When one sees how workable a web log (blog) can be to reach people and invite them to experience Jesus in their life, a blog enthusiast will not think twice going into this more modern form of ministry. He will take advantage of its features.

This has been the impression of participants resulting from a 3-day workshop on communication media, themed “Bridge the Gap,” conducted by the Communication Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the south-central Luzon territory (SCLC) with the help of the southern Asia-Pacific regional office of the Adventist Church (SSD), January 25-27.

Held at the headquarters of SCLC in San Pablo City, Philippines, 28 participants learned how to use the Internet in ministering to people’s social and spiritual needs. Here, participants learned to build their own website and ‘blog’ facility, get connected with the Internet, reach out to friends and would-be friends with inspirational messages.

Other skills they learned included community relations concepts and programs, news and feature writing, and ‘videography’.

The presenters during the workshop were Winelfred Pasamba, webmaster of the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP); Mary Lorelei Escasa, staff member of the Amazing Grace Media Productions and a blog enthusiast; Welsie dela Cruz, SSD assistant director for media productions; and Jonathan C Catolico, SSD communication director.

“We have envisioned reaching out to the community by employing a more modern method of communication,” said Pastor Joel B Macaraig, communication director of SCLC and organizer of the workshop. “And we are starting with this new team who has come to help us realize this vision.”

Asked whether he perceives a gap between Seventh-day Adventists and non-Adventists on certain matters, Dr Catolico indicated that such “perception varies from one place to another. Other communities know the Adventists very well as not only a ‘people of the Bible’ but as a group of believers involved in community projects.” However, he said, “We need to get everybody in the church take part in reaching out to his or her neighbors by helping them with their many needs through youth or health programs, family services, educational uplift, and a lot of other ways; and by employing our new communication skills, the realization of such objectives is not far-fetched. By this we may narrow the gap if such exists.”

Toward the end of the workshop, the participants who were divided into three groups performed their videography assignment. One group was assigned with interviewing people in the streets to gauge their knowledge of the programs of the Seventh-day Adventists in their community. “Unfortunately, there were some who haven’t even known the Adventists,” said the interviewing group. “Although, a lot of them know the Adventists and their programs, and foremost of these programs is the educational work of the church in their community.”

“We will become a part of the church who will proclaim the gospel to our community by using the skills we learned in this seminar,” said the participants. [Participants/AND Staff]