I Will Go Worldwide

I Will Go

[SCRIPT CANNOT BE ALTERED. IT IS FROM GC COMMUNICATIONS]

RYAN

So, I’ve heard the Church talk about this plan called I Will Go. It’s got my attention, but...what is it?

KEVIN

I Will Go is the brand-new strategic plan for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The phrase is rooted in key passages like Isaiah 6, when Isaiah responded to God’s call by saying “Here am I. Send me!” And Matthew 28 when Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples.” Now it’s our turn. The strategic plan is part of our response. It will do two things: 1. Equip you with what you need to embrace your call to mission, and 2. Provide you with indicators to track your progress as you respond, “OK, Jesus. I will go.”

RYAN

I think I understand. But what is that mission?

KEVIN

I’m glad you asked! Our mission as Adventists is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ who live as His loving witnesses and proclaim to all people the everlasting gospel of the Three Angels’ Messages in preparation for His soon return (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Rev 14:6-12).” It is a big task, but no one * has to do it alone. We have a massive support system of more than 21 million members in over 160,000 congregations throughout the world!

RYAN

Phew! That’s a lot of members! Have we made progress?

KEVIN

With that many, how could we not! But we’re always open to improvement.

I Will Go builds on the success of our previous strategic plan, called “Reach the World,” where we set out to--

RYAN

--Let me guess, reach the world?

KEVIN (laughs)

What gave it away?

Following Reach the World, the Church evaluated the effectiveness of our different initiatives worldwide to gain valuable insights for the future. Basically, after years of work and research, we developed that evaluation system and transformed it into a strategy that will run from 2020 to 2025 - which we’re calling I Will Go.

RYAN

Ok. Evaluation: got it. What happens with those insights? Adventist Church leaders create a plan and then, what, just tell the world what to do?

KEVIN

Not at all! All that research will only be worthwhile if Adventists all around the world engage, collaborate, and innovate right where they are. I Will Go isn’t about telling you what to do, it’s about helping you follow through with what God has already placed on your heart! Every spiritual influencer needs support to be successful, and the Church wants to provide that.

RYAN

Ooooh, I like the idea of getting support, so how does it work?

KEVIN

I Will Go is made up of 10 objectives that are divided into 3 areas of impact: Mission, Spiritual Growth, and Leadership. Each objective has its own Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, for short. KPIs are measurable ways to help you determine whether or not you are achieving your current objective. There’s no sign up needed. They’re there for you as you need them. Think of them like segments in a progress bar.

RYAN

Progress tracking sounds great, but what if I don’t even know where to start?

KEVIN

Don’t worry; the KPIs also serve as a sort of “brainstorming tool” with examples to help you get started. Some KPIs are intended for those in Church leadership roles; others are intended for individuals like you and me. And, the objectives can help you determine which KPIs to use. The great thing is, if the Holy Spirit inspires you to create something completely new that isn’t on the list, yet accomplishes the mission; go for it!

RYAN

What about church initiatives we’ve already been doing? Does this mean we will replace them?

KEVIN

Nope, initiatives like Digital Evangelism or Revival and Reformation are actually methods of fulfilling the I Will Go plan. Take for example...hmmm...the Total Member Involvement initiative.

RYAN

It’s where all members of the Adventist church are involved in some form of intentional mission.

KEVIN

Yessir! TMI is just one way to fulfill the ‘I Will Go’ plan because it seeks to involve everyone.

RYAN (chuckles)

So, basically the I Will Go strategy helps Adventists like me create brand new initiatives and improve the initiatives we already do!

KEVIN

You got it! I Will Go is not some feel-good slogan for lukewarm members to comfortably observe mission from afar. If we’re serious about completing the mission, we need to strategize. That’s why we’re urging all who bear the Adventist name to understand and embrace the I Will Go strategic plan - from the areas of impact down to the KPIs.

We “may talk the talk,” but the I Will Go plan translates our mission into tangible, realistic goals in order to “walk the walk”. By applying them, we can ensure we practice what we preach.

RYAN

I think I get it now. This is a rallying cry for Adventists everywhere to fully embrace the calling God has placed on them. Jesus commanded: “Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations,” and this is our opportunity to say, “I Will Go.”

KEVIN

Whenever the Holy Spirit inspires you with ideas for how you and your local church can make an impact,

RYAN

We challenge you to respond:

KEVIN & RYAN “I Will Go!”