-
ISSN 0819-5633
D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 0 4
R E C O R DIn this issue
$A6000 in the can for charity
Signs makes new friends in Greece
The heart of worship
Music guidelines votedWahroonga, New South Wales
Seventh-day Adventists in the South Pacific now have two
documents to help guide themin their musical choices. Delegates
attending the year-end executive committee of the South Pacific
Division (SPD)
voted to accept a document giving guidelines about an Adventist
philosophy of music andone suggesting how to implement that
philosophy in local churches across the SouthPacific.
The first document comes from the General Conference (GC), the
second from the SPD.“We believe the gospel impacts all areas of
life,” the GC document reads. “We therefore
hold that, given the vast potential of music for good or ill, we
cannot be indifferent to it.”The church has not had a music
statement, or guideline, since the early 1970s, explained
Pastor Ted Wilson, a general vice-president of the GC and member
of the music committee,during the GC’s Annual Council in October.
“This document, I’m sure, has some items thatmay not be agreeable
to everyone,” he said.
The committee aimed at a “very balanced approach to this subject
based on Scripture” andthe counsel of one of the church’s founders,
Ellen White, who wrote on the subject.
Pastor Jan Paulsen, GC president, emphasised the nature of the
document. “A documentsuch as this is presented as guideline, not
policy,” he told delegates.
(Continued on page 5)
Nativitycelebratesdecade
Adventists in the South Pacific now have two documents to help
guide them in their musical choices.
-
December 4, 2004
E D I T O R I A L
Stewardship of little thingsIn his victory speech on the night
of theAustralian Federal election, PrimeMinister John Howard made
reference tothe re-election of his coalition govern-ment as a vote
for good stewardship inknowing how to manage the resources ofthe
country.
As an Adventist Christian, I wasencouraged to discover that the
conceptof stewardship, then, was not an out-dated concept but a
dynamic andmeaningful word, even in governmentcircles of a secular
society, such asAustralia.
Acknowledging the lordshipof Jesus Christ
But what is stewardship? Is it merely ahigh-sounding word a
politician mightuse for a political purpose? Is it a
biblicalanachronism, a term that’s lost its mean-ing in the
complexity of living in today’sworld?
I think not! Rather, stewardship is aspiritual response that
calls us tosurrender our will and total being to therulership of
God in Jesus Christ. In thissense, stewardship is the
overarchingtheme that ties in everything we are asChristians in
terms of living as disciplesof Jesus today.
Let me share some simple examples ofhow stewardship ought to
encompasseverything we think and do in society.
Living on the Central Coast of NewSouth Wales, I am reminded
constantly ofthe value of water. The water restrictionsin many
parts of Australia remind uswater is a resource that can run out
(atleast from the reservoirs), if not usedjudiciously and managed
properly. Butbeyond the responsible use of water andfines for
misuse, as a Christian, I amforced to think of this government-
imposed regulation as an expression ofmy stewardship
responsibility toward theneeds of the community and conservingone
of God’s natural gifts to humankind.Water conservation is good
stewardship,and a spiritual reminder that water, likeall of life’s
gifts, comes from God (seeJames 1:17).
Shopping at supermarkets, I’m alsoconfronted with a creative and
simpleway to control the excessive use ofplastic, and care for the
environment atthe same time. I’m talking about thegreen bags (an
environment-friendlyoption) sold to shoppers at checkouts.These
bags can be recycled indefinitely.
So what is the point of these twoexamples? We, as Adventist
Christians,can make a big difference through littlethings we do
often in everyday life toshow we care not only for biblical
truth,but for living out the principles ofstewardship in
society.
A personal witnessBut stewardship is more than using less
water around your home and using greenbags when shopping. It is
more thanreturning to God the tithe that is His, andthe giving of
free-will offerings.
It also includes the commitment andinvolvement of all of Jesus’
followers inthe Great Commission to make disciplesof all people
groups. In this Year ofEvangelism, I have been privileged to
beinvolved in a number of reapingprograms around the South Pacific,
andin training church members to becomepersonal witnesses for
Christ.
What I’ve found empowering in thesesituations is the willingness
ofindividuals to build relationship withothers—neighbours, work
mates, schoolfriends, relatives, even strangers—and
share their story of what God has done intheir lives.
I think of a pastor’s wife in Brisbane,who befriended a young
person on a trainand invited her to church. Today thisyoung person
is baptised and a memberof the Adventist family. I think of a
meter-reader for a power company in an islandmission, who takes
Signs magazines withhim when he does his run, and givesthem to the
people in the homes he visits.
In stories such as these, we seediscipleship—the building of
friendshipsand the sharing of the good news ofJesus—taking place as
a personalexpression of one’s faithfulness to God.Discipleship is a
lifestyle of the believer.
The sum of little thingsStewardship is not a program.
Steward-
ship is a matter of living the life of adisciple in whatever
situation we findourselves. It is faithfulness to God in thelittle
things, recognising who He is asCreator, Redeemer, Saviour and Lord
ofour lives, and responding to Him with allwe are and have.
And when He comes to usher us intoHis eternal kingdom, you and I
canexpect to hear these words from Him:“Well done, good and
faithful servant!You have been faithful with a few things;I will
put you in charge ofmany things. Comeand share yourmaster’s
happiness!”(Matthew 25:21,NIV).
Erika PuniStewardship, PersonalMinistries and SabbathSchool
DirectorSouth Pacific Division
2
OFFICIAL PAPERSouth Pacific DivisionSeventh-day
AdventistChurchACN 000 003 930www.adventist.org.au
Vol 109 No 47Cover: David Flemming
Editor Nathan BrownSenior assistant editor Lee DunstanAssistant
editor Kellie HancockEditorial assistant Scott WegenerCopyeditor
Graeme BrownEditorial secretary Meryl McDonald-GoughLayout Peta
TaylorSPD news correspondent Brenton StaceySenior consulting editor
Barry Oliver
www.record.net.au
Mail: Signs Publishing Company 3485 Warburton HighwayWarburton,
Vic 3799, Australia
Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019Email Letters:
[email protected] Newsfront:
[email protected] Noticeboard:
[email protected]: South Pacific
Division mailed withinAustralia and to New Zealand, $A43.80
$NZ73.00.Other prices on application. Printed weekly.
-
December 4, 2004
F L A S H P O I N T
The General Conference’sOffice of Global Mission ishosting an
interfaith sympo-sium at Fox Valley Commu-nity church in
Wahroonga,NSW, on December 11 and 12,which will help
Adventistchurch members and pastorsbuild bridges to the
growingsegment of Western societythat subscribes to belief sys-tems
other than Christianity.The Sabbath afternoon pro-gram will feature
shortpresentations from a Bud-dhist, a Hindu, a Jew, aMuslim and a
Christian.Each will explain why theyfind their respective
religionattractive. Pastor James Coffin,director of the Center
forSecular/Postmodern Mission(CSPM) based in Longwood,Florida, USA
(and formereditor of RECORD), says,“Adherents to the various faith
systems willdescribe their own faith, giving an insider’sview. On
Sunday, CSPM directors will lookat the same belief systems through
the lensof Adventism, showing where we havecommon ground on which
to build as weseek to establish a relationship in which wecan, by
both word and deed, share thegospel.” (See Noticeboard for
details.)
