ANN BULLETIN - July 22, 2008 - unOFFICIAL ADVENTIST FORUM

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do.
And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with
– even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.
Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14.1: The Message

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#179179 - 08/02/08 09:55 PM ANN BULLETIN - July 22, 2008
magilly46 Registered: 10/29/02 Posts: 183 Loc: BC	Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters July 22, 2008 In This Issue: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guatemala: Adventist Church celebrates 100 years, commits to community impact Young people key to finishing church's work, world church president says July 21 Guatemala City, Guatemala Mexican youth trained in multimedia for adding content to church Web sites As denomination's Internet platform arrives locally, leaders offer young people training in news, Web production July 21 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico Bookmarks: Is radical conservatism key to reaching younger generations? Why secular postmoderns need and deserve a new style of outreach July 21 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guatemala: Adventist Church celebrates 100 years, commits to community impact July 21, 2008 Guatemala City, Guatemala ... [ Libna Stevens/ANN Staff ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guatemalan Adventists celebrate the church's history in their nation at the Polideportivo Dome on July 12. Church leaders who spoke at the daylong event in Guatemala City urged older church members to ?hand the torch? to younger generations. [photo: courtesy unionradiogt.org] Thousands of Seventh-day Adventists from across Guatemala gathered in the country's capital on July 12 to celebrate the church's 100 years in the Central American nation and to pledge to further community involvement. "I hear, I see your commitment clearly stated today," world church President Jan Paulsen told the nearly 9,000 church leaders and members gathered in the city's Polideportivo Dome for the daylong event. Paulsen urged the audience to ensure that the church's young people are involved in its work. "We must hand the torch to younger people," he said, calling for a "stronger intention" to "finish the work" of the church. During a morning message, church president for Inter-America, Israel Leito, spoke of the "challenge of our pioneers," commenting that the church in Guatemala had grown "because of the steps" early Adventists took in the region. Several such pioneers were honored, including 105-year-old Policarpa Lopez, a church member of 78 years, and Javier Sosa, 96, an Adventist of 71 years. Ushering in the celebration, more than 60,000 Adventists participated in 30 marches throughout Guatemala earlier this month. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guatemala began in 1908 as a branch Sabbath School organized by E.L. Cardey and C.A. Nowlen in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala City. The church there now operates more than 800 churches and groups, 2,000 congregations, 25 institutions and a publishing house. -- Juan Francisco Lopez contributed to this story Mexican youth trained in multimedia for adding content to church Web sites July 21, 2008 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico ... [ Ansel Oliver/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raul Lozano, communication director for the Adventist Church in Southern Mexico, teaches the basics of newswriting during a July 14 workshop in Cancun. He and other leaders hope the traveling workshop held in five cities will empower young people to serve as local reporters and Web producers for their congregations. [photo: German Rodrmguez] Brother Lozano's traveling media training show made a five-city tour earlier this month. Seventh-day Adventist Church communication leaders trained nearly 130 of the church's young people to produce news articles and videos for the Web in a series of one-day workshops across Southern Mexico. The training was offered in response to this region's release earlier this year of netAdventist, Web site publishing software which allows every Adventist church to have a free hosted Web site with content sharing capabilities. Razl Lozano Rivera, the church's communication director for the region, said the workshops were designed to empower young people to maintain their own congregation's Web site, thereby serving as local eyes and ears for church news reporters. "I want the church to see that there are effective and fun ways to involve youth in God's mission," Lozano said. "These kids can accomplish a lot if they are trained and allowed to participate." The workshops, held between July 8 and 16, offered basic courses in Web design, newswriting, podcasting, video and photography for local churches. "I like communication as a career [possibility]," said Anahm Rodrmguez, a member of the Bienestar Social Adventist Church in Tuxtla Gutiirrez. "I came to see what instruction given here we could apply in our church." Some young Adventist Church members in the region have already been experimenting with communication technology in anticipation of their church's Web sites. Oscar Ruiz and three other teenagers from the Pichucalco Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern state of Chiapas agreed to form a multimedia production team. They bought