sermon and program

MY CITY MY MISSION
MY CITY
Copyright © 2024 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®
Youth Ministries Department

Published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

Youth Ministries Department, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20904, USA.

Permission to photocopy this booklet granted for local use in churches, youth
groups, colleges, and other educational activities. Special permission is not
necessary. However, the contents of this booklet may not be reproduced in any
other form without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

PROJECT TEAM GC YOUTH MINISTRIES TEAM

COORDINATOR BUSI KHUMALO

Pako Mokgwane - @pakoedson Director

EDITOR PAKO MOKGWANE

Maria Manderson - @mandersonmaria Associate Director, Senior Youth

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ANDRES PERALTA

Nosipho Ngqula - @nosiphongqula Associate Director, Junior Youth

TRANSLATOR/PORTUGUESE MARIA MANDERSON

Stefani Moura - @stefaniqm Editorial Assistant

TRANSLATOR/SPANISH MWENYA MPUNDU

Yuli Gonzalez - @yulig402 Media Coordinator

TRANSLATOR/FRENCH IVONE OMANA

Duverny Dardy - @dardyduverny Editorial Assistant
 MY CITY MY MISSION
Editorial
PAKO E. MOKGWANE, PhD
ASSOCIATE YOUTH DIRECTOR
GENERAL CONFERENCE
At the heart of every city lies a tapestry of sto-
ries woven together by the dreams, struggles,
and triumphs of its inhabitants. Yet, amidst the
hustle and bustle, it’s easy to overlook the po-
tential for transformation within each neigh-
borhood, each street corner, and each individ-
ual. “My city, my mission” seeks to shine a light
on this and ignite a spirit of mission and unity
in purpose that transcends barriers and cata-
lyzes positive and holistic change in the lives of
city dwellers. “Every son and daughter of God is
called to be a missionary; we are called to the
service of God and our fellow men; and to fit us
for this service should be the object of our edu-
cation.” Ministry of healing, p. 395.
At its core, “my city, my mission”, is a call to
action—a rallying cry for students in urban ar-
eas to reclaim the cities for Jesus. It recognizes
that the actual world changers are those im-
mersed in spreading the three angels’ messages
through personal/lifestyle influence, commu-
PAGE 1
MY CITY
nity service, and digital evangelism. Through
#PCM24, public campus ministry (pcm) aims to
amplify the call for urgent mission engagement
in the cities in line with the GC Youth Ministries’
annual theme: i will go to my city! The individual
response to “I will go” will produce the power of
collective action.
Twenty twenty four is a unique year_ as it marks
two significant anniversaries- One hundred and
fifty (150) years of mission as a church and Ten
(10) years of organized ministry to public cam-
pus (PCM). Therefore, the question every stu-
dent and staff member should ask is: how can i
creatively reignite my passion for the mission by
commemorating these significant anniversaries?
Over the past decade, we have tirelessly worked
together, achieving milestones and positively
impacting the lives of countless adventist stu-
dents and staff on public campuses. May we
reflect on our journey with gratitude, honor the
dedicated individuals who have contributed,
and look forward to a future filled with contin-
ued growth, service, and success.
So, as we embark on this journey together, let us
heed the call of “my city, my mission” with cour-
age and conviction. Let us harness the power
of collaboration, innovation, and compassion to
build cities that are not just livable but thriving
in the knowledge of Jesus. Thank you for being
an integral part of this incredible journey!
 MY CITY MY MISSION
Editor’s note
MARIA MANDERSON
MORE THAN A GOOD THING
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest tru-
ly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore
pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38, NJKV)
Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and
given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians
5:1-2, New King James Version)
Public Campus Ministry (PCM) is not only a
“good thing”, it is an essential component to the
welfare of students living away from home, on
public campuses. The campus is where they live,
where they spend the majority of their time….
away from home. Coming home on breaks and
going to church at that time is nice and wonder-
ful, but those few hours cannot compete with the
more than 100 waking hours they spend togeth-
er on campus, weekly.
Do you know who is influencing the Adventist
students on the public campus near you?
This message is for everyone reading this book-
let. Every local church should have as a member
of their church board, a PCM Coordinator—as-
signed to minister to the students, faculty, and
staff on public campuses. Reference below is
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from The Church Manual, [2022] page 112:
Public Campus Ministries—Strengthening the
MY CITY
Youth Ministries of the church, Public Campus
Ministries (PCM), in collaboration with the Ad-
ventist Ministry to College and University Stu-
dents (AMiCUS), provides vision and strategic
planning for ministry to and support for Sev-
enth-day Adventist students (ages 16-30+) who
attend college or university institutions not oper-
ated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Pub-
lic Campus Ministries Leader/Coordinator—The
church may appoint a Public Campus Ministries
leader/coordinator to develop an intentional
ministry with the purpose of caring for the spe-
cial needs of college or university students in in-
stitutions not operated by the Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Church, in consultation with and support
of the Adventist Youth Ministries Committee.
AY leaders and Youth Pastors, if your church does
not have an elected PCM Coordinator, please
contact your pastor or church board about elect-
ing someone to the position.
PCM exists to walk alongside students, faculty,
and staff in advancing their witness among those
they come in contact with. It is mentoring and
Kingdom building. It should create opportunities
for students to develop meaningful relationships
with other believers who are willing to become
mentors to these younger disciples (students),
and the students in turn will have an opportu-
nity to develop leadership qualities that will help
them to grow spiritually as well as build up the
Kingdom of God. It is cross-culture learning and
growing, mentoring, church growth, etc. Imag-
ine PCM as a church growth experience. Imag-
ine what it could look like if you and your church
would partner alongside students into equipping
and leading them to read, study, teach, and obey
God’s Word, and in the process, some may even
become lifetime members of your local church.
Remember, if God has called you to youth min-
istry, whether as a pastor or PCM Coordinator,
He has also called you to minister to everyone
on the public campus. The Call is one and the
same: youth ministry = public campus ministry.
The possibilities are endless. Move out in faith
and see what God can do.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
MY CITY

