TED News Bulletin Trans-European Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 9 January 2008 In this issue: ------------------------- * England: Division President’s New Year Message * Pakistan: Health Emphasis in Pakistan * Sweden: Nordic Youth Leaders Meet * Kenya: Political Unrest Affects Adventist University ------------------------- NEW YEAR GREETINGS...[Bertil Wiklander/TED News] St Albans, England - A new year has come, not only for the world, but for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division (TED). Let me first share with you, the readers of TED News, my warmest personal good wishes for God’s abundant blessing. I wish that this year might bring hope and unity in the faith as we continue to serve Him faithfully. There are countries and peoples, of course, that begin their new year at other times than now, especially in our division where Islamic and Jewish customs are well represented. It is simply practical for us to follow the Western Christian tradition in counting the years. What is essential, however, is that every new year, is a ‘year of the Lord’s favour’, which Christ came to proclaim. This ‘Christian year’ is not limited to God’s favour for me personally, as a power that brings me what I wish for and dream about, although some of that may be included too. Above all, however, as we see in Luke 4:19-20, proclaiming the Christian new year of the Lord’s favour is a ‘spirit-filled’ event affecting the people, one in which the servants of God are spiritually anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed. This is our mandate. This is our calling. This is our objective and reason for existence. As we pray and work, there are some matters I wish to bring to your attention: On January 8, I will be travelling to Florida where the General Conference leadership is having an important meeting. Among many vital plans for the future, a major proposal from our division will be discussed and acted upon. We believe that, if granted, the project will have a strong impact on the life of the church in our division. It is called ‘Relay Christ’, and focuses on children and youth, using Internet and Television technology both in Europe and the Middle East. I would ask all of you to pray earnestly to God for this project – not only that it may be granted, but also that it may be successfully implemented. We will keep you informed of how the matter proceeds. During the past days we have received news of political unrest in Pakistan. We have good news so far from our brothers and sisters in the country, in that none of our people have been hurt. However, our prayers are needed for this valued part of our division. A few days ago, a severe earthquake hit Greece, especially the southern part of Peloponnese. We have members and churches there, who suffered greatly by the fires last summer. We thank God that our people were protected during the earthquake, but continued prayers are needed for the growth and development of our church in Greece. For a long time we have prayed for more stability in the country of Lebanon, where our Middle East Union Headquarters has been situated since September. Some of us were able to visit Beirut in November and December and found that the church is doing well, while the political tensions relating to the election of a new national president continued. Let us continue to pray for Lebanon and the entire Middle East where peace is needed. A few days after my visit to Belgrade and Nis in Serbia in December, the South-East European Union Conference President informed me that a group of people had threatened our Theological Seminary in Belgrade and that a bomb had been found in the basement of the Adventist church in Sarajevo. The church leaders are working with the government and police to deal with these threats. We are thankful for God’s protection up to now, but we need your prayers for the situation in Serbia. These are only some examples of the many situations where we depend on the Lord’s favour in our work. We may work hard and do our very best, but without the Lord’s blessing, nothing will be accomplished. I therefore invite you all to take part in God’s work in our division by praying for protection and peace as we continue to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour. May God bless you and lead you as we work together and grow together in 2008. Bertil Wiklander President Trans-European Division of Seventh-day Adventists HEALTH EMPHASIS IN PAKISTAN...[Samuel Nazir/TED News Staff/TED News] Farooqabad, Pakistan – The Adventist Church Health Department in Pakistan, in association with the Pakistan Adventist Seminary and College church, at the end of 2007 organized a Health and Temperance Emphasis week, involving students, staff and local church members. Under the theme, “Heart of God”, health was promoted through speech contests, different races, games, and poster competitions emphasizing the need of abstaining from tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and advertising the benefits of healthy eating. After the completion of the programme, each participant was awarded a certificate, and trophies for first, second and third place were awarded by the Pakistan Union Executive Officers and other leaders. Organiser and Director of the Health Department, Samuel Nazir said, “There is always a meaning to everything we apply in life. What is ideal for me is to live a life acceptable in the sight of close friends, family members and all whom [I] come across in the community…” According to Samuel Nazir, the Health Department plans to run similar and further health programmes in Pakistan’s rural areas. NORDIC YOUTH LEADERS MEET...