Email Newsletter of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Contents:
BUC PRESIDENT DEFENDS JESUS AT DEBATING SOCIETY
WINNING CHILDREN!
A NEW LOOK AT ELLEN WHITE
KAJIADO GIRLS' SCHOOL MISSION TRIP
NEWCASTLE BAPTISES SIX
PATHFINDER AND YOUTH BAPTISM AT PORTSMOUTH
NEW GROUP FOR CHADWELL HEATH
BIBLE SOCIETY SURVEY
SMOKE FREE SIGNAGE FOR CHURCHES
THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT
LATEST MESSENGER ONLINE
THIS WEEK'S "IN CONVERSATION"
TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION PRAYER GUIDE
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BUC PRESIDENT DEFENDS JESUS AT DEBATING SOCIETY [Peter Jeynes, Minister,
Darlington and Middlesbrough/BUC News]
The best news can often be written before the event – and so it proved to be on Friday, 27 April, the night that the Durham Students Union debated the motion, 'This house believes that Jesus Christ is the Way, The Truth and the Life'.
The speakers to the motion included Christian Philosopher Professor Richard Swinburne from the University of Oxford – described by one of the opposition speakers as "the top man in his field", The Right Reverend Brian Smith – Anglican Bishop of Edinburgh – and Pastor Don McFarlane, President, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The opposition were hardly less well-known, Dr Stephen Law, whose book, The Philosophy Files was described as, "brilliantly original introduction to philosophy for teenagers. Stephen Law manages to make the subject both meaningful and accessible." Along with Stuart Sim – another published author and Thomas Bull – a student from the University and finalist in the world public speaking championships.
Pastor McFarlane was invited into the company of such luminaries as the debating society wanted a leader from a "Bible believing church". To be asked to speak on such a subject suggests that someone, somewhere, has heard that Seventh-day Adventists know something about Jesus. Pastor McFarlane took a theological approach to the subject looking at the context in which Jesus declared that he is "the Way, the Truth and the Life", and then emphasising what makes Jesus uniquely the way to heaven.
The debating hall, within sight and sound of the Cathedral, was packed – but not with theologians, philosophers and sundry academics but with a large crowd of young people who had decided that a debate was of greater importance than a Friday night on the town. The talk before the debate began was not whether United would win the league but rather whether there was, "any point in a religious experience" or "I've always been to church" and "I was an atheist before I became a Christian". Solid and encouraging stuff.
The debate did not reveal any new approaches in how to persuade people that Jesus really is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" nor did the opposition provide truly stunning arguments against our concept of God. What was important in the debate was revealed after the event.
Who won is not the issue – the motion was lost. That the debate took place and that many students were involved and became involved is the victory. People heard some of the issues and put their brains to work. Victory!
Following the debate Pastor MacFarlane said that for him the aim was to make sure that the name of the Church was announced and held high. But maybe more was at stake. As a church with a prophetic voice someone has recognised that Adventists do take the faith of Jesus seriously. Good news? Yes, but there is more! We must continue to shout aloud that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life – even in the precincts of Durham Cathedral if the opportunity is afforded.
A transcript of Pastor McFarlane's speech is available on the President's page of the BUC website, <www.adventist.org.uk>.
WINNING CHILDREN! [Karen Holford, SEC Associate Children's Ministries Director]
Services that involve children require adults to be patient and be comfortable with a certain amount of noise and 'chaos', following the lead of Jesus in Matthew 21:15-16. Adults may recognise that the discomfort they feel when worshipping in a child-centred way may be similar to the discomfort a child may feel worshipping week after week in an adult-centred worship environment. A packed service at Newbold church on Sabbath, 28 April gave ample opportunity for this exploration.
The 'Winning Children' event at Newbold church was a 'first' in the British Union. Organised by the South England Conference Children's Ministries team and Pastor Aris Vontzalidis of the Church Growth department, the day explored ways in which local churches can connect with children in their community and congregations, sharing the good news of God's amazing love with them.
