Dear fellow Adventist,I believe that by nowyou are aware that theGeneral Conference hasdesignated 2009 as aYear of Evangelism. Ofcourse, for the Seventh-day Adventist Churchevery year is a year of

evangelism. Essentially, the General Conference isrequesting that greater emphasis is placed onevangelism during 2009, with a larger segment of

our members involved than has been the case upto this point.

GC initiativeIn response to this initiative of the GeneralConference, our Conference and Mission presi-dents, together with the BUC leadership andExecutive Committee, have agreed on the followingbroad plan, which you are invited to support andimplement in ways that are locally relevant andeffective:

• Every pastor, department director and adminis-trator is to conduct at least one public evan-gelistic series in 2009. Overseas speakers arenot to be used, except those who are invited toprovide training. We trust that this will help allof us to present the Gospel with confidence toan audience that is not the same as the onewe preach to each Sabbath.

• Pastors are being asked to submit theirown and their churches’ plans for evangel-ism to Conference/Mission by 31 December2008.

• At least 20 churches are to be identi-fied with whom a team (from Union/Conference/Mission) will work to developan evangelistic programme from a number of options.

Field Schools of Evangelism• Three Field Schools of Evangelism are to be conducted. One for the threeMissions (in Cardiff) and one in each ofthe Conferences.

• 200,000 copies of the GeneralConference ‘Missionary Book of theYear’, which is on the Second Coming,to be produced by the British Unionand made available to churches at a nominal cost for distribution bymembers. Members will be free to

give the books away or sell them at a small cost –50p or less. Each church will be asked to say howmany copies of the books they will need before wego to print. We are seeking to ensure that thebooks do not end up discarded on church shelvesand in cupboards in the vestry. Curtis Murphy willbe working with you and your churches on thisparticular project.

Training:• Has been provided in the fourth quarter of

2008 and will continue in 2009.• Main training for pastors – Field Schools of

Evangelism.• Training for members:

1. Lay Bible worker training programme –Autumn 2008.

2. LIFEdevelopment training – February 2009.3. Amazing Facts training programme.

Resources:• Russell Burrill’s manual on evangelism given

to each pastor.• Ready-made evangelistic series, such as

‘New Beginnings’ DVD (designed for membersto take from house to house), to be madeavailable to members.

• Suitable visual aids for Europe.• Handbill templates.• Evangelism Expo – at major church events at

which evangelistic methods and resources areshowcased.

Spiritual framework:• Each member to identify one prospective SDA

member for whom they will pray during thecourse of the year.

• First Sabbath of every quarter during 2009 tobe a day of special prayer.

• Prayer band to be formed in every church to pray for success in the evangelistic programme.I am personally excited about the prospect of

accelerated evangelism in 2009 and look forward>16

weeks ‘the heretofore hidden perilsof cheap elastic’ was sermonisedupon in chapels up and down thevalleys. It became a welcome source,too, of gossip, over countless bluewillow-pattern cups of tea in front ofmany a cosy fire.

Nothing in comparison to the tensof thousands of ‘complainants’ whocontacted Auntie Beeb about the‘Brand’ of so called ‘humour’ onRadio Two. Lewd, obscene, lecher-ous, salacious and prurient (and thatwas only the way they announcedthe programme!). No, seriously, nottrue, but it was definitely in very badtaste from the snatches I’ve heard.

What was the other chap’sname? Jonathan Dross? Fancy getting £16k a week for all that smutty, juvenile rubbish. Has

the world gone mad?Millions are spent on so-called

‘works of art’, too, that are literallyjunk – rubbish taken from a skip.The ‘Emperor’s new clothes delusion’ now a reality!

And have you ever heard of apiece of music called ‘4’33’ by JohnCage? It’s a work of ‘performanceart’ created (?) in 1952. The per-formers are instructed to remainsilent for four minutes and thirty-three seconds without a single notebeing played. In three movements,you’ll be pleased to hear. Crazily itsCage’s most notorious ‘composition’.A recording was made a few yearsago at the Barbican Centre, plusaudience, presumably to capture theatmosphere.

A variety of coughs, naturally,unwrapping of toffee-papers, and ofcourse a latecomer with squeakyboots was bound to cause a smirk ortwo. The conductor turned over thescore halfway through and I assumethe ‘performers’ took a bow to half-hearted applause at the end.Someone tried to repeat it all (so it

was rumoured) yet infringed copy-right laws. People actually paid to‘hear’ it!