a digital camera and a high-definition video camera to begin production. "We've always liked multimedia," Ruiz said. "But we needed training." The workshops were held in the cities of Tapachula, Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez and Pichucalco in the state of Chiapas, in Cancun, Quintana Roo, and in Merida, Yucatan. "Youth are excited about this because they see the possibilities and they see a spot they can fill," Lozano said. Church leaders say they plan to offer similar training next year. Bookmarks: Is radical conservatism key to reaching younger generations? July 21, 2008 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ... [ Megan Brauner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seventh-day Adventist theologian Jon Paulien uses his latest book, "Everlasting Gospel, Everchanging World," to make the case for a different attitude toward evangelism. There are two analogies used to describe spreading the gospel: the "city on the hill" and the "salt of the earth," writes Paulien, dean of the School of Religion at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, United States. The first approach involves Christians ensconced in a shining city that radiates God's light over the surrounding countryside. Inhabitants of the hill send out scouts from time to time to bring outsiders into the safety of the city walls. Most of the time, however, Christians stay safe from secular influences by remaining inside the walls and associating only with fellow believers. The second method, the salt of the earth, requires Christians to mix thoroughly with the people around them and gradually change the flavor of the world by their very presence. Paulien coins the phrase "radical conservatism" to illustrate a give-and-take attitude that's still firmly rooted in the gospel. Adventists are often leery of such models, and Paulien doesn't belittle that fear. Instead, he maintains that both strategies have their purpose and neither is inherently superior. However, "Everlasting Gospel, Everchanging World" illustrates which method is effective when it comes to reaching secular or postmodern individuals. While people of any age can be classified as secular, postmoderns are generally referred to as those aged forty and younger. These individuals are much more receptive to an accepting, one-on-one approach, the method Paulien illustrates with the salt analogy. To meet the needs of the skeptical and cynical postmodern, Christians need to first meet physical and emotional needs, listen, understand, and last of all offer advice or instruction. Paulien's delicate handling of the topic shows his reluctance to alienate Adventists who practice "traditional" evangelism methods. He also diplomatically says that not everyone may be able to practice this school of evangelism, as being part of the world (but not exactly like it) may prove too spiritually risky for some. At the same time, he draws undeniable parallels between the ministries of Jesus and Paul, the writings of Ellen White, and the salt method. For Adventists who already have a postmodern viewpoint, "Everlasting Gospel" can be useful in understanding their parents and grandparents who may struggle with changing mindsets in the church. Younger generations of Adventists may already instinctively know how to reach fellow postmoderns. Paulien's book provides clarification on a topic that the Adventist Church seems to struggle with. "Everlasting Gospel" is relevant in a culture often defined by tent meetings and mass baptisms. Paulien makes solid points and coherent, mild arguments. He believes wholeheartedly in the topic, and he meets his target audience on neutral ground. Adventists who feel they don't relate to the postmodern worldview or quite understand how to reach that culture will find this book an excellent place to start. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- news.adventist.org ANN World News Bulletin is a review of news and information issued by the Communication department from the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. It is made available primarily to religious news editors. Our news includes dispatches from the church's international offices and the world headquarters. Reproduction Requirements: Reproduction of information in this article is encouraged. When reproducing this material, in full or in part, the words "Source: Adventist News Network" must appear under the headline or immediately following the article. The words "Source: Adventist News Network" must be given equal prominence to any other source that is also acknowledged. Ground 7 News Podcast: Ground 7 News is a review of news and information issued by the Communication Department from the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. Reproduction of the ANN podcast is encouraged. When rebroadcasting this material, in full or in part, the words "Source: Adventist News Network" must be mentioned before and after the podcast. ANN Staff: Rajmund Dabrowski, director; Ansel Oliver, assistant director; Taashi Rowe, editorial coordinator; Elizabeth Lechleitner, editorial assistant. Portuguese translation by Azenilto Brito, Spanish translation by Marcos Paseggi, Italian translation by Vincenzo Annunziata and Lina Ferrara and French translations by Stephanie Elofer. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.5.6/1572 - Release Date: 7/25/2008 6:51 AM
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