A special family service, led by Pastor Bernie and Karen Holford from the SEC Children's Ministries department, set the tone for the day. The service opened with Adrian Rodgers with children from Kids Zone in West London, leading a time of praise and worship including actions and sign language. The service also included puppet teams Evangellion from Wales and The Animated Gospel Choir from London. Themed around the story of The Lost Sheep the programme included the Lords' Prayer with actions, hunting for the 'lost' words of the Scripture reading and creating sound effects and actions for the dramatic story of Skippy the Lost Sheep. All the children in the service received a special Lost Sheep activity pack. Exploring new and creative ways of worshipping as a community of young and old people gave opportunity to listen to the long-silenced voices of the children and to learn new ways of working together.
After lunch children and their families had the opportunity to experience different creative prayer activities, using pray-dough, bubbles, a globe, a gift bag, and a field of sheep. They could also try different crafts and make a Psalm 23 booklet, mystery paper-folding toy, an angel, a Lost Sheep bookmark, or an encouraging card.
During a plenary session three groups who are experimenting with child evangelism shared their different approaches for connecting with the children. The day then climaxed with workshops which included working with puppets, creative paper crafts, using parachute games to nurture spiritual learning, running holiday Bible schools, making the church service more child-friendly, nurturing children's spirituality, and running a Kids Zone programme.
Resources for ministering to children in your congregation are available from the SEC website: <http://www.secadventist.org/n_department_view.php?item_id=66>.
A NEW LOOK AT ELLEN WHITE [Faye Weeks/BUC News]
Why the need for a seminar on Adventist pioneer and spiritual leader, Ellen White? Was this pillar within the Seventh-day Adventist Church going to be destabilised? I walked into the Stanborough School Chapel on Sabbath, 28 April with trepidation only to hear BUC Communication director, Pastor Victor Hulbert, reassure me with a refreshing look at the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). He used the story to share the assurance of God's desire to save us based on His revelation through the prophets.
Professor Radisa Antic, curator of the Ellen White Research Centre at Newbold College, clarified many questions in my mind, reassured my belief in her as a lesser Light and compacted my great trust and faith in the greater Light of the Bible. He outlined ten reasons for the relevance of Ellen White ('the weakest of the weak' as he was heard to say more than once) in the twenty-first century. Outstanding among these was 'The Great Controversy Theme' between Christ and Satan which she outlined in her book of the same name and which he termed 'our system of theology'. Her emphasis on Christ and His eternal pre-existence, on education, on publication, on religious liberty and human rights were some of the reasons that helped to the significant establishment of the Adventist Church, and are still reasons for our existence today.
Based on Luke 24:27, Antic outlined six principles for looking at any topic from the Bible; Sola Scriptura, where explanations should firstly and only come from scriptures; Tota Scriptura, where we need to first look at the totality of statements from scripture on a topic; Sacra Scriptura Sui Ipsius Interpres, meaning that the scripture is its own interpreter; Spiritualia Spiritualiter Examinateur, where spiritual things must be spiritually discerned and spiritually examined; Historical Context and Literary Context. After applying these principles to a number of Bible passages he then ably demonstrated that we need to apply the same principles to Mrs White's writings. He emphasised that we need to include all that she has said on a subject and every statement she made must be understood within its historical context so that time, place, context can be taken into consideration. Thus the principle underlying each statement of counsel can be recognised in order to understand its relevance to certain people at a certain time. He emphasised that we should use commonsense and sanctified reasoning when discussing scriptural matters.
In a challenging debate, questions were raised about plagiarism, black equality and discrepancies in her writings. Concrete answers within the literary and historical context of her time led to a better understanding of the particular statements quoted.
Antic pointed that the Bible has discrepancies but explained that in the Bible, God is using human language. As Adventists we believe in thought inspiration. The thought behind the Word is absolute truth and the Word of God, but the writing down is left to man. He applied this same process to the writings of Mrs White.
Discussions continued on the meaning of revelation and the historical development of Christological matters such as the divinity and humanity of Christ leading to a desire for future meetings on both these subjects.
This was really a seminar for lay persons such as myself. The day gave me a reasoned method of approach and analysis for seeming anomalies and inconsistencies in Mrs White's writings and the Bible. Some came sceptical and to challenge, but left the day with new ideas and positive assurance. With a young, thinking and questioning element in our membership, meetings such as these do much to strengthen belief in the face of modern scepticism.
