Adventists are getting noticed at one of Hungary’s biggest music festivals. It’s a little out of the ordinary, but offering to paint designs has attracted concert-goers to these local church members’ booth. It’s important to find something people will be excited about.

Don’t worry, though--the paint is washable! They’re also offering temporary hair coloring, lemonade, and, of course, prayer. At events like this, church members have the opportunity to invite people to visit a nearby Urban Center of Influence.

Tunderevesz (toon-deh-REE-veez) came to this Global Mission Urban Center of Influence in Miscolc (mish-kolk), hoping for relief from her health issues. She was warmly greeted by the staff and after some evaluation, they recommended lifestyle changes and natural treatments offered at the center. Over time, her health improved and now she can’t imagine what life would be like if she hadn’t come here--not just for her physical health but also mentally and socially.

“I actually developed friendships with the people working here. It’s very important to have this kind of community. I learned a lot here and it was such a community-building experience.”

Although these services are offered with no strings attached, sometimes these interactions lead to more than just health improvements.

“Since I started coming here, I’ve applied to attend an Adventist health camp in the summer and I’ve been taking Bible studies.”

An Adventist summer camp opens for a week each summer. People come from all over Hungary to make new friends and participate in outdoor activities. Most have heard about the camp through various Urban Centers of Influence or from their Adventist friends.

“This is a lifestyle camp. We’re doing lifestyle evangelism. That means we invite friends and people who are not in contact with the Adventist Church. We have about 200 people here. Most of them are not Adventist and they come for hiking, cycling, and different sports programs and they’re attracted to these programs.”

“If we invite somebody to our local church maybe nobody would come, at least in this part of Europe. But if we invite them to participate in a program like this, they want to come. They like to be healthy, they want to have new friends. This is a non-threatening way to connect with them and to connect them to Jesus Christ and the Adventist Church.”

The camp is a social place where people can bond together in nature. There are seminars and discussions about health and religious topics that attract many of the attendees.

They’re provided healthy meals that feature bread from the camp’s bakery! At the end of the week, many people go home feeling inspired by the retreat, and some even decide to take Bible studies or volunteer at their local Urban Center of Influence.

For those who may not live near an Urban Center of Influence, there is another solution. Hungarian church leaders in the Duna Conference want to meet people where they are, so they created a fully outfitted ministry caravan!

After purchasing a van and trailer, Adventist professionals designed and renovated the interior of the trailer to be a modern, mobile center of influence. The Duna Conference is made up of 54 churches, so each church has the opportunity to invite the van to their town for one weekend each year.

The ministry is operated by volunteers, who work closely with the local members who invited them, to determine what type of program would be appreciated by the community.

Usually the van is parked in a central, prominent part of town. They offer health expos, children’s programs, cooking classes, a Christian film club, and personal counseling. The programs of the mobile center of influence have to be flexible to meet the changing needs of people in towns and cities.

This van allows Adventists to connect with people in the community and develop a long term relationship.

Your prayers and giving to Global Mission have helped these ministries become a reality. Please continue to pray and consider what you can give to this cause. Thank you for supporting Global Mission!