enditnow®

Adventist churches join together to raise awareness of the dangers of abuse and violence

All church members hear the enditnow Emphasis Day program through the uplinked broadcast of Adventist Media French Polynesia.

That all congregations in the French Polynesia Mission had access to the same Sabbath worship service uplinked from Arue Seventh-day Adventist Church is amazing. That this first broadcast occurred for the enditnow Emphasis Day Sabbath and became the first of a new annual broadcast event is spectacular. Locally organized marches, which included coordinated media coverage and participation by local community leaders, T-shirts printed with the slogan, "Together we say no to all violence," and afternoon workshops also heightened the collective experience of this remarkable enditnow Emphasis Day. —GC WM

South Pacific Division (SPD)

[French Polynesia] In 2002 French Polynesia Women’s Ministries began raising awareness for the prevention of abuse on the fourth Sabbath of August. Since 2015, additional departments of Children’s, Family, and Youth Ministries have joined Women’s Ministries in the campaign, enditnow, Adventists to say no to violence.

Graphics with the slogan, “Together we say no to all violence” were created be worn on T-shirts the fourth Sabbath in August 2016. Many of the local churches decided to not only wear the T-shirt, but to march through their towns to show support for ending violence. The proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts is donated to women’s shelters throughout the islands.

In 2017, enditnow events for local churches included the customary march in their districts and ceremonies at city markets and other public places. Songs, speeches, and banners lifted high raised awareness that Adventist churches are speaking out against violence, particularly, domestic abuse. A few politicians and a former President of French Polynesia joined the ranks of marchers. Police officers walked before and behind the parade making sure all went well. Church members marched back to their churches for the Mission-wide, media-coordinated program.

The Arue Seventh-day Adventist church broadcast the program through Adventist Media French Polynesia. The president of French Polynesia Mission, Pastor Roger Tetuanui, delivered a message on abuse. Erna Johnson, director of Women's Ministries at the South Pacific Division, presented the sermon, “Loved by an Everlasting Love." Her message showed us what God’s love is, and if we have Christ in us and we are in Christ, abuse of any kind is impossible.

All our Seventh-day Adventist churches in French Polynesia had access to this program, a first in the Mission. What a privilege and a blessing to be able to offer this to all the churches. All churches offered afternoon workshops and talks on different kinds of abuse. We thank everyone who participated around the Mission.

This is the beginning of a yearly program until all violence ceases within our denomination.

Sylvie Falchetto, WM leader, French Polynesia Mission

Published in Mosaic, Spring 2018

enditnow Emphasis Day is the fourth Sabbath of August on the annual calendar of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. enditnow is sponsored by seven departments of the worldwide Church: Children's Ministries, Education, Family Ministries, Health Ministries, Ministerial Association, Women's Ministries, and Youth Ministries.