1. Junior and/or Earliteen Sabbath School December 27, 2008

3. This Quarter the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering is going to the Northern Asia-Pacific Division Information adapted from Adventist Mission, Youth and Adult Magazine and the SDA Encyclopedia. Mongolia China North Korea

4. This quarter the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will be used to help: build a dormitory for Adventist students in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia build a dormitory for Adventist students in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia fund Chinese-language television and Internet broadcasts from Taiwan fund Chinese-language television and Internet broadcasts from Taiwan plant a Chinese-language church in the heart of Tokyo, Japan plant a Chinese-language church in the heart of Tokyo, Japan

5. The Northern Asia-Pacific Division consists of China, Japan, Mongolia, North and South Korea, and Taiwan. With 1.5 billion people, roughly a quarter of the world’s population, the Northern Asia-Pacific Division is the most populous division in the world.

6. Focus on Republic of China, Taiwan The first known Adventist to enter Taiwan was a colporteur from south Fujian, China, who went there in 1907. In spite of persecution and occasional imprisonment, he faithfully carried on his work. Others followed, but the work progressed slowly and then came to a standstill during World War II.

7. The Adventist work was reorganized and the first Seventh-day Adventist church on the island was started in Taipei in 1949. Many members were refugees from the war and communist takeover of mainland China. In the early 1950s a Thirteenth Sabbath offering helped to build seven new churches on Taiwan. Efforts continue, but the numbers of Adventists on Taiwan are still relatively few.

8. Developed countries often pose the greatest challenges to spreading the gospel. In Taiwan, 93 percent of the people follow Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, or profess no religion. Only about 6 percent claim to be Christian, and slightly more than 4,700 are Adventists. Taiwan Buddhist Center

9. Taiwan combines the modern and the ancient. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles clog the busy streets of Taiwan’s cities, but along residential streets one finds evidence of ancient rituals and religions. Taipei Traffic, Encarta Encyclopedia

10. A month-long festival honors the dead. People place plates of food for the gods they believe wander the island until the gates of Hades are once again closed. Taiwan Buddhist Center

11. Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help build up the church in Taiwan, an island that still teems with idol worship. The people of Taiwan need to know that the dead do not wander the streets searching for food or for help reaching the next reincarnation. They need to be freed from the devil’s lies and pointed to the Savior.

12. In Taiwan, most Adventists are from tribal groups. While the tribal peoples living in the mountains of Taiwan have accepted Christianity, the Christian faith has struggled to gain a foothold among the ethnic Chinese. Only one in 25,000 ethnic Chinese in Taiwan is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.

13. Three years ago part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering helped to establish three church plants among the ethnic Chinese people of Taiwan. This quarter part of the offering will help produce Hope TV programs in Mandarin Chinese to serve the more than one billion Chinese-speaking people in Asia and around the world. Please give generously and pray that these broadcasts will share God’s love with Chinese- speaking people, leading them to the Savior who created and redeemed them. Naomi Wang

14. Believers in Japan, in Taiwan and in Mongolia want to share Jesus’ love with their neighbors, but they need your help. Please be generous with your offering this Thirteenth Sabbath. Let’s do our part to share God’s love with our family members in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.

15. Collect Offering

16. Exploring God’s World In this section we study one of the countries in the division where our Thirteenth Sabbath offering is going.

17. Today we are going to learn about Japan.

18. Where is Japan

21. Japan’s Flag

34. Time for the Mission Story We are taking the good news to the entire world. Use the Thirteenth Sabbath materials on pages 28 and 29 of the Third Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine

35. Special Thirteenth Sabbath Program

36. Lesson Study Time

37. The Great Gift Exchange Our story today is about:

38. “What did you get for Christmas?”

39. You’ve probably heard and asked that question hundreds of times by now.

40. The next time someone asks you, ask yourself, “What did I give?”

41. P O W E R T E X T John 3:16, NIV Hebrews 13:15, NIV

42. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).

43. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15, NIV.)

44. Jesus gave us the gift of salvation; we give Him the gift of ourselves. P O W E R P O I N T

45. “What can I give Him, as poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I’d give Him a lamb.

46. If I were a Wise Man, I’d do my part. What can I give Him? I’ll give Him my heart,” Cinda read.

47. “Christmas is over,” Jonathan whispered to Sunil. “Thank you, Cinda,” said Mrs. Barnabas, their Bible teacher. “Sunil, Jonathan, did you have a question?”

48. “No, Mrs. B,” said Sunil. “We just wondered about the poem. After all, Christmas is over.”

49. “And that’s why I’m sharing it with you,” said Mrs. B. “Thinking about what we learned in the past few weeks, what is this poem saying?”

50. “That the writer didn’t save money for presents?” asked Sunil. “Could be,” said Mrs. B. “Anyone else?”

51. Cinda raised her hand. “Yes, Cinda.” “The ‘Him’ is Jesus,” explained Cinda.

52. “The shepherd in the poem represents the ones who visited Jesus on the night He was born.”

53. “The Wise Men are the Magi.”

54. “Thank you, Cinda. Can someone tell me about what these visitors brought?”