Small-group evangelism has beenintroduced into all 20 districts
of theWestern Highlands Mission, PNG, and asa result some churches
are now full at 2.00pm. It is during this time that all the
smallgroups present their inreach andoutreach activities of the
week, blessingsand problems encountered, and sing a songof praise
and thanksgiving. Churches ofother denominations are emptying
asmembers make the shift to the AdventistChurch because of
small-group evan-gelism. Reports from the Porgera Districtalone
show 142 people have been baptised
in the past few months.—Alex Kiluwe Palie
In October, the Northpine ChristianCollege, Qld, worship band
and singers(pictured) had their inaugural tour, whichincluded
visits to Ipswich Adventist Schooland Darling Downs Christian
School.Some 21 people took the two-day, 400-kilometre tour that
allowed them to usetheir talents to share in worship withstudents
from other schools. “Our studentsloved having the Northpine band
andsingers at our school and were inspired tolearn new songs and
improve their own
musical ability,” says MsSharon Littlewood, principalof Ipswich
Adventist PrimarySchool. “They want to knowwhen they are
comingback!”—Katy Bidmead
Yarra Music, with thevision of giving musicians andsongwriters
the chance tohave their music publishedfor Adventists to use
andsing in theirchurches, hasreleased twobrand neww o r s h i
palbums. The“Show methe way”album is allabout praise,w o r s h i p
,reflection and
inspiration. The album“For you” has beeninspired by the notion
thateverything we have is a gift to give back toGod. For more
information see:.—Bevan Craig
The Dubbo Adventist church, NSW,has been renting their church to
the DubboCity Church (AOG) for their worshipservices. Recently,
renovations to therostrum provided the situation where thetwo
congregations met and worshippedtogether on a Sabbath morning in
theirhall. The pastor of the Dubbo City Churchrequested to join the
Sabbath service assome of their members wanted to helpwith the
Sunday renovations. Commentssuch as “It seems just like Sunday
today.Why do we worship on Sundayanyway?” were heard, and some
whobelieved Adventists were a cult whoexcluded other Christians
enjoyed theworship experience.—Laurie Landers
• Small groups go big in PNG • Assembly of God joins Dubbo
church for Sabbath worship • Adventist churches spread worldwide •
The Passion shows Muslims the gospel • and more
—Compiled by Scott Wegener—
3
More than 2.5 tonnes of cannned food was collected by
AvondaleCollege students for the Salvation Army in Newcastle to
stocktheir shelves for Christmas. At the end of October, 70
collectorsdescended on the streets of Wallsend, Cooranbong and
other suburbs,asking residents to dig deep into their pantries.
Doing so enabledthem to collect cans of food to the approximate
shelf value of $A6000.Howard Mole, Salvation Army liaison for the
event, was impressed
and expressedthanks on behalf ofthe organisation.The Salvation
Armyworkers now havehours of workahead of them withthe sorting
andstocking of shelves.Avondale Collegehas been collectingcans for
Christmasover the past fewyears.
$A6000 in the can for charity
-
December 4, 2004
F L A S H P O I N T
Danielle Carins of Scottsdale church,Tas, has once again won the
Ag ArtWear Competition at Agfest with her“hessian bride” outfit.
Having tomodel an outfit made from materialsfound on a farm,
Danielle’s outfitincluded materials such as hessian seedbags, milk
filters, a birdnet veil and an old pairof Blundstones coveredin
wool. In a previousyear’s competitionDanielle was requestedto model
her outfit on aSabbath, which shedeclined to do. Then,given the
opportunity to model heroutfit on another day, she ended upwinning
first prize.—Tasda News
Warwick church, Qld, heldcelebrations for their 50th
anniversary,filling the churchwith members,former membersand
friends. Eightprevious ministerswere present forthe
anniversarycelebrations (pictured, with theirwives). Four of the
original membersstill regularly worship at Warwickchurch.—Mary
Fedorow
Six-year-old Nikki Miles (picturedwith her teacher, Mrs Hanley)
ofPapatoetoe church, NZ, won first placein the poetry category at
the 2004Young AustralianWriters Awardwith her poem,“When we
wereChicks.” “It wasn’tmeant to be apoem,” she says.“It was a
story.” Open to primary schoolstudents throughout Australia and
NZ,almost 2000 entries across eightcategories were received this
year. Nikkiis the daughter of regular Signsmagazine writer
Christine Miles.
4
Off the recordMany new Adventist churches are beingplanted
around the world and include:Britain: more than 25 new churches in
twoto three years, with 20 planned in the nextfive years in London
alone. Hungary: 16new churches in five years; another 20church
plants in early stages; plans for 15more in the next five years.
Finland: fournew churches in the past five years and fivechurch
plants launched; plans for 13churches in the next five years.
Israel: 24new churches and companies in the pastsix years; plans
for more than 12 new
churches in the next three years. SouthSudan: 52 new churches
planted and 43new branch Sabbath schools organised inthe past six
years; plans for 32 newchurches each year in coming years, with40
new church buildings to be completedin 2005-06. Netherlands: nine
newchurches and three projects moving towarda plant; plans for 15
new church plants inthe next three to five years. Poland: sixnew
churches and five new groupsestablished since 1999; plans for 10
newchurches in the next three to five years.Norway: three new
churches and plans foranother five to seven planting projects inthe
next four to five years.—PeterRoennfeldt
Muslims have been seeing Mel Gibson’sThe Passion of The Christ
film becausethey heard that it’s anti-Jewish. This moviehas broken
records in all Middle Easterncountries and in Kuwait the film has
beenso popular that theatres have cancelledother films to show it.
Muslim audienceshave been shocked by the message: “Loveyour
enemies! Forgive them!” In Qatar, amissionary says, “In two short
hours, moreQataries heard the gospel than I have beenable to reach
in nearly five years.” Even inSaudi Arabia, which has no movie
theatres,vendors report they can’t keep up withdemand for the
pirated DVDs.—ACC
An elderly Christian couple hasembarked on a year-long prayer
journeythat will take them to every state capitalin the USA.
Phillip Epperson, whorecently turned 65, and his wife of 38years,
Vicki, began their Prayer AcrossAmerica campaign on September 11
inSpringfield, Illinois. The two will concludetheir odyssey on
September 11, 2005, atthe US Capitol in Washington, DC. Inbetween,
they will be praying from 1.00 to2.00 pm every Thursday afternoon,
whiletravelling the 27,000-kilometreexpedition in a recreational
vehicle.—Charisma News Service
Days and offeringsDecember 18—Pacific Islands
Advancement Offering
Don’t panicAfirst-time youth crusade with adifference, “Don’t
panic,” kicked offin Christchurch, NZ, on October 23.Stepping
outside the traditional churchbuilding location and onto the 14th
floorof Christchurch’s Grand ChancellorHotel, each night attracted
between fiveand eight new people. The presentersranged in age from
19 to 27, speaking ontopics such as, “Is God real?” and “Thetruth
about death.”
Advertising for this event featured full-colour brochures,
created by local designstudent Blair McLean, which weredistributed
around the three maineducational campuses in Christchurch—Teachers
College, Canterbury Universityand Polytech (TAFE).
The purpose for this youth event wasto foster the speaking
talent of Seventh-
day Adventistyoung adultsin South NewZealand andto share
Jesuswith thosewho don’t yetknow who Heis. Galina Sen-kovich, one
ofthe speakers,summed theevent up bysaying, “It wasgood to have
avariety ofspeaker styles
because we could reach more people thisway.”—Zara Hardy
-
December 4, 2004
N E W S F R O N T
5
(Continued from page 1)
“Guidelines are a point of reference. . . .I would hope and will
make specificrecommendation that any guideline onmusic our church
adopts does not becomean instrument by which we
measurespirituality. It is destructive to ourcommunity to engage in
such.” He added,“We allow it to talk to us in our variouscultures.
