Tertiary Students receive TPUM support

Student ministry by the Adventist Students Association (ASA) in the Trans-Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) will become more focused in its efforts to support Adventist young people in the future.
A working document outlining the structure of the ASA and its relation to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as a list of strategic plans has been drafted to “strengthen and provide the direction of tertiary students ministry in TPUM,” according to Pastor Nick Kross, ASA chaplain and South Pacific Division (SPD) associate director of youth ministries.
Pastor Waisake Raiubi has been appointed as the new ASA chaplain for the Adventist Church based at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, and other campuses in the TPUM. He will replace Pastor Tabua Tuima, who will be leaving his role at the end of the year. Pastor Raiubi will work in conjunction with the youth directors at the TPUM and the various missions in the region.
Upcoming plans for ASA in TPUM include nurturing and establishing formal student groups in countries such as Vanuatu, Samoa and the Solomon Islands, where informal networks have already been set up. Regular meetings, newsletters and websites can also be expected.
“We want our young people to meet regularly to help them establish their identity as Adventist young professionals,” says Pastor Kross. “Coming together will also help them be inspired and encouraged by the testimonies of what other students are doing on their campus for Christ.”
Plans for a more focused effort on student ministry in the TPUM came at the end of the annual ASA Convention in Fiji, attended by more than 200 students from the nine tertiary institutions in the country.
Themed “Standing tall in a real world,” the convention held at the Lautoka Teacher’s College had Pastor George Munoz from the Eight Mile Plains church in Brisbane as keynote speaker.
“We wanted to allow students to network and fellowship,” says Pastor Kross, “as well as catch of vision of the ministry potential that is on campus while they attend university.”
Students at the convention also took on a service project at the nearby Lautoka Adventist Primary School ,where they cleared the school grounds and created gardens.—Melody Tan