Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Department of Adventist Youth Ministries
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FYI from Pastor Jose Cortes Jr.
Director
| July 9, 2010
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Greetings!
 The last few weeks have been filled with blessings from the Holy Spirit, as we anticipate and await the FACE2FACE with Jesus. As the people of hope, we must look forward to the incomparable blessed hope of the Second Coming in the near future and we must also work hard united and in collaboration with God to make the present a better one, not only for us but for those who don't know Jesus yet. We are the people of Hope for the future, but also for the present. That's why during 2010, we are talking about FACE2FACE with Jesus, but we are also talking about Happiness and Health; 8 Natural Remedies, How to Stop Smoking, and many other things, which improve our lives as we await for the Second Coming of Jesus.
Personally, I am grateful for the privilege to participate in two area-wide evangelistic series in the Bronx and Long Island. Both were filled with joy, lots of people, even when it rained, many decisions for baptism, and of course baptisms. Special gratitude to the local church pastors in the area, they do this every year, as well as to the members who were always there supporting and bringing their non-Christian friends. My family and I were blessed to be involved during these two beautiful series of public evangelism. It was awesome to see youth & young adults working together with adults to win souls for Christ.
Bronx Evangelism (F. Wong)  | Bronx Evangelism (F. Wong)  |
Long Island Evangelism (L. Cohall)  | Long Island Evangelism (L. Cohall)  |
The two Youth & Young Adult Evangelistic Series in Brooklyn were
also very well attended and yielded good results. Special thanks to the
Pastors, AY and Pathfinder Coordinators in Brooklyn, the Maranatha and
South Brooklyn Churches, as well as the local AY, Pathfinder, and
 Adventurer leaders for their support and participation in Youth &
Young Adult Evangelism. The Parade and Youth Rally that took place on
Sabbath, June 12, was great with participation not only from Brooklyn,
but from all over the Conference. Pastor Shane Vidal did an excellent job at working with a team of leaders in the organizing of this
evangelistic event.
The month of June was also very special for a group of kids, youth, and
young adults in our Conference who graduated from Elementary, High, College, or Grad School. On behalf of the youth and young adults of
Greater New York, we would like to say Congratulations to all the
Graduates!!! In the midst of the evangelism, I was not able to attend
all, but was able to speak at several graduations, including the South
Bay Academy, in Babylon, Long Island. Congratulations to all Principals, school faculty and staff, and of course parents who have made it
possible for their kids to be a part of Adventi st Education.
The month of June is also extra-special because it marks Jose III's B-day. He turned 5 this time and we thank God for him. He was born during General Conference Session time, in 2005. Now, he was able to attend the General Conference Session, where together with his brother Joel, he sat through all the discJose III Interview with Hope TV  | ussions and votes on the church manual, and the constitution & bylaws, as well as the sermons at the Georgia Dome. They also enjoyed a little bit of the Georgia Aquarium, where Jose III was interviewed by Hope TV.
During this session, a new General Conference President, Pastor Ted Wilson was elected. On his Sabbath sermon he called those present to Go Forward, not Backward and emphasized revival and reformation. For years our Department has placed a strong emphasis on the very same thing: reading the Bible, on being the People of the Book, GNYCYouth Praise Team  | prayer, on unity, and on witnessing through public evangelism and many other methods of outreach, as Jesus and Paul did, and as Ellen G. White did in her ministry and also suggests in many of her writings. A new Youth Ministries Director was also elected, Pastor Gilbert Cangy, who comes from the South Pacific Division; Pastor Jonatan Tejel was re-elected as Associate Youth Director and World Pathfinder Director. Including youth and young adults in the leadership of the church was an issue mentioned throughout the session beginning with President Jan Paulsen, in the session's opening remarks. On the last day of the business session, Friday, there was a vote to include young adults in the General Conference Executive Committee: http://news.adventist.org/2010/07/adventist-churchs-to.html.
Other highlights included the election of a new North American Division President, Pastor Daniel Jackson, prior to his election, he served as the President of the Canadian Union. Willie and Elaine Oliver, a former Youth Director of our Conference and his wife, were elected to serve as Family Life Director and Associate Director for the Worldwide Church.
Follow the Bible @ GC Session  | GNYCYouth Praise Team  |
On the first Sunday of the General Conference Session, I had to open a parenthesis, left the family in Atlanta and came back to New York for half a day to do one of the things I enjoy doing the most, performing a wedding for two Adventist young adults who love Jesus and love each other. Darwin Garcia, from the Weeks Church, in the Bronx, an AY Coordinator, a member of our Executive Committee, and an Enginner with the NYC Port Authority married Cossette Douglas, a member of the Pearl River Church, a teacher in NYC, and presently pursuing her Law degree. I praise God when I see our young people making right choices and receiving many blessings from God. Congratulations to Darwin & Cossette!!! We love you both.
