August 22, 2009 in This Issue “Book It In” Launch at Congress
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August 22, 2009 In this issue “Book It In” launch at congress Teen stress resource released Created for a greater purpose Literature evangelists from Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and other Pacific nations met in Christchurch for their annual congress in July. Literature evangelists meet in NZ CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND iterature evangelists from Australia, for the South Pacific Division (SPD), who New Zealand and French Polynesia took the morning and evening devotionals; gathered in Christchurch recently Cameron Johnston, speaker, stress fitness for their annual Literature Evange- coach and co-author of Cooling Down Teen Llist Congress. The congress was held at the Stress (see page 6), who presented a number Living Springs Conference Centre from of seminars; and area managers, who took July 20 to 26. A number of literature evan- sessions on a variety of topics, which Pastor gelist managers from the Pacific Islands also Terry Goltz, director of Adventist Publish- Church raises attended the congress, as they were in the ing for the SPD, describes as “the nuts and region for leadership meetings. bolts of our programs.” With the theme of “Trust the Lord: Never, A team of representatives from Signs Pub- awareness never, never, never give up,” attendees were lishing Company also gave presentations, “inspired” by devotionals, meetings and sharing information about the future of workshops. Guest speakers included Pas- Signs (“Long-term future for Signs secured,” of abuse tor Lawrence Tanabose, general secretary (Continued on page 4) ISSN 0819-5633 editorial I hope your explanation of what you believe actually sounds like “good news.” I hope . Part 2* hope . I hope we can find better ways to remem- I hope we can learn from other religions, I hope we do justice, love mercy and ber and share Sabbath, and better things to faiths and traditions, respecting their best walk humbly with our God. do on Sabbath afternoons. and seeking their good. I hope Christianity is real—to you. I hope you are seriously bothered by in- I hope you enjoy and share some kind of II hope we can better seek, celebrate and justice, poverty and oppression—and are art, creativity or similar passion. create beauty in our world. moved to do something about them. I hope we can become a church that val- I hope we can learn to listen better—to I hope you rejoice you’re a Christian. ues fresh questions more than tired answers. God, to each other and to our communities. I hope we aren’t so busy running a church I hope we aren’t just another brand of I hope we really believe that “it is more that we are forgetting to participate in the Church Inc. important to be kind than it is to be right.” kingdom of God. I hope we can develop a faith that is more I hope we can focus more on faithfulness I hope you watch less TV. ordinary and everyday—and, in this way, than our various measures of “success.” I hope we can learn to address hard ques- ordinary and everyday can be redeemed. I hope we can admit that “we don’t tions, to disagree well and to embrace those I hope we can come up with—or bor- know”—that we don’t have all the answers who are different. row—better reasons why we do and believe and that’s OK. I hope your explanation of what you be- some of the good things we do. I hope we can be less worried about con- lieve actually sounds like “good news”—to I hope you believe we can change the trol and more interested in community. you and to others. world. I hope we can one day recognise women I hope we can find our voice as a church I hope we maintain a sense of wonder at as equally human, equally Christian, equal- and begin to speak out on things that matter the hugeness, variety and miracles of life. ly capable and equally called. in ways that our community understands. I hope faith, hope and love still remain. I hope we spend less time reinforcing our I hope there is a stage of life between I hope “right temporarily defeated is walls than building our centre. bright young thing and old hack. stronger than evil triumphant” and that I hope you’re a treehugger, both literally I hope you’re vegetarian—for so many it is possible to overcome evil with good. and metaphorically. reasons. I hope in Jesus, His life, His death and I hope we have stopped “selling” God. I hope we are a church that serves the His resurrection. I hope our first response to disaster is to world, not panders to the noisy few. I hope to see Him some day. help the hurting, not pull out our proph- I hope we can lament. I hope and I pray. ecy charts. I hope we still “believe in Christ, live I hope . I hope we can learn to be more hum- the life.” “Much dreaming and many words are ble, more generous, more courageous and I hope you read a good book this week. meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of more joyful. I hope we can practise the art of apol- God” (Ecclesiastes 5:7, NIV). I hope you watch the sunset sometimes. ogy—and the art of forgiveness. I hope you don’t believe everything you I hope we are aware of how technology *”I hope” was published as a guest editorial in RECORD, read in Record. changes us and that we resist blindly pursu- August 21, 1999. I hope we don’t really think music is as ing the latest gadget or fad, instead seeking important as some would have us believe. what is most real. Nathan Brown Official Paper of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacific Division Seventh-day Editorial assistant Adele Nash 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Jarrod Stackelroth Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia ABN 59 093 117 689 Copyeditor Talitha Simmons Phone: (03) 5965 6300 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist Editorial secretary Kristel Rae Email Letters: [email protected] connect.org Layout Kym Jackson Email Newsfront: [email protected] Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Vol 114 No 32 Subscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed within Cover: Sone Mariner Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. www.record.net.au Other prices on application. Printed weekly. 2 August 22, 2009 news Church raises awareness of abuse WARBURTON, VictoriA “Most people have some experience with domestic abuse, whether it’s happened to his Sabbath is Abuse Prevention Em- them firsthand or they know someone who phasis Day, an initiative of the General has suffered or perpetrated it. We hope Conference (GC) that aims to raise that, through this issue of Edge, young awareness of the issue of domestic people will gain a greater understanding Tabuse, as well as encouraging abuse preven- of how domestic abuse can manifest itself. tion. This year’s focus is on violence against If they are in an abusive situation, we hope women, and the GC’s Women’s Ministries they’ll be able to find the help they need.” department has supplied material about the Mrs Johnson says, “I hope and pray The Some of the more than 600 women who issue, which is available from their website, Edge will be read widely and do a lot of marched through the streets of Apia to <http://adventistwomensmin- good. I had a meeting with protest against domestic violence. istries.org>. << ISSUE 77—22.08.09 >> six young women under 25 re- main town. The women were accompanied believe in Christ > live the life In the South Pacific Division cently. We discussed abuse and by the leaders of the Samoas–Tokelau Mis- (SPD), Women’s Ministries I found out that of the six, three sion, a 25-strong police band and seven male director Erna Johnson says had been abused. Of the three, Samoan chiefs holding a banner declaring there will be workshops and two were abused by someone in “Chiefs against abuse.” talks about domestic abuse in Abuse their church and the other by a The march concluded at the Parliament a number of local churches. relative. This is going on right Building, where a panel discussion on do- “Women the world over are < Teens and domestic abuse > under our noses and no-one mestic abuse was conducted. The discussion < Surviving childhood abuse > < Ice Age 3 > making this a special awareness suspects or checks what’s hap- was chaired by the Minister of Women, day,” she says. “I’ll be conduct- The August 22 issue of pening. We need to be vigilant Community and Social Development of ing two retreats and a leader- The Edge deals with and make sure our young peo- Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mataafa. ship training program in Papua the problem of abuse. ple—as well as those who are Mrs Johnson was a member of the panel New Guinea, with a special program about older—understand what abuse is.” and says, “It is really sad that there is as much the problem of abuse.” In June, more than 600 Adventist women abuse in the church as there is outside it. Youth magazine The Edge, which is avail- attending the Trans-Pacific Union’s Wom- Domestic abuse happens wherever we go, able in churches today, also deals with the en’s Congress in Apia, Samoa, protested regardless of the society we’re in.” issue of abuse and features articles from against domestic abuse.