KAJIADO GIRLS' SCHOOL MISSION TRIP
Calling BUC News youth (and the young in body and soul)! A BUC Mission Project, being organised by the Youth department and sponsored by ADRA-UK, is leaving for Kenya on 28 June and returning on 17 July. Whilst there, the volunteers will be building and decorating an extension to the Kajiado Girls' School which looks after Maasai girls who have run away from the threat of forced early marriages and other traumatic events in their young lives. Local evangelism and health lectures plus a couple of day trips to nearby tourist attractions will form part of the extra-curricular activities. This is your chance to make a very real and practical difference in someone's life whilst experiencing a completely different culture and landscape. There are only 4 places remaining, so please don't delay. Make a difference and apply today. For full details and an application form please call Pastor Des Boldeau on 01923 672251, email <ndavison@adventist.org.uk> or visit <www.adventistinfo.org.uk/ departments/youth.php>.
NEWCASTLE BAPTISES SIX [Victor Samwinga]
Every Sabbath is special but at Newcastle church, Sabbath, 28 April was extra special. Six people, all but one in their teens, gave their lives to Jesus and publicly confirmed it by being baptized. Two brothers, Sebastian and Jan Labro amazed their parents with their decision to be baptized.
David, the oldest among those baptized, found the Lord in an amazing way, that depicts the age in which we live. Perplexed by subjects such as creation and evolution, he searched the internet for information. "I went on Google Video", he says, and "typed in the search box 'Mark of the Beast' and came across a video called 'Lamblike beast is the USA'. That caught my attention and I watched it. I wanted to know more so I went to the website that was listed at the end of the programme: <www.hopevideo.com/home.htm>." With time, David learnt about the Sabbath in one of the videos. He decided it was time to find the nearest Seventh-day Adventist church. Again, the internet proved most useful and he was able to find details of the nearest church from <www.adventist.org.uk>. Two days before last Christmas, David attended Newcastle church for the first time. He has been faithfully attending ever since.
Pastor Sandy Pairman encouraged the church members to be true to their own baptismal vows by nurturing the newly baptized. All six candidates were then unanimously voted into membership. Among those welcoming the candidates into church membership, was NEC Executive Secretary, Pastor Paul Haworth. He reminded the candidates that they were part of the worldwide family of Seventh-day Adventists. Earlier in the day, Pastor Haworth challenged the local church in his sermon, to be clear of the purpose why God established it in that specific area of Newcastle. This, he said, was the only way the church would fulfil it's purpose and be accounted a good and faithful steward in God's sight. Newcastle welcomes and congratulates Winona Sumikan, Ilona Telpova, Sebastian Labro, Jan Labro, Karolle Bencito and David Robins.
PATHFINDER AND YOUTH BAPTISM AT PORTSMOUTH [Kennedy Kundan]
The music was so good that people came in from the street to see what was happening. The church was packed and there was standing room only in the foyer. Sabbath, 28 April was a joyful occasion, particularly for the Portsmouth Pathfinder and Youth departments as three Pathfinders were among six youth getting baptised.
Pathfinder leader Sabrina said, "We know that you gave your hearts to Jesus long ago but to want to demonstrate it publicly is even more special." She went on to say, "Even when the Wright brothers invented the aeroplane there wasn't as much rejoicing in heaven as today." In honour of the occasion, the Pathfinders dressed in their uniform, giving a salute to their friends for making such a positive decision. A special moment came when Pastor Robin Lewis had the opportunity and honour to baptise his own two children. There were tears in the eyes of the parents as they saw these young adults give their lives to Christ. Portsmouth welcomes and congratulates: John Anderson, Michael Lewis, Desiree Lewis, Nosi Mdladlamba, Garby Martinez and Veera Schroeder. Pictures of the occasion will be available at <www.portsmouthadventist.org.uk>.
NEW GROUP FOR CHADWELL HEATH [Mark Gittens]
The Ilford Seventh-day Adventist church has given birth. After a 40 year gestation period the church has given birth to a little Branch Sabbath School in Chadwell Heath. We ask that you pray for mother and baby and ask for God's continued guidance. The group meet at RLC, Community Resource Centre, rear of 31 – 35 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Essex, RM6 6QJ every Sabbath from 10 am to 12 noon.
BIBLE SOCIETY SURVEY
The Bible Society is seeking to find out more about how people engage with the Bible through their churches. In order to do this, they have commissioned what promises to be the most comprehensive survey yet of twenty-first Century use of the Bible in England and Wales. The Bible Society would be extremely grateful if you could spare about ten minutes to complete the survey at <www.communicateresearch.com/biblesurvey>. Your identity as a respondent will remain strictly confidential and the survey is being conducted according to the Code of Conduct of the Market Research Society <www.mrs.org.uk>. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has always been a supporter of the work of the Bible Society and your taking the time to participate in this survey will help the society in developing and tailoring resources to help people engage more with the Bible through their churches.