. . . Music must express itself inevery culture.”
See “Music principles to guide theChristian” for a list of the
document’s nineprinciples.
The document from the SPDcomplements these guidelines. Its
pur-pose, according to the preamble, “is not todictate a list of
dos and don’ts, but ratherto provide both broad-reaching
statementsand practical considerations.”
Ten sections make up the document.One contains a list of music
principleswith reference to specific Bible verses.Others consider
the role of lyrics, of musicand of the audio and visual team, and
theimpact of culture. One section addressesworship leaders. Another
encourageschurches, schools and families to providemusic and
technical education.
“We should have prepared a document
like this years ago,” says Pastor AndrewKingston, chair of the
committee thatproduced the document. “Tragically,churches have
split over the issue ofmusic. It’s tragic because music is a
God-given gift that allows us to offer Him ourpraise and
worship.”
The document, like that from the GC, isnot prescriptive. Pastor
Kingston: “Thechurch in the South Pacific is multi-cultural and
multi-generational. Who arewe to say, ‘You must worship this
way’?”
Pastor Kingston recommends theworship committees of local
churches“thoughtfully study” the document.“First, look at the
biblical principles andask, ‘Do we understand them?’ Then lookat
the practical considerations.
“This is a helpful document if takenseriously. It’s written in a
positive waybecause it is a genuine attempt to enhanceand improve
our worship.”—BrentonStacey with Wendi Rogers/ANN
Visit or write to the SPDCommunication Department (Locked Bag
2014,Wahroonga, NSW 2076) to read the documents.
Music guidelines voted
The music that Christians enjoy should be regulated by
thefollowing principles:1. All music the Christian listens to,
performs or composes,
whether sacred or secular, will glorify God.2. All music the
Christian listens to, performs or composes,
whether sacred or secular, should be the noblest and the best.On
these two foundations—glorifying God in all things and
choosing the noblest and the best—depend the other
principleslisted below for the selection of music by
Christians.
3. It is characterised by quality, balance, appropriateness
andauthenticity. Music fosters our spiritual, psychological and
socialsensitivity, and our intellectual growth.
4. It appeals to both the intellect and the emotions and
impactsthe body in a positive way. It is holistic.
5. Music reveals creativity in that it draws from
qualitymelodies. If harmonised, it uses harmonies in an interesting
andartistic way, and employs rhythm that complements them.
6. Vocal music employs lyrics that positively
stimulateintellectual abilities as well as our emotions and our
will power.Good lyrics are creative, rich in content, and of good
composition.They focus on the positive and reflect moral values;
they educateand uplift; and they correspond with sound biblical
theology.
7. Musical and lyrical elements should work togetherharmoniously
to influence thinking and behaviour in harmonywith biblical
values.
8. It maintains a judicious balance of spiritual, intellectual
andemotional elements.
9. We should recognise and acknowledge the contribution
ofdifferent cultures in worshipping God. Musical forms
andinstruments vary greatly in the worldwide Seventh-day
Adventistfamily, and music drawn from one culture may sound strange
tosomeone from a different culture.Excerpt from “A Seventh-day
Adventist Philosophy of Music—Guidelines.”
Support for massdistribution of literatureWahroonga, New South
Wales
Seventh-day Adventist literature willreach more people in the
South Pacificunder three plans presented to thechurch’s year-end
executive committee.
Signs of the Times will be distributed to allhouseholds in
Australia and New Zealandunder a plan presented by the
magazine’svolunteer ministry coordinator, Pastor DesHills. Three
church members have alreadypledged $A100,000. Members of the
com-mittee referred the plan to the executivecommittees of the
Australian UnionConference and the New Zealand PacificUnion
Conference.
They also endorsed, in principle, a planto distribute a new
edition of AdventistReview. Adventist World will replace theworld
edition of the magazine inserted intoRECORD each month. The
worldwidechurch will cover all printing costs.
The third plan is to distribute 10 ofchurch founder Ellen
White’s books toevery Adventist family in the South
PacificDivision. The cost of the seven-volume setwill be only
$US1.00. The plan will cost theSouth Pacific Division about
$A30,000 andits unions about $A30,000 over fiveyears.—Brenton
Stacey
Music principles to guide the Christian
See RECORD next week for a full reportfrom the year-end
executive committee
of the South Pacific Division.
-
Two Asian countries recently celebrated100 years of Adventist
presence. The SriLankan Mission (SLM) marked itscentennial with
three days of meetingsfrom October 22 to 24 and the KoreanUnion
Conference (KUC) capped a year ofcelebrations with a huge rally
onNovember 6.
Sri LankaThe first Adventist to visit Sri Lanka was
Abraham La Rue, who visited Colombo in1893 and distributed
literature. Then in1904, Harry Armstrong came to Sri Lanka,settled
there and laid the groundwork for
the Adventist Church, alongwith a fellow pioneer.
It took 16 years to establishthe first Adventist church
inKollupitiya, along with othersin Moratuwa and Kandy.Today the SLM
has amembership of almost 3600.
Pastor Jan Paulsen, GeneralConference president, and a guest
digni-tary at the celebrations, said, “One of thestriking features
of the church in Sri Lankais that it exists in a region where
anotherreligion is dominant; a religion that isembraced by
two-thirds of the people andis embedded in the culture of the
nation.Yet even in this environment, our church—just a tiny
minority—is able to give anappealing witness for Christ, last
yearshowing a net growth of some 200 newbelievers.”
He adds, “The church in Sri Lanka hasnot presented itself in an
aggressivemanner, speaking negatively about otherreligions. Sri
Lankan Adventists havedemonstrated that their purpose is not
todiscredit others, but rather to do goodwithin the communities
where they live—through their education and health-caresystems and
their commitment to being aproductive part of society.”
KoreaThere are more than
171,000 Adventists inKorea, and more than15,000 of them attended
thecentennial rally at OlympicStadium, Seoul.
Seventh-day Adventism inKorea began in 1904 with
two pioneers, Son Heung Cho and LeeEung Hyun, who were baptised
at the KobeSeventh-day Adventist church in Japan. MrCho returned to
Korea to spread theAdventist message to his neighbours, andwas
joined by Im Ki Ban, with whom hehad shared the message while on
board theKorea-bound ship.
National figures also came to honour theKUC’s centennial.
Reflecting the earlymissionaries who preached aboard a Korea-bound
ship a century ago, one of whomwas his own grandfather, Im
Chang-yeol,former governor of the Gyeonggi Province,and former
minister of Finance andEconomy and Deputy Prime Minister,attended
the centennial ceremony.
During his congratulatory speech hesaid, “My heart is full of
deep emotion andthankful to be invited to give acongratulatory
message as a descendent ofan Adventist pioneer.”—ANN
More than 10,000Adventist men,women and childrenrecently
marchedthrough the streets ofKingston and SaintCatherine,
Jamaica,bearing a message ofhope and family unity.The march, said
to bethe largest ever on the island, kicked off asummit aimed at
countering a steep risein violence in Jamaica over the past
year.
The summit, “Men: Agents of change,”took place in National
Heroes Park in
Kingston at theconclusion of themarch. Thousandsgathered in the
parkto hear a messagefrom local churchleaders.
