Adventist Heritage Center

Transcription

1 Adventist Heritage Center From: Sent: To: Subject: Center for Adventist Research Monday, December 19, :59 PM Adventist Heritage Center FW: Monday Trending From: Adventist Review On Behalf Of Adventist Review Sent: Monday, December 19, :02 PM To: Center for Adventist Research Subject: Monday Trending The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions In North Colombia, Hundreds of Children Get New Bicycles to Attend School 1

2 Login Search Subscribe Menu Hacksaw Ridge Wins Nine Australian Film Awards Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Holy Spirit Disrupts Adventist Pastors Meeting Pacific Union College Names Anderson Interim President for Six-Month Term First French-speaking Evangelistic Series Held Nineteen baptized as new congregation continues to SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+ IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+ READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+ SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+ PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

3 Two Retired Adventists Reach Out to Neighbors Through Gospel Feet Ministry Door-to-door evangelism features enthusiastic 90- and 69- year-olds POSTED DECEMBER 12, 2016 f your impression of people in their senior years conjures up a mental picture of nursing homes, dementia, and rocking chairs, you ve probably never met Audrey I French and Norma Gonzalez from Silver City, New Mexico. These two retired senior citizens, ages 90 and 69, respectively, are full of vitality and enthusiasm especially when it comes to working for the Lord. Inspired by a desire to do their part to help finish the work, Audrey and Norma combined their efforts a couple of years ago, at the conclusion of an evangelistic effort at their church, to establish a ministry known as Gospel Feet Ministry. It all began when Audrey woke up in the middle of the night with a burden on her heart. God impressed me that we needed to get out there and do something to win souls for the Lord, Audrey said. I wasn t sure exactly how to get started, but I figured the best thing I could do was go out and start knocking on doors. The very next day Audrey contacted her good friend, Norma, and asked if she would partner with her in this ministry. When Audrey called me, I was already on overload, Norma admitted. But I prayed about it and God laid it on my heart to get involved. He brought to my mind the Bible text in Isaiah 52:7, which says, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, so we decided to name our outreach Gospel Feet Ministry. God impressed me that we needed to get out there and do something to win souls for the Lord Despite Audrey having to use a walker as a result of an accident, the two have been on the go ever since, taking the good news of the gospel to as many people as they can reach. It s amazing, Audrey said, that whenever I m doing this work, I carry my witnessing supplies in my walker, and I don t feel any pain. But most other times I m in a lot of pain. Door-to-Door The ministry plan is quite simple one that almost anyone can do, ideally, going out two by two. Audrey and Norma go door-to-door in their community of Silver City, population just over 10,000, and invite people to respond to a short survey, which starts off with questions about people s interest in healthful living. Depending on the interests expressed, they offer to lend the respondents DVDs on such topics as managing stress, quitting smoking, and reversing diabetes. After handing out the DVDs they say, We ll be back in a couple of weeks to pick up the DVDs and answer any questions you might have. This gives them an opportunity to go back and establish an ongoing relationship with those who express interest. During the second portion of the survey Audrey and Norma ask respondents if they happen to be involved in any community or group Bible studies. This provides a nonthreatening opportunity to establish an interest. Depending on the response, they hand the person a Bible study pamphlet and ask if they are interested in taking Bible studies. Before leaving, they also offer to take prayer requests and ask if the person needs help with any small jobs around the house. This has resulted in helping a man whose hedges needed trimming, a woman who needed help clearing a walkway, and a veteran who needed help with his garden.

