ACS Training Highlights Ministry Opportunities

Leaders from 15 Hispanic churches in Chesapeake Conference attended a community service training at the conference headquarters in Columbia, Md., on July 15. 

The training was organized by the conference’s Adventist Community Services (ACS) department in conjunction with the American Red Cross and concentrated on teaching leaders how to manage service projects in their local churches. Presentations highlighted ways churches could serve their communities through emergency preparedness projects, such as installing smoke detectors and supplying household emergency kits. 

Ignacio Goya, Chesapeake Conference ACS director, says the training is part of the department’s ongoing “love your neighborhood” initiative which encourages members to follow Christ’s example of mingling with and serving others in sharing the gospel.

“Any department of the church can use ACS to do an outreach activity to connect with people in the community,” Goya says. “[Community services] can provide opportunities to pray with people and invite them to activities in our churches.”