Percival Patterson,Jamaica’s PrimeMinister, attended the
summit and commended the church forits efforts in promoting
moral values. Healso asked Adventists to remain unitedwith the
government against crime andviolence.—ANN
December 4, 2004
N E W S F R O N T
6
Jamaicans march against violence
The church in Asia celebrates centennials
Im Chang-yeol.
Adventists marched to an anti-violencesummit in Jamaica.
Dignitaries received a Sri Lankan welcome.
Adventists evacuated fromAbidjanSome General Conference (GC)
staffmembers and other regional churchleaders were recently
evacuated to theirhome countries from Abidjan, Ivory Coast,when a
clash between French troops andIvory Coast nationals broke out.
In Abidjan to attend annual businessmeetings for the Cote
d’Ivoire Conference,GC staff were evacuated after a
five-dayconfinement in their hotel. Regional leaderswere able to
complete their meetingsbecause the church compound was locatedclose
to the presidential palace, which washeavily guarded.—ANN
-
Nunawading, Victoria
For the past 10 years, for one week inDecember, the lives of
several thousandpeople in the eastern suburbs of Mel-bourne have
been touched and changedby witnessing the Christmas story in itsraw
state, seeing the birth of Christwithout the Hollywood glossiness
or theChristmas-card halos.
Through dust, wind, heat and chillingrain (sometimes all on the
one evening),the cast and crew of Road to Bethlehem(RTB) have
always delivered a free programto the wider community on the
VictorianConference grounds in Nunawading.
From humblebeg inn ings—with no funding,very little adver-tising
and a tinyc o m m i t t e e —s o m e t h i n gunique was born.An
event thatseems to cross allthe barriers—small childrenstand
awestruckat the samemanger wheretears roll downwrinkled cheeks.
The first yearthe baby Jesus
was a porcelain doll,but every other yearit has been
real,newborn babies—over 30 in all—thathave played the roleof Baby
Jesus.
To run the lightand sound systemsthere are three kilo-metres of
heavycable that must bewashed before being returned.
More than 700 people came toexperience RTB during the inaugural
andrain-soaked sessions a decade ago. Some ofthose 700 have been
back every year andstill marvel at the choir of angels, praise
theprofessional acting and soak up theChristmas spirit. The comment
book isoverflowing with positive affirmations.
Every visitor receives a show bagincluding items such as
Sanitariumproducts, a Signs magazine, craft activitiesfor the
children and a listing of localAdventist churches. This free bag
furtheremphasise the “gift” of RTB. For that iswhat RTB is, “. . .
a gift to the communityfrom the Seventh-day Adventist Church
inVictoria.”
The phone at the Victorian Conferenceoffice begins to ring in
November withpeople not wanting to miss out on the
RTBexperience.
For those who know the story, RTBrekindles memories of
Christmas, donkeys,soldiers and a babe in a manger.
For those who’ve never really heard theChristmas story, it opens
their hearts to thereason Christmas is so special to
Christiansacross the world.
But it does more than that; it builds abridge between the
Adventist Church inthe eastern suburbs of Melbourne and
thecommunity that surrounds it.
As one visitor remarked to an RTBgreeter, “I did not realise
that Seventh-dayAdventists believed in the Bible and thestory of
Jesus’ birth!” A 10-year-old boysummed RTB up by saying, “It
isn’tChristmas till we’ve been to Road to Beth-lehem.”—Kate
Jones
Road to Bethlehem will be held December 13 to 16.For more
information phone 9259 2311 or log on to.
December 4, 2004
N E W S F R O N T
7
Nunawading nativity turns 10
Athens, Greece
During the Athens Olympic Games, the local
English-speakingchurch distributed Signs of the Times magazines.
Prior to theGames, the Signs Publishing Company sent a box of Signs
to theGreek Mission (Newsfront, August 28), where Pastor
VictorKulakov led out in using the magazines for evangelism.
“We distributed the magazines in the streets, squares,
everywhereEnglish-speaking people were found,” says Pasor Kulakov,
ministerof the international groups in the Greek Mission. “Due to
thesemagazines, we were able to establish friendships with new
people.
“Each member of the group would carry magazines with themand
hand them out to people they met, along with invitations to
programs the group was running, such as Taking Charge of
YourLife seminars.”
According to Pastor Kulakov, the English church believes
Signsmagazines played a very important role in their evangelistic
efforts,which were part of their special project called Making
Friends forChrist. The project emphasises the strategy of winning
people toJesus through establishing friendships with them. This has
provedto be successful.
The Greek Mission is hoping to purchase more Signs magazinesto
use for outreach in the future. Lee Dunstan, Signs
campaigncoordinator, is presently seeking donors for additional
magazinesfor Greece among the large ethnic communities in Melbourne
andSydney Adventist churches.—Adele Nash
More than 350 men fromlocal churches, schools and
Pathfinder clubs have playedthe role of soldiers in Road
to Bethlehem.
This year some 12,000 people are expected to visit Road to
Bethlehem.
Geo
ff W
hite
Geo
ff W
hite
Signs makes new friends in Greece
-
December 4, 2004
F E A T U R E
8
Worship is an essential partof church life. In fact, as aword it
is almost synonymouswith the word church. Yet theissue is a
troublesome one in theAdventist Church.
Perhaps one of the reasons forthis is that whenever we
discussthe subject of worship, theemphasis seems to be on
twoaspects of worship—music andform. The dialogue usuallybecomes a
heated debate on therightness or wrongness ofcertain kinds of
music, or on thebiblical validity or non-validityof certain forms
of worship.
The concept of worship is soentrenched in Adventistthinking that
any discussion ofit becomes inevitably entangledwith notions of
identity. Phrasessuch as true worship, falseworship, the three
angels’messages (the first of whichdeals with worship),worshipping
the image of the beast and soforth are deeply imbedded in the
Adventistpsyche. So much so that some Adventistsbelieve that the
way we worship should beas definitive of the remnant as are
thedoctrines on the sanctuary and judgment.
And worship is a sensitive subject in theAdventist Church
because of the placeworship occupies in Adventist under-standing of
last-day events as depicted inthe book of Revelation and the desire
toavoid deception. According to prominenttheologians, worship is
the central issue inthe great controversy between good andevil.
They believe worship is the mediumthrough which the powers of evil
willmake a final concerted effort to delude thewhole world.
Breaking circular reasoningWhile these reasons may be
significant
and inevitable, they represent leaningspeculiar to Adventists,
which hinderattempts to discuss worship for worship’ssake. The
perspectives they represent areintrinsically connected to and are
pre-loaded in favour of Adventism. Forinstance, the anticipated
end-time delusionengineered through worship is linked witha system
symbolised by the beasts ofRevelation 13. The extension of
thisinterpretation is the identification of theSeventh-day
Adventist Church as theantithesis of this system, so that in
anindirect but convenient way, true worshipis defined as that which
is associated withthe Seventh-day Adventist Church.Worship thus
cannot be rigorouslydiscussed independent of existingAdventist
Church culture and teachings.
But let’s attempt to discuss worship froma perspective that is
relatively neutral. It is
a layperson’s approach, whichbegins and ends with a
simpleanalysis of what Jesus said to theSamaritan woman in John
4.Coincidentally, three of the fourmain points correspond
roughlyantithetically with the threereasons given above.
