Special days designated annually by the General Conference to be observed by the churches for the study or promotion of the work of the various departments of the church, and for the receiving of offerings for specified purposes. (Seventh-day Adventists do not follow the church year, or Christian year, used by the liturgical churches and increasingly by other denominations.)
In the preparation of the calendar, ordinarily the General Conference departments make their recommendations to the Annual Council, and if there are any special problems involved, a committee of the General Conference studies the recommendations before they are presented to the council. After being passed by the council, the list is published from time to time in the various church papers and annually in the Yearbook .
The plan goes back at least to Nov. 14, 1918, when the General Conference Committee, on the recommendation of the treasurer and the departmental secretaries of the General Conference, voted 11 special offerings to be received in the ensuing year, for Intensive Training, European Relief, Rural Schools, Religious Liberty, Colored Work, Midsummer and Annual Offerings (for missions), and four Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings. Five special days were set apart for the Missionary Volunteer Department, Medical Department, Sabbath School Rally, and the Education Department (two). Much earlier than that the fourth (now the first) Sabbath of each month was designated for the promotion of local missionary work, and the second Sabbath for the promotion of worldwide missions.
By 1923 there were 23 special days, weeks, and offerings designated in the calendar, and on Apr. 25, 1935, it was noted by the General Conference that the calendar was becoming overcrowded, and the plan was restudied. However, the calendar for 1965 listed 39 special days, weeks, and offerings, in addition to the four Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings taken in the Sabbath school.
By 1994 this had increased considerably. Following is the church calendar published for 1994:
Jan. 1 Outreach/Church Budget
Jan 8 * Inner City/World Budget
Jan. 8–15 * Religious Liberty Week
Jan. 15 * Religious Liberty
Jan. 22 Local Conference Advance
Jan. 29 Church BudgetFeb. 5Outreach/Church Budget
Feb. 12 * Adventist TV Ministries/World Budget
Feb. 19 Church Budget
Feb. 19–26 * Christian Home and Marriage Week
Feb. 26 * Local Conference Advance
Feb. 26 * Temperance Sabbath ( Listen , Winner )
Mar.5 Outreach/Church Budget
Mar. 12 * Adventist World Radio/World Budget
Mar. 12–19 * Adventist Youth/Week of Prayer
Mar. 19 Church Budget
Mar. 26 Local Conference Advance
Mar. 26 Health Ministries Sabbath
Apr. 2 Outreach/Church Budget
Apr. 2 * Missionary Magazines ( Signs , Message , El Centinela , La Sentinelle )
Apr. 9 * Andrews University/World Budget
Apr. 9 Stewardship Sabbath
Apr. 16 Church Budget
Apr. 16 * Literature Evangelist Sabbath
Apr. 23 Local Conference Advance
Apr. 23 * Education Sabbath
Apr. 30 Church Budget
May 7 Outreach/Church Budget
May 7 Community Services Sabbath
May 14 * Disaster and Famine Relief/World Budget
May 14 Community Relations Sabbath
May 21 Church Budget
May 28 Local Conference Advance
May 28 Youth Sabbath
June 4 Outreach/Church Budget
June 11 * Adventist Service Members Support/World Budget
June 18 Church Budget
June 25 Local Conference Advance
July 2 Outreach/Church Budget
July 9 * Christian Record Services/World Budget
July 16 Church Budget
July 23 Local Conference Advance
July 30 Education Sabbath
Aug. 6 Outreach/Church Budget
Aug. 13 * Oakwood College/World Budget
Aug. 20 Church Budget
Aug. 27 Local Conference Advance
Sept. 3 Outreach/Church Budget
Sept. 10 * Missions Extensions/World Budget
Sept. 10–17 Nurture Periodicals ( Adventist Review , Insight , Guide , Primary Treasure , Little Friend )
Sept. 17 Church Budget
Sept. 17–24 * Family Togetherness Week
Sept. 24 Local Conference Advance
Oct. 1 Outreach/Church Budget
Oct. 1–8 * Health Education Week ( Vibrant Life )
Oct. 8 * Voice of Prophecy/World Budget
Oct. 15 Church Budget
Oct. 15 * Spirit of Prophecy Sabbath
Oct. 22 Local Conference Advance
Oct. 29 Church Budget
Oct. 29 * Pathfinder Sabbath
Nov. 5 Outreach/Church Budget
Nov. 5 * Ingathering Campaign Begins
Nov. 5–12 * Week of Prayer
Nov. 12 * Annual Sacrifice/World Budget
Nov. 19 World Budget
Nov. 19 Stewardship Sabbath
Nov. 19 SDA Human Relations Sabbath
Nov. 26 Local Conference Advance
Nov. 26 * Bible Sabbath
Dec. 3 Outreach/Church Budget
Dec. 3 * Ingathering Sabbath
Dec. 10 * Health and Temperance Sabbath/World Budget
Dec. 17 Church Budget
Dec. 24 Local Conference Advance
Dec. 31 Church Budget
Dec. 31 Ingathering Campaign ends
THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERINGS—1994
Mar. 26 South American Division
June 25 Eastern Africa Division
Sept. 24 Trans-European Division
Dec. 17 Euro-Africa Division
* Special materials provided