4 We tell people that we are interested in the needs of the community. We let them know that we want to help them in whatever way we can, and then we offer to help them, Norma said. Whenever we go to a door, even if the person isn t interested in studying the Bible, we always leave something with them Whenever we go to a door, even if the person isn t interested in studying the Bible, we always leave something with them, Audrey says. A made-with-love care packet consisting of a rubber band, a candle, a Band-Aid, a penny, a toothpick, chewing gum, a mint, and a facial tissue, also contains a tiny handout with encouraging Bible texts that correspond to each item in the packet. For example, the text corresponding to the rubber band says: God s love binds us together. John 15:12, 13. The mint reminds recipients you are worth more than a mint to your heavenly Father. John 3:16, 17. Everybody loves that packet! Norma enthusiastically reported. A Team Effort The Silver City church, a small church of about 30 members, supplies the funds to provide Bibles, Steps to Christ, Bible study pamphlets, and care packets that Audrey and Norma distribute through their ministry. They [Silver City church members] are a prime example of demonstrating the concept that you can t out-give the Lord, said Norma. The two missionaries are grateful for the generous support of their church members. While Gospel Feet Ministries is making great strides in reaching their community, Audrey and Norma are convicted that there is much more to be done and that finishing the work requires every church member to be involved. My hope is that this idea will be passed on, said Audrey. Time is short. And the members of the church [at large] need to get out and finish this work. And Norma concurs. We all need to be involved in reaching out to precious souls. Just pray, and the Lord will reveal something that you can do to witness for souls, she said. Audrey is committed, not only to going out and witnessing to her neighbors, but to helping others to do the same. I m on a fixed income, she said. But if anyone is interested in starting a ministry like this, I would be willing to send them a packet. We don t know what the future holds. We need to work now, while we still have the opportunity. As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.unless identified as created by Adventist Review or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content. News & Features Subscriber Access About Departments Resources Current Adventist News Download The Adventist World Week of Prayer Edition Online Exclusives Gracenotes Events Subscriptions Renew Account Forgotten Password Report Trouble Update Mailing Address Issue Archives Our Roots and Mission Staff Writer's Guidelines Advertising Kit Adventist World Reader Response Photo Galleries Prayer Requests Partners Contact Free Newsletter Photo Submissions Downloads Sunset Calendar Church Locator RSS Feed Advertising Questions Copyright 2016, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

5 Login Search Subscribe Menu Hacksaw Ridge Wins Nine Australian Film Awards Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Holy Spirit Disrupts Adventist Pastors Meeting Pacific Union College Names Anderson Interim President for Six-Month Term First French-speaking Evangelistic Series Held Nineteen baptized as new congregation continues to SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+ IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+ READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+ SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+ PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

6 Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions Bing to lead Washington Conference, Hartwell to depart Pennsylvania POSTED DECEMBER 14, 2016 wo conferences in the North American Division have announced presidential transitions, officials at each reported. T Douglas L. Bing will move from vice president for administration to serve as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in western Washington. He was elected December 13, roughly ten weeks after John Freedman, the former conference president, was elected North Pacific Union Conference president. At the same time, Pennsylvania Conference president Ray Hartwell said he s accepted a call to the Georgia-Cumberland Conference to serve as the Stewardship and Trust Services Director and Association Secretary beginning January 1, A successor is expected to be elected at a future date, he said. Bing s election followed a day of evaluating the ministry needs of Washington Conference and reviewing a list of candidates, a conference announcement stated. NPUC president Freedman chaired the Washington Conference meeting, which also had union leaders John Loor and Mark Remboldt in attendance. I look forward to implementing ministries to disciple our children, grow our leaders, involve members in ministry, and spiritually grow in Jesus I look forward to implementing ministries to disciple our children, grow our leaders, involve members in ministry, and spiritually grow in Jesus, Bing said in a statement. We want to move forward with prayer as we reach western Washington with the love of Jesus. He began his pastoral ministry in Omaha, Nebraska, as a youth and young adult pastor. Bing went on to pastor an academy campus church and a large metro church in Kansas before coming in 2001 to Washington Conference as ministerial director. He was elected vice president for administration in 2002, and functioned as an active part of the administrative team. Bing earned a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University. Earlier, Bing earned a Bachelor of Arts in theology and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska; during his Union College days, he spent a year in Indonesia as a student missionary. He is married to Wilma, and the couple have three young adult children. "Each of you in Pennsylvania will remain on our hearts and in our prayers Hartwell said his work in Georgia-Cumberland will concentrate on working with pastors on stewardship and the spiritual value of honoring God with His tithe and our offerings, teaching personal financial wellness to members and working with churches and schools on capital campaigns for enlarging mission and building facilities to grow and expand the kingdom. A veteran leader in the Pennsylvania Conference, Hartwell said leaving was a bittersweet decision. "Each of you in Pennsylvania will remain on our hearts and in our prayers, he wrote in a message to constituents. And we shall be eager to watch and see what the Lord does through the amazing mission leadership team all across the Pennsylvania Conference.

