Thousands of Bibles, picture rolls, bookmarks and training resources are being delivered to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to equip the local church to nurture the newly baptised and those who made commitments during the PNG for Christ program.
South Pacific Division (SPD) leaders are working closely with the Papua New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM) to provide support as it negotiates the rapid growth of the Church. A shipment of 100,000 World Changer Bibles has recently arrived in PNG, with an additional 200,000 on the way. The Bibles are accompanied by World Changer reading guides which outline the fundamental beliefs of the Adventist Church.
SPD ministry and strategy director Dr Sven Östring revealed the scale of the investment: “We have mobilised $A2 million worth of resources because it’s critically important to assist the local teams as they manage the vast number of people who have joined the Church as a result of PNG for Christ.
“However, this level of investment still doesn’t meet the need and we would encourage local churches and church members to donate to the follow-up efforts.”
SPD discipleship strategy leader Pastor Danny Philip spoke about the urgency to care for those who have made decisions to follow Jesus. “We feel a deep sense of responsibility to nurture these people, keeping their interest in following Christ alive as new disciples,” he said.
SPD leaders are shipping a huge number of resources, including 1 million Gift bookmarks, 50,000 harvest model booklets and 50,000 new disciple retention guidebooks. Resources are being developed in both English and Pidgin. Additionally, 250,000 baptismal certificates are heading to PNG, after the Church ran out during PNG for Christ.
Recognising the importance of catering to a predominantly visual culture, the SPD is developing a set of picture rolls. These rolls feature hand-painted biblical scenes accompanied by Scripture and are expected to play a crucial role in evangelism, particularly in rural areas where literacy levels may be lower and access to technology is limited.
Children’s ministries have also been a key focus, with “Alive in Jesus” training being provided to equip children’s ministry directors from across PNG. “One of the most effective ways to grow and empower new disciples is through families,” said Dr Östring. “Parents play a crucial role in nurturing their children’s spiritual development which in turn strengthens their own.”
One of the primary goals is to ensure that the resources reach the country’s rural and remote areas. “We’re working hard to ensure that the resources get to the villages, not just the big cities,” Pastor Philip said. “We want our materials to reach the remotest part of the country, where people have been overlooked in the past.”
PNGUM personal ministries and Sabbath school director Pastor Miller Kuso expressed gratitude for the support from the SPD. “There’s real excitement with all the resources coming in, and we believe our retention programs are going well,” he said. “We would like to say thank you to the South Pacific Division for giving us this big support.”
Before and after PNG for Christ, training sessions were held in local churches focused on nurturing and retention. Church leaders remain motivated, and baptisms continue at a remarkable rate. “We’re still seeing baptisms, and these are not small numbers—many are still joining the Church,” Pastor Kuso added.
More than 170,000 people were baptised during PNG for Christ—the largest number of baptisms in the history of PNG. Initial reports submitted from local churches to the Union office indicated 300,000-plus baptisms. However, after a more detailed data collection, the official count currently stands at 170,854. With many churches yet to submit their numbers and hundreds of thousands of commitments made, the final number is expected to reach close to that 300,000 mark by the end of the year.
Dr Östring highlighted the unique, ongoing cycle of evangelism in PNG’s culture: “It doesn’t just stop after one program, it’s an ongoing cycle. It’s incredible to witness and it’s built on the foundation of being a disciple-making movement.”
Inspired by PNG’s success, the Australian Union Conference, Trans Pacific Union Mission and New Zealand Pacific Union Mission are formulating their own missional strategies. “We’ve committed to supporting all Unions in their evangelistic endeavours,” Dr Östring said.
Donations to the PNG for Christ follow-up campaign can be made through the eGiving sites in Australia and New Zealand (Camp Mission Offering–PNG for Christ fund)
