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TELL THE WORLD 10
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3Q T E S T I M O N Y 10 Global Mission frontline workers serve around the world each day telling their world about Christ Jesus. They, however, can’t reach everyone. The Lord depends on each one of His children to help tell His message. This special issue of Front Line Edition features the new Tell the World initiative to reach the world for Christ. As you read the following testimony of a young girl who became interested in Christianity as a result of her Adventist neighbors, please consider what you can do to witness in your community. –editor
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accepted Jesus into my life when I was 13, but my personal encounter with Him began long before. A group of Adventists lived near my family as I grew up. At first they were just our neighbors, then friends, and at last they became an important part of our lives. These people were very kind. They never talked to us about Jesus, I mean, not in a direct way. But by their behavior they showed us that they weren’t ordinary people. At a very young age I often heard my parents saying that these Adventists were
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Witnessing Through Actions only missing one thing: to convert to Islam so that they could go to heaven. According to my parents, these Adventists radiated incredible tenderness and affection. As a little girl, these words touched me very deeply and often I wondered why these people wouldn’t have the right to go to heaven even though they deserved it much more than many other people I knew. Why were these people—who we weren’t related to—so kind and loving toward us, even treating us as their own family? Then one day I discovered that my much older brother was reading the Bible. For several years I’d seen a book in his hands nearly every day. It was worn as he carried it everywhere he went. I was curious. What book would he need to read every day for school? I thought to myself. I determined that I would have to get a peek at this book when he wasn’t watching. One day while he was in class, I ventured into his room and picked up the book. It took me several weeks to read the whole thing because as soon as I heard the front
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By “Mary*”
I accepted Jesus into my life when I was 13, but my personal encounter with Him began long before.
door of the house open, I would rush to put the Bible back and leave my brother’s room before he noticed me. That is how I discovered the Bible. It was only after my encounter with Jesus and acceptance of Him in my life that I understood our Adventist friends’ behavior, their love and kindness toward everyone…. I understood that it was a commandment of the Lord to be put into practice: loving others as ourselves.
*Not her real name. “Mary” is from a country we can’t name to protect her safety.
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3Q 10
Couldn’t Say No to Go By Rick Kajiura
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elly McClurg was a social work/graphic design student at Southern Adventist University, in Tennessee, when she “decided” to go to Thailand as a student missionary with Adventist Volunteer Services. “I actually didn’t decide,” says Kelly, “God kind of decided that for me.” Kelly had friends who were going to Thailand and they kept asking her to go with them. “I would see them every so often, and they would ask me ‘Kelly, do you want to come to Thailand with us next year?’ and ‘I think you should come,’” says Kelly. But Thailand was a long way from school and home and Kelly wasn’t sure that’s where God wanted her to be. “I guess I couldn’t really say ‘no’ because I hadn’t really prayed about it, and I didn’t know for sure that God didn’t want me to go,” says Kelly. “So as I started praying about it and God kept revealing to me in subtle ways and then not so subtle ways that this is where he wanted me to be. So, I said, ‘Okay’ I’ll go.’” Kelly ended up in Bangkok at an Adventist outreach center in Thonburi. That’s where she met Yuwi. Yuwi’s parents ran a shoe store and were well known in the community. Yuwi used that influence to try and stop her friends from going to the outreach center. Sometimes she would even come on Sabbaths to see who came to class. After they left she would talk to them and say, “You know
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the center isn’t really a good place. Maybe you shouldn’t be going there.” But the Holy Spirit and people like Kelly had an effect on Yuwi’s heart. For some reason she would keep coming. And she kept hearing the Bible, and learning more about God. She also felt the love radiating from the church members. As a result of what Yuwi learned Kelly and others started to see a huge change in her, in her life, and her heart. Kelly returned to her home and school a few months ago. Yuwi has yet to be bapized, but her story is still being written. Please pray for Yuwi and people like her in Bangkok and around the world.
Rick Kajiura is the communication director for Adventist Mission.
Fast Facts on Thailand:
Capital: Bangkok Major Languages: Thai and English Major Religions: Buddhist and Muslim Population: 66.1 million* Adventist membership: 12,551* Adventist to population ratio: 1:5,270 * *General Conference Office of Archives and Statistics, 146th Annual Statistical Report
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3Q 10
F E A T U R E
Telling the World:
A broad vision to reach up, reach out, and reach across By Nancy Kyte
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ver the past five years, Tell the World has been a broad vision, a bold challenge undertaken by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The ultimate goal is to provide every person on earth with the chance to know Jesus Christ.
