Post-Truth BEING ADVENTIST in a POST-TRUTH WORLD 14
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post-truth BEING ADVENTIST IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD 14 NEWS RETIRED ADVENTIST HONOURED WITH GOVERNMENT AWARD 5 ADVENTIST RECORD | JANUARY 28 2017 ISSN 0819-5633 editor’s note “Welcome to the new look adventist record.” Bruce Bridgeman was a 67-year old neuroscientist who age, inspire and disciple our readers to do the same. We had spent his whole life nearly stereoblind. In other words, will continue to share testimonies of what God has done his world was flat. He had no depth perception. One day, in the lives of individuals and ministries. And we’re looking he attended a 3D movie with his wife, thinking that for for effective discipleship stories that show God’s kingdom him, the whole experience would be a waste of time. Sud- in action. denly the world changed. We will place a key emphasis on practical faith: how our “It was literally like a whole new dimension of sight. faith applies to life, culture, church, community and our Exciting,” said Bridgeman. From that point on, he could family as well as the difficult times in the fallen world in suddenly see “normally”.1 which we live. Record will provide an authentic, raw and Can you imagine? After 67 years, suddenly seeing the honest look at the issues that many struggle with today— world in all of its depth and texture. things like porn, mental health issues, family breakdown, For those of us who have perfect vision, we mostly take singleness and many more. To achieve this, we need to be it for granted. And yet anyone who has vision impairment open and vulnerable together. or even has to wear glasses to read, knows that vision is We will be engaging with culture, curating and creating an incredibly important sense. Yes, we can survive without more shareable content for online, increasingly using visual it but it provides us with so much. and audio content that can add to or supplement the writ- Vision is the future but it’s also the present. Vision al- ten word. Record has always been a print magazine but the lows you to drink in beauty, alerts you to danger, provides world we live in is no longer dominated by print. We need direction and distance, and helps you to know where to to do better in the digital space. place your feet. It’s a platform or framework for moving We plan to provide help and mentoring to develop Ad- forward. ventist writers so they can powerfully and effectively share Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the peo- their faith. ple perish.” As Christians we are provided with supernatu- I will fail. You will not always agree with everything I ral goggles with which to see the world. Becoming a Chris- write or choose to publish. But my hope is that Record tian is literally an eye-opening experience. You see the can be an open place where we can talk about things that hope behind the headlines, the spiritual behind the secular matter, things that have eternal consequence. and, hopefully, the world tinged with compassion and love. Hopefully we can have the candid conversations about You see the image of God when you look at others. the challenges that face us as a body of Christ and as fallen That’s why it is so crucial for each individual, each cor- human beings. We can celebrate the good work that God poration, each church, each school, each country, to have is doing in the world through us, the church. And we can a vision: to be able to see and interpret the world around learn and teach how to be most effective in that world, in them and know how to move forward. ministry, in relationships and in becoming more like Jesus And that’s why I am so encouraged by the Adventist challenges us to be. Church in the South Pacific’s emphasis on discipleship. I’m confident we can achieve this because I am inspired There’s a clear vision: a push to make active disciples and by the amazing, energised, God-gifted team I work with again be an Adventist movement (not a pew-ment). every day. But we also need you. To contribute, to com- Since I was appointed editor I’ve been asked this ques- ment, to join the conversation. tion a lot: “What is your vision for Record going forward?” How? Read, share, write, feel. Visit the website. Become So here it is. part of the Record community. Because with- First, we had to make some aesthetic changes. The out you, Adventist Record wouldn’t exist. magazine and the website have had a visual update. This 1. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120719-awoken- will help to attract new and younger readers. from-a-2d-world jarrod stackelroth Our primary role is to tell stories. Adventist Record must senior editor continue to tell effective discipleship stories that encour- /JStack senior consulting editor graphic designer noticeboard adventist media adventist record is the glenn townend theodora amuimuia [email protected] locked bag 1115 official news magazine of the senior editor copyeditor subscriptions wahroonga seventh-day adventist church’s jarrod stackelroth tracey bridcutt [email protected] nsw 2076 australia south pacific division assistant editors noticeboard + 61 (03) 5965 6300 + 61 (02) 9847 2222 kent kingston naomi hurst mailed within australia and cover credit: abn 59 093 117 689 maritza brunt letters nz $A43.80 $NZ73.00 other istockphoto.com vol 122 no 1 vania chew [email protected] prices on application. Flickr/Donkey Hotey linden chuang (digital) news & photos website “Post-truth world.” [email protected] record.adventistchurch.com January 28, 2017 | Adventist record 3 news TIME FOR A Health check? adra eligible to receive govt funding I don’t like going to doctors, how- josh dye ever my wife talked me into partic- ADRA Australia is now in a posi- ipating in the Wellness Study at the tion to receive Federal Government Australasian Research Institute (ARI), funding for disaster management Sydney Adventist Hospital. Most Aus- over the next five years. tralians die from lifestyle diseases but The Department of Foreign Affairs doctors still do not possess sensitive and Trade (DFAT) provides funding to protocols to help them detect early six Australian humanitarian agen- developing disease. ARI is leading in cies or consortiums for disaster risk this lifestyle medicine research. The reduction and emergency response mark webster. ARI did a comprehensive test profile through the Australian Humanitarian (blood, scans). Dr Ross Grant reviewed Partnership (AHP). funding through the AHP. This will the results with Pam and I—thankfully Last year ADRA helped estab- enable ADRA to support capacity we were very healthy in most lifestyle lish the Church Agencies Network building for disaster risk reduction in indicators but were challenged to Disaster Operations (CANDO) unit the South Pacific, as well as disaster make some changes in diet, sleep and comprising eight church-based aid response globally, over the next five exercise. The check-up was a real and development organisations, years. blessing. I thank God for the Adventist including Caritas, the Australian Lu- ADRA Australia CEO Mark Web- health message and the advantage it theran World Service, Act for Peace, ster hailed the decision as a “mas- gives to those who follow it. Anglican Board of Mission, Anglican sive milestone”. Churches, like humans, have health Overseas Aid, Baptist World Aid “We are incredibly proud of our characteristics and from time to time Australia and Uniting World. work during disasters and this de- need a check-up. Jesus gave a health The CANDO consortium submitted cision is a fantastic endorsement by report to seven churches in Asia Minor a successful bid to DFAT to receive the Australian Government.“ in the latter part of the first century. This church health report is recorded in Revelation 2 and 3. Besides know- ing what is happening in the churches, First french-speaking evangelism series Jesus is in or with the churches. He for vanuatu highlights the good things, points Jean-pierre Niptik out the issues, gives solutions and promises a better future for those who overcome. As I read this recent- ly I was reminded that the health of my local church is vital. The healthier my church is, more than likely the healthier a disciple of Jesus I will be. However, the healthier I am as a disciple of Jesus, the greater positive impact I can have on the health of the church. It goes both ways. Vanuatu has hosted its first ever Church as its sister church. Services The Seventh-day Adventist Church French-speaking evangelistic series, were held in various churches while has instruments like Natural Church which concluded with a baptism of members searched for land to build Development (NCD) that measure 19 people, including children. their own church. Their prayers church health. Avondale College Sem- The three-week series was held were answered when a member of inary is working on an instrument to at Erakor village, Efate Island, and Ernas church gave them land where measure personal discipleship health. was attended by many people. they plan to build a temporary Before Jesus returns I want to be Louis Kalnpel, a member of the new house to hold their weekly meet- a healthy disciple and French-speaking Adventist church ings and worship services in 2017. contribute positively to at Port Vila, was the speaker. The French-speaking church is my church—but to do Since its first meeting on July 16, an initiative of the Vanuatu Mission, this successfully may 2016, the French-speaking Advent- which aims to have 270 new church require a check-up.