55. Cinda raised her hand again. “The Bible doesn’t say anything about the shepherds bringing gifts to the baby Jesus,” protested Cinda.

56. Jonathan raised his hand. “Everybody knows that the Wise Men brought three gifts,” said Jonathan.

57. Sunil spoke out, “But they still brought the same thing the shepherds did.” “Could you explain how?” asked Mrs. B.

58. “The shepherds are like the person who wrote the poem. They were so poor they couldn’t even afford to give away a little wool—forget the lamb.” The class chuckled.

59. Sunil continued, “But they gave God their attention. When the angels told them to go, they went.”

60. “They had faith that the baby was the Baby!”

61. “Even though the Wise Men brought gifts that Mary and Joseph could use to take care of Jesus,

62. their real gift was that they came all that way to worship Him,” Jonathan said in one breath.

63. “That was a mouthful, Jonathan,” beamed Mrs. B. “Thank you.” Jonathan exhaled loudly and put his head down. Everyone laughed and applauded.

64. “Back to the poem...” Mrs. B continued. Sunil’s hand shot up.

65. “I know! Even if we don’t have a lot of money and other things, we can still give ourselves to Jesus.”

66. “And even if we do have a lot to give to Jesus, we still need to give ourselves,” agreed Cinda, nodding.

67. “And nothing we do can change that,” said Sunil. “Sunil and Cinda,” said Mrs. B, her eyes shining. “You have just described grace.”

68. Jonathan raised his hand. “Yes, Jonathan?” she said. “But how do you give yourself? Are you supposed to wrap yourself up in a gift bag or something?”

69. Mrs. B smiled. “Any ideas, class?” “I guess it’s like eating,” grinned Jonathan. “You’ve got to do it every day to stay alive.”

70. “Right, Jonathan. Giving yourself to Jesus isn’t just a onetime occurrence. It’s something that has to happen daily.”

71. “Sunil, could you read this for me?” said Mrs. B, handing him a card from a stack she held in her hand.

72. “Sure, Mrs. B,” said Sunil. He read: “Morning Prayer. Dear Lord, today take me as totally Yours. I give You all my plans.”

73. “Use me to serve others. Stay with me and show me how to do everything in Your power. Amen.”

74. Mrs. B started passing cards down the rows for those who wanted one.

75. “That sounds like a good prayer for every day of the new year!” exclaimed Jonathan, taking one.

78. This week we are going to do a review of our last four lessons. First let’s do a quick quiz. (Can be oral or written.)

79. 1. How did Mary find out she was to be the mother of Jesus? (God sent the angel Gabriel to tell her in person: Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18.)

80. 2. How did Joseph find out that he should not break his engagement to Mary? (An angel of the Lord told him in a dream; Matthew 1:20.)

81. 3. Why did the Magi come to Jerusalem? (They saw the star; Matthew 2:2, second part.) Why did they not go back to Herod? (God warned them in a dream not to; verse 12.)

82. 4. How did the shepherds find out about the birth of Jesus? (An angel of the Lord appeared to them; Luke 2:8-12.)

83. 5. How did Simeon and Anna know that Baby Jesus was the Christ? (The Holy Spirit told Simeon, and Anna knew because she opened herself for God’s leading; Luke 2:26, 27, 37, 38.)

84. What did all these people have in common? (God took the initiative, spoke to them.) (For general discussion.)

85. What were their responses? (They accepted what God told them and acted on it.)

86. What was God’s part? (To inform people, to offer them a chance to participate in salvation.)

87. What was each person’s part? (To accept the offer, to follow the instructions, to surrender themselves to Him.)

88. In what way can we do what the people involved in Christ’s birth did? (When God offers to give us life, grace, salvation, we accept it and give ourselves to Him.)

89. Jesus gave us the gift of salvation; we give Him the gift of ourselves.

90. Important Information PowerPoints® art copyrighted © 2003 by the Review and Herald® Publishing Association. Text and illustrations from Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine is copyright © by the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Scriptures quoted from NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1980, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. ClickArt Infinity by Broderbund, © 1999 TLC Multimedia Inc.

92. Determine how you will integrate the Thirteenth Sabbath materials into the mission section of the PowerPoint Sabbath School program. You can find the Thirteenth Sabbath materials on pages 28 and 29 of the Fourth Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. You can go to the website and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. Determine how you will integrate the Thirteenth Sabbath materials into the mission section of the PowerPoint Sabbath School program. You can find the Thirteenth Sabbath materials on pages 28 and 29 of the Fourth Quarter Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. You can go to the website http://www.adventistmission.org/ and find the link titled “Publications” to download the Adventist Mission Youth and Adult Magazine. http://www.adventistmission.org/ Notes to Teachers

93. Copyright Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist School Art and graphics copyrighted by the General Conference and the Review and Herald® are included on slides 44, 49-54, 59, 61, 65-67, 69-71, 73, 76 and 77. Images and artwork are copyrighted by the Pacific Press Publishing Assoc., Review and Herald Publishing Assoc., It Is Written and others. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Copyright Notices