I’d advocate buying a CD of it tobe given gratis to every boy-racer weknow of living nearby. Assure themit’s ‘really with it, man!’ Say we’dlove to hear it, even when they comehome well past midnight blasting outthe decibels!

Paul, in Romans 12:2 advises usnot to let the world squeeze us intoits own mould, certainly not ones likethese.

Our task surely then, as Christianmature adults, is to be vividly awarewhen some of our teenagers andyoung people ape the habits andattractions of this new, goofy race ofasinine aliens. The twenty-first cen-tury is not the Age of Enlightenmentthat fatuous fools claim it to be. Wecontend with a generation thataccepts trends as being ‘with it’.‘That’s cool, man!’ they say, and‘Amorality rules the day!’

None of us should be apathetic.Laugh if you like. But this is deadlyserious.

to a lost world. In other words, we mustredouble our efforts to spread hope.

The British Union has unhesitatinglyembraced the concept of an acceleratedemphasis on evangelism and has formulateda comprehensive programme in response,which is outlined on pages 1 and 16 of thisissue of MESSENGER. Central to this pro-gramme is the involvement of every member,every pastor, every departmental director andevery church administrator in the work ofevangelism, under the motto, SPREAD THEHOPE.

The Year of Evangelism will see manyevangelistic campaigns and Bible seminarsbeing conducted. However, what will be mosteffective is the work that each member willdo in his or her neighbourhood, workplace,college or university. I am inviting each mem-ber to identify one person whom they willmake an object of prayer and witness duringthe course of this year. The person whom youidentify may not be quite ready for a series ofBible studies. All that may be possible thisyear is that you are able to show that personlove and compassion. Having establishedsuch a foundation, you can move on to sharewith him or her knowledge of Jesus. That maybe next year or at whatever stage in thefuture might be appropriate.

Every member can play a role in the Yearof Evangelism. One could simply supply aneighbour, friend or acquaintance with a copy of each issue of our Focus or LIFE.infomagazines. LIFE.info is designed to appeal topeople who are not Christians. Alternatively,you can choose to distribute copies of theMissionary Book of the Year. This hope-inspiring book on the Second Coming hasbeen written by Allejandro Bullón of the SouthAmerican Division, who is said to be currently

containers) can alter the expression of genesrequired for early brain development and long-term memory formation.

Lead. Exposure in childhood may lead to attentionproblems, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour,reduced IQ, poor school performance, aggressionand delinquent behaviour.

Manganese. Elevated levels are associated withADHD, hyperactivity and Parkinson’s disease.

Mercury crosses the placenta and can affect brain development, IQ, language development,visual-spatial skills, memory and attention span.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is an industrialchemical which, although banned, still lingers inthe environment. It has been identified in thebody’s fatty tissue and can impair reflexes, IQ,delay mental and motor skills development andcause hyperactivity.

Solvents like toluene cause learning, speech, andmotor-skill challenges in children. These effects

ESpread the hopeDon W. McFarlane

Eric Sevareid was one of America’s most ableand popular news commentators. On hisretirement, he was reminiscing about hismany years as a news correspondent andcommentator in the nation’s capital. Hetalked of another commentator who, he said,knew everyone worth knowing: the president,the diplomats, the senators, the president’scabinet, key bureaucrats and the social elite.‘He had the contacts; he was stuffed withinformation. There was only one problem,’Sevareid said; ‘he never used it. He forgotwhat he was here for.’

As we commence another year, it is impor-tant to ask ourselves the question, ‘Why arewe here as Seventh-day Adventists?’ It is aquestion that the Church needs to ask corpo-rately and members need to ask individually. Ihave asked this question time and timeagain. The answer that I usually come upwith is rather simple. It is to give hope tothe world. When we boil down Daniel 7-11,Revelation 10, Revelation 12, Revelation 14and all the other passages we use to explainour existence, the simple truth is that we arehere to give hope –• to a world in which innocent people

spending time in a lovely hotel in Mumbai are gunned down in cold blood like animals,

• to a world in which disease robs millionsof their strength and vitality and leads to premature death. We are here to give hope to the downtrod-

den and the disenfranchised, to the hopelessand the despised, to the homeless and thedispossessed.

