GAiN 2024 started on Friday, November 15, and will last until Tuesday, November 19. It is taking place in Budva, Montenegro.
“GAiN” is the acronym for Global Adventist Internet Network, a conference at the intersection of communication and media, inviting leaders from publishing and personal ministries. It promotes networking, collaboration, and cooperation, sharing in expertise and experience together with innovative training.
As announced by the organizers – Inter-European Division (EUD), Trans-European Division (TED), and HopeMedia Europe – the three-pronged focus of this year’s GAiN is communication and media ministries’ content for mission, cooperation with personal ministries and publishing ministries for a comprehensive approach on mission, and young creatives’ experience on sharing faith through digital media.
Experts and leaders in the fields of communication, media, press, social media, personal ministries, publishing, and youth are sharing their knowledge, techniques, and experiences.
GAiN is meant for leaders, communicators and content creators, marketers, media and mission experts, film makers, writers and publishers, technology and IT specialists, software developers, consultants, students, and trainees.
The opening ceremony
On Friday night, in a huge meeting room, packed with 265 communications professionals and leaders from 42 countries, GAiN 2024 started with the goal to collaborate, network, share, and connect.
The communications directors of the EUD and TED, Paulo Macedo and David Neal, gave a warm welcome to all the participants, introducing some inspiring songs led by a group of musicians from Serbia - Vestige.
Afterwards, the president of HopeMedia Europe, Klaus Popa, briefly described the history of GAiN Europe. “We are all part of a story,” stated Popa. “GAiN Europe is part of a journey that started in 2014 with the aim of connecting, sharing, motivating, networking – trying to develop a common strategy and cross-media projects.
Afterwards, Popa gave an overview of the program for the event.
Paulo Macedo, Communications and PARL Director at the EUD, noted that organization of the event has been challenging, because participation was overwhelming.
Macedo stated that “God is opening doors” and invited organizers and participants to not just think about single events, but to plan a much deeper and wider work, a long-lasting common relationship, routine, and strategy.
Macedo concluded by highlighting that “we should focus on the people we want to reach, because God will continue to open unexpected doors.
Guilliermo Biaggi, General Conference Vice-President, and Williams Costa Jr., Global Communications Director, briefly greeted the audience, reminding participants that billions of people around the world are waiting to receive the enlightening and loving message of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 60).
The devotional
Tor Tjeransen, former president of the Norwegian Union and current Communications Director in the same Union, shared an inspiring message about God’s infinite grace.
“God’s infinite grace filled my life with joy. God filled my life with purpose and meaning,” testified Tjeransen.
“As a teenager I made many mistakes, from which I learned a lot. God delivered me from my failures through His grace. I felt forgiven and redeemed. Grace has a powerful effect!”
He continued, “It was by grace that God sent me as a volunteer for a mission trip and it was by grace that I felt His unexpected calling to become a pastor. During my life, God opened doors by grace, guiding my decisions and performing unexpected miracles.”
“It isn’t so important to have modern technical devices as communicators, it’s important who we are! We have to be consistent with the message of Jesus Christ. If connected with His grace, God is transforming our character and we become Christlike.”
Tjeransen concluded by quoting Ellen White: “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian”.
Songs, prayers, and joyful hugs concluded the first day of GAiN 2024.
Pictures: Adventist Media Exchange (Andreas Mazza)
