The Adventist Church in the Southern Luzon Philippines gathered its communication and media leaders for a two-day Communication Advisory and Orientation, emphasizing the need to strengthen digital strategy as a vital arm of the Church in accomplishing its mission in the digital age.
The event was initiated by Pastor Carlito P. Quidet Jr., communication director of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD), and attended by communication and media teams from the local missions with a few young pastors within SLPUM territory.
People in the Digital Space
In a time when most people spend a significant portion of their lives in digital spaces, the Church recognizes the need to be present there as well—to reach, engage, and nurture people where they are. Church leaders see the Digital Strategy for Mission (DSM) as not only relevant but imperative in today’s context.
According to Meltwater’s 2025 Digital Report, in the Philippines alone, 97.5 million Filipinos—or 83.8% of the population—are internet users, while 90.8 million (78%) are active on social media.” With Filipinos spending an average of 8 hours and 52 minutes online daily and 3 hours and 32 minutes on social media, the Church sees this as a vast mission field waiting to be reached.
Biblical Foundation
The meeting opened with a message from Pastor Danilo Fiecas, SLPUM executive secretary, expressing strong support for digital ministry. “Embrace God’s fresh paths,” he encouraged. “Innovate boldly in digital methods, embracing God’s new ways.” He reminded participants that while innovation is vital, true power in mission comes from the Holy Spirit.
During the morning devotional, Pastor Quidet reminded participants that God’s people are His mouthpiece— to sound the alarm, inspire holiness, and bring joy to His people. “As the 'Mouthpiece of Zion', every communicator, pastor, and believer is called to speak God’s words, live His truth, and echo His joy until the world is filled with the sound of His glory," he said.
Building on this theme, Pastor Quidet presented “The Biblical Foundation for Communication” emphasizing the importance of embracing God’s doctrines. He highlighted that true communication does not rely on eloquence or technology but on obedience to God’s Word.
Digital Strategy for Mission
In another presentation, Pastor Quidet outlined the Digital Strategy for Mission (DSM)—an initiative of the world church aligned with the SSD’s strategic plan REAPS (Reach, Expand, Advance, Proclaim, Save).
The DSM aims to empower church members to engage effectively in online evangelism while ensuring that digital connections lead to real-life discipleship within local congregations. “For over 20 years, the Church has struggled to connect online interests to physical church communities,” Pastor Quidet said. “DSM seeks to bridge that gap—linking seekers to caring friendships and mentorship within local congregations.”
The strategy includes measurable goals designed to strengthen and sustain the Church’s digital witness. It seeks to increase member participation in digital evangelism to 20% of total membership in the first year, with a 5% annual growth until 2030. It also aims to develop contextualized, biblically sound content that communicates the Church’s fundamental beliefs effectively across cultures. Furthermore, the plan focuses on post-baptism discipleship through tools like the Hope Virtual Assistant (Hope VA), which creates localized Bible learning modules and helps track engagement. The initiative also encourages consistent participation in prayer meetings and small groups through online platforms such as Zoom and other digital communities.
Participants were invited to reflect on how to package the 28 Fundamental Beliefs in creative and engaging ways to make it relevant and relatable in the digital space.
Digital Discipleship Journey
Pastor Jose P. Orbe Jr., SLPUM communication director, also shared the Digital Discipleship Journey, a framework that shows how everyday online interactions—scrolling, liking, commenting, or subscribing—can become opportunities for ministry. He encouraged communicators to see their digital presence as a bridge that leads others from casual engagement to a meaningful connection with Christ and His Church.
In his closing message, Pastor Orbe shared a call to action: “Let us launch, link, and lift—launch our efforts in faith, link arms in collaboration, and lift Christ through every click and connection.”
The advisory concluded with a renewed commitment among SLPUM communicators —to become a digital force for Jesus, creatively using media and technology to proclaim truth, nurture faith, and lead people to Christ in an increasingly connected world.
The original article is published in the SLPUM website.