Recently delivered to over 44,000 homes in the Lansing, Michigan metro area was an outreach packet containing information on local Adventist radio programming, a health magazine, and the three angels’ messages as presented in the book The Great Controversy. [All photos by Streams of Light International]
The distribution of the packets was carried out by volunteers from across North America and beyond who joined the Lansing, Michigan Mission Trip hosted by Streams of Light International in partnership with GYC and the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in mid-April.
The distribution resulted in approximately 44,750 packets distributed and more than 677 people signed up for Bible studies with a local Adventist church.
“We can tell that the Lord has gone before us here in Lansing,” shares Oleg Lotca, president of Streams of Light International (SOLI).
The mission’s theme, “While it is Day” based on John 9:4, was expanded upon in morning study sessions led by Sebastien Braxton. His messages emphasized the urgency, duty, and opportunity of being sent by God to share a life-saving message.
Braxton, speaking of his own experience with The Great Controversy during a Sabbath morning panel discussion, said, “[This book] answered every single issue I had with Christianity. By the third chapter, I was already convinced.” He adds that the greatest contribution of this book is that it presents the concept of righteousness by faith.
Five local churches in Lansing partnered in the mission trip efforts, with the Grand Ledge Seventh-day Adventist Church serving as the host church for more than 90 volunteers.
Pastor Curt DeWitt, newly-appointed pastor for the Grand Ledge Seventh-day Adventist Church, shared, “In my career as a pastor, I have never seen people have a hunger like this. People are willing to take The Great Controversy and we can see the Holy Spirit working mightily for the times we live in. I’m excited because of the response. People are open to reading this book.”
Additional churches participating in the mission were the Charlotte, Holt, Williamston, and East Lansing University churches.
The mission trip began on Sunday, April 14, with a packing party at the Michigan Conference warehouse. Over the course of the first few days, volunteers assembled 30,000 outreach packets containing The Great Controversy, a health magazine, and a bookmark for the Michigan Conference radio station.
Lansing is the second Michigan city to see a SOLI mission trip, following the Detroit mission trip in April 2023, which yielded over 430 Bible study leads. The Literature Ministries department for the Michigan Conference provided key support for both initiatives.
Jim Micheff, president of the Michigan Conference, expressed joy at the results in Lansing, noting the 677 requests for Bible study.
“It’s a solemn thought to think that so many leads have come in,” says Johnny Henderson, director of Evangelism for SOLI.
As Bible study leads poured in each day, the contacts were then shared with the Michigan Conference, who utilize BibleStudyOffer.com to share new study leads with local churches. The digital tool was developed in the Michigan Conference and is now used across 31 conferences in North America. Helping to provide Bible study materials for adults and children via this platform is Amazing Facts and It Is Written.
“BibleStudyOffer.com is a technological tool that makes it a reality for local churches to have a Bible school,” shares Pastor Kameron DeVasher, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries director for the Michigan Conference. “By the time a volunteer enters the information and gets to the next door, that name has already been shared with the coordinator of a local church so that they can respond in real time.”
DeVasher notes that for smaller churches, having many leads come in at once initially seems daunting. Referencing the four different types of soil in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, DeVasher adds that most leads may not materialize into long-term studies, and that through using the cConference’s online tool, churches will be able to more easily follow up.
GYC collaborated with SOLI and the Michigan Conference in hosting the mission trip. The two organizations have worked together in the past to organize afternoons of outreach during the yearly GYC conventions; a collaboration that led to hosting the mission trip together.
“We can see the power of working in unity,” Henderson says.
Alissa Gomez, 24, from North Carolina, learned about the mission trip through GYC, and her experience moved her deeply. “When I first looked at the schedule, I thought to myself that we would be out in the field for a long time,” Gomez shares. “But then, getting to the end of the day, I realized there’s not enough time.”
Andrew Park, president of GYC, joined in the mission trip and also spoke during the closing program. “The Christian life is not complicated,” Park shared just after a training session for volunteers. “Often we’re looking for new things because we think the old things don’t work. The basis of discipleship is the Word of God, living in a spirit of prayer, and living out our faith. The components that are present in this mission trip constitute what discipleship is. It’s really encouraging to see that people who are part of this get to experience that as opposed to just reading about it.”
Credited as the most important fuel for participants through the week was the time spent in prayer, including hour-long prayer sessions in the mornings led by Pastor Scott and Julie Griswold.
The Griswolds also provided training on how to use mlml.org (My Language My Life) to reach non-English speakers.
Participants were trained every day before outreach on different aspects of going door-to-door, including how to share The Great Controversy, how to turn a casual conversation into an offer of prayer, and how to follow up with an offer for Bible studies. Attendees learned how to pay attention to yard signs and other clues to understand more about the person with whom they are about to engage at the door. In addition to daily training led by SOLI’s Evangelism department, the Griswolds provided valuable insight into how to connect with people from different religions.
In addition to training for adults, children participated in a program led by Reini Roberson and her sons, David and Peter Roberson. Kids ages five to 11 spent the week learning about the Protestant reformers and the Advent movement, memorizing Bible verses, participating in a shortened window of door-to-door outreach, and building small replicas of the Sanctuary as they learned about Christ’s ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary.
Prayers for divine appointments were answered abundantly during the mission, with volunteers recounting encounters led by God. Testimonies by participants highlighted the Holy Spirit’s guidance in connecting with community members.
Countless accounts of how the Holy Spirit led were shared, followed by testimonies of incredible encounters, such as was experienced by Pastor Curt DeWitt. On one street, he raced to catch a delivery truck driver to share the book and health magazine. The driver then shared how, just moments before, he had received word that he may have cancer and had prayed, asking God for help and encouragement.
“God poured out the Holy Spirit without measure,” Henderson remarks.
During the closing ceremony, participants were encouraged to reflect on their experiences and commit to deepen their relationship with Christ. The event closed with an invitation to join the next mission trip to San Francisco in September.
“When God calls us to ‘Go,’ He knows how good this will be for us,” Lotca shares. “And when we obey the call, the light goes to thousands and thousands of people.”
For more information about upcoming mission trips with Streams of Light International, visit our mission trips page.
Faith Lacelle is communication coordinator for Streams of Light International.
