Reflecting Christ. Transforming Communities. Arise and Go Training Seminars During the months of February and March, Arise and Go training seminars in evangelism were held in each of the eight areas throughout the Central California Conference (CCC). Dan Serns, CCC president, explained that the purpose was to train lay leaders to be soul winners and witnesses for Jesus. For that reason, conference ministry directors provided training for children, youth, young adults, community service, Sam Smith (right), pastor of literature distribution, family worship, Watsonville church, introduced Jose Ambriz (front center) and prayer, church planting, and small his conversion story to CCC groups. Members were encouraged to President Dan Serns (front left). creatively share Jesus with someone every day during the “40 Days of Sharing Jesus” from March 1 to April 9—with the hope that it will become a habit. The culmination took place on April 30 with the “Fill Every Baptistry Sabbath.” In February’s Recorder, there was a report on the most recent “Fill Every Baptistry Sabbath” in December of 2021. We mentioned in that story that two people had responded to a call at the Watsonville church. One was “a young man just released from prison who had studied the Bible with another Dan Serns, CCC president, invited members to share Jesus inmate. He was so excited to be at church so he could respond to the appeal.” Here’s some of the rest of the story: Jose Ambriz had just been released at the Arise & Go Training for Area 4 at the Arroyo Grande from prison on Friday at 10 p.m. Being tired, he almost did not honor his church on Feb. 5, 2022. commitment to go to church the next morning; however, he managed to arrive at the Watsonville church just before the sermon on that special Sabbath in December. Fortunately, the baptistry was full so he could be baptized. Ambriz is now part of the “Let’s Preach” initiative, with his very first evangelistic series from April 23 to 30—and it will end with another special Sabbath when the baptistry will again be full. Will that be the end of the
24 Pacific Union Recorder
Central California Conference
