Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
Pieter Damsteegt
The annual Society of Adventist Communicators convention brings a diverse group together for the three-day event.
Just a few days after the annual Albuquerque, New Mexico, Balloon Festival, more than 200 seasoned communication professionals, college and university students, and volunteers from across North America gathered October 17-19, 2019, for the Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC) convention at Hotel Albuquerque. The participants attended communication workshops, a special AdventHealth rebrand session, area media tours, worship services, networking meals, and a screening of episodes from a Sonscreen Films adapted web series.
The event concluded with a communication awards banquet. At the close of the awards ceremony, Dan Weber, executive director of SAC and communication director for the North American Division (NAD), announced that the 2020 convention will be held near Chicago, Illinois.
Araya Moss, communication specialist for the Communication Department in the Southern California Conference, and first-time attendee, said, “Sometimes we get so focused on our own conference, and our own territory and everything, that we forget there are other people out there doing similar things in their territory. It’s nice to have this experience where we can come together, and meet different people, and see what they’re doing, and get different ideas. Recognizing the value of the convention, Moss, who joined the conference in March after working at a public relations agency, continued, “I’ve enjoyed my first SAC experience; I look forward to going in the years to come.”
Kristen Reid, an Oakwood University sophomore from the Cayman Islands, concurred. “I really like the conference,” said the film and television major, political science and theater minor. “My expectations weren’t that high, but experiencing how the North American Division does things — this is really good — and coming out to see all these people who think like me, are in the same career as me, older and my age, and being able to connect and talk with them is a beautiful experience.”
Reid, who recently started a podcast and attended the SAC podcasting workshops and panels at the convention, added, “Communicating is telling stories, and if you can tell the stories of people around you, they can relate to that, and I think that’s beautiful.”
Paola Mora Zepeda, junior at Southern Adventist University, shared, “SAC was a great experience because it reminded me of why I chose to go into the communications field. Just like our Church has a need for pastors, nurses, and teachers, there is also a huge need for passionate communicators who want to use their skills and technological knowledge to spread the love of Jesus to others. Evangelism, I found out, can come in the form of videos, articles, podcasts, social media, and so much more. It was great seeing that there is a community in our Church working with just that.”
Shannon Hill, senior at Southern Adventist University, added, “SAC was a wonderful experience to expand my knowledge and skill in communication. I loved meeting professionals that are currently working in the field. I was able to learn from and with them, while also networking with some of the best Adventist communicators around. This was an irreplaceable learning opportunity where I am so grateful I had the opportunity of attending.”
is an associate director in the Office of Communication at the North American Division in Columbia, Maryland.
is the Southern Tidings managing editor.
Southern Union | December 2019
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