7 At the same time, Hartwell wrote, the move will allow his wife, Jeanne, to assist her parents. The move to Georgia-Cumberland will enable them to live in Calhoun, Georgia, where Jeanne s parents live and honor them in the golden years of their life. The Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which covers the western portion of the state, reports 111 churches, companies, and groups worshiping weekly, along with 20 schools and one summer camp. The conference has 23,080 members. At the end of 2014, the Pennsylvania Conference reported 11,093 members worshiping in 120 churches and companies across the state. However, as Adventist Review reported recently, a recent evangelistic effort in the western portion of Pennsylvania is expected to add as many as 100 people to the membership rolls. Douglas L. Bing, new president of the Washington Conference. (Washington Conference photo) As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.unless identified as created by Adventist Review or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content. News & Features Subscriber Access About Departments Resources Current Adventist News Download The Adventist World Week of Prayer Edition Online Exclusives Gracenotes Events Subscriptions Renew Account Forgotten Password Report Trouble Update Mailing Address Issue Archives Our Roots and Mission Staff Writer's Guidelines Advertising Kit Reader Response Photo Galleries Prayer Requests Partners Contact Free Newsletter Photo Submissions Downloads Sunset Calendar Church Locator RSS Feed Advertising Questions Adventist World Copyright 2016, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

8 Login Search Subscribe Menu Hacksaw Ridge Wins Nine Australian Film Awards Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Holy Spirit Disrupts Adventist Pastors Meeting Pacific Union College Names Anderson Interim President for Six-Month Term First French-speaking Evangelistic Series Held Nineteen baptized as new congregation continues to SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+ IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+ READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+ SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+ PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

9 Mark A. Kellner Online Content Editor Thomas Lemon Voted Loma Linda University Health Board Chair, Succeeding Retiring Lowell Cooper With 15 years service, Cooper was longest-serving board chair POSTED DECEMBER 14, 2016 I nstalling a church administrator as the chair of a health system board might seem an unusual choice unless the health system in question was founded at the direction of a church s co-founder and, more than a century later, keeps Christian faith at the core of its mission. That is precisely the situation at Loma Linda University Health, which this week named Pastor Thomas L. Lemon, a general vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, chairman of the institution s Board of Trustees. Lemon has been on the LLU board since 2010, when he was elected president of the church s Mid-America region. Dr. Richard Hart, MD, MPH, president of Loma Linda University Health said, [Pastor] Lemon served on boards of directors for a number of higher education and health care institutions, as well as media and outreach ministries. His leadership experience and dedication to mission is coming at a critical time in Loma Linda s history when we are expanding our outreach to our local community, our region, and the world. Via , Lemon told Adventist Review he was aware of the challenges the institution faces: While the state of healthcare delivery is always complicated, in the U.S. currently there is considerable uncertainty given the recent election. Now more than ever the Loma Linda University Health ministry and commitment to whole person care is vital for the local delivery footprint. But more than that the steady, calm and often inspiring ministry that LLUH provides for the global health care community must and will continue as the anxiety and complicating details continue to be ratcheted up. Lemon, who became a general vice president in 2015 during the church s General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas, succeeds Lowell C. Cooper, MDiv, MPH, whose 15 years as LLU board chair make him the longest-serving chairman in Loma Linda s history. Hart said Cooper s leadership has been invaluable to us, and we have flourished under his guidance. We are truly indebted to him for his service to the church and to this institution. Lowell Cooper (ANN) During Cooper s service as board chairman, the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy was established, as were the Schools of Religion and Behavioral Health. Loma Linda University Health also celebrated its 100th Anniversary. Under his leadership, Loma Linda saw the openings of its Surgical hospital, Murrieta hospital, Highland

