ANN Bulletin - July 30, 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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#179180 - 08/02/08 09:58 PM ANN Bulletin - July 30, 2008
magilly46 Registered: 10/29/02 Posts: 183 Loc: BC	Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters July 30, 2008 In This Issue: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lithuania: Government recognizes Adventist Church Church now qualifies for state subsidies, tax exemptions July 28 Kaunas, Lithuania Religious liberty celebrated in Honolulu Hawaii hosts first religious freedom festival in United States July 24 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Western Australia: New e-ministry links Adventist men Study shows just 35 percent of men have best friend in church; from 'spectator' to 'partaker' July 28 Perth, Western Australia Norway: Church literature sales up 20 percent increase in five weeks; literature evangelism celebrates 100 years in country July 16 Vik, Norway -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lithuania: Government recognizes Adventist Church July 28, 2008 Kaunas, Lithuania ... [ Megan Brauner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bertold Hibner, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lithuania, stands outside the church's headquarters in Kaunas, Lithuania. On July 15 the country's government officially recognized the church as a religious community. [photo: courtesy Baltic Union Conference] The Lithuanian government granted the Seventh-day Adventist Church's application for state recognized status on July 15, qualifying the church for state subsidies and certain tax exemptions, as well as excusing theology students and clergy from military service. "State recognition for the Seventh-day Adventist church in Lithuania means that its contribution to public life and culture is recognized," said Bertold Hibner, president of the Adventist Church in Lithuania. "I hope that the church will see it as a strong commission to serve and proclaim to the community the good news of the gospel." Lithuanian law separates religious communities into four categories: traditional, state recognized, registered and unregistered. Only traditional and state recognized religious organizations have insurance payment exemptions for clergy and employees, and are not taxed for services such as electricity, heating, and phone. To qualify for state recognition, Lithuanian law requires non-traditional religious entities to be registered in the country for a minimum of 25 years. Government status does not legally affect the ability of a religious organization to worship or reach out to communities; it refers to types of benefits received. The Adventist Church was established in Lithuania in 1919, with current membership numbering over 900. Religious liberty celebrated in Honolulu July 24, 2008 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States ... [ Megan Brauner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Participants lead a song service during the Festival of Religious Liberty in Honolulu, Hawaii, July 12 to 13. The festival was the first held in the United States. Representatives from more than a dozen religious communities gathered in Honolulu, Hawaii July 12 to 13 for the first Festival of Religious Liberty held in the United States. Sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Festival celebrated religious freedom through musical performances and discussions. Participants expressed appreciation to government officials for the roles they play in maintaining the right to worship freely. Mayor of Honolulu Mufi Hanneman greeted festival attendees on July 13. Hanneman said he appreciated the work of the Adventist church in encouraging peace and understanding among people of different faiths. The department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL), part of the Seventh-day Adventist church, organizes similar events in countries all over the world, including Peru, Russia and South Africa. These festivals raise awareness about the need for religious liberty. Western Australia: New e-ministry links Adventist men July 28, 2008 Perth, Western Australia ... [ Elizabeth Lechleitner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Members of a new Internet-based men's ministry in Western Australia recently met up for a camping trip. Ministry founder Danny Bell says most men are more likely to bond and open up about their spiritual lives outside of often emotion-charged church services. [photo: courtesy WACMEN] A new monthly e-newsletter is linking Seventh-day Adventist men in Western Australia, church leaders there report. The Western Australian Conference Men's E-News (WACMEN) is expected to encourage men to be "partakers" rather than "spectators" in the pews, says Danny Bell, e-newsletter editor. WACMEN is the first initiative of a men's ministry network in Western Australia that began meeting last month to address the challenge of interesting and involving men in church activities. Adventist Church statistics estimate that the 16 million-strong worldwide membership is approximately 70 percent women. Protestant church leaders and researchers have suggested that because churches often promote a nurturing and often emotion-focused environment, services and activities likely appeal to fewer men than women. "Average guys on the street are getting a very strong message that church is for sissies," Bell says. "Whether we believe this or not isn't the point. If we cannot meet [men] where they are than we will never reach them." Gender-based differences in response to religious questions are more pronounced than those between any other demographic categories, including age, education level and geographic region, a series of Gallop polls conducted over the past several years reveals. The study, "Religion and Gender: A Congregation Divided," indicates that 51 percent of women compared to 35 percent of men surveyed have a "best friend" in their congregation. The poll also reports that men were less likely to be engaged in their congregation, but that the difference in involvement evaporates when men are given opportunities to use their strengths in the church and when church activities catered to their interests are available. "Today's church culture favors, even expects, participation in intimate, nurturing behavior such as singing, hand-holding, sitting in circles and sharing feelings," Christian author David Murrow writes in Why Men Hate Going to Church (Thomas Nelson, 2004). Murrow adds that because many men feel uncomfortable in such environments, they eschew church attendance. Because WACMEN is email-based it creates a non-threatening environment in which many men are more likely to open up, Bell says. "Guys have told me that they appreciate just being heard without the raised eyebrows they get at church when talking about things that bother them." Response to the e-newsletter has so far been positive, Bell says. "We've got around 100 subscribers but that's growing rapidly." Right now WACMEN is localized, but Bell hopes the idea catches on globally. He says men's groups can run parallel rather than compete with the often well-established women's groups at local churches. "The church cannot continue to have a mentality that says, 'If [men] don't like church, then that's their problem.' We need to look at ourselves and see if we're doing anything to scare them off," he says. Norway: Church literature sales up July 16, 2008 Vik, Norway ... [ TED Staff/ANN Staff ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Student workers at the Adventist publishing house in Norway are helping increase the church's book sales in the country, where outreach through literature evangelism is celebrating 100 years. [photo: courtesy Norsk Bokforlag] Sales at the Seventh-day Adventist publishing house in Norway climbed 20 percent the past five weeks, due largely to 55 student booksellers hired this summer as part of its program to support students from developing countries, literature evangelists there say. Adventist publisher Norsk Bokforlag is hosting students from Adventist institutions and universities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Haiti, India and Ghana this year. The job gives students a chance to participate in the ministry of the church while helping to finance their studies and help their families. Some earn enough to finance community outreach projects back in their native countries. Church leaders say the work prepares young people for future leadership positions. Norway is one of the few European countries that allow denominations to hire students from outside the country to participate in literature evangelism. The student program at Norsk Bokforlag was founded in 1967. Norwegian Adventists are celebrating the 100th anniversary of literature evangelism in their country this year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 270.5.10/1586 - Release Date: 8/1/2008 6:59 PM
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