The mission statement of Jesus in Luke4:18 and 19 captures in a few words whatthe Church is essentially about: ‘The Spirit ofthe Lord is on me, because he has anointedme to preach good news to the poor. He hassent me to proclaim freedom for the prisonersand recovery of sight for the blind, to releasethe oppressed, to proclaim the year of theLord’s favour.’

The General Conference has declared2009 Year of Evangelism. Some might saythat for the Seventh-day Adventist Churchevery year is a year of evangelism. That istrue, but in declaring 2009 as a Year ofEvangelism, the General Conference is merelyasking for greater emphasis to be placedupon the proclamation of the Gospel

Environmental factorsOngoing studies continue to demonstrate that cer-tain environmental agents can interfere with spe-cific stages of brain development, interrupt braincell division, alter gene expression, differentiateinto specialised cell types, establish connectionswith other brain cells, interfere with chemical messengers in the brain that help transmit nerveimpulses, and cause brain cell death.

The following is a list of chemicals and pollutants that research suggests negatively impact brain health.

Alcohol crosses the placenta and affects varyingstages of brain development. The exposed foetusmay develop into a child with hyperactivity, learningchallenges, lowered IQ or, in severe cases, mentalretardation.

Aluminium. Overexposure to aluminium compounds – in cookware, foil, antacids and personal products like deodorants and toothpaste –can adversely affect brain function.

Bisphenol A (chemical found in many plastic

were discovered in studies of children whose mothers sniffed glue during pregnancy.

Tobacco smoke/nicotine. Much research revealstheir toxicity, particularly to the developing brain.Smoking during pregnancy affects the mental development of the child later on, putting them moreat risk of learning disorders, lower IQ and attentiondeficits. Passive smoking is also a risk. Childrenborn to women who are passively exposed to cigarette smoke have higher levels of impairedspeech, poor language skills and lower intelligence.Additionally, children exposed to tobacco smoke following birth are also at risk of various behavioural problems.

Prions are an infectious form of a protein type,thought to be the agents responsible for the rarebrain disorder variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease(CJD) in humans and mad cow disease. People canbe exposed to prions by eating contaminated food orother products made from animals with diseasessuch as mad cow disease.

Be vigilant!

our Church’s most successful evangelist. TheBritish Union has undertaken to print 200,000copies and will make them available tochurches and members at a price of no morethan fifty pence. One member, on hearingabout this exciting initiative, has pre-ordered2,000 copies of the book. She plans to followEllen White’s words to distribute our literaturelike the ‘leaves of autumn’.

‘The British Union is on fire!’ was a message that came to me as I sat in a Trans-European Division meeting in Montenegro on16 November. I thought it was a wind-up buthad no choice but to accept that our churchheadquarters was being destroyed by fire asthe pictures of the burning building came upon my computer screen. I want to hear thismessage again, but this time I want the fireto be excitement and enthusiasm on the partof every member in the British Union inSPREADING HOPE. How dare we keep it toourselves!

The message of our Church has neverbeen more relevant than it is today. After alively sermon recently by one of our Divisionleaders a video-clip was played that featureda woman who asked, ‘So what are you goingto do about it? Are you going to share it withme or just bottle it up and pull it out nextweek for your friends? When is it going tohappen?’ She went on to say that she mightnot appear interested and might even scoff atwhat we had to say but she begged, ‘Do notforget me. I need you.’

Do not forget your neighbours, workmates,acquaintances and your community in 2009.They might not appear interested and mighteven laugh at you and call you a fool, butpress on nonetheless in sharing the Gospelwith them. They need you.

‘Every true disciple is born into the king-dom of God as a missionary. He who drinks ofthe living water becomes a fountain of life.The receiver becomes a giver. The grace ofChrist in the soul is like a spring in thedesert, welling up to refresh all, and makingthose who are ready to perish eager to drinkof the water of life.’ (Desire of Ages, p. 195.)SPREAD THE HOPE!

Justin Thyme tells us the legend of

Llew the Lechand reflects that, ‘A sullied name is not easily unsullied . . .’

TThe adventures of lewd Llew, alsoknow as ‘Llew the Lech’ are a dim,distant childhood memory fromLlwynypia, where Granny lived in theRhondda Valley, South Wales.