ADVENTIST
YOUTH
MINISTRIES
GENERAL CONFERENCE Pako Mokgwane
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, SENIOR YOUTH

Busi Khumalo
DIRECTOR
PAGE 3

Andres Peralta
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, JUNIOR YOUTH
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE 2024 PCM DEVOTIONAL
 MY CITY MY MISSION
MY CITY

Sermon by
ISRAEL RAMOS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Israel Ramos is the direc-
tor of the Center for Ad-
ventist Ministry to Public Uni-
versity Students at Michigan
State University in East Lansing.
He also serves as the director and
coordinator for Public Campus Min-
istry in Michigan and the Lake Union,
respectively. He and his wife Judy, a lit-
eracy professor at Andrews University, have
dedicated their lives to ministering to students,
PAGE 5

faculty, and staff on public college campuses around

the globe. They are the proud parents of three young men.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
Sermon
MY CITY, MY MISSION
BY ISRAEL RAMOS
INTRODUCTION
Did you know that the Bible talks about pub-
lic campus ministry? Although our understand-
ing of formal education has changed over time,
ministry on secular campuses is not new. Even
in ancient history there was some distinction
between God’s educational system entrusted to
His people through communion with Him, and
the contrasting educational systems employed
by Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and
Roman societies. Today, we will look at three
case studies in Scripture that reference the
public campus and draw lessons to guide our
experiences as we make our universities our cit-
ies and our mission.
THE UNIVERSITY OF HELIOPOLIS: MY CITY,
A DANGEROUS PLACE
At this time Moses was born; and he was beau-
tiful to God. He was nurtured for three months
in his father’s home. And after he had been
put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away
and nurtured him as her own son. Moses was
educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and he was proficient in speaking and action.
(Acts 7:20-22, NASB)
Since Satan’s first lied to Eve that she would
have open eyes and be like God, knowing good
and evil, civilization has had one main goal: uni-
formity in a culture that is antagonistic to the
God of heaven. Egypt was no exception in that
quest. Education and culture were the strict
means employed to control the transmission of
tradition. It was the responsibility of the priests,
the intellectual, and political elites in Egyptian
theocracy to preserve the culture of Egypt and
prevent diversity. They accomplished this by de-
veloping two kinds of formal training for favored
youth: one track for scribes and another for
priest apprentices. The clerics taught their pu-
pils in the humanities, science, medicine, math,
and geometry, while the other youths received
training in vocational subjects that included ar-
chitecture and engineering.
PAGE 6
Acts gives us some remarkable things about
Moses and his training. He was educated in all
the wisdom of the Egyptians (And Moses was
learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and
MY CITY
was mighty in words and deeds – Acts 7:22).
What is significant about this is that his tutors felt
compelled by the gravity of his persona to unload
everything that Egypt offered in its educational
repertoire—no subject was left unattended, no
footnote concealed. Equally astonishing was his
capacity to endure the intensity of such training.
Speaking (and writing) were responsibilities
entrusted to government scribes and priests. In
addition to the intensity of his education, Mo-
ses was outstanding in his speaking proficiency.
He not only double majored in government and
theology but also graduated at the top of his
class. Finally, his competence in “action” indi-
cates that he had mastery not only in govern-
ment and religion but also in architecture and
engineering. In Acts 7:22 we read that he “was
educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and he was proficient in speaking and action.”
That one short sentence formulates one of hu-
man history’s most outstanding academic re-
sumes. Essentially, Moses took every major and
minor course offered by the world’s premier
university and excelled in all of them with the
highest honors.
Although most academically inclined students
envy this kind of resume, Hebrews 11 introduces
the invisible dangers that Moses had to con-
front. The nuanced sophistry that he imbibed on
his path to academic greatness was so robust
that God could only entrust one of the most
faithful mothers in Israel to instruct Moses so
that he could endure the educational system of
Egypt. In preparing Moses to be pharaoh, Egypt
was training him to be a god—a temptation that
Eve, in perfection, could not overcome. Even
more significant than his ability to endure the
rigors of mastering such a large body of knowl-
edge was the faith required to survive the ef-
fects of that knowledge.
The public university can be a complicated place
to navigate. The more successful we are in ac-
quiring its knowledge, the more dangerous our
temptation to lose our soul. We find a warning
in the Bible’s first case study of the public uni-
versity.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
We cannot afford to enter its concrete jungles
without the shield of faith. To do so is to place
ourselves on the greatest path of deception,
where apparent success is inevitable failure.
From the perspective of Scripture, a solid bibli-
cal foundation in the student’s life is crucial to
success on a public college campus. In the case
of Moses, the success of public campus ministry
was the survival of his faith amidst a strong cur-
rent of opposition followed by a train of enticing
human glory, earthly wealth, and the honor of
ruling the most powerful nation on earth.
THE UNIVERSITY OF BABYLON - MY CITY
CANNOT BE IGNORED
In Daniel 1:3-5 we read, “Then the king told
Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring
in some of the sons of Israel, including some
of the royal family and of the nobles, youths
in whom there was no impairment, who were
good-looking, suitable for instruction in eve-
ry kind of expertise, endowed with under-
standing and discerning knowledge, and who
had ability to serve in the king’s court; and he
ordered Ashpenazto teach them the literature
and language of the Chaldeans. The king also
allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s
choice food and from the wine which he drank,
and ordered that they be educated for three
years, at the end of which they were to enter
the king’s personal service.
A recent unearthing of the Alexandrian Uni-
versity in ancient Egypt had royal quarters and
palaces connected to the school. This is one of
many ways the Egyptian and Mesopotamian
educational systems were similar. Let’s note
further what the Bible says about the superi-
ority of the University of Babylon compared to
surrounding nations.
The Bible indicates the kind of people who were
accepted at the University of Babylon located in
the king’s court: nobility, the seed of the mon-
archy from other nations, youth with no impair-
ment, good-looking young people, and those who
had minds with the ability to receive instruction in
every kind of expertise. It also states the purpose
of their training: to serve in the king’s court. It in-
dicates that it had an established formal curricu-
lum that lasted three years and lists the course
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requirements and prerequisite training necessary
to remain enrolled in school (a knowledge of the
literature and language of the Chaldeans).
MY CITY
Daniel’s three-year course even came with a
meal plan under the direct observation of the
king’s office. After the course, a test would be
administered where the top of the class would
receive positions in the king’s service. Because
priests dominated the intellectual and educa-
tional fields (like in Egypt), education, culture,
literature, and religion could not be divorced.
This is likely the reason why Daniel and his
friends were given names referencing Babylo-
nian gods to replace their given names, which
referenced the God of heaven.
Whereas the story of Moses portrays the public
university as a danger to faith in God, Daniel’s
story takes a different approach. It similarly
highlights the importance of the parents’ re-
sponsibility to adequately train their children at
home so that they can survive the most severe
tests against their faith through God’s Word.
But Daniel’s story highlights an important point.
When the character of the student reflects
God’s ideal of godliness, the potential of pub-
lic campus ministry to impact the world (even
in enemy territory) is beyond estimate. Kings of
powerful nations become converted and impact
