October 27, 2007 In this issue Launch of new book at Signs SPD leader named Woman of Year Seeking peace in a time of war Students in the South Pacifi c will soon be learning from a new Bible program, designed specifi cally for them and based on The Bible Story series. New Bible program for Pacifi c schools WAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALES rimary school students in the South Six Adventist educators from the Pacifi c Pacifi c will soon be learning from a islands helped design the program, based on new, specifi cally designed Bible pro- the Uncle Arthur’s The Bible Story series. Pgram. The new Pacifi c Bible program “We have chosen educators with Pacifi c will be taught to primary school students in island backgrounds, because they know the Papua New Guinea Union Mission and their culture best and have a good grasp of Trans-Pacifi c Union Mission. where their particular education systems WA partners Planning for the new Bible program were,” says Mr Weslake. “They have the started at the end of 2004, after a survey of ability to do anything and all they need are schools in the region revealed that many resourcing and our support.” did not have a successful or effective Bible The program is designed to be “simple with Morobe program. “They had limited resources that enough for untrained teachers to use and were outdated,” says Ken Weslake, associ- basic enough so that a bush school with ate director of Adventist Education for the no resources can make the program fl y.” Mission South Pacifi c Division. —Melody Tan ISSN 0819-5633 4411 CCover.inddover.indd 1 116/10/076/10/07 111:09:231:09:23 AAMM editorial Sometimes what we say can be drowned out by how we say it. Best or less? ecent scares about formalde- sourced”? And what is the church saying And the same principle applies in look- hyde in toothpaste and lead paint to the wider community? ing after our own employees. When we on children’s toys manufactured in Cheaper manufacturing costs in the de- adopt these priorities, the employees of R China has prompted some people to veloping world come only at signifi cant ex- the affected church entity are being told question the “cheapest is best” philosophy pense: low wages, poor working conditions by the corporate church that their efforts pervading so many aspects of our lives. The and a polluted environment—or by using and commitment to this aspect of the work drive toward ever-cheaper prices inevitably raw materials produced with the same ethi- of the church count for little—if there are leads to cutting corners to cut costs—and cal shortcomings. Production in the devel- a few dollars to be saved. Instead of being the realities of the cheaper prices we enjoy oping world is cheaper, because the com- an employer of choice, in which context we begin to be unmasked. pany pays inordinately lower wages than a participate in a common mission (consider So much of our consumer lifestyle is sub- counterpart in the developed world—often Philemon 16), the church risks being seen sidised at the expense of other people and to the point of exploitation (consider Deu- as just another corporation, more interested places. Most of the time, these people and teronomy 24:14). There is little regulation in the bottom line than its people. places are too far away and have names be- for providing safe and humane working And what can we say to the wider com- yond our pronunciation, so it seems we can conditions, and no need to comply with or munity? We’re just repeating the tired and safely ignore the cost to them—and to us. pay the cost of environmental safeguards less-than-convincing mantra that “cheap- But sometimes, we must stop to consider (consider Revelation 11:18). est is best.” Yet one of the most important how our fi nancial choices impact on others This globalised economy is one that functions the church should be involved and what they say about our faith. “depends on the violent branding of the with today is that of being a prophetic voice, And it also applies to the way our church world’s labouring poor” (Tom Beaudoin, speaking up against the economic and other operates fi nancially. The temptation of Consuming Faith), assuming that in some injustices in our world—a voice for the cheapest comes especially strongly when way “they” are a different class of people voiceless and an advocate for the oppressed church leaders consider their role as stew- to “us.” And they must stay that way to (consider James 1:27). But as we become ards of the church’s often-stretched re- maintain our “savings.” further enmeshed in economically unjust sources. So we fl irt increasingly with the To exploit lower wages and conditions of ways of doing business, we are increasingly seeming possibilities of cheap, from peanut developing countries is simply to deny our unable to raise any credible protest. butter to printing. But when we surrender basic theology of humanity—that all peo- Sometimes it will cost more to conduct to the any-means-possible approach to sav- ple are created equally in the image of God the church’s business by a higher standard ing dollars, sometimes what we say can be and are equally loved by God. Just because than “cheapest is best”—but that’s a price drowned out by how we say it. “everyone else is doing it,” doesn’t make it we must and can pay, particularly if we While church customers might enjoy right—and certainly doesn’t make it right believe the resources of this world belong lower prices, what does this decision say for a church organisation (consider Isaiah to God (consider Psalm 50:10). This is the to the workers in developing countries 58:6). Personally and corporately, “Chris- best kind of stewardship. who manufactured the products? What is tians cannot be Christians without making the church saying to the employees of the their economic involvements, local and glo- church entity, whose work is being “out- bal, a test of their faith” (Beaudoin). Nathan Brown Offi cial Paper of the South Editor Nathan Brown Mail: Signs Publishing Company Pacifi c Division Seventh-day Associate editor David Edgren 3485 Warburton Highway Adventist Church Editorial assistant Adele Nash Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia ABN 59 093 117 689 Editorial assistant Jarrod Stackelroth Phone: (03) 5965 6300 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 www.adventist.org.au Copyeditor Talitha Simmons Email Letters: [email protected] Editorial secretary Kristel Rae Email Newsfront: [email protected] Vol 112 No 41 Layout Nathan Chee Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Cover: Melody Tan Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Subscriptions: South Pacifi c Division mailed within Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. www.record.net.au Other prices on application. Printed weekly. 2 October 27, 2007 4411 EEditorial.inddditorial.indd SSec1:2ec1:2 116/10/076/10/07 111:09:491:09:49 AAMM news New book of stories launched at Signs WARBURTON, VICTORIA include.” Pastor Ken Vogel, general secretary n October 3, the “sequel” to Or- of the Australian Union Conference dinary People—Extraordinary God and one of the many contributers to the was launched at Signs Publishing book, joined Signs staff for the launch OCompany. of the book. Ordinary People—Faithful God is a fol- Speaking on stewardship, he noted it low-up to Ordinary People, Extraordinary was not always something people were God, a project completed in 2005 in con- enthused about—but there is always junction with the stewardship department more to be learned about it. of the South Pacifi c Division. “The fi rst book’s title alone captured Signs Publishing’s Nathan Brown, com- my attention,” said Pastor Vogel. “As I piler and editor of the new book, said, read, I was drawn into these stories of “It was exciting to see all the copies of stewardship, stimulated by it and felt Ordinary People—Extraordinary God sell guilty—guilty for not sharing more of out—we ran out of them late last year. To the stories of God working in my life.” sell 4000 copies of a book in Australia, the This led him to make his contribu- Signs editor, Nathan Brown, with Pastor South Pacifi c and the US is a very positive tion to Ordinary People—Faithful God, Ken Vogel, general secretary of the thing. People appreciated the book—they sharing part of his and his wife’s story Australian Union Conference, at the launch were encouraged and uplifted by it. They about putting God fi rst. “It’s about a of Ordinary People—Faithful God. also had stories they wanted to share, so partnership with God, letting Him He also noted, “Our lives are stories of we began thinking about doing another take the lead,” said Pastor Vogel. “Part of stewardship. For each of us it’s different, book.” stewardship is recognising a faithful God, each story is important—although we may The number of stories included in the which is good when we don’t always have not always think of it in those terms.” book was increased from 55 to 60, with all the answers ourselves. God shows us the Glen Reed, general manager of Signs contributions coming from people all over answers, although it may take time. What Publishing Company, expressed the hope the South Pacifi c Division, including New we are certain of is a faithful God.” the book will draw people into closer re- Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Papua Pastor Vogel prayed a prayer of dedica- lationships with a faithful God.—Adele New Guinea.