‘There was no harm in old Llewmun,’ Granny was fond of relating.‘He’d always had a bad chest ’u see.Whistled when he got excited. Like itdid when the elastic on MyfanwyMorgan’s boxers broke outside theRed Dragon. She ’ad to step out of’em, holding on to Llew, who wasonly waiting for opening time. Theygot ’im a chair and a half o’ shandyfrom the pub but, any road, poor dabnever got over it. Was known as“Llew the Lech” from then on.’

A sullied name is not easilyunsullied!

Legend has it that for many

2 Messenger

Brain Health Part 10

‘Next time I hear “The British Union is on fire!” I want it tobe the fire of excitement and enthusiasm to SPREAD THEHOPE. . . .’

3 Messenger

Iwas with a group of eight or nine people theother day and I asked if any had made a NewYear’s resolution. None had! I was surprised.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been. After all, I nevermake any myself. I wonder if people still decideto do things differently at this time of year? Ifyou read some of the online chat on the Internetit appears that many people do make resolu-tions. It seems that the most popular ones are todo with drinking less alcohol, losing weight andgetting fit.

Here’s what ‘gaming dave’ wrote: ‘I’ve onlystuck to one NY resolution. That was five yearsago when I said I’d never make any again.’

Well, at least he is realistic!Even though I don’t make resolutions, I do

use the New Year period to have a bit of a clearout. I may buy some new clothes in the sales,

and that seems a good time to getrid of some old ones. I also like toclear out my office, get rid of oldpaperwork, and so on.

Is this a good time for a spiritualclearout? Any time is good for that,so if this time of year feels appropri-ate, go for it! Did you get into some bad habitslast year, such as neglecting devotional reading,not spending time with Christian friends, missingchurch, watching things on television that didn’thelp you?

Now is as good a time as any to decide toimprove. True, if your intention takes the form of aresolution with little substance, then you don’thave much chance of succeeding. On the otherhand, if you don’t make a decision to change atall, then you stand no chance of changing!

I got some money for Christmas (lucky me!)and I intend to use some of it for a spiritualretreat later in the year. Could you do somethinglike that? Plan to go away, or visit a Christianbookshop to get some helpful reading material or visit a Volunteer Centre to see what you could do practically to help someone in yourcommunity?

Even if you don’t want to call it a New Year’sresolution, plan to do something to help yourselfor someone else anyway!

whole redevelopment project will becompleted within eighteen months.

While temporary relocation willcause some headaches during theintervening period, BUC treasurerVictor Pilmoor believes ‘that we canbe housed comfortably for the nextyear to eighteen months’. In thesomewhat smaller office he says,‘Look forward to being comfortablewith your neighbour.’ What is certainis that BUC staff are determined that the mission of the Church willcontinue.VICTOR HULBERT

MemoriesMost of us have memories of thenow burnt-out Union building. Whenwe were hired. (When we werefired?) When we met with the Fieldleaders or the president to discuss

on the success of the monthly pro-grammes to attract people in thecapital. Also, the group is assistingthe soup run for people living on thestreets and now several non-churchpeople are enthusiastically helpingwith this vital work.

Charlotte Bramble is a younglady who was convinced that beforeshe began her university programmeshe should give a year of her life toevangelism. ASI Europe assisted herto receive training in the UnitedStates and afterwards she taughtEnglish and ran outreach pro-grammes in Guyana, resulting inseveral baptisms. In associationwith the North England Conference,Charlotte is planning a ‘Youth forJesus’ outreach in Nottingham start-ing next Easter. ASI UK has adoptedthis as one of the projects it will helpin the coming year.

In 2009, ASI UK has also com-mitted to supporting a student ofBusiness Studies at NewboldCollege. Jane Sabes, the principal,told the conference that one of hergoals was to encourage everyConference in our European Division(forty Conferences in all) to supporta student to study and complete adegree course at Newbold. ASI isleading the way and it is significant

some issue relating to our work.Debates in the boardroom.

Pastor Paul Lockham’s memoriesgo back to his days at StanboroughJunior School. Part of his daily rou-tine from 1961-68 was to wait afterschool for the Union president totake him home. Pastor Lockham’sgrandfather was Union president,John A. McMillan, who, with secretary-treasurer Colin Wilson,superintended the building of the‘new BUC offices’ in 1961.Somewhere in the wreckage is abrass plaque to that effect.