10 Springs Medical Plaza, the Tom & Vi Zapara Rehabilitation Pavilion, the Behavioral Health Institute, the Centennial Complex, and the San Bernardino Campus. In an , Cooper said he was grateful for his time with the institution. LLU Board service, he said, has given me the opportunity to associate closely with outstanding leaders in health education, healthcare, and healthcare administration. I have been privileged to see firsthand how professionals, deeply committed to God and the Church, translate the concepts of institutional mission into practical action. Lemon received his BA degree from Southwestern Adventist University and a master of divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. Lemon s wife, Jan, is a career educator. The Lemons have two adult children and four grandchildren. The notion of having a church leader at the head of a medical institution s trustee board might not seem that foreign to Ellen G. White, the Seventh-day Adventist Church co-founder who directed the establishment of what is today s LLU. She was quite emphatic that the school should embody Adventist values. The notion of having a church leader at the head of a medical institution s trustee board might not seem that foreign to Ellen G. White In February 1910, White wrote to regional church leaders, We must provide that which is essential to qualify our youth who desire to be physicians, so that they may intelligently fit themselves to be able to stand the examinations required to prove their efficiency as physicians. The medical school at Loma Linda is to be of the highest order, because those who are in that school have the privilege of maintaining a living connection with the wisest of all physicians [Christ], from whom there is communicated knowledge of a superior order. And for the special preparation of those of our youth who have clear convictions of their duty to obtain a medical education that will enable them to pass the examinations required by law of all who practice as regularly qualified physicians, we are to supply whatever may be required, so that these youth need not be compelled to go to medical schools conducted by men not of our faith. with information from Loma Linda University Health As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.unless identified as created by Adventist Review or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content. News & Features Subscriber Access About Departments Resources Current Adventist News Download The Adventist World Week of Prayer Edition Online Exclusives Gracenotes Events Subscriptions Renew Account Forgotten Password Report Trouble Update Mailing Address Issue Archives Our Roots and Mission Staff Writer's Guidelines Advertising Kit Adventist World Reader Response Photo Galleries Prayer Requests Partners Contact Free Newsletter Photo Submissions Downloads Sunset Calendar Church Locator RSS Feed Advertising Questions Copyright 2016, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

11 Login Search Subscribe Menu Hacksaw Ridge Wins Nine Australian Film Awards Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Holy Spirit Disrupts Adventist Pastors Meeting Pacific Union College Names Anderson Interim President for Six-Month Term First French-speaking Evangelistic Series Held Nineteen baptized as new congregation continues to SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+ IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+ READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+ SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+ PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

12 The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts What is being done to reclaim the dropouts from our Church? Have you ever carried a leaky bucket? One that, no matter how cautiously you carried it or how carefully you patched it up, just won t stop dripping? Even if you haven t been in such a situation, it s obvious that you couldn t let the bucket drip indefinitely. Think of the cost - how much water you would waste and how high your water bill would be if you had to continue refilling the bucket! How would you ultimately deal with the water leakage? Maybe you would watch a video online that taught you how to properly patch your bucket. Or, perhaps, you might get out your toolbox and tinker with them to get it to stop dripping. Or, maybe as a last resort, you might seek out an expert to fix the leak. No matter what, one thing remains clear: you will not let the bucket continue to drip! Now think about our Church. Have you noticed any leaking of church members in your local congregation? People who attend for any amount of time, but then suddenly disappear? What is being done to reclaim the dropouts from our Church? According to a recent study, 39.25% of all members over the last 50 years have left the Church (Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, 2015). Our Church is experiencing the same heartrending trend as many other Christian denominations when it comes to church membership the number of those leaving continues to increase. To stem this distressing drip, we have learned some important information about individuals who have left the Church. In 2013, the Center for Creative Ministry conducted an international survey of 1,053 former or inactive Seventh-day Adventists. These in-depth interviews looked at respondents experience with the church as a whole from the beginning of their journey to the present. Many of the respondents interviewed were not raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Only 30% were brought up in Adventist homes; the remaining 70% were converted at some point in their lives. Forty-five percent of respondents had been raised or affiliated with another church previously, while 27% reported that they claimed no religion prior to converting to the Adventist Church. What happened to these people? Can our churches do something to stop the leaking? Will we choose to ignore the problem and say: Am I my brother s keeper? (Gen. 4:9). Or will we unite our efforts to support and disciple those who have come to our churches and united with God s remnant Church? Be sure to check our next article on retention to know what events triggered people s decision to leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church. by Petr Činčala, Ph.D., Director, Institute of Church Ministry; David Trim, Ph.D., F.R.Hist.S., Director of Archives, Statistics, and Research, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; and Galina Stele, D.Min., Research and Evaluation Manager, GC Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research News & Features Current Adventist News Download The Adventist World Week of Prayer Edition Online Exclusives Gracenotes Events Subscriber Access Subscriptions Renew Account Forgotten Password Report Trouble Update Mailing Address About Issue Archives Our Roots and Mission Staff Writer's Guidelines Advertising Kit Adventist World Departments Reader Response Photo Galleries Prayer Requests Partners Resources Contact Free Newsletter Photo Submissions Downloads Sunset Calendar Church Locator

