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

27 April 2005

In this Issue:

* Slovenia: Adventists invited to introduce themselves on national
radio
* Germany: Church president encourages Adventist youth to 'become
owners; take responsibility' in church
* Macedonia: Reaching minds through print
* TED Prayer Guide for week 1 ? 7 May


ADVENTISTS INVITED TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES ON NATIONAL RADIO

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA [ANR] ? On Friday, 22 April, Zmago Godina,
President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Slovenia was invited
by the national radio station to present the Seventh day Adventist
Church, its beliefs and practices, in an evening programme.

For an hour and a half pastor Godina answered questions about our
beliefs, the history of the Church and the lifestyle of our members.
Various subjects were discussed, such as The Holy Bible; Jesus and
His part in our salvation; the Sabbath; humans; death and
resurrection; and Christ's second coming. In his talk he also
emphasized the work of Adventist Development and Relief Agency
(ADRA), the humanitarian work of the church; the Bible correspondence
school; publishing work and health promotion in the Adventist Church.

Time was allowed for comments on current events in the world such as
the election of the new pope, ecumenism and the position of
Adventists regarding homosexual marriages. The journalist who
interviewed pastor Godina commended the Church for its choice of
music that was presented on the programme as an addition to the
dialogue.

Although Adventists in Slovenia have participated in previous radio
programmes, it is the first time the Adventist Church was presented
in a full programme on the national radio.

Adventist World Radio has helped to establish and equip a small
studio in the Conference administration building, where short
3-minute programmes with spiritual, health and motivating messages
are prepared and transmitted from eight local or commercial radio
stations in Slovenia.

[Zvonko Virtic/ANR]


CHURCH PRESIDENT ENCOURAGES ADVENTIST YOUTH TO 'BECOME OWNERS; TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY' IN CHURCH

DARMSTADT, GERMANY [ANR] ? Young adults in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church must "become owners; take responsibility ... in your church;
in your congregation," Pastor Jan Paulsen, world church president,
told a multi-national audience of European Adventist students during
a live broadcast 26 April. The programme was held at Marienhoehe
Adventist Church on the campus of Marienhoehe College in Darmstadt,
Germany.

Called 'Let's Talk ? Europe', the broadcast, hosted by Gabi Ziegler,
an Adventist journalist, featured church youth from 12 European
nations and was aired via the church's Hope Channel television
service. It will be rebroadcast globally in the next 24 hours and is
available via the 'Let's Talk' web site which is designed to connect
young people with the church's leadership.

"I care a lot about the church; and by 'the church' I don't mean
buildings; I don't mean elected people like myself. There are people;
two-thirds of our global family are under 32 years of age," Pastor
Paulsen said at the beginning of the broadcast. "We haven't done very
well in linking with them. I cannot do it all, but ... I do want to
hear what the young people have to say to us."

During the ensuing hour, Pastor Paulsen addressed a wide range of
topics raised by the studio audience, and invited further questions
via the Let's Talk Web site.

One of the first questions asked was about the composition of the
delegates at the 2005 General Conference Session in St. Louis,
Missouri, United States, the world church's quinquennial business
meeting. How many would be young people?

"Delegate selection is done by the church globally. We've asked them
not to only pick people elected into office; select some who are
young and also some women," said Pastor Paulsen, adding that "we had
a short list of 25 or 30 vacant slots that were appointed by our
[world] headquarters. I requested that at least eight of these be
under 30 years of age ... and that was done."

Encouraging youth participation in church life was a major theme of
the broadcast. Asked about tensions created between new churches and
older congregations, Pastor Paulsen acknowledged that this is a
situation sometimes encountered all over the world. However he added,
"I am so delighted that so many young people take initiative in
establishing a community in the name of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church that will attract strangers. Maybe there are some tensions
that will cause headache, but I am delighted this is being done."

He continued, "If we pray for each other more seriously, we will
judge each other less frequently."

Several audience members raised the matter of inter-church relations.
Pastor Paulsen emphasized the need for understanding: "There should
not be a battle between me and Christians of other churches. I am, as
each one of us should be ... a spokesperson for Christ. [We should]
accept the honesty and sincerity of other people, even though we may
disagree with them."

Asked about the recent events in the Roman Catholic Church, Pastor
Paulsen said, "There is no doubt that the new Pope will have an
enormous impact on society. I will wait and see what the future
holds."

Confronted with the question of how the church can speak out on
homosexuality without seeming homophobic, Pastor Paulsen emphasized
the Bible's teachings against homosexual practice, but also noted a
need for grace. "If the Lord was going to start out with only loving
perfect people, I for one would be in trouble," he said. "If we
minister to them all ... those who have this tendency, may see a
better way, but while they do that, we see them as human beings who
have great value to God."

Before concluding the programme with a prayer that God would
strengthen young people, Pastor Paulsen counselled his audience to
become active in church life. "As you grow and develop and mature in
that, the church's dependence on you will also grow. The worst you
can do is pull back and be a spectator in the church," he said. "Be
assertive when you go home, just be strong."

"Dr. Paulsen was very open and honest with us. You could tell he was
one of us. He was authentic with his answers to our questions," said
Sara Gehler, a 24 year-old university student from Berlin. Julian
Muller, a 25-year-old music student agreed, "Dr. Paulsen offered good
answers to difficult questions but we needed more time."

"Let's Talk--Europe," is the third in a series of unscripted,
unedited conversations between young people and their church leader.
The previous two were held in the United States.

To view the broadcast on line go to:
http:///www.letstalk.adventist.org,

[Mark A. Kellner/ANN/ANR]


REACHING MINDS THROUGH PRINT

SKOPJE, MACEDONIA [ANR] ? American writer, Wendell Phillips, once
said, ?What gunpowder did for war, the printing press has done for
the mind!? The main task of the church is to cause people to open
their minds to matters of eternal significance.

The 600 church members in the small Balkan state of Macedonia are
prioritising print in their efforts to communicate a message of hope
to the country?s two million inhabitants.

Publishing house manager, Nikola Tasevski, reports that more than
thirty books in total have been translated and published up to this
point in time, and more than 140,000 copies have been circulated.
Additionally, in excess of 500,000 brochures and periodicals have
been distributed.

The leading sellers are:
'Steps to Christ' (5 editions) ? 35,000
'2000 and Beyond' by Mark Finley ? 30,000
'Jesus Christ ? the Incomparable Messiah' ? 27,000
'Great Controversy' (3 editions) ? 19,000

?In our strategy to capture minds for Christ we have distributed
books to people of all walks of life ? with particular emphasis on
the thought leaders,? says Tasevski. Consequently, in the capital
city of Skopje, all the university professors, academics,
politicians, editors and lawyers have received different titles,
together with an explanatory letter. Many recipients have requested
extra copies.

In collaboration with the church?s headquarters in Tirana, a new goal
is to print a range of books which will facilitate communication with
the seven million Albanian-speaking people scattered throughout
Europe. These will be distributed through display stands at large
public gatherings, the efforts of book agents, and through the
presentation of complimentary copies ? as funds allow.

Commenting about the emphasis on publications in Macedonia, John
Arthur, Publishing Director for the Adventist Church in the
Trans-Europe region, stated, ?Usually there are several different
factors which lead people to a life-changing experience with Jesus
Christ. As the members and pastors throughout Macedonia incorporate
the printed page into their array of spiritual weaponry, may many
more in that part of the world begin to think seriously about God?s
offer of salvation through Jesus Christ?.

[ANR Staff/ANR]


TED PRAYER GUIDE FOR WEEK 1 ? 7 MAY 2005

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND [ANR] ? After days of walking, exhausted Sudanese
refugees stagger out of the desert into the dusty border towns of
Chad with stories of massacre, rape and looting in a new ethnic
cleansing. They tell tales of Arab Janjaweed, militiamen on horses or
camels, who descend on African villages at dawn and open fire with
rifles and grenades. The raiders steal their animals and burn their
homes, forcing the villagers to flee for their lives.

Foreign aid agencies and international human rights groups say this
pattern of persecution has been repeated over and over in Sudan for
14 months. At least 110,000 people have fled to Chad, where aid
agencies say 1,000 refugees a week are dying from hunger and disease.
Another 720,000 have abandoned the countryside and sought refuge in
Darfur's cities and towns.

Aid workers say they are able to reach about 350,000 vulnerable
people, about a third of those in need. Their plight can only get
worse. Three years of drought and 14 months of war may soon be
followed by famine.

Prayer Requests:

1. The displaced people in Sudan who are suffering from war resulting
in drought, hunger, oppression and who are in need of help to
survive.
2. ADRA staff as they carry out ADRA?s special ministry to the
suffering needy in the world.

[Roy Richardson/ANR]


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