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More than a program, and more than a slogan, Tell the World is our acceptance of Christ’s commission to spread the gospel to every corner of the world, to each living person. Of course, the goals and challenges of Tell the World
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are not new to us—they are part of the very fabric of our identity and heritage. They are fundamental to our mission. From its very beginnings, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been a missionary movement. We have committed ourselves to not only
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make our world a better place in the here and now, but also to prepare people for the world to come. This is our first priority—the very reason our church exists.
QUALITY OF LIFE is a multi-faceted concept that goes to the heart of what it means to be an Adven-
The mission of the Seventhday Adventist Church is to make disciples of all people, communicating the everlasting gospel in the context of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as personal Savior and unite with His remnant Church, discipling them to serve Him as Lord, and preparing them for His soon return.
Now the Church is reemphasizing the challenge, extending an invitation to each Seventh-day Adventist to be part of this task. Now more than ever, it is time for each of us to become personally involved. The strategic plan for the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 2010 to 2015 focuses on three important values: quality of life, unity, and growth.
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tist believer. For an Adventist, quality of life means first and foremost being sure of belonging to the Lord, finding the rest and assurance of forgiveness, and finding contentment on our life’s journey. UNITY reflects the nature of the church as one family around the world, constantly communicating with one another, constantly sharing, and
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in that process learning to defer to one another for the good of the One Body of Christ. GROWTH is expressed through evangelism, public witness, and nurturing the personal spiritual growth of believers. Within the strategic plan, one priority will continue to reach out to an area called the 10/40 Window. This
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lowest quality of life. This is also the hub of the world’s major non-Christian religions. A natural consequence is that this area has the least access to Christian resources. Another impor-
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Population to Adventist Ratio outside the 10/40 Window
Population to Adventist Ratio in World’s Largest Cities
Population to Adventist Ratio inside the 10/40 Window
term refers to a region in the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. This general area of the world is home to the largest populations who also live in deep poverty and experience the
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and the ratio of Adventists to population. These daunting tasks will need the prayers, witness, and support of every church member. Tell the World is not simply the responsibility of church administrators. It requires the prayerful consideration of each individual— leaders, pastors, and members. Tell the World should inspire each of us to reach up, reach out, and reach across. We can approach that concept by taking the following steps:
Population to Adventist Ratio Outside World’s Largest Cities
tant area of emphasis will be reaching out to the big cities of the world. They include huge populations where millions of people are still waiting to hear about Jesus. Take a look at the list of the world’s largest cities,
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REACH UP to God through Bible study, prayer, and reading the Spirit of Prophecy, resulting in revival and faithfulness. REACH OUT to others as a friendly church that puts Christ’s mission first, invites all peoples to fellowship, and
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makes a difference daily in the community. REACH ACROSS the barriers that threaten to divide us as a family, endeavoring to disciple, nurture, and involve every individual in the life and mission of the church.
local and global identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Or they can help the members of congregations see themselves as a vital part of their global church community. Individual members can demonstrate their commitment to mission by understanding, living, and communicating the gospel. They can participate in local church fellowship, worship, and service. They can be part
Church administrators and pastors can work together to facilitate effective networking among church infrastructure, institutions, and lay organizations. They can help to integrate local, regional, and global priorities in mission. Pastors and elders can enable members to understand and celebrate both the
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Each one of us can do our part by prayerfully considering how we can be involved. of all aspects of mission priorities. Each one of us can do our part by prayerfully considering how we can be involved. We shouldn’t constrain ourselves by worrying about what we can or can’t do. By working together, we can experience a new sense of purpose. Our churches can thrive and grow as others are drawn to the warmth and acceptance they find there. In all that we do, may we constantly reveal God’s grace to those who are looking for Him. Together, we can Tell the World.
Nancy Kyte is Adventist Mission’s marketing director.
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3Q 10
WORLD NEWS Democratic Republic of the Congo Tribal marks are common in Africa. They are used to identify one as a member of the community. They may be a piercing in the ears or the nose, or they may be
Church a threat and try to stop pioneers from sharing their faith. Sometimes they are forced out of the community; sometimes their lives are put at risk. Such was the case for Balaka in Mbuund. One day just after Balaka arrived, he was preaching
sion pioneering. Today he’s established a vibrant 200member Adventist congregation, including the converted community member who injured Balaka. The mark on his forehead is a reminder to the community of what he went through to share Christ with them.
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a marking on the cheeks or chest. Global Mission pioneer, Balaka, though, has a different kind of indentifying mark on his forehead from the community where he serves in Mbuund, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Global Mission pioneers often face a treacherous road when they take the gospel into an unentered territory. Some established faith groups consider the Adventist
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in the public square when a community member walked up to the front of the crowd and threw a rock at Balaka’s forehead in an attempt to kill him. Balaka fell to the ground unconscious but alive. It took him nearly a year to recover from the head trauma. Balaka now has a distinctive scar in the middle of his forehead. Although his ministry was interrupted, Balaka remained committed to Global mis-
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The London Asian Church just had its first baptism since it began three years ago. Suraj and Usha Ramchurn, a young Hindu family from Mauritius, where baptized after nearly two years of Bible studies. Usha started attending this church soon after she arrived in London as a student. Her husband, Suraj, joined her a few months later and took an interest in Usha’s newfound church. He, however, had to work most Saturdays, so he didn’t get to attend often at first. A year ago the church leader of the London Asian Church, Petras Bahadur, suggested that Suraj and Usha join a small Bible study group at the home of Annie Lewis, one of the church’s outreach team members. Suraj had been a leader in a Hindu evangelism team in Mauritius and was well versed in
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his scriptures. He had many questions for the small group and would keep probing until he got the detailed explanations he wanted. Suraj took a great interest in the Bible and made careful handwritten notes of everything he read. He then typed them up and made PowerPoint® presentations of the new things that he learned. Early this spring Petras gave a baptismal call in church and both Suraj and Usha indicated that they wanted to commit their lives to Christ. Currently there are more young people engaged in Bible studies at the London Asian Church. Petras and the small group leaders pray that many more will be baptized in the near future. Please pray that God will continue to bring people to His Kingdom from the Asian community in East London.
SUDAN Majok Wal serves as a volunteer schoolteacher in Baliet, Sudan. He is also a Global Mission pioneer and the first Adventist to share the gospel in this Southern Sudan town. Last year Majok started holding Bible studies and small group meetings. Before long Baliet had a regu-
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lar group that attended his weekly church service. After three months of holding services Baliet asked the district pastor, Mark Igga, to visit and baptize the 30 people who were ready. Only 18 of them showed up. The other 12 people didn’t come because of threats and persecution from their community. A week later the group was evicted from the school where they were worshiping. Those who were baptized were harassed by their friends and neighbors. Yet their faith remained strong and they stayed committed to their newfound faith. Baliet talked to some of the community members who were responsible for the harassment and convinced them, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to stop their abuse. Today, these believers are free to worship without fear. The group wasn’t
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allowed to go back and worship at the school. However, thanks to the mission offerings, the local mission office was able to help the believers build a new place of worship. The 12 members of the small group who dropped out came back to the church along with five new believers who are all now ready for baptism. Although the church is now growing in Baliet, tribal conflicts make life a constant challenge. This affects peace in the region and prevents smooth movement of people within the area. In spite of these challenges, God is blessing His work in Sudan and it is our hope that the work will continue to advance regardless of the circumstances we may face. Let us remember that with God nothing is impossible.
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3Q SPECIAL FEATURE 10
Finding Common Ground
Learning to Value People From Other Religious Groups By Nancy Kyte
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s the city bus pulls up and opens the door, you clamor aboard with seven or eight other people. By now the turbaned driver is no longer a curiosity to you. He arrives each day like clockwork, politely nodding in greeting. She works five shifts a week, rain or shine, in a tollbooth on a windy expressway. One day you look past her and notice a porcelain bowl of fruit tucked into a corner along with a couple of sticks of incense. Is there some kind of meaning to that? On a Sabbath afternoon walk at the park, you notice another nicely dressed family. At first you wonder if they might be Adventists, but then you see that the father and sons are each wearing a yarmulke. Should you say Happy Sabbath or Shabbat Shalom? Such are the modern-day dilemmas of knowing what to do or say when meeting people from other cultures and world religions. Perhaps we are curious and would like to make some sort of friendly
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overture. We’d like our children to feel confident about reaching out to others, but how can we teach them to do that when we are unsure ourselves? Perhaps we worry
too much about accidentally offending someone, finding it easier to stay within our own circles of friendship. According to one study, in North America 35.6 percent of Buddhists, 22.7 percent of Hindus, and 67.8 percent of Muslims say they don’t know even one Christian personally. They live in our neighborhoods and eat at the tables next to us in restaurants—but
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they don’t know us, and we don’t make them our friends. That is an uncomfortable truth, but now Adventist Mission has produced a new resource to help us. Ganoune Diop, director of the Global Mission Study Centers, has recently produced Understanding World Religions, a set of four DVDs that opens the door to comprehending the beliefs, values, and practices of major religious traditions. By identifying areas of common understanding—such as respect, honor, family relationships, justice, love, cooperation, and supporting one another—the series can help build bridges between faith groups. The four-disc set is the first in a series and covers Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Postmodernism. It retails for $39.99. To order, visit www. AdventistMission.org, or call 800-648-5824.
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Nancy Kyte is Adventist Mission’s marketing director.
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3Q MISSIONARY PROFILE 10
Our Passion is Teeth and Hearts By Claire Balacy
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y husband and I have always wanted to be missionaries. As soon as we got our professional licenses in dentistry, we sent applications to the General Conference. Eventually God called us to Zambia. When we arrived, we were surprised to learn that the clinic, Lusaka Adventist Dental Services (LADS), caters to middle and upper class patients. I always envisioned mission work among the poor and needy, so for some time I wondered how we could be missionaries to this class of society. As months went by, I found the answer. The simple act of treating the patients well, even becoming their
friend, speaks so much about God’s love. Every time a patient tells us that they are pleased with the treatment, or that they find our hands gentle, or that a child comes up to us for a hug after treatment, I find fulfillment in the knowledge that they have seen and felt Jesus at the clinic. I’m so glad to be a part of God’s work! In our spare time we do mission work in local communities and orphanages. One community we visited is so poor that some of the boys wear girls’ dresses because they have nothing else to wear. Last Christmas, we
Michael L. Ryan –Chairperson, Adventist Mission FRONT LINE EDITION is published quarterly by Gary Krause –Director Global Mission, part of the Office of Adventist Mission, Ganoune Diop –Study Centers Director at the Seventh-day Adventist Rick Kajiura –Communication Director Church World Headquarters. Tax- deductible gifts for Global Nancy Kyte –Marketing Director Mission projects can be sent to DELBERT PEARMAN –Planning Director Global Mission 12501 Old Columbia Pike KARLA RIVERA –Donor Services Representative Silver Spring, MD 20904 Laurie Falvo –Communication Projects Manager 800-648-5824 www.global-mission.org Charlotte Ishkanian –Mission Editor Global Center For Andrew King –Video Producer/Editor Adventist-Muslim Hans Olson –Communication Projects Manager Relations Lester Merklin Shyamala Ram –Senior Office Assistant Andrews University Nimfa Sumagaysay –Donor Response Coordinator Berrien Springs, MI 49104-0220 Phone: 240-338-6681 Stella Thomas –Administrative Assistant Fax: 269-471-6252 G L O B G A L L O M B I A S L S I M O I N S S • I O w N w w • . MerklinL@gc.adventist.org w g lwo w b .a gl -l o m bi sa sl Daniel Weber –Video Producer/Editor E-mail:
brought them food and clothing. We had games, arts, and story telling about the birth of Jesus and God’s love. Also, by God’s grace, LADS donated a dental chair to the Mwami Adventist Hospital. One of LADS’ goals is to help other Adventist health institutions in Zambia. The past year and a half has been a roller coaster ride of joys and challenges, but our commitment to work as a family remains strong. No one ever said being a missionary is easy, but the knowledge that God is using us as instruments to further His work keeps us going.
Claire Balacy and her husband, Iluminado, are dentists from the Philippines at Lusaka Adventist Dental Services in Zambia. Your support of Adventist Mission helps make their ministry possible.
Hindu Study Center
Victor Sam Southern Asia Division Post Box 2, HCF Hosur 635110 Tamil Nadu India Phone: 91 (4344) 26-2170 Fax: 91 (4344) 26-2090 victorsam@sud-adventist.org
World Jewish Friendship Center
Richard Elofer P.O Box 592 94186 Jerusalem Israel Phone; 972 (2) 6251 547 Fax: 972 (2) 6251 391 www.jewishadventist.org rielofer@netvision.net.il
Buddhist Study Center Scott Griswold
Ayutthaya Thailand 13260 griswold@loxinfo.co.th Phone: 66 818 515 414 www.BridgesForMinistry.org
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Remember when mission work was the most important thing we did as a church? It still is. Every day nearly 1,000 Adventist missionaries serve in more than 200 countries around the world. Your support of the Fall Mission Appeal offering on September 11 will help give them the resources they need to tell the world about Christ’s love. For more information visit: www.AdventistMission.org. Thank you for being part of it!
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