[SUC News/TED News Staff/TED News] Stockholm, Sweden – Thirteen national youth leaders from the Seventh-day Adventist church in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden assembled for meetings in Stockholm on 5 December 2007, to discuss various youth matters. During the meetings the report from the Valuegenesis Survey (a Seventh-day Adventist research study into the faith and values of young people attending the Adventist Church) was discussed, against the backdrop of the current trends and needs of young people of today. The aim of the discussions was to create action steps for constructive and effective responses in the local churches. In addition, plans were made for the upcoming Nordic youth camp in Denmark in October 2008; and visions for future joint youth events were shared and goals formulated. One such future event would be a Nordic Camporee, to be held in 2012. Youth Director in Sweden, Marianne Kolkmann said: “As youth directors, we have found in the Nordic countries that there are a lot of issues that will benefit from being addressed in a wider forum than merely that of our own country…In our meetings we aired ideas and received valuable input from youth directors working in a similar culture to our own, facing similar challenges. We also spent precious time lifting up in prayer each other and our work in this important time we live in.” The youth leaders, some of them also holding the position as Family and Children department leader, are planning to meet again next year. Then their main focus will be family- and children oriented, and plans will be made for future initiatives and directions in their local churches. POLITICAL UNREST AFFECTS ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY...[ANN/TED News Staff/TED News] Baraton, Kenya – Church leaders evacuated 280 students, staff and international workers from Seventh-day Adventist-owned University of Eastern Africa, Baraton to Nairobi on January 6. More than 100 staff members had earlier taken refuge at a local police station amid violence fuelled by contested election results in Kenya last week. Adventist Church officials in East-Central Africa secured funding over the weekend from world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, needed for the evacuation from the university to safer conditions in the country's capital. Roads to the airport have been blocked by mobs and the workers remain at the police station, said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the Adventist Church's Nairobi-based East-Central Africa Division. Preparations are underway to transport them to Nairobi. The situation in Nairobi, while "not back to normal," has improved, with most offices open and the city's transportation system running, said Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the church in East-Central Africa. While ethnic tensions eased over the weekend, church and national leaders anticipate violence will again escalate as opposition leaders challenge President Mwai Kibaki's second term. The moving of staff and students was meant to pre-empt conflict surrounding a series of countrywide political rallies planned for earlier this week, Mbwana said. [At the time of reporting, these demonstrations have been postponed.] Church leaders reiterated their call for nationwide restraint and reconciliation in a press statement released by the East African Union on January 4. The statement echoed an appeal to end violence released the day before by world church Executive Secretary Matthew A Bediako. "The responsibility of safeguarding and maintaining peace lies with each and every one of us," the statement read. It also urged Mr Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to engage in "honest and forthright" talks. "They should ... provide leadership in this dark hour by coming together in open and honest dialogue to bring a lasting solution to this impasse. Let us remember this country is bigger than all of us," the statement continued. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Kenya is providing emergency food assistance and medical supplies for displaced and affected families in coordination with other humanitarian agencies in the country. Meanwhile, church leaders in Kenya are working to help a group of Kenyan Adventist students on retreat in Rwanda back into the country. While some roads have reopened, most remain blocked, Mbwana said. Church leaders have sent food and basic supplies, including tents, to the students, all of whom remain stranded in Kampala, Uganda. __________________________________________________________________ TED News Staff: Paul Clee, News Director and Editor Heidi Kamal Kendel, Editorial Assistant 119 St Peter's Street, St Albans, Herts., AL1 3EY, England E-mail: tednews@ted-adventist.org Website: www.ted-adventist.org TED News is an information bulletin issued by the Communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division. 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