeting President Clinton at the White House ........................................................................................................... 34
b. How to Prepare to Introduce Yourself ................................................................................................................................ 36
c. Happy Bigot! .......................................................................................................................................................................................36
d. How to Introduce Your Church ...............................................................................................................................................38
e. Does My Introduction Make Sense? ...................................................................................................................................39
f. Make Your Introduction Relevant ....................................................................................................................................... 39
g. How to Introduce an Official Guest in Two Minutes ................................................................................................. 41
4. Increase Your Knowledge ................................................................................................................... 42
a. Local Church History..................................................................................................................................................................... 43
b. Global Church History ................................................................................................................................................................ 44
5. build a network of friends ................................................................................................................. 45
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6. set Goals ................................................................................................................................................ 47
a. Analyze the Situation Clearly .................................................................................................................................................. 48
b. Keep Your Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 49
c. Annual Religious Liberty Sabbath ........................................................................................................................................ 50
d. How Would You Go from 10 to 10,000? ........................................................................................................................... 51
7. believe everything Is Possible ........................................................................................................... 52
a. The Lord Will Make You the Head ........................................................................................................................................ 53
b. A New Vision to Be Built on God’s Promise ................................................................................................................... 54
c. I Needed More Faith .................................................................................................................................................................... 56
8. follow the Path of Integrity ................................................................................................................ 59
9. be Humble ............................................................................................................................................. 61
10. be Persistent .......................................................................................................................................... 62
a. Persevere in Doing Your Best ................................................................................................................................................. 63
b. Dealing with the Moment of Doubt ................................................................................................................................. 64
11. organize Public events ....................................................................................................................... 65
a. An Event Is a Message by Itself ............................................................................................................................................. 66
b. Don’t Miss Your Event! ................................................................................................................................................................ 67
12. be loyal and faithful to Your church ............................................................................................... 68
test What You Have learned ...................................................................................................................... 73
Section 2: Being Practical: How to Do It ............................................ 75
1. International Religious liberty association .................................................................................... 77
a. History ...................................................................................................................................................................................................77
b. Leaders Must Follow the Bylaws ..........................................................................................................................................79
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c. How to Organize Your Association ..................................................................................................................................... 80
d. Who Is Behind the IRLA? ............................................................................................................................................................. 81
2. Religious liberty sabbath .................................................................................................................. 81
a. Report .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
b. Sermon .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 82
c. Introduction of Guests and Officials ....................................................................................................................................82
3. liberty concert ..................................................................................................................................... 84
4. Religious liberty Dinner ..................................................................................................................... 84
a. Decide on the Purpose of the Dinner ............................................................................................................................... 85
b. Build a Budget ................................................................................................................................................................................. 86
c. Select a Team and Set Up a Planning Committee ..................................................................................................... 86
d. Choose a Location ........................................................................................................................................................................ 86
e. Set the Date ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 86
f. List the People You Want to Invite ...................................................................................................................................... 86
g. Choose a Keynote Speaker ....................................................................................................................................................... 87
h. Select Awardees .............................................................................................................................................................................. 87
i. Prepare Awards ................................................................................................................................................................................ 88
j. Work on the Menu and the Design of the Room ....................................................................................................... 88
k. Make a Seating Chart ................................................................................................................................................................... 89
l. Prepare the Welcome Speech ................................................................................................................................................. 89
5. Religious liberty congress .................................................................................................................. 89
a. What Is the Purpose of This Event? ...................................................................................................................................... 91
b. Where Will You Hold the Congress? ................................................................................................................................... 91
c. What Is Your Budget? .................................................................................................................................................................... 92
d. What Is Plan B? .................................................................................................................................................................................. 93
6. festival of Religious freedom ............................................................................................................ 95
a. The Festival I Missed ...................................................................................................................................................................... 96
b. The Location ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 97
c. Planning Your Program................................................................................................................................................................ 97
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d. A New Dimension to the Festival of Religious Freedom ........................................................................................ 98
e. Promotion ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 99
7. checklist for organizing an event ..................................................................................................... 99
8. Religious liberty awards ................................................................................................................. 100
a. Why We Give Them ..................................................................................................................................................................... 100
b. Procedure for Giving Awards ................................................................................................................................................ 101
c. Choosing the Kind of Awards to Give ...............................................................................................................................102
d. Salamat Mayor Awards ...............................................................................................................................................................102
9. How to Meet a VIP (Very Important Person) ................................................................................ 102
a. Before the Meeting: ................................................................................................................................................................... 103
b. During the Meeting: ................................................................................................................................................................... 108
c. After the Meeting: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 113
conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 114
Section 3: Adventist Diplomacy ...................................................... 115
1. Why adventists need Diplomacy ....................................................................................................118
2. Principles and Goals of adventist Diplomacy .............................................................................. 118
a. What Are the Best Methods for Achieving Our Goals? ......................................................................................... 119
b. Basic Principles .............................................................................................................................................................................. 121
c. How Successful People Set Up Their Strategy ........................................................................................................... 123
3. the church’s Place in the community network .......................................................................... 124
a. Keep in Mind the Prophetic Viewpoint .......................................................................................................................... 125
b. Refuse Unacceptable Methods ........................................................................................................................................... 126
4. Qualities of an adventist Diplomat ............................................................................................... 126
5. the field of action ............................................................................................................................. 127
6. a Good christian foundation ......................................................................................................... 128
7. biblical and adventist Diplomats ................................................................................................... 128
a. Biblical Diplomats ........................................................................................................................................................................ 128
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