SMOKE FREE SIGNAGE FOR CHURCHES
From 1 July England joins other parts of the UK and Ireland in legislating that public premises are smoke free. This will include places of worship and church halls. While Seventh-day Adventists have a positive health ethos and all our premises are already smoke free, it will now mean that our churches and halls will require a smoke free sign at the entrance. This must be A5 size, include the no smoking symbol and contain the words, "No smoking. It is against the law to smoke in these premises/church/hall etc." To turn what could be seen as a legalistic sign into a positive statement of Adventist health principles the BUC Communication and Health Ministries departments have produced a sign which is available for download and printing from the resources page of the BUC website <www.adventist.org.uk>. The sign includes the message, "The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in and practices positive health. As a smoke free community we are pleased to support the ban on smoking in public places."
THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT [Bert Smit, ADRA-UK Director]
In 2005, the G8 pledged $50 billion more aid, debt cancellation for up to 42 countries and access to affordable treatment for people with HIV/AIDS by 2010. Yet the rich nations have failed to deliver increased aid and debt cancellation. Trade Justice is still denied to poor countries. Attempts to address the impending climate catastrophe are faltering. The "Make Poverty History" campaign succeeded in getting a lot of media attention but we need to see more direct impact. Now, two years later we need more action.
The World Can't Wait for debt cancellation and more and better aid, trade justice, healthcare, education, water and sanitation for all, or firm plans to prevent catastrophic climate change and address its impacts.
On 6 - 8 June, world leaders will meet for the G8 summit in Germany. This summit is historic because it marks the half-way point to the deadline of 2015 for halving poverty. However, unless the rich nations take more decisive action we will fail to meet the goals and so fail those in poverty. Together with many other charities ADRA-UK is calling upon the government and world leaders to make significant changes.
Days before the summit, we have a chance to hold the rich nations to account for their failure to deliver on their promises, and to get them to go much further. In 2005 we showed how global pressure could force the world’s leaders to listen. In 2007, let's tell the G8 The World Can't Wait for action.
Visit <www.adra.org.uk> to find out more about what you can do. Follow The World Can't Wait link.
LATEST MESSENGER ONLINE
The latest edition of the Messenger, the official journal of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the UK and Ireland, can now be found online at <www.adventistnews.org.uk/messenger>. It is a special Souvenir Issue commemorating the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Packed with features, this is an issue you will not want to miss.
THIS WEEK'S "IN CONVERSATION"
"In Conversation" is an interview programme produced by the BUC's Media Centre and broadcast on Hope Channel Europe. This week Ashwin Somasundram shares how, for him, even holidays can be ministry. Details for this week's programmes are as follows:
2:30 am and 7:00 pm: Monday
8:30 am: Wednesday
4:30 am and 7:30 pm: Friday
12:30, and 1:30 am and 2:30 and 3:00 pm: Sabbath
The following week Pastor Nicolae Butoiu will be our guest. North American and International versions of Hope Channel are only available on the Internet here in Europe. To find out more and to watch Hope Channel online go to: <www.hopetv.org.uk>.
TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION PRAYER GUIDE
For Sabbath, 5 May our Bible focus is on Genesis 4:13. Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear". This week we need to ponder on how often have we misunderstood the reason for God's restorative justice.
BUC News is a weekly news bulletin produced by the British Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and edited by the Communication Department. Victor Hulbert, director; Mary Kapon, secretary. Items for inclusion should be sent to <bucnews@adventist.org.uk> and need to be received by 6.00 pm on Wednesday, preferably as simple email text. Coming Events and Small Ads should be kept short and preferably be submitted via the on-line form at: <www.adventist.org.uk/news>. The editor reserves the right to modify articles received to make them suitable for inclusion. The views expressed by individuals cited in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though we try to ensure that they do. You are free to re-print any portion of this bulletin without the need for special permission. However, we kindly request that you identify BUC News or other sources whenever you publish these materials. Back issues and an RSS feed are available on our website at <www.adventist.org.uk>.
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