13 Copyright 2016, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide. RSS Feed Advertising Questions

14 Login Search Subscribe Menu Hacksaw Ridge Wins Nine Australian Film Awards Two North American Adventist Conferences Face Presidential Transitions The Leaky Bucket: Examining Church Dropouts Holy Spirit Disrupts Adventist Pastors Meeting Pacific Union College Names Anderson Interim President for Six-Month Term First French-speaking Evangelistic Series Held Nineteen baptized as new congregation continues to SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+ IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+ READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+ SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+ PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

15 In North Colombia, Hundreds of Children Get New Bicycles to Attend School Wheels to Educate initiative is annual program in nation s indigenous capital POSTED DECEMBER 13, 2016 ome 600 children from the Wayuu ethnic community in Uribia, La Guajira, North Colombia, received a new bicycle thanks to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and S its members who volunteered to motivate children to attend school every day. The initiative coined as Wheels to Educate concluded its annual initiative by recently delivering the bicycles to one of the most drought-stricken areas. Dozens of children from Uribia in La Guajira, North Colombia, show off their new bikes before they take off, thanks to the Wheels to Educate initiative organized by the Adventist Church. Images courtesy of Mauricio Buitrago/NOCU This event has caused such a great impact in this needy community, said Mauricio Buitrago, youth ministries director for the church in North Colombia and organizer of the initiative. Many of the children here have to walk three or four hours every day on dirt roads, under the desert climate, to get to their school. Buitrago said that more than 100 volunteers, many from Colombia Adventist University in Medellin, and church members took part in providing the much-needed wheels. As a Seventh-day Adventist Church, we believe that to educate is to redeem, said Buitrago. So if our children study, if your children are formed, we will have dedicated professionals who can really live to serve the community. As a Seventh-day Adventist Church, we believe that to educate is to redeem The Wheels to Educate initiative consisted of collecting bicycles in good condition, which were then fixed and painted thanks to donations by private businesses and volunteer work by church members and friends, said Buitrago. The initiative was coordinated with the Uribia s Office of Social Work. We are so thankful to God for this great initiative by the Adventist Church, said Jaineth Daza, a social work leader in Uribia. There are many children who do not get any education because they don t have this type of transportation and this is a great

16 help these children from these vulnerable regions that not only need water and food but a way to get to school. We ask God that this project can continue multiplying here In addition to the bicycles, volunteers also cleaned up parks and streets, held health brigades, offered dental services, and delivered clothes and meals for the children in the region. We ask God that this project can continue multiplying here so that more children, persons and families can benefit, said Yérica Gutiérrez, director of the Jururá Educational Center. The local media covered the initiative and the Guajira News Channel dedicated several television slots to the work of the church in the region, which is known as the indigenous capital of Colombia. Uribia itself is at the northernmost point of the nation and bounded on two sides by the Caribbean Sea. Earlier this year, ADRA Colombia and its volunteers provided aid in the La Guajira region. As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.unless identified as created by Adventist Review or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content. News & Features Subscriber Access About Departments Resources Current Adventist News Download The Adventist World Week of Prayer Edition Online Exclusives Gracenotes Events Subscriptions Renew Account Forgotten Password Report Trouble Update Mailing Address Issue Archives Our Roots and Mission Staff Writer's Guidelines Advertising Kit Adventist World Reader Response Photo Galleries Prayer Requests Partners Contact Free Newsletter Photo Submissions Downloads Sunset Calendar Church Locator RSS Feed Advertising Questions Copyright 2016, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

17 Thomas Lemon Voted Loma Linda University Health Board Chair, Succeeding Retiring Lowell Cooper Two Retired Adventists Reach Out to Neighbors Through Gospel Feet Ministry Restoring Dignity Documentary Watch Now Copyright 2016 Adventist Review, All rights reserved. You are receiving this because you opted in at our website. 2

18 Our mailing address is: Adventist Review Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these s? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list 3