Twenty-five years ago, Global Mission’s mandate was to focus attention on the most challenging unreached areas of the world—challenging areas like the Soviet Union, China, India, and the large cities of the world.

Today Adventist church membership is three times what it was back in 1990. Thousands of new churches have been planted, many in previously unentered areas. And while there are still many challenges, the Adventist Church has grown in the countries of the former Soviet Union, China and India. [1]

But one challenge has been getting larger—The challenge of the cities.

In 1990, there were 10 cities with more than 10 million people—mega-cities. Today, that number has nearly tripled and the number of mega-cities is growing.

As large numbers of people populate the cities, how can we to reach them? How can we share God’s love with the masses in the urban areas of the world? How can our message of Hope in Jesus’ soon return break through the noise of the cities?

More than 100 years ago, Ellen White wrote:

: We must do more than we have done to reach the people of our cities. We are not to erect large buildings in the cities, but over and over again the light has been given me that we should establish in all our cities small plants which shall be centers of influence. --Counsels on Health, Page 481

Today centers of influence are making a difference in people’s lives in cities around the world.

Many of them are health and wellness centers that offer health screenings, health food, cooking and exercise classes and massage therapy. In Jakarta, Indonesia, large apartment buildings often have a shopping center on the ground floor. Here among the small clothes stores and food shops, Adventists are opening centers of influence in the form of health kiosks. As a result of this mall ministry, visitors can get an electronic health scan, have a report emailed to them, and get recommendations on how to live a healthier life

Others are vegetarian or vegan restaurants offering healthful food options as well as opportunities to learn about living a healthier lifestyle. One such restaurant is Vegana in Vaasa, Finland. In addition to its healthy buffet, Vegana has held a health expo, stop smoking clinics, and Bible classes.

Others are community centers that offer homework and afterschool help, language and skills training classes, and counseling.

One unique center is in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, where Adventists have found a creative way of mingling with people in the community. Nestled among the various shops in the heart of the city is a small second hand shop called “Happy Hand.”

The people in Denmark value recycling and second hand shops are popular. But Happy Hand offers more than redistributing quality used items. Happy Hand is center if influence where people can some and learn about Jesus.

I think I feel that here it’s more open. It’s very public that this is a Christian shop. We have Bible verses on the walls. It’s very clear that this is a place where we are Christians and it's very open, so it’s easier to get into those conversations with people.

And we also have a poster that says that if you want to talk to a pastor you can just ask. So yes, people do come in here and just want someone to talk to and maybe pray for them.

We have a contact with the people here that we don't get in church. People can come in from the street and they can sit down and have a cup of warm tea, and just be able to talk to somebody about anything and we actually reach people here. And we can do something for them. So, just having secondhand shop wouldn’t be enough for me to participate because there are lots of those, but having this extra aspect really makes it worth it.

I've been doing a few evening programs in here, mostly about couple relationships, how to have a good marriage, and also about parenting, how to be a good parent and how to raise your children. And we’ve just advertised it on the window to the shop and at the counter and people have come.

Yeah but actually we have this spiritual wellness on Tuesday and there were three women, that they just came in from the street and one of them said she wanted to come to the Bible brunch…

Berit just called me one evening and said I need volunteers can you please come and help? And I'm busy we have four kids, and my husband is very busy. And so I said I don’t have the time, but I think it's a very important project and I think I can see the vision of it. So yes I’ll come and help for three months, and that is about two years ago.

: Through Centers of Influence Seventh-day Adventists are mingling with people, meeting their needs, winning their confidence and introducing them to Jesus.

We are not to wait for souls to come to us; we must seek them out where they are. When the word has been preached in the pulpit, the work has but just begun. There are multitudes who will never be reached by the gospel unless it is carried to them.

“--Christ’s Object Lessons, page 229”

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