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

14 December 2005

In this Issue:

* Cyprus: New leadership team appointed for Adventist Church in
Middle East
* England: Strong Adventist presence on BBC television and radio this
Christmas
* The Netherlands: Church paper receives New Year make-over
* TED Prayer Guide for week 18 ? 24 December


NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM APPOINTED FOR ADVENTIST CHURCH IN MIDDLE EAST

NICOSIA, CYPRUS [ANR] ? After a search process lasting some months,
the Seventh-day Adventist church in the Middle East Region is to have
a new administrative team. Dr Kjell Aune, president was appointed by
the Trans-European Division Executive Committee at its Winter
Meetings in November. Conrad Vine, secretary-treasurer was appointed
by the Trans-European Division Administrative Committee and both were
formally introduced to and confirmed in their appointments by the
Middle East Union Executive Committee on 5 December, at the
commencement of the church?s year-end meetings in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Dr Aune, who has significant administrative experience, is currently
serving as president of the Adventist church in Egypt and will hold
both positions until a new leader can be appointed for Egypt. Dr Aune
and his wife Marianne are from Norway and have two grown daughters.

Conrad Vine, who has business and theological training, has worked
for Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for the past ten
years. Currently pastoring churches in London, Conrad and his wife
Luda who comes from Russia, together with their two young children
will move to Cyprus in spring 2006.

During the year-end meetings the members of the executive committee
were delighted to be able to vote a number of people to serve the
church at the following locations: North Sudan ? Dr Miroslav Djidara
(president), Francis Achire (treasurer), Laszlo Szabo (ministerial
secretary); East Mediterranean Region ? ¬ Salim Farah (acting
secretary-treasurer).

The Adventist Church in the fourteen countries that comprise the
Middle East region has a membership of approximately 15,000. Because
of the instability within the region it has been a constant challenge
to recruit willing persons to staff some of the church?s employment
vacancies.

[Alex Elmadjian/ANR]


STRONG ADVENTIST PRESENCE ON BBC TELEVISION AND RADIO THIS CHRISTMAS

WATFORD, ENGLAND [ANR] ? British Adventist musicians are once again
to be featured in high profile media events with the BBC (British
Broadcasting Corporation) during this holiday season.

The London Adventist Chorale under the direction of Ken Burton will
be featured on two radio channels in 2 separate programmes on
Christmas Day and another in January when the Adventist group ?Take
Six? will also be featured.

This weekend, representatives from the Croydon Seventh-day Adventist
Church Choir also under the direction Ken Burton will be part of a
choral group in a national television quiz programme.

The ?Adventist Vocal Ensemble? will take part on Christmas Day in the
?Big Sing? from London?s Royal Albert hall. The programme will be
part of the popular television broadcast, ?Songs of Praise? and will
feature the nation?s top ten carols. A quartet from the same ensemble
will also feature in ?Songs of Praise? in January.

[John Surridge/ANR Staff/ANR]


CHURCH PAPER RECEIVES NEW YEAR MAKE-OVER

HUIS TER HEIDE, THE NETHERLANDS [ANR] ? Beginning with the January
2006 issue the church paper of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in
the Netherlands will be totally revamped. The editorial formula of
Advent is changing drastically.

The current journal, published on a subscription basis, offers
in-depth articles on various theological and social issues, while
also providing a limited coverage of domestic Adventist news and
denominational news from elsewhere.

The new formula will emphasize news coverage, human interest features
and information about future events. Advent also gets a complete
graphic overhaul with many additional visual features and 16 of its
32 pages in full colour.

Another novelty will be its method of distribution. The monthly
magazine will be sent by mail to every Adventist home in the country
and ?friends? of the church may also receive the journal. While a
substantial gift has been contributed towards making this project a
reality, we are hoping that periodic voluntary gifts from subscribers
will help defray the considerable expenses.

?The Netherlands Union?, says Reinder Bruinsma, president of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Netherlands ?believes that this
new approach will prove to be a good investment and a great blessing.
We urgently need a channel for effective communication with all our
church members and I believe that this will go a long way towards
realizing this goal.?

[ANR Staff/ANR]


TED Prayer Guide for week 18 ? 24 December 2005

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND [ANR] ? Towards the end of last year one of my
brothers phoned and asked what I would like as a Christmas present.
Like many families all over the world, we love to get together
through the festive season to spend gift-sharing times with those we
haven?t seen all year. When the exciting time came to open his
beautifully wrapped present, I was at first bewildered then couldn?t
contain my laughter as I read the following:-

?
did you say nothing? When you were asked what you wanted for
Christmas don?t you remember saying, ?NOTHING?. Well this time
someone heard you, searched high & low, and found this perfect
gift
THE JAR OF NOTHING?.

Unlike my gift-giver who gave me something that was ?nothing? for
Christmas, God gave us something of great value ? His Son. His
greatest desire for us is that we ?Ask
seek
and knock
for everyone
who asks receives; he who seeks finds
and to him who knocks, the door
will be opened? Luke 11:9, 10.

Prayer Requests:

1. That we will daily accept the gift of His Son to live in our lives
2. That we will ask, seek and find the good gifts our Heavenly Father
desires for us ? love, peace, joy etc.,
3. That we can share with others ? that, the greatest gift of all is
returning to take us to live forever in his homeland - Heaven.

[Nerida Richardson/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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