Do you have a memory of theUnion building you would like toshare? If so, mark it MEMORIES andEITHER email it to editordnm@mac.com or post it to me at theaddress in the colophon on page 16.EDITOR

that business people will be fundingand supporting a student inBusiness Studies at Newbold. It ishoped that other church organisa-tions, groups and individuals willtake up the challenge so thatNewbold can enrich the countries of our Division with young peopleprepared and equipped for service.

The officers appointed for ASI UKin 2008/9 are: Audrey Balderstone,president; Janette Gulleford, vice-president; Charles Bramble,treasurer; Christine Manners-Smith,secretary.

The success of this ASI conven-tion beat all our expectations. Elevenpeople attending the ASI conventionwere so moved and encouraged bythe reports they have signed up formembership, and we would encour-age many more to come andstrengthen the work of this excitingand wonderful organisation. If youwork in a profession, if you are astudent in higher education, or if youoperate your own business or a sup-porting ministry, then you qualify tobecome a member. If you would like further details, please contactthe secretary, Mrs ChristineManners-Smith, 36 Potters Field, St Albans, Herts, AL3 6LJ, or emailmanners-smith@ntlworld.com.

Messenger 5

with Jonathan Barrett

So did you make a New Year’s resolution?

Temporary relocationFollowing the fire at the British Union Conferenceoffice on Sunday 16 November the staff have beenurgently looking for alternative temporary accom-modation. After considering a range of options,from fully serviced offices through to Portakabins,the administration hopes to sign a contract inearly December for an office in a light industrialarea approximately five miles from StanboroughPark.

With a 75% loss on the main part of the build-ing, staff are relieved to have been able to retrievesome major items including wills and deeds whichwere secure in the fire-proof strong-room. Thecontents of many filing cabinets have also beensaved. Much electronic data was backed up onthe server and has been retrieved, and some computers have been sent to a specialist firm torecover the hard disks.

The last week of November was very busy withvisits from loss-adjustors, architects, the removalof filing cabinets and materials to safe storageand arranging for appropriate support for staffmembers so that work can go on. The ADRA-UKoffice has remained a central hub for staff whostop by to collect their post, have a hot drink, orhold impromptu meetings in the very crowdeddirector’s office. The South England Conferencebuilding continues to provide both office space forsome staff members and phone support. Staffhave also worked at Stanborough SecondarySchool. The BUC number is now redirected to a very efficient answering service with voice mail going directly to staff member emailaccounts.

Following an emergency executive committeeon Sunday 23 November, the administration isnow looking to restore the far end of the buildingthat houses the ABC bookshop, the AdventistDiscovery Centre (ADC) and the Media Centre. It ishoped to have this section operating again withinthe next four months. Plans are being developedfor the main section of the building with the aimbeing to provide for the needs of a twenty-first-century office environment. It is planned toincrease the floor space and ensure that depart-ments have the facilities to work effectively in themission of the Church. It is anticipated that the

4 Messenger

Rebuilding the BucA casualty of the fireOne of the casualties of the BUC fire was the master DVD entitled ‘The Adventist Church in 2008’.‘Sadly,’ says Pastor Victor Hulbert, ‘it’s under a pile of rubble on my desk and our editing suite is out ofcommission.’

The 17-minute DVD was prepared to be shown at the December Executive Committee to highlightevents in the BUC over 2008 and the BUC’s vision for the Church in 2009. It was released on the HopeChannel website and had been shown in a number of our churches. Pastor McFarlane states, ‘The TEDleadership saw this DVD as a benchmark for other Unions to follow in reporting to their constituencies.’

Pastor McFarlane suggests, ‘If you are interested, why not download it from the Hope Channel website?’

The web link is: www.hopetv.org.uk/content/media-library/program-in-detail/medialibrary/418Studio manager Wes Kapon and producer/presenter Victor Hulbert would be interested in your reaction

so that they can work with the church administration to produce material that will benefit and inform ourmembership in the years to come.EDITOR

Do you know that our Church in theUnited Kingdom includes someremarkable people? One of the lead-ing cancer surgeons in the country,for example, and a professor of den-tistry. Also, some top scientists, uni-versity lecturers, many doctors,many, many nurses and teachers,builders, property developers andentrepreneurs in double-glazing, garden landscape, IT, plumbing,overseas development, farming –the list goes on and on.

A number of these individualsare members of ASI UK, an organi-sation founded twenty-five years agoto encourage Adventist profession-als, business and lay ministry people to ‘Share Christ in theMarketplace’, