TED News Bulletin
Trans-European Division of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church

9 January 2008


In this issue:
-------------------------
* England: Division President's New Year Message
* Pakistan: Health Emphasis in Pakistan
* Sweden: Nordic Youth Leaders Meet
* Kenya: Political Unrest Affects Adventist University
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NEW YEAR GREETINGS...[Bertil Wiklander/TED News]

St Albans, England - A new year has come, not only for the world, but
for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division
(TED). Let me first share with you, the readers of TED News, my
warmest personal good wishes for God's abundant blessing. I wish that
this year might bring hope and unity in the faith as we continue to
serve Him faithfully.

There are countries and peoples, of course, that begin their new year
at other times than now, especially in our division where Islamic and
Jewish customs are well represented. It is simply practical for us to
follow the Western Christian tradition in counting the years.

What is essential, however, is that every new year, is a 'year of the
Lord's favour', which Christ came to proclaim. This 'Christian year'
is not limited to God's favour for me personally, as a power that
brings me what I wish for and dream about, although some of that may
be included too. Above all, however, as we see in Luke 4:19-20,
proclaiming the Christian new year of the Lord's favour is a
'spirit-filled' event affecting the people, one in which the servants
of God are spiritually anointed to preach good news to the poor,
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the
blind, and to release the oppressed. This is our mandate. This is our
calling. This is our objective and reason for existence.

As we pray and work, there are some matters I wish to bring to your
attention:

On January 8, I will be travelling to Florida where the General
Conference leadership is having an important meeting. Among many
vital plans for the future, a major proposal from our division will
be discussed and acted upon. We believe that, if granted, the project
will have a strong impact on the life of the church in our division.
It is called 'Relay Christ', and focuses on children and youth, using
Internet and Television technology both in Europe and the Middle
East. I would ask all of you to pray earnestly to God for this
project - not only that it may be granted, but also that it may be
successfully implemented. We will keep you informed of how the matter
proceeds.

During the past days we have received news of political unrest in
Pakistan. We have good news so far from our brothers and sisters in
the country, in that none of our people have been hurt. However, our
prayers are needed for this valued part of our division.

A few days ago, a severe earthquake hit Greece, especially the
southern part of Peloponnese. We have members and churches there, who
suffered greatly by the fires last summer. We thank God that our
people were protected during the earthquake, but continued prayers
are needed for the growth and development of our church in Greece.

For a long time we have prayed for more stability in the country of
Lebanon, where our Middle East Union Headquarters has been situated
since September. Some of us were able to visit Beirut in November and
December and found that the church is doing well, while the political
tensions relating to the election of a new national president
continued. Let us continue to pray for Lebanon and the entire Middle
East where peace is needed.

A few days after my visit to Belgrade and Nis in Serbia in December,
the South-East European Union Conference President informed me that a
group of people had threatened our Theological Seminary in Belgrade
and that a bomb had been found in the basement of the Adventist
church in Sarajevo. The church leaders are working with the
government and police to deal with these threats. We are thankful for
God's protection up to now, but we need your prayers for the
situation in Serbia.

These are only some examples of the many situations where we depend
on the Lord's favour in our work. We may work hard and do our very
best, but without the Lord's blessing, nothing will be accomplished.
I therefore invite you all to take part in God's work in our division
by praying for protection and peace as we continue to proclaim a year
of the Lord's favour.

May God bless you and lead you as we work together and grow together
in 2008.

Bertil Wiklander
President
Trans-European Division of Seventh-day Adventists


HEALTH EMPHASIS IN PAKISTAN...[Samuel Nazir/TED News Staff/TED News]

Farooqabad, Pakistan - The Adventist Church Health Department in
Pakistan, in association with the Pakistan Adventist Seminary and
College church, at the end of 2007 organized a Health and Temperance
Emphasis week, involving students, staff and local church members.

Under the theme, "Heart of God", health was promoted through speech
contests, different races, games, and poster competitions emphasizing
the need of abstaining from tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and
advertising the benefits of healthy eating.

After the completion of the programme, each participant was awarded a
certificate, and trophies for first, second and third place were
awarded by the Pakistan Union Executive Officers and other leaders.

Organiser and Director of the Health Department, Samuel Nazir said,
"There is always a meaning to everything we apply in life. What is
ideal for me is to live a life acceptable in the sight of close
friends, family members and all whom [I] come across in the
community."

According to Samuel Nazir, the Health Department plans to run similar
and further health programmes in Pakistan's rural areas.


NORDIC YOUTH LEADERS MEET...[SUC News/TED News Staff/TED News]

Stockholm, Sweden - Thirteen national youth leaders from the
Seventh-day Adventist church in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden
assembled for meetings in Stockholm on 5 December 2007, to discuss
various youth matters.

During the meetings the report from the Valuegenesis Survey (a
Seventh-day Adventist research study into the faith and values of
young people attending the Adventist Church) was discussed, against
the backdrop of the current trends and needs of young people of
today. The aim of the discussions was to create action steps for
constructive and effective responses in the local churches.

In addition, plans were made for the upcoming Nordic youth camp in
Denmark in October 2008; and visions for future joint youth events
were shared and goals formulated. One such future event would be a
Nordic Camporee, to be held in 2012.

Youth Director in Sweden, Marianne Kolkmann said: "As youth
directors, we have found in the Nordic countries that there are a lot
of issues that will benefit from being addressed in a wider forum
than merely that of our own country.In our meetings we aired ideas
and received valuable input from youth directors working in a similar
culture to our own, facing similar challenges. We also spent precious
time lifting up in prayer each other and our work in this important
time we live in."

The youth leaders, some of them also holding the position as Family
and Children department leader, are planning to meet again next year.
Then their main focus will be family- and children oriented, and
plans will be made for future initiatives and directions in their
local churches.


POLITICAL UNREST AFFECTS ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY...[ANN/TED News
Staff/TED News]

Baraton, Kenya - Church leaders evacuated 280 students, staff and
international workers from Seventh-day Adventist-owned University of
Eastern Africa, Baraton to Nairobi on January 6. More than 100 staff
members had earlier taken refuge at a local police station amid
violence fuelled by contested election results in Kenya last week.

Adventist Church officials in East-Central Africa secured funding
over the weekend from world church headquarters in Silver Spring,
Maryland, United States, needed for the evacuation from the
university to safer conditions in the country's capital.

Roads to the airport have been blocked by mobs and the workers remain
at the police station, said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the
Adventist Church's Nairobi-based East-Central Africa Division.
Preparations are underway to transport them to Nairobi.

The situation in Nairobi, while "not back to normal," has improved,
with most offices open and the city's transportation system running,
said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the church in East-Central Africa.

While ethnic tensions eased over the weekend, church and national
leaders anticipate violence will again escalate as opposition leaders
challenge President Mwai Kibaki's second term. The moving of staff
and students was meant to pre-empt conflict surrounding a series of
countrywide political rallies planned for earlier this week, Mbwana
said. [At the time of reporting, these demonstrations have been
postponed.]

Church leaders reiterated their call for nationwide restraint and
reconciliation in a press statement released by the East African
Union on January 4. The statement echoed an appeal to end violence
released the day before by world church Executive Secretary Matthew A
Bediako.

"The responsibility of safeguarding and maintaining peace lies with
each and every one of us," the statement read. It also urged Mr
Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to engage in "honest and
forthright" talks.

"They should ... provide leadership in this dark hour by coming
together in open and honest dialogue to bring a lasting solution to
this impasse. Let us remember this country is bigger than all of us,"
the statement continued.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Kenya is providing
emergency food assistance and medical supplies for displaced and
affected families in coordination with other humanitarian agencies in
the country.

Meanwhile, church leaders in Kenya are working to help a group of
Kenyan Adventist students on retreat in Rwanda back into the country.
While some roads have reopened, most remain blocked, Mbwana said.
Church leaders have sent food and basic supplies, including tents, to
the students, all of whom remain stranded in Kampala, Uganda.

__________________________________________________________________
TED News Staff:
Paul Clee, News Director and Editor
Heidi Kamal Kendel, Editorial Assistant
119 St Peter's Street, St Albans, Herts.,
AL1 3EY, England
E-mail: tednews@ted-adventist.org
Website: http://www.ted-adventist.org

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