About Us
The name: “Vervent” is synonymous with the NAD Church Resource Center. It reflects our service to local congregations. The name contains within it the combined elements of developing resources with “verve”––with energy and vitality––and which are appropriately “relevant,” in today’s environment.
In the future, “Vervent” will become increasingly a brand name associated with a group of deliberately innovative products and services developed by the North American Division. Vervent represents resources that are both intentionally “cutting edge” and of broad benefit to congregations seeking to minister within the North American context. To be more specific, Vervent represents resources emerging in direct response to “felt needs,” expressed in various surveys, focus groups and other forms of research conducted with leaders of local congregations.
The ministries search engine on this site (and also available on local church websites), termed: “Church Resource Center,” is the place where these innovative resources are identified, reviewed and made available. Some of them you can download directly. For others you will be linked to where they can be purchased––including both AdventSource, our resource partner––and other locations.
Finally, Vervent is an expression of the North American Division’s relationship with its local congregations, providing a place where church needs and innovative resources intersect, and a place where they can be vigorously discussed. It is a place where those experienced in using innovative resources can communicate through available forums with those new to them––offering ideas, exploring challenges and solutions, and suggesting adaptations for various settings. Forums also provide ready access for support from those who have developed and championed the resources, as well as a feedback loop to us at Vervent, to be sure we’re able to continue offering the most effective resources.
Vervent Products
Many different kinds of products and services qualify for the Vervent label.
- There are Vervent resources, like In the Beginning, a video series aimed at enabling Bible teachers and youth leaders to begin conversations about origins, with study guides and a format that appeals to young people. Our research, before we launched the series, identified this as the top requested resource.
- One of the most widely-known Vervent resources is The Pastor’s DVD series, which provides access to ministry ideas and support tools. One Pastor’s DVD, for example, offers a Bible Graphics Studio. Another offers a wide assortment of worship choruses, written and performed by Adventists to address a specific need for quality, Adventist worship materials. Most editions of the Pastor’s DVD contain brief vignettes, describing innovative ministry ideas, aimed at enabling pastors and other congregational leaders to enhance their ministries.
- We also hold Vervent conferences, including several worship conferences each year in various regional areas. These are held with sensitivity to various demographic segments that make up the church, as well as various styles of worship. We also offer pastoral and leadership training conferences where pastors can come together for inspiration and instruction in how to enhance their effectiveness.
- Another Vervent resource familiar to many pastors and church leaders is “Best Practices,” our e-mail newsletter that offers challenging and inspiring content from pastors to other pastors. Not only is great editorial content provided, but also links to videos, books and articles that offer exciting, innovative insights.
Above all, Vervent represents a deliberate and concerted effort to identify what resources the local church needs, and to deliver it in a highly accessible format. Your ideas and suggestions on how we can do this better are not only welcome but solicited.
Staff
Dan Day, Director
Dan has a long history of assisting congregations in the development of powerful resources and tools aimed at ministering to the various segments of the community.
After several years serving as a pastor, himself, both in single church and multi-church districts, Dan began a career of helping churches and other denominational entities develop outreach and marketing resources, working at various Adventist-owned and non-church-related companies––where he served at various times as Vice President for Marketing, Vice President for Advertising, Vice President for Human Resources, and in many other similar roles. He also served as President of his own company.
Author of the groundbreaking A Guide to Marketing Adventism, along with over 20 other books, Dan’s name is well-known to generations of readers, who have picked up titles in the Adventist Book Center, such as Being Saved When You’re Feeling Lost, Hanging On By My Fingernails, Hurting, Kids, Teens and Wives, Straight Thinking In An Age Of Exotic Beliefs, along with many others. He has also written many articles for various church publications, including such publications as Insight, Signs and Ministry.
Most recently, Dan brought his marketing experience in the corporate world back into a denominational setting, serving for eight years as Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment Services at Columbia Union College, where he helped to engineer five years of enrollment growth.
