Sow 1 Billion

The following document was voted by Annual Council on October 9, 2002.

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SOW 1 BILLION

VOTED, To approve the Sow 1 Million initiative, as follows:

Goal: To place in the hands of one billion people a small tract that tells them of hope in Christ and invites them to study the Bible.

President Jan Paulsen Garwin McNeilus

Rationale: God desires that all people choose eternal life through Christ's sacrifice. He has commissioned His followers to go and tell the good news of salvation to everyone. Divine inspiration emphasizes the importance of multiple methods of communicating the gospel. The church has been instructed to publish small truth-filled tracts and scatter them like the leaves of autumn.

Mission Statement: Sow 1 Billion finds a firm foundation in the Mission Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Sow 1 Billion is a strategy to proclaim hope in Christ and reap the harvest provided by the Holy Spirit. Sow 1 Billion addresses the central business of the church.

Unity: Bible Study presentations developed by the Church will facilitate unity of doctrine.

Quality of Life: A relationship with Jesus and Bible study will enhance the quality of spiritual life in the Church.

Growth: Inviting a billion families to know Jesus and study His word will "add to the church daily."

For Consideration:

Content: The tract should describe hope in Christ for people living in a controversy between good and evil and should provide specific information on where to find Bible study presentations.

Coverage: The World Health Organization estimates that on an average 4.2 people live in each house in the world. The potential coverage of the one billion tracts could reach more than 2/3 of the world population. Clearly, the East Central Africa, Inter-American, North American, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean, South American, South Pacific, and Western Africa divisions could hope to place a tract in every home in their territory. While Sow 1 Billion will make a significant impact on the 10/40 Window, the logistics of high illiteracy and a low membership in this region will likely leave at least a quarter of the population unreached by the Sow 1 Billion tract.

Distribution: A few years ago the church could hardly hope to distribute one billion tracts within one year. Today, it is possible. If the Go One Million participants alone shared 1000 tracts in a year (less than three tracts a day), all one billion would be distributed. However, if school children and lay people who may not feel they can participate in the Go One Million program were also involved, the one billion tracts could quickly blanket the world.

Preparation: The greatest challenge for Sow 1 Billion will be to mobilize the church at every level to respond to what will take place after the distribution--the requests for Bible studies. Only divine wisdom will prepare the church to be ready to respond.

Bible study presentations: The tract will include space to list the addresses of Bible correspondence schools. Each division or union will provide their Bible school address where people may write to receive lessons by correspondence. Additionally, the tract will provide an internet address where people can visit and choose Bible studies from among several languages. The website could provide automatic answers to each question, print a graduation certificate upon completion and print a letter giving directions to the nearest Seventh-day Adventist church. Leadership of ASI has agreed to help develop a website. The tract could also include information to connect to AWR, ATN, and 3ABN where Bible studies could be conducted on a regular schedule.

Subsidy: Even though the tract will be translated into several different languages, each printing will be cost efficient as it will be printed in volume. Several estimates indicate that a small one-color tract could print for no more than one-half US cent each. The General Conference, through the participation of donors, will assist with $5,000,000, subsidizing one-half cent each for one billion tracts. Divisions that would want a more expensive tract would still receive a one-half cent subsidy toward their production costs.

In choosing printers careful research will need to be done, taking into consideration material, labor, shipping and results.

Ideally, it would be best to have an even worldwide distribution of one billion tracts. However, while some divisions may be able to place a tract in every home, in the 10/40 Window distribution could be limited by a small church membership. This proportional distribution needs to take into consideration population and the ability of the membership to distribute the tracts. Divisions wanting more tracts than would be provided by a quota would receive no subsidy for additional tracts.

Budget: In the past when the church was presented with special evangelism opportunities, church members and leaders rallied and realized the blessing that comes from a united commitment. The history of unity stretches from the early years, including the ship Pitcarin, the Annual Sacrifice Offering, and public evangelism around the world. Together we can raise the funding for the essential support programs, such as development of Bible study guides, establishing Bible schools and/or personnel to follow up the distribution. A team effort will easily fund Sow 1 Billion.

Several Seventh-day Adventist business people have been part of the initial planning of Sow 1 Billion. At present, large donors have committed $5,000,000 to print one billion tracts for the Sow 1 Billion initiative.

Considering Sow 1 Billion has the potential to reach two-thirds of the homes in the world, fund raising appeals for support programs could catch the imagination of a wide spectrum of the church. For example, if an elementary student saved or collected 20 one-dollar bills, the funds would place a tract in 4,000 homes. If a wealthy person gave $100,000, it would place a tract in the hands of 20,000,000 people. Special involvement appeals could be developed, such as requesting church members to give $5.00 to place the tract in 1,000 homes. Additionally, an appeal could be made to Adventists from affluent areas to provide $5.00 for church members who would like to distribute 1,000 tracts but cannot because they hardly have enough money to feed their families. It is possible the church could consider a one-time Sow 1 Billion, Pitcarin ship-type offering to launch this program. This offering would provide funding for Bible correspondence schools and other Sow 1 Billion support programs.

Communication and publicity: Every communication channel of the church must orchestrate their message as the project moves from fund raising to distribution to Bible studies to reporting.

Organization: Sow 1 Billion is a plan to place one billion invitations to know Jesus in homes around the world. Sow 1 billion and Go One Million will complement each other. Lay people involved with Go One Million will be a support group joined by many additional church members, children, youth, and other interested groups.

Sow 1 Billion lies at the heart of Global Mission. Following approval by the General Conference Executive Committee, a taskforce will coordinate with the divisions/unions/ conferences/missions/churches in planning and implementing the program.

Sow 1 Million Taskforce (ADCOM-A)--request for

appointment

voted, to request the General Conference Administrative Committee to appoint a Sow 1 Million Taskforce (ADCOM-A), with terms of reference and membership as follows:

TERMS OF REFERENCE	AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
1. Coordinate and implement Sow 1 Billion through the organizational channels of the Church.	1. Power to act.
2. Prepare sample tracts that could be used or adapted to the religion, culture and languages of each territory.	2. Power to act.
3. Determine time limits for the completion of translations, design, printing, shipping and distribution	3. Power to act.
4. Work with divisions as they develop tract distribution strategies.	4. Power to act.
5. Create a web site to provide on-line Bible studies in multiple languages.	5. Power to act.
6. Evaluate and work with divisions and unions to assure that Bible correspondence schools will be able to respond to the Sow 1 Billion initiative. In some locations church-based Bible correspondence schools may be needed.	6. Power to act.
7. Communicate with the world Church in promoting and reporting the results of Sow 1 Billion.	7. Power to act.

MEMBERS

The taskforce will be chaired by a general vice president and a person appointed by the president will serve as secretary.

The members of the task force could include representatives from Adventist-Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI), Children's Ministries, Communication, Education, Health Ministries, Ministerial Association, Publishing Ministries, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries, Youth , and the Women's Ministries Departments, as well as Adventist News Network, Adventist Review, Adventist Television Network, Adventist World Radio, Global Mission, and perhaps others. These entities will network regarding Sow 1 Billion, working to involve every member as we invite the world to study God's Word.