Dyckman Choir  |
We enjoyed some highlights that included Greater New York during the session. President Jan Paulsen's final video report on Thursday, July 1, included young adults from our Conference; to watch the video report, click on the following link:http://vimeo.com/12873675. The Dyckman Choir sang that very same night, Interview on Hope TV  | before the report and the sermon of Pastor Paulsen. GRACE, a vocal group from Jackson Heights, also sang there. Our Youth and Young Adult Praise Team were the official Youth Praise Team for both Saturdays of the General Conference and they did an awesome job. Several of our young adults were interviewed on Hope TV, and we were also able to represent our Conference with the NAD Delegation during the Follow the Bible Ceremony on Opening Night.
GRACE  | GNYCYouth on Hope TV with Pr. James Black  |
Last Sabbath morning, on our last day at the session, we received sad news that Pastor Jose Hernandez's mother had died in the morning. Pastor Hernandez, is the Pastor of the South Brooklyn Spanish Church, he had to leave the session to make arrangements for his mother's funeral. I would like to request that you keep Pastor Hernandez and his family in your prayers. It would be wonderful if your Pathfinder Club, Adventurer Club, Youth Small Group, or AY Society are able to send Pastor Hernandez a card, a fruit basket, or anything that reminds him that he and his family are loved and prayed for during this difficult times. His phone # is (631) 355-5988. H is address is: 83 Hilltop Drive, Brentwood, NY 11717.
Last but not least, Camp Berkshire is presently leading our Summer Camp Program for Kids and Teens. Keep our Camp's Summer Program in your prayers as kids get closer to Jesus and make decisions for Him.
Love and Blessings!!!
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English Campmeeting (Next Saturday, July 17 @ Youth & Young Adult Dome, Camp Berkshire):
|  English Campmeeting (next Saturday, July 17 @ Youth & Young Adult Dome, Camp Berkshire): Campmeeting 2010 will be an awesome experience for Youth, Young Adults, College & University Students, as well as for Pathfinders & Master Guides. The first 1,000 people to arrive at the dome on Sabbath will receive a copy of the Book "4GVN" Pacific Press' Youth Missionary Book of the Year. If you have already received the book, it is a book you can share with a friend.
Our guest Speaker is Pastor Baracka Muganda, who was the Youth Director of the World Seventh-day Adventist Church for the last 15 years, till last Thursday, July 1, when a new Worldwide Youth Director was elected. Pastor Muganda will be speaking to us for the worship service and we will recognize him and his family for an awesome worldwide youth ministry, which has impacted our Conference in a very positive way.
The program will include a Youth Sabbath School Program, awesome worship service with Pastor Baracka Muganda, and the General Conference Youth Praise Team, a baptism, a tour of newly built and improved facilities at Camp Berkshire, and of course a highlight for the afternoon, the Bible Bowl Finals.
All Youth, Young Adults, College, University Students, Pathfinders, and Master Guides are invited to attend the activities of the day. Speak with your Pastor, if you would like to be baptized, or know someone who would like to be baptized at the pool on this day. Please, make plans with your clubs to be present for this awesome experience.
Campmeeting 2010 will be a memorable experience, make sure you and your friends, including those who don't know Jesus yet, are present. The spiritual program will be awesome; there will be opportunities for young people to accept Jesus, be baptized, and will be called to be Disciples of Christ.
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Blessings, Jose
Pastor Jose H. Cortes Jr., M. Div.Director
Department of Adventist Youth Ministries
Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
7 Shelter Rock Road
Manhasset New York, 11030
www.gnycyouth.com (website)
ay@gnycyouth.com (Secretary's E-mail
address)
pastorjose@gnycyouth.com (Pastor
Jose's E-mail address)
www.youtube.com/user/gnycyouth (For
videos on YouTube)
JoseJoanne
(on Twitter)
Jose
Cortes Joanne Cortes (on Facebook)
Pastor
Jose & Joanne (on My Space)
(516)
627-9350 (Receptionist)
(516)
467-5212 (Direct Line to Department of Adventist Youth Ministries Office)
(516)
749-2080 (Joanne's Cell)
(516)
749-6057 (Pastor Jose's Cell & TEXT)
(516)
627-9272 (Greater New York Conference Fax)
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