Forward with Christ – ASI Europe International Conference, October 2024

During the week of October 23-26, 2024, our country hosted the ASI Europe International Conference under the theme “Forward with Christ”. The event included inspiring missionary testimonies from around the world, seminars, moving sermons and a rich palette of spiritual music. The conference brought together hundreds of serving Christians from all over Europe, as well as from Australia, Africa and North America.
Along with all the division-level representatives and wonderful speakers from all over the world, we were encouraged each evening by the inspiring sermons of Pastor Robert Falkenberg Jr.
Participants had the opportunity to choose from 13 different workshops aimed at encouraging and empowering members of the Church in various areas of our ministry – Christian leadership and spheres of influence, healthful living, practical digital evangelism, spiritual care for children through home worship, support for families in crisis, the IMPACT youth program and many more.
Each day provided a special time for the presentation of the projects that ASI Europe and ASI Bulgaria fund, and this proved to be particularly encouraging for those present. Inspiring and encouraging personal stories of people who have chosen to respond positively to Christ’s call to service were shared. We witnessed the diversity with which God works through us to reach with His love every precious heart where it is. Through a special offering during the Sabbath service, participants supported 41 mission projects in 16 countries, with the goal of raising over 240,000 euros. “It is so encouraging to see that we were able to raise much more funds than expected,” says Maria Kirilova, director of the Christian kindergarten “Colorful Hope” (Tsvetna Nadezhda), part of the Education Department of SDA in Bulgaria and a member of ASI Bulgaria.
During the four days of the conference, an exhibition of interested ministries was organized, which provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, create new contacts and generate new ideas and collaborations between all those wishing to be part of God’s work of sharing His Message. Participants from over 20 countries presented their ministries associated to educational, health, missionary and social Adventist institutions and initiatives.
The conference also included two missionory events reaching out to the Bulgarian society. An evangelistic concert by the national Adventist choir "Voice of Hope" inspired over 600 visitors on Saturday evening, along with a short spiritual message delivered by Pastor Falkenberg Jr. On October 24, 2024, a mission-oriented event was held in a conference hall in the center of the capital with the participation of Radim Passer from the Czech Republic. Mr. Passer shared with the audience, mainly from the city's business community, important moments from his life story. Speaking about his professional and personal experiences, Radim drew the attention of the visitors to his faith and his relationship with God - the main reasons for the personal successes he has achieved. The Czech entrepreneur, also, participated in a one-hour interview on the Bulgarian National Radio, in which he revealed the foundations of his faith in God.
The 2024 ASI Europe Conference, held for the first time in Bulgaria, provided the local community with a unique opportunity to engage in international missionary cooperation and to participate in the expansion of missionary work in Bulgaria and Europe.
“When I see missionary-minded laypeople from all over Europe united in strengthening their networking relationships, sharing ideas and inspiring each other, I know that God is at work there and that Jesus’ prayer is being fulfilled: ‘that they may all be one’ (John 17:21),” said Michal Garkov, Vice President of ASI Europe.