the course of history.
THE SCHOOL OF TYRANUS: MY UNIVERSITY
IS THE KEY TO MY CITY & MISSION
Let us turn to Acts 19:9-12, “But when some were
becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking
evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew
from them and took the disciples away with
him, and had discussions daily in the school of
Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that
all who lived in Asia heard the Word of the Lord,
both Jews and Greeks. God was performing ex-
traordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so
that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried
from his body to the sick, and the diseases left
them, and the evil spirits went out.
On his trip to Ephesus, while Apollos was in
Corinth, Paul preached in synagogues for three
months. His initial success was marked in such a
way that the Holy Spirit fell among the twelve
gathered believers (or disciples), just as it fell
on the multitude when Peter preached in Acts
2. Over time, however, despite a great manifes-
tation of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s preaching was
not readily received by some who not only dis-
believed Paul’s words but also spoke evil of his
message to the multitude.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
Rather than continuing to preach in the syn-
agogues, Paul withdrew with the disciples to
the school of Tyrannus. He continued his work
there for two years “so that all who dwelt in
Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus, both
Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:9-10).
Some believe the expression “the School of
Tyrannus” was a nod to the original owner. Oth-
ers believe Tyrannus may have been a Jewish
rabbi who allowed Paul to use his home syna-
gogue. A different view is that Tyrannus was
likely a philosopher, orator, poet, or rhetorician
with a lecture hall he shared or rented to Paul.
The third position seems the most likely for vari-
ous reasons: (1) Luke’s reference to him seems
to indicate that he wasn’t a Jew and Paul had
hired this place because of his lack of success
among the Jews; (2) Luke indicates that the
hall was used during a specific time of the day—
the hottest part of the day, which would allow
for Tyrannus to use the building during the more
favorable cooler part; and (3) lecture halls
were scattered throughout every city in Greece
where philosophers expounded their views.
Several things are notable about what took
place at the School of Tyrannus. First, the scope
of the success was not hyperbolic. The whole
region of Asia literally heard the word of God
during Paul’s time at the School of Tyrannus. Al-
though Paul was locally centralized in Ephesus,
the impact of his work surpassed geographi-
cal boundaries. In other words, something
MY CITY
unique to the local college campus paved the
way for a global impact. Secondly, the impact
of his work was felt not only among the Jews
but also among the Greeks. In some respects,
the synagogues limited Paul’s audience to a pri-
marily Jewish demographic. Still, this constraint
was no longer felt while doing the same work
of “reasoning” on the college campus. Finally,
the quality of the miracles that followed as a
result of Paul’s labor was unusual: “God gave
Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.
When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely
touched his skin were placed on sick people,
they were healed of their diseases, and evil
spirits were expelled.” (Acts 19:11, 12).
Think about the significance of this final case
study from Scripture. Public campus ministry
did what the local church could not do for God’s
work: it broke down barriers of space and race
that Paul could not escape during his work at the
local synagogue. It also broke down the barriers
that limited the previously performed miracles,
elevating their quality to new levels. These same
barriers exist today. There are places and people
groups around the world that are hard to reach
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some places
around the world pose significant dangers to
the dedicated people who go on missions of love
and peace. There are places in need of stronger
glimpses of God’s miracle-working power. Could
it be that the best way to reach the world is by
reaching the campus? Could the campus be the
key to reaching my city, my mission?

CONCLUSION
The school campus is where the students live. It is where they socialize and spend
most of their time. According to the Bible, the public university is oftentimes a
dangerous place for faith to grow, and only young people with a living experience
with Christ should enter the halls. However, despite the apparent dangers, the
concrete jungles of these colleges cannot be ignored, for the impact of its
potential is beyond human estimate. It is also the key to reaching my city.
Maybe this is why Ellen White said that this is a work that must be done and
PAGE 8

will be done by those who are led and taught by God. May that be you.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
IDEAS FOR PCM IMPLEMENTATION AT THE LOCAL CHURCH
THESE ARE IDEAS SOLICITED FROM STUDENTS THROUGH GC YOUTH MINISTRIES SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
(FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM)
• Present and dedicate students and staff
to God in prayer at the beginning of every
semester/quarter and on World PCM Day.
• Families in the local church “adopt” a
student, so they have some connection to church
members in their community (especially if they
live away from their own family).
• Provide a budget for the PCM ministry that
is available for the PCM Coordinator to
perform his/her duties.
• Have a farewell service for graduates who
choose not to participate in their
institution’s graduation ceremony on a
Sabbath. Please involve Adventist staff
and chaplains in the planning of this event.
Thank them for their service and represen-
tation of God on/at public campuses.
• Establish connection with Chapter/
Association/ACF Leader and staff
members. Attend Chapter/Association/
ACF/staff activities and programs.
• Have an up-to-date database of members
who are students, staff and chaplains
serving on/at public campuses.
• Pray and fast for students to realize their
academic dreams. Pray for staff to
discharge their duties with excellence.
Communicate the prayer schedule to the
PAGE 9
MY CITY
students through the Chapter/Association/
ACF Leader and staff members.
• Invite students and staff for potluck and
social gatherings. Be liberal with healthy food
packages (especially during finals week).
• Provide transportation on days when there
is inclement weather.
• Advocate and promote freedom of worship
especially as it relates to Sabbath
observance. Call on the Conference/Union/
Division Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
leaders for intervention when such rights
are in jeopardy of being infringed on.
• Support and contribute towards student,
chaplaincy, and staff mission endeavors.
Mentor the students.
• Send PCM members notes of love and
motivation from church members.
• Start a book club for staff.
• Offer training for staff on how to provide
emotional and spiritual support to students.
• If there is some kind of association or
Mission/Conference/Union for Adventist
teaching staff, create a subgroup for those
working on public campuses, and target
their needs.
 MY CITY MY MISSION
MY CITY
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FOLLOW JESUS • EMBRACE HIS MISSION • CHANGE THE WORLD

 MY CITY MY MISSION
MY CITY

Suggested program
SABBATH SCHOOL

Lesson Study

PRAYER TIME
• Break into groups of five (5)
• Offer Thanksgiving and Praise
• Pray for protection of Students, Chaplains and Staff and God to bless their
faithfulness
in Sabbath observance.
• Pray for the positive influence of Student Leaders
• Pray for robust leadership of PCM Leaders in all Local Churches
• Pray for the inspirational leadership of Youth Directors (PCM)

MAIN SERVICE
Music: Songs or Hymns about Fellowship, Worship, Discipleship
Sermon by Student(s)/Staff/Chaplain/PCM Leader.
Latter Rain Prayer and Dedication by Elder/Pastor/Chaplain

LUNCH – POTLUCK

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

Visit Students and Staff at their residences.

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 MY CITY MY MISSION
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 MY CITY MY MISSION
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Officers

SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST
CHURCH Paul H. Douglas
GENERAL CONFERENCE TREASURER

Ted Wilson
PRESIDENT
PAGE 13

Erton C. Kölher
SECRETARY