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

12 January 2005

In this Issue:

* Netherlands: Dutch people begin to discover the Adventist church
* Sudan: A conflict that became a blessing for the church
* Dubai: Pathfinders help pack two 40ft containers for tsunami
victims
* Cyprus: The priest started it
* TED Prayer Guide for week 16 ? 22 January


DUTCH PEOPLE BEGIN TO DISCOVER THE ADVENTIST CHURCH

HUIS TER HEIDE, NETHERLANDS [ANR] ? For a long time the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in the Netherlands has found it very difficult to
persuade non-members to visit their Churches. Also, church members
have seemed quite reluctant to invite their relatives and friends to
attend Adventist church services. However, there are hopeful signs
that this situation is gradually changing.

Various Adventist churches reported a high number of visitors during
special Christmas services, some of whom had never been inside a
church. The Groningen Seventh-day Adventist Church saw its sanctuary
almost completely filled, with some 70 or 80 non-member guests
participating. During a special service some weeks ago, when church
members were urged to invite friends and relatives, over 50 guests
attended. Pastor Rob de Raad is leading his church in a concerted
strategy to make his church ?visitor-friendly? and more special
services are being planned with a mixed member/non-member audience in
mind. Small group work and special training courses for the members
are part of the over-all strategy.

Although the Groningen church may have the clearest long-term
strategy in opening its church doors to visitors, there is clearly a
similar trend in many churches. Whether the indigenous members are
learning from their immigrant brothers and sisters from other
cultures, who have no qualms about inviting their friends to church,
is difficult to say. It also seems that Adventism is no longer
regarded by many as a strange sect. Whichever may be the case, Dutch
church leaders are happy about this positive trend and will do all
they can to encourage it.

[Reinder Bruinsma/ANR]


A CONFLICT THAT BECAME A BLESSING FOR THE CHURCH

DARFUR, SUDAN [ANR] ? One month ago, two global mission workers from
the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Darfur were arrested on the
pretence of instigating public disorder by preaching in the open
market place to an audience of people from different denominations.

Some local Christians became interested after seeing eight of their
members baptized. This upset the local church leader who quarrelled
with the group and then together with the local authority, instigated
a court case for public disorder. The verdict directed the church to
pay about three hundred dollars and the global mission workers be put
in prison.

The members of the local Christian church felt that the verdict was
unjust, especially because the incident had been instigated by the
local church leader who influenced the local authorities.

This whole incident proved to be very positive as the behaviour of
the two global mission workers was polite and they remained faithful
to the truth even in prison. As a result the whole membership of the
local Christian church wants to join the Adventist church and we are
sending our district leader William Oliver to prepare these 43 people
for baptism.

South Darfur and the surrounding region are expecting about 250 new
members to be baptized including the people mentioned above.

[Paul Yithak/Bassam Asmar/ANR]


PATHFINDERS HELP PACK TWO 40FT CONTAINERS FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES [ANR] ? A request was made by the Trinity
Anglican Church, whose compound the Adventists rent for their weekly
services, to help pack supplies collected for the Asia tsunami
victims. Fifteen Pathfinders from Dubai Seventh-day Adventist Church
responded by sorting clothes into piles for men, women and children;
packing food, shoes, blankets and other urgent supplies into boxes
and loading them into two 40ft containers.

The Pathfinders were encouraged to assist in their local community's
humanitarian efforts in order to help them understand that they are
part of a joint effort and part of the community. "It was good to see
that all the national and political barriers were overcome as people
came together as one family, to help," says Victor Harewood, pastor
of the Southern Gulf region of the Adventist Church, which includes
the United Arab Emirates. Pastor Harewood states that many of the
churches in the UAE have raised funds for Southern Asia. "The target
for the Dubai church alone is 5,000 Dirhams (about $1,360)."

Additionally, the Pathfinders have covenanted to keep the
tsunami-affected people in their personal prayers.

[Alex Elmadjian/ANR]


THE PRIEST STARTED IT

NICOSIA, CYPRUS [ANR] ? The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nicosia,
Cyprus welcomed a visitor to their services last Sabbath. Joe, a
retiree from the UK who has lived in Cyprus for seven years, called
our office for directions to the Adventist church. He had an amazing
story to tell.

Joe had been a faithful member of his church for 66 years. However,
last summer his priest announced that the following week, Mass would
be held on Saturday because he wanted to leave early for a vacation.
Joe objected, "But Father, we can't do that. The Bible says we are to
keep God's Sabbath holy."

The priest smiled condescendingly and said, "Joe, it is OK. It won't
hurt at all to do it. In fact, the Bible says that Saturday is the
Sabbath, not Sunday." Really upset, Joe went out and bought a Bible
(the first he had ever had) and started reading. He also searched the
satellite channels for a programme that might help and found
Adventist television. The discussions he heard were about the Bible,
the Sabbath, Revelation and what happens when you die. Listening
carefully he checked the Bible texts and discovered that his Priest
was right about the Sabbath and these people were teaching what the
Bible said.

Confused, he didn't know what to do. He went to several other
priests, including one in England, none of whom would discuss with
him about the Sabbath. As one turned and walked away, Joe called out
after him, "Father, please don't walk away. If I was a drunk or a
druggie you would stop to help me. I am a fellow Christian, and I
just want to know the truth." Their only advice was to quit reading
his Bible because it was too hard to understand.

Joe continued watching Adventist television for six months and tried
to find the Adventist church in Cyprus. Finally his daughter found
the phone number for the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in the Middle East, based in Cyprus and he called.

Attending church last Sabbath where we were celebrating Communion,
was a real joy for him and answered a further question that he had.
Joe told us that he feels he is a Seventh-day Adventist. Now he is
rejoicing in his new family - one that keeps the Sabbath because the
Bible says so and not just because it will let someone start their
vacation early.

[Homer Trecartin/ANR]


TED PRAYER GUIDE FOR WEEK 16 ? 22 JANUARY

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND [ANR] ? For many years, the peoples of some
countries have had to live with a lack of freedom to practice various
faiths and beliefs that may differ from the State religion. Even
today we hear of countries that pass laws that directly contravene
Human Rights.

However the world is going through a time of change. Some countries,
which in the past have been very rigid in their laws, are seeing the
need to become more tolerant of other faiths, even if in some
instances that need is for an ulterior motive.

Other countries, ravaged by war, fought in the name of religion are
leaving peoples lives ruined, rather than uplifted by their faith.

Prayer Requests:

1. For individuals in countries where Religious Liberty is forbidden..
2. For countries who are seeking to become more tolerant of other
religions.
3. For countries where practicing faith is made impossible by war..
4. For the work of the International Religious Liberty Association

[Miroslav Pujic/ANR]


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ANR Staff: Miroslav Pujic, news director, Beverly Coysten, editor
ANR, 119 St Peter's Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3EY, England
E-mail: anr@ted-adventist.org
Website: www.ted-adventist.org

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