New Jersey Conference

Elisa Maragoto, principal of the Lake Nelson Adventist Academy in Piscataway, N.J., speaks at the Hispanic Women’s Retreat.

Editorial by Elisa Maragoto

The idea of being “In His Presence,” the theme of this year’s Hispanic Women’s Retreat, unifies every aspect of who we are. At the event, we learned, through the story of Esther, that it is in His presence we find our true identity. Our past and present circumstances and mistakes do not and should not define us. As we find refuge in His presence, we come to understand that our identity is in Jesus.

The New Jersey Conference recently welcomed several new pastors.

In 2012 Joel Brisson graduated from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (Mich.). He was a lay pastor in Lynn, Mass., prior to joining the New Jersey Conference. Brisson will serve as the associate pastor for the Maranatha French church in Newark, the Philadelphie French in Jersey City and the All

Nations Community church in Maplewood. Brisson and his wife, Klaudia, have a 3-year-old, Josiah, and 1-year- old twins, Krislie and Klael.

Photo by VAM2008 from Flickr

Editorial por Jorge Aguero

En la Biblia, el Antiguo Testamento habla acerca del pueblo de Israel. Allí encontramos las experiencias de una nación insignificante (Deut. 7:7), pero escogida por Dios para ser un pueblo especial (Deut. 7:6).

Dios ordenó encuentros especiales para su pueblo; por esto los israelitas se reunían por lo menos tres veces al año para adorar y compartir las bendiciones de Dios. Estas eran fiestas solemnes y santas convocaciones (Ver Levíticos 23).

Photo by airpix from Flickr

Editorial by Jorge Aguero

In the Bible, the Old Testament speaks about the people of Israel. In it we find the experiences of an insignificant nation (Deut. 7:7), but chosen by God to be a special people (Deut. 7:6).

God prescribed special encounters for His people; this is why the Israelites gathered at least three times a year to worship and share God’s blessings. There were solemn feasts or holy convocations (see Leviticus 23).

Today, the New Jersey Conference also has a special time of year when brothers, sisters and friends come to worship together as one big family. It is a time when the conference’s more than 120 Adventist congregations gather to share their faith and blessings God has poured out on them.