As we enter the year 2011 there are several areas of ministry that we are emphasizing. First, I trust that many of you are aware of the focus the General Conference is placing on the need for denomination wide revival. I do not believe there is anything to which we could direct our attention that is more vital. In Carolina we are joining in solidarity with this desire to see us both individually and corporately as Seventh-day Adventists coming into a closer and more meaningful walk with Jesus.

At our just completed January Minister's meeting at Nosoca Pines Ranch I spoke with our pastors about the need for each of us to allow a revival to begin in our hearts and lives. Every pastor publicly rededicated his life to entering into an ever more intimate relationship with Christ. We also committed to prayerfully encouraging and helping our congregations to experience revival. Last week each of our office staff in Charlotte made the same commitment.

This coming weekend the Lay Advisory will be meeting at NPR. Here too we will be spending considerable time discussing how we can become conduits for the Holy Spirit to work revival among our ranks. Dr. David Smith, President of Union College, a much sought after speaker will be presenting messages on the work and power of the Holy Spirit. In March at our annual Elders retreat we will also be emphasizing this as well as asking our elders to partner with us in reaching every household in our conference with this urgent message of revival. We will be providing a special book for each home that I believe can be a true inspiration and catalyst for what Ellen White calls, "the greatest and most urgent of all our needs."

Prayer is an indispensable aspect of revival. Again the Spirit of Prophecy tells us, "a revival need be expected only in answer to prayer." At this weekends Lay Advisory we will be speaking to the delegates and asking them to help us create strategies and provide ways in which our churches can become centers of prayer. I would like to ask for each of you to make this a matter of special prayer that God's Spirit would be poured our across the Carolinas. I would encourage you to enter in to what the General Conference is calling 7-7-7. Praying 7 days a week at either 7 am or 7 pm. for a revival within our church. By so doing you will be joining untold numbers of your fellow SDA's in beseeching God to pour out His Spirit upon us.

Another focus in the coming months is the upcoming Net 2011 evangelistic series. We are going to partner with each of our churches in encouraging multiple downlink sites in the homes of our church members. This series will be downlinked on the Hope Channel. We are going to partner with the individual churches by providing half the cost of a satellite dish for every 50 members of the congregation. This dish would be installed at the home of a family who has committed to become a downlink site and invite neighbors, friends, etc. to join them each evening during Net 2011. This series will begin the last of September. Between now and then we will be conducting several webinar training events for our host families. If you are interested in being a host family please contact your pastor. How wonderful it would be if there were hundreds of sites across our conference where God's end time message was being presented. Please remember this in your prayers that God will bless this effort.

I just received the 2010 tithe report. The conference experienced an increase of .33%. While this represents basically a flat tithe gain it is slightly ahead of the Southern Union as a whole which experienced a slight decrease. While the increase is small we rejoice that in these difficult economic times God's people have remained faithful and His work has continued to progress. Because of careful budgeting for 2010 we have remained within our budget and have no debt for the conference. In all of this we are thankful for God's blessings.

As we enter into a new year and a new decade it is with confidence that God is going to continue to bless and lead. While we know that challenges will continue to increase until He returns it is with assurance that we know that He is in control of all things and that His church remains the apple of His eye. May God continue to bless each one of you as you continue to serve Him.

Your friend,
Jim