He and his wife, Brenda, along with two children still living at home, live in Beltsville, Maryland. Along with writing, Dan enjoys watercolor painting, photography and spending time with his family.
Dave Gemmell, Associate Director for Research and Development
Dave Gemmell is the Associate Director of the NAD Church Resource Center, a service of the North American Division. His role at CRC is to be a vervent resource catalyst for growing healthy congregations. He also serves as a volunteer Associate Pastor for New Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church in Burtonsville, Maryland.
He received his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminar in 1992, Master of Divinity at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in 1981, and his Bachelor in Theology from Pacific Union College in 1978.
He began pastoring in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1978, continued pastoring in Maui, and served for ten years as Senior Pastor of Las Vegas Mountain View Church. He began his service at the NAD in 2002.
His wife Eileen is a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. His son Nathan is a student at Southern University, daughter Rika a student at Southern, and son Jacob a student at Southern. In his spare time he dreams of kitesurfing.
Dave is available on a limited basis to provide workshops for leadership retreats and camp meetings. Contact Dave directly about custom presentations for your next event.
Stacia Dulan, Project & Event Coordinator/Producer, SONscreen Film Festival
Stacia serves as the Project and Event Coordinator for the Church Resource Center (CRC) as well as Producer of the SONscreen Film Festival. She has a variety of experience and responsibilities when it comes to the production and organization of projects and programs as it relates to media, marketing and developing resources and events. Stacia’s natural ability to visualize and communicate has been the driving force behind her multi-hyphenate career which includes leadership roles behind the scenes and being in front of the camera and microphone. One of her joys and main responsibilities is serving as Producer of the annual SONscreen Film Festival, an event for young Adventist and Christian filmmakers. The festival showcases creative talents while mentoring, inspiring and creating a Christian network environment for both students of the arts and industry professionals.
Stacia earned a B.A. in communication from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama and served four years as a program host for WOCG Christian radio station. While studying abroad in Spain, she served as a program producer at Radio CAS. She was trained with KSGN Christian radio station in Riverside, California and CBS Studios in Los Angeles, which add diversity to her media skills as well. Stacia distinguished herself as a broadcast host and personality and worked with conventions all over the country.
When Stacia is not hosting or producing, she enjoys singing and managing talented artists.
Paul Kim, Producer for Video and New Media
Paul Kim is a filmmaker and leads the production arm of the Church Resource Center as a documentary producer and new media developer. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Pacific Union College, he served at a local community church before eventually making the switch to study the arts to better communicate in the visual language of today. Subsequently he received a Bachelor of Science in Film Production.
Paul has spent a significant amount of time working internationally for various social causes through digital media and communications. His projects embrace international health, religion and the arts, and human rights. His film, “Unto the Ends,” won Best in Show at the SONscreen Film Festival in 2004, and has gone on to inspire many to provide assistance to the two-thirds world. He now helps the festival as an associate producer.
Paul recently finished his coursework for a Master of Fine Arts in the Film and Media Arts division of the School of Communication at American University in Washington, DC, and is currently developing his thesis film. He also teaches a course in Documentary Heritage at Columbia Union College.
Paul has spoken at various conferences and events related to religion and the arts, documentary film production, and communication technologies. Contact him for more information.
Recently married, Paul enjoys playing all kinds of sports, traveling, watching independent films, and attending the many cultural events in Washington DC with his wife, Kimberly.
Meredith P. Carter, Project Manager & Resource Center Coordinator
Meredith’s main role is to manage all CRC projects from inception to expiration. Her major responsibilities also include maintaining close relations with contractors and distributors, managing the internal finances of CRC, updating and maintaining CRC’s websites, and obtaining proper intellectual property licensing.
She received her BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management from Columbia Union College in 2000. Since then she also earned a Web Specialist Certificate from Montgomery College. In 2005, she earned her MBA with an emphasis in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix.
Her husband, McCants, is a Technical HR Recruiter for the Department of Defense. They were blessed with their first child, Mylah, on February 23, 2007. In her spare time Meredith enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.