Miami, Florida, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]

Making a fresh start to the year, church leaders and staff gathered for a special spiritual program and musical concert at the Inter-America Division Headquarters in Miami, Florida, on Jan. 3, 2006.

Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America welcomed all present and challenged everyone to become a better person and show their Christian virtues as the new year begins.

“We will have….another year to see people still believing and accepting the grace of Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Leito, “another year to see people refusing to be warehoused and remain active in proclaiming the glory of the Lord to others….we will do our best to help others know of His coming.

“A happy new year is to be a blessing to others and to be blessed by others,” he continued. “Grow in wisdom, grow in the Lord.”

The guest speaker for the morning was Dr. Dionisio Christian, retired IAD field church secretary. He presented to department leaders and staff what should be important and valuable for the new year. He based his message on the Apostle Paul’s writings in 1 Cor. 3:10-13.

“You and I are collaborators with God in his service…we have the opportunity to build upon Christ our foundation,” Dr. Christian said.

“Use faithfully your capabilities for His Divine service, sometimes we lose sight of this great movement…It is significant what we do for God. We are called to do His work right,” he added.

Dr. Christian challenged everyone to make 2006 a spiritual one “united to Jesus Christ making our service to the Lord filled with the Spirit.”

Part of the worship program included a concert by Sharon Rodriguez and Leonel Rodriguez, a father-and-daughter musical duo who traveled from Guatemala. Sharon serves as a radio announcer at the Adventist Union Radio and Leonel is a church elder and leads an Adventist musical group for more than 20 years.

The morning program concluded with IAD’s traditional beginning-of-the-year fellowship breakfast.

Image by Image by ANN. Libna Stevens/IAD
Image by Image by ANN Libna Stevens/IAD

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