Jesus’ statement onworship
Jesus made the followingstatement on worship: “A time iscoming
when you will worshipthe Father neither on thismountain nor in
Jerusalem. YouSamaritans worship what you donot know; we worship
what wedo know, for salvation is from theJews. Yet a time is coming
and hasnow come when the trueworshippers will worship theFather in
spirit and truth, for theyare the kind of worshippers theFather
seeks. God is spirit, andhis worshippers must worship in
spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24, NIV). Inthese few sentences
are set out for us theparameters by which we should be able
tounderstand worship fully.
God is spiritAt a glance, the phrase “God is spirit”
would suggest Jesus was simply making acasual reference to God
the Father. But acloser analysis of its relation to the rest ofthe
passage namely “and his worshippersmust worship in spirit and in
truth,”reveals that Jesus is making a profoundstatement about the
nature and origin ofworship.
The fundamental point expressed here isthat as Spirit, God
grants to us aconnection with Himself, which not onlyenables us to
worship Him, but alsovalidates that worship. Worship does notbegin
with us but with God. Worship is a
The heart of worship by Neone Okesene
-
December 4, 2004
F E A T U R E
9
relationship rather than a set of rituals, andJesus bypassed the
what, the when, the howand the why of worship to focus ondefining
the true worshipper.
Worship begins with GodThe main point of most articles on
worship is what we do. It might be singing,playing music,
praying or preaching, but itis always an action by us. As a church
werecognise that God is our Creator and ourSaviour, and it is
because of these aspects ofwho He is that we worship Him.
But too often in the execution of ourworship and in the
discussion of the sub-ject, the starting point seems to be aboutus,
about what we should do to serve,please or appease the God we
worship.This may well be why the debate onworship continues in the
AdventistChurch; because it is always over what wedo, how we should
do what we do, andwhat we should use in what we do.
If we worship on the basis of thispremise, we will always
struggle to acceptforms of worship that are different fromours. We
will also find that reality willalways contravene our efforts to
formaliseworship across the board because, exceptfor where absolute
morals are the pre-emptive requirements, cultural and
socialbackgrounds tend to dictate what we doand how we do them.
After reading Jesus’ dialogue with theSamaritan woman, we should
shift thestarting point of worship to God. Realworship while it
involves us, and whatwe do, is not about us or about theseactions.
It is about who God is, and whatHe did, does, and will continue to
do forus and to us. Worship starts with God,not with us.
Worship is a relationship, nota set of rituals
It is interesting that when Jesus talksabout worship to the
Samaritan woman,He does not use the commonly acceptedrituals of His
time. These would haveincluded such practices as offeringsacrifices
and the singing of songs.Traditionally, these were rituals pagans
alsoused in the worship of their gods.
Most ancient Middle Eastern paganworship systems revolved
aroundappeasing a wrathful god with sacrifices
and with much passionate expression ofhuman emotions. According
to thissystem, the bigger the sacrifice and thelouder the worship,
the more likely thatthe god being worshipped would beappeased.
Basically it was a “god overthere, and the worshipper over here”
kindof a system.
But Jesus does not use these symbolicrituals. Instead, He uses a
simple state-ment, “God is spirit, and his worshippersmust worship
in spirit and in truth.” TheChristian God is not worshipped through
aset of rituals pertaining to actions weperform, or through some
so-called trueworship system as opposed to a falseworship system,
but through a relationshipwhere He comes in to be with
theworshipper. If we analyse what Jesus saidto the Samaritan woman
in the light ofwhat He said to Nicodemus in the previouschapter, we
see that worship is arelationship initiated by God Himselfthrough
Jesus Christ, and through thework of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Christ, God establishedjustification for everyone. This
makes itpossible for whosoever will believe to havethe confidence
that all has been done forhis or her salvation in Jesus
Christ.Through His Holy Spirit, God gives to uspersonally the
life-changing blessings andmerits of this salvation and enables
acontinuous interaction and relationshipwith God. Worshipping God
thus is aprivilege afforded to us by God Himselfthrough a
relationship, which He initiatesand in which He imparts to us His
HolySpirit.
Jesus intentionally definedtrue worshippers
The last important aspect of worship inthe context of the
dialogue between Jesusand the woman is that Jesus was by-passing
the where, the how, the why andthe when of worship to focus instead
ondefining the true worshipper. In definingthe true worshipper
Jesus starts with Godand motives, not forms or styles.
God is seeking the true worshipper, nota worship system. In
other words, God isnot looking out for what we bring to Himor
perform for Him, nor is He looking outfor where or when we may
present these toHim. Rather, He is looking out for the
person who sincerely desires to have aclose relationship with
Him.
The validation of worship is not on thebasis of prescribed forms
and styles, but onthe basis of the worshipper being a
trueworshipper. The worship of God isacceptable to God not because
of the wor-shipper adhering to some system, butbecause of the
worshipper’s sincere desirefor a relationship with God through
whichGod subsequently validates His conditionas true worshipper by
His own Spirit andgrace. This genuine and sincere longing forGod is
the emphasis of the Saviour in theuse of the word truth in His
definition ofthe true worshipper.
A simpler perspectiveThe parameters in Jesus’ statement have
helped me realise I do not have to bebogged down with the
never-ending debateon the rightness and wrongness of music,for they
transcend music; that I do nothave to be hung up on the issue of
identity,because my identity is not linked to nordoes it come from
a system, but is fromGod and it links me to Him; and thatneither do
I have to be paranoid about thedelusion in the last days as for me,
worshipis a relationship with God sustained andaffirmed by His Holy
Spirit as it works inmy life through His Word.
In knowing the essence of what Jesussays, I can look beyond the
complicated,sometimes disconcerting, and oftencontrasting milieu of
worship rituals andpractices, beyond the multitude of rhythmsand
sounds in the worship of differentcultures, beyond the free-flowing
style ofthe contemporaries and the restrainedrituals of the
ancients, beyond thecacophonous worship of the Corinthiansand the
pedantic ways of the Jews, and feelfree to worship God through a
relationshipwith Him in any Christian settinganywhere in the
world.
More importantly, it has helped me to berespectful and accepting
of the way otherpeople have chosen to show their gratitudeto God
for the relationship God has calledthem into through the sacrifice
of His Sonand the fellowship of His Holy Spirit. r
Neone Okesene pastors the New Lynn Samoanchurch, Auckland, New
Zealand.
-
December 4, 2004
V O L U N T E E R 2 0 0 5
10
More and more people are discovering that serving others is
asgood as it gets. Being involved in a service project is
thehighlight of a year.
In 2003 a record number of volunteers from this divisionserved
through Adventist Volunteer Service. This year will seemore. A
strong and growing culture of service within the churchin the South
Pacific beckons people of all ages to live extra-ordinary lives.
And a kaleidoscope of opportunities exist bothwithin the church and
community—STORM Co, fly’n’builds,the ADRAcare challenge (two hours
a week in your localcommunity), the Pinnacle team, youth and
children’sministries, teaching ESL, nursing,
caring for kids inorphanages, tentmakerministry, maintenanceand
prayer support. Thelist is comprehensive, andnew opportunities
areadded weekly.
If you haven’t yetdiscovered the miracle ofservice—you receive
morethan you give (see Acts 20:35)—make thechoice to give it a go
in 2005.
Start with a short-term project or local,regular commitment to
your community.And when the time is right, move into alonger-term
stint as a volunteer. It willchange your life.
So why not volunteer for 2005?—Mel Lemke
Volunteer: It’s as good as it gets
-
Volunteer service opportunities . . .Short termSouth Pacific
Division● Karalundi Aboriginal Education Centre. A number of
projects are available for individuals as well as teams through
2005. ContactGlenn Grey on (08) 9981 2933 for details.●
Fly’n’builds. For short-term projects within the Pacific, contact
your local conference’s short-term missions coordinator. A number
ofprojects are available in Fiji this year end.● Youth mission
trips. Contact your local conference youth director for mission
trips to Fiji this year end.● STORM Co trips. Contact your local
conference youth director.● ADRAcare. Contact your ADRA office for
hundreds of ideas on how you can get involved in your local
community.● Family service. Consider taking on either a local or
overseas project as a family, during school or university
holidays.
Longer termNew Zealand● Youth adventure training team member.
Three positions available; 12-month call, starting January 27,
2005; ages 18-30; high schooldiploma. The Adventure Plus program
works with high school students to teach life skills of
communication, confidence building,good risk-taking skills and
personal growth. Skills in dealing with young adults and children,
public speaking (small groups), outdoorrecreation (rock climbing,
abseiling, ropes) are useful.● Program facilitator. One position;
12-month call, beginning July 1, 2005; age 20-28; minimum of three
years university level; Theprogram requires abilities in public
speaking, program delivery, group facilitation, outdoor recreation
instructing (training provided),general office administration,
program development and evaluation.
Australia● Youth leader. South Brisbane church, Queensland;
12-month call, beginning January 1, 2005; age 23-25; experience in
youthleadership, organisational skills; committed Christian;
passion for people and witnessing. Duties include involvement in
all aspects ofyouth church life, with particular emphasis on older
teen and younger youth age groups. Work with youth leaders in
coordinatingyouth program, including Bible study, music, worship
and vesper programs.● Youth-teen minister. Kellyville church,
Sydney; 12-month call, beginning February 1, 2005; age 25-35;
minimum two years universityor active experience working with high
school students; co-leadership of Sabbath school class (13- to
18-year-olds); assist or leadSabbath school three times each month;
conduct weekly after-school, high school Bible-study groups during
term; co-organise highschool group Sabbath school calendar,
including spiritual, social, community and outreach activities;
assisant chaplain at Adventistprimary school.● Pastor/youth
minister. Westridge church, Toowoomba, Queensland; 12-month call;
be involved in a wide range of ministry tasks,with emphasis on
junior to young adults; limited chaplaincy at school.Pastor/youth
minister. Central church, Toowoomba; 12-month call, similar to
Toowoomba, above.
Other divisions● ESL teachers. Thailand, Japan, China, Korea,
Poland and Russia.● Youth evangelist. France, Saleve Adventist
University; age 18-35, fluent French speaker. Duties include
witnessing, worshipcoordination, public relations and organisation.
● Science elementary teacher. Honduras, Maranatha Bilingual School;
age 18-30; average Spanish speaker; one year college/university. ●
Teacher aide.Hong Kong, Hong Kong Adventist College; 19 positions;
12- to 24-month call.● Computer teacher/teacher aide. Puerto Rico,
Bella Vista Adventist Academy.● Maintenance worker. Delap, Marshall
Islands; two positions; 10-month call; custodial duties, maintain
physical plant (plumbing,electrics, carpentry); supervise student
labour; teach classes on a casual basis.
For more informationContact Mel Lemke or Alex Sanchez, South
Pacific Division Adventist Volunteer Service CentreInternet:
www.adventistvolunteers.orgEmail: [email protected]:
+61 2 9847 3275Mail: Adventist Volunteer Service Centre, Locked Bag
2014, Wahroonga NSW 2076, Australia
December 4, 2004 11
V O L U N T E E R 2 0 0 5
-
December 4, 2004
F E A T U R E
There is a river thatabounds with God’sresources and from it we
cangather the refreshment ofsupport, love, courage,wisdom,
experience, know-ledge, values andcompanionship. These arethings we
need for thespiritual pilgrimage of life. It ismeant to be—as
Goddesigned it—the communityof faith from which we canenrich our
own faith.
A true community of faithbecomes God’s arm on theshoulders of
the weary and heavy laden;they become companions for the
journey.This is why studies show that unless a newconvert makes at
least five friends in thechurch, they are unlikely to remain
formore than one or two years.
Churches without friends are like bleakwinter landscapes. But
friends appear evenamid the winter-chill of disappointments.They
come when the summer dreams ofthe forest fades and the winter winds
blow.There amid the blazing snowdrifts theevergreens emerge like
lovely sentinels.Dotting the snow-clad landscape, theevergreens are
like friends who remainafter the storm’s coldness has
travelledthrough the forest of life. These arefriendships born in
the cradle of chaos.Friends that come amid the trials
andtribulations of life are gifts from God. Truefriends appear like
stars in the night.
I never realised this when times weregood, but then the
landscape of my lifechanged and I experienced this miracle
ofChristian community. I was able to drawon the resource God
provided long beforemy need. There is no sun without shade;even the
night is but a shadow and sowhen the dark nights of our soul
come,and we find ourselves under the mountainsof our troubles, we
can either dig a cave or
a tunnel. In the cave we will become lost aswe grope friendless
in darkness. In thetunnel we can hope for the better side. Inevery
affliction there is the seed of a greatblessing or a window of
opportunity. It wasin one of these dark nights that Iexperienced
the river of grace upon whichmy vessel had been flowing all this
time.
True friends are like angels that lift us toour feet when we
have fallen. True friendsare like the rising of the moon when
thetide of life is at its lowest ebb and the crabsare playing in
the mud. It is the moon that
reminds us there is a sunand a new day. It is themoon that
brings forth thewaters to fill the coast oncemore. It is the moon
itselfthat waxes and wanes andreminds us that all naturehas seasons
and the heartmust too. It is the moon thatreminds us that this is
whatour righteousness is like,waxing and waning, at itsbest full of
holes butbrightest when facing thesun.
So when does the churchshine brightest? When it is the river
ofgrace, and the arm on the shoulder of theweary. When it is the
evergreens amid thesnow-covered landscapes in somebody’slife.
Then, like the moon, it is fully reflectingthe light of the Son,
and all itsimperfections are lost in the splendour ofits glow.
r
Ross Chadwick writes from Oak Flats, New SouthWales.
12
"... Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces patience."
James 1:2, 3
Just for childrenP
eta
Tayl
or
Like river, snow and moonby Ross Chadwick
-
December 4, 2004
Action worth more than wordsClara Pongrass, NSW
As one of the daughters of the Michnayfamily, let me tell you
about my mother—missing from the short “Adventist pastor:Holocaust
hero” Newsfront report(“Gender sensitivity missing,”
Letters,November 6).
Our mother was a most devotedSeventh-day Adventist Christian, a
wifeand a mother who toiled hard for everyone,including the
persecuted and the poor ofthe church. She would spend
weekspreparing food for poor members for thewinter—a long and
difficult process beforethe blessing of factory processing.
Charitywas always in her heart.
Indeed, many risks were taken duringthe Holocaust, but both of
our parents,possessing a devotion to and faith in God,knew nothing
would ever harm us. Shewas the epitome of virtue and what a
trueChristian woman ought to be.
I sincerely hope this fills the gap, for ourmother’s life
resonates with the words ofProverbs 31:10-31.
Tick for youth leadersJan Clarke Pearce, England
I enjoyed reading Muriel Cross’s “Youthleaders and lost dogs”
(Feature, November6), especially as I recalled the influence sheand
her late husband, Roy, had on theyouth of the Albion church in
Brisbane,years ago. Their home was often open for
our social activities, even when they werewell into retirement.
Roy was also willingto lead a youth meeting whenever needed.Thank
you, Mr and Mrs Cross, as well asthe other youth leaders she
mentions.
Christians, the church and politicsNick Brightman, email
“A victory for greed and fear”(Editorial, October 30) was
important as,I suspect, the majority of Seventh-dayAdventists in
Australia—like the popu-lation at large—based their vote on
WIFM(What’s in it for me). The editorial and JeffCrocombe’s “How
would Isaiah vote?”
(Features, October 30) remind us, asChristians, that we’re not
on earth simplyto enjoy it but have a responsibility to
ourneighbour. We Australians, while only aminute fraction of the
world’s population,need to be reminded that we enjoy agreater
fraction of the planet’s wealth andhave a responsibilty to those
who haveless.
Next time around, give space to theseimportant issues as well as
the impli-cations of voting for a particular party. Ourmembership
might be able to approachelection date a little better informed
abouttheir pros and cons. Our fear of addressingpolitical issues
inside the church causes us
to remain quiet with respect to these moralissues.
Ray Dabrowski, USA
Thank you for zeroing in on the centreof Christian
responsibility. We are often sopreoccupied with what is right that
wemiss what is real. The Gospel is talkingabout our “realness” and
a need to simplysay to God, “I am ready.” If the Gospelmessage is
correct, God will open our eyesto see the needy, hear the voiceless
andproclaim authenticity of deed, which willalways shout louder
than the pointedfingers of moralists in the name ofrightness.
J Reid, NSW
“A victory for greed and fear” was abreath of fresh air. The
self-interest inmodern politics should make us wary,especially when
politicians court Christianpower groups. It was Jesus’ compassion
forthe wounded that gained Him favour withordinary people, not
holding up checklists to secular powers.
Name supplied
“A victory for greed and fear” missed themark, as it forgot the
main issue: Ifeconomic ability isn’t competent andsustained by the
top, then no matter whatyour opinion on social issues, the
moneywon’t be available for them. Behaviour isalso important, as a
government head is onshow, and isn’t that an issue for
Christians?
I feel sorry for politicians, as they haveto balance justice for
all and not just smallminorities—Christianity’s bottom line isthat
your rights end where my nosebegins!
Let’s not criticise until we’ve walked intheir shoes.
L E T T E R S
13
Just a coincidence
Our fear of addressing political issues insidethe church causes
us to remain quiet with
respect to these moral issues.
Note: Views in Letters do not necessarily represent those of
theeditors or the denomination. Letters should be less than
250words, and writers must include their name, address and
phonenumber. All letters are edited to meet space and
literaryrequirements, but the author’s original meaning will not
bechanged. Not all letters received are published. See
masthead(page 2) for contact details.
-
WeddingSmith—Finch. Dr James Patrick Finch,son of Dr and Mrs Ray
Finch (Lansing,Michigan, USA), and Victoria Ann Smith,daughter of
Kevin and Helen Smith(Wahroonga, NSW), were married on12.9.04 in a
candlelight ceremony at thebeautiful seaside chapel at the
GrandWailea Resort, Maui Hawaii.
Craig Young
ObituariesSamuels, Yvonne June (nee Freyling),born 15.7.1927 at
Toowoomba, Qld;died unexpectedly 16.7.04 in St Vin-cent’s Hospital,
Toowoomba. In 1946she married Bill, who predeceased herin 1989. She
is survied by her children,Dale, Garry, Russell and Shane; her
11grandchildren; and two great-grandchil-dren. Yvonne was a devoted
mother andnanna, and she loved her Lord.
Allen Sonter
Slade, Nathan Albert, born 16.12.1983at Bowral, NSW; died
25.6.04 as a result ofa car accident on the Central Coast. He
issurvived by his father, Paul, and his wife,Teresa; his mother,
Pamella; his brothers,Ben and Elton; his sisters Yvonne andAnna;
and other members of the widerfamily circle. Nathan loved life, was
a loyalfriend, and was not ashamed of his bestFriend, Jesus. John
5:24.
David McKibben, Lea-Anne Smith
Turvey, Kynan James Turvey, born16.7.04 in Canberra Hospital,
ACT;died 23.9.04 in Canberra Hospital. He issurvived by his
parents, Andrew andTania; his sister, Courtney; and his
twinbrother, Jasper. A life of 69 days was justtoo short. “Come
soon, Jesus, so we canhave him back and our family can betogether
at home with You.”
Dale Arthur
AdvertisementsNote: Neither the editor, Signs Publish-ing
Company, nor the Seventh-dayAdventist Church is responsible for
thequality of goods or services advertised.Publication does not
indicate endorse-ment of a product or service. Advertise-ments
approved by the editor will beinserted at the following rates:
first 30words or less, $A44; each additionalword, $A2.20. For your
advertisement toappear, payment must be enclosed. Clas-sified
advertisements in RECORD are avail-able to Seventh-day Adventist
members,churches and institutions only. See mast-head (page 2) for
contact details.
We are seeking suitably qualified andexperienced people who are
looking forfull-time employment to join our teamin the following
disciplines: Structural/Civil Engineers, StructuralDraftspersons,
Mechanical Engi-neers and Mechanical Drafts-persons. We currently
employ 13 full-time staff and are looking to expand ourteam.
Situated on the Murray River on theborder between NSW and
Victoria.100,000 regional population, 120 km tothe snowfields.
Large water reserve cater-ing for waterskiing, sailing and
fishing.Plenty of hills and trails close by, cateringfor all levels
of dirt-bike riders. Three SDAchurches, including a Slavic church,
andalso a church school that will offer Year 12by 2006. Country
living at its best. To findout more, phone 0417 535 546 or apply
inwriting to the Manager, PO Box 1549,Wodonga, Vic 3689.
Safe television—enjoy Christiansatelite TV. DIY satellite kits
$A320 +freight, or $A475 for a “hassle-free” pro-fessional
installation by an insured full-time installer. Country areas
extra. Pen-sioner and group discounts. Phone Donand Aileen Sforcina
0417 855 795.
Go Veg supplying delicious vegetarianpies, schnitzels, lasagnas
and more. 21Berry Street, Granville NSW. Phone (02)9897 0000.
Delivery available Sydneyarea, conditions apply.
Ballarat Seventh-day AdventistChurch Primary School commencedin
1974 and, if circumstances had per-mitted, 2004 would have been its
30thanniversary year. To recognise this“anniversary,” Ballarat
church is settingaside Sabbath, December 18, to giveopportunity for
past students, parentsand staff to get together to reminisce.The
day’s program will be: 9.30 am,Community hymn singing. 9.45
am,Bible study hour. 11.15 am, Worshipservice. Combined luncheon
followed byreminiscences of school days. Free time.7.30 pm,
Christmas program. Forinquiries, acceptances/inabilities,
greet-ings or messages, please contact MerrilynHastings, phone (03)
53 346 472; oremail .
Medical Missionary CourseAccredited, Austudy approved.
IncludesBible ministry, natural health and Diplo-ma of Community
Education. To obtaindetails contact: Administrator,
MedicalMissionary Training Institute, 1 FryersRoad, Herveys Range,
North Qld 4817;phone (07) 4778 0000; fax (07) 47780077; or email
.
A1 Rent-a-Car Christchurch(NZ). “Thrifty” cars, vans
from$NZ49/day, “Budget” cars from$NZ39/day all inclusive (5/10 day
min-
imum). Free pick-up. Phone 0011 64 3349 8022; fax 0011 64 3 349
8218.Check our web calculator .
Understanding our neighbours fromdifferent faith traditions—an
inter-faith symposium at Fox Valley Commu-nity church, 183a Fox
Valley Road,Wahroonga, NSW, December 11 and 12.For more details
contact Dr Brad Kemp,director of the Institute of World Missionat
the South Pacific Division on email; or phone(02) 9847 3333.
How secure is your future? Are yousure you have adequate finance
or insur-ance? Phone M & A and Associates, con-sultants for
your finance and insurancerequirements, on phone/fax (07) 46343995;
0419 789 940; or email.
Christian television available now24/7. Satellite kits only
$A325 (+freight)and your purchase price includes a dona-tion to
Adventist Media to expand satel-lite broadcasting. Three Angels
Broad-casting Network and four other Christianchannels available
now, free to air—nofurther charges. Phone Rural Electron-ics on
(02) 6361 3636; email.
December 4, 2004
N O T I C E B O A R D
14
Positions vacant▲ Principal/Teachers—Bundaberg Adventist Primary
School (Qld) isseeking expressions of interest for the positions of
Principal, Teacher and LowerGrades Teacher. The successful
applicants will be committed, baptised and practisingSeventh-day
Adventists. Ideally suited to a husband-and-wife team. This is a
growing,well-resourced two-teacher school that enjoys strong
support from local churches.Bundaberg is a beautiful city with an
agreeable climate, and has some of the bestbeaches in Queensland
nearby. For further information contact Elwyn Cherry,associate
director, on 0414 829 038; or email .
▲ Chef—Adventist Residential Care (Rossmoyne, WA) is seeking
anexperienced and qualified Chef for their facility. The successful
applicant will beworking in a well-equipped, modern kitchen,
providing meals for 80 residents. A goodknowledge of vegetarian
cooking is essential, and an understanding of the HACCPprinciples
would be an advantage.▲ Registered and Enrolled Nurses—Adventist
Residential Care(Rossmoyne, WA). Interested in continuing or
commencing your career in thehighly specialised area of aged care?
Then this is the place for you. Vacancies existfor day and evening
shifts; rostering is flexible and above-award wages paid.Experience
in aged care is desirable but not essential, and new graduates
areencouraged to apply. For further information please contact the
Director ofNursing, Karen Kinsella, on (08) 9354 4133; fax (08)
9354 3977; or at AdventistResidential Care–Rossmoyne, 31 Webb
Street, Rossmoyne, WA 6148.
▲ Senior Accountant—North New South Wales Conference
(Newcastle,NSW) is seeking a full-time Senior Accountant. The
successful applicant will have adegree or other appropriate
qualification in business or accounting and be a
practisingSeventh-day Adventist. For further information contact
Russell Halliday on or phone (02) 4951 8088. Applications in
writing(including CV and the names of three references) should be
forwarded to theGeneral Secretary, North New South Wales
Conference, PO Box 7, Wallsend, NSW2287, no later than January 10,
2005.
▲ Bus Operations Manager, Brisbane Adventist
College—SouthQueensland Conference is seeking a full-time Bus
Operations Manager to maintainand operate the bus fleet in
consultation with the school principal and conferencechief
financial officer, effective as from January 2005. The successful
applicant will bea practising member of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church; possess appropriatemechanical qualifications and driving
certification suitable for heavy vehicles; andhave experience in
the repair and maintenance of buses. Applications in writingshould
be forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer, South Queensland
Conference, 19Eagle Terrace, Brisbane, Qld 4000, no later than
Thursday, December 23, 2004.
Youth/Teen Minister—Kellyville SDAChurch, NSW. Work with young
peo-ple aged 13-18, be co-leader of highschool Sabbath school class
etc. 30hrs/week. Term: 12 months, com-mencing asap.
Pastor/Youth Ministry—WestridgeSDA Church (Toowoomba, Qld).
Beinvolved in a wide range of ministrytasks, with particular
emphasis onJunior/Teen/Youth/Young Adultministry. Term: 12 months,
com-mencing asap. Application deadlineDecember 10, 2004.
Email:.
For more positions, check the web on
+61 2 9847 3275
Volunteers Youth Volunteer opportunity ofa lifetime! Travel
Tasmania witha team of youth volunteers.
Operate the Pinnacle of Terror.Be involved in the running
ofconference youth events.Operate a “Positive Life”
program for youth in high schools.Experience a year of new
friendships and memories.
Positions include:• 4 team members (ages 19-26)
• remunerated under the TaskforceVolunteer Program
Apply in writing to Jeff ParkerGPO Box 1039 Hobart 7001
Email [email protected] more information phone
Jeff
0407 261 886
-
House sitter needed. Responsible ani-mal lover to look after our
cat and dog,also water plants, December 19 to Janu-ary 2. Mud-brick
house on idyllic,secluded 20 acres. Good bushwalkingand views,
Smiths Gully, outer north-eastMelbourne. Phone (03) 9710 1090.
Data projectors, screens, soundequipment, TVs, DVD players,VCRs,
PA systems. Rural ElectronicsOrange is run by an Adventist
couplecommitted to helping SDAs to get a bet-ter deal for their
churches, schools,homes etc. Avondale College, Wahroon-ga and many
NSW churches helpedalready. DVD players on special for$A99. For
more information phoneTrish (02) 6361 3636; email.
www.aucsda.com—Australian UnionConference web site. Do you have
a min-istry idea to share? Or are you needingassistance? Check out
the new IdeasExchange forum.
Funeral directors—K & E Swan-borough. Compassionate and
profession-al care at an affordable cost from those whounderstand.
Obligation-free advice on allyour funeral requirements, including
pre-planning. Phone (07) 3800 9655 24 hours.
Move to Maroochydore, businesshub of the Sunshine Coast. Close
touniversity, relaxed lifestyle. Friendly,welcoming church. Bus
service toNoosa Christian College. Year 8 in2005. Phone (07) 5447
7808.
A working holiday at Avondale.Avondale College is seeking
tradesmen(carpenters, painters etc) who are willingto volunteer for
a working holiday at thecollege this summer from January 9-21.Free
accommodation and meals. Formore information contact Allen
Steele,assistant to the president at (02) 49802294; or
[email protected]>.
Web site design. We specialise indesigning web sites that you
can eas-ily maintain yourself. Phone Webstu-dio 1800 008 606 in
Australia; 0800249 735 in New Zealand, or
visitwww.webstudio.com.au.
Bowen (Qld)—best of busy andbeach—deceased estated, quiet, 7.5
fer-tile acres, fruit trees, 2 dams, 2 bores, col-droom, 3-bay
shed, 2 unique homes. A-framed “Swiss chalet,” handcrafted
stair-cases, window hoods, boxes and shut-ters. $A425,000. (07)
4785 2456; email.
Rawson’s Retreat. Private camping/caravan park on the shores of
LakeHume, 40 mins from Albury, NSW.Smoke-, drug- and alcohol-free.
Peace-ful, natural bush setting, on-site vansalso available. (02)
6020 2010.
FinallyThere are no vacations fromthe school of experience.
N O T I C E B O A R D
December 4, 2004 15
Contact Chris, Fay or GregPh (02) 9989 8355 Fax (02) 9989 8340
[email protected]
PO Box 502, Wahroonga NSW 2076
ACF Investments LTD24 YEARS OF SERVICE
$40 MILLION IN DEPOSITS
GREATRATES
PERSONALSERVICE
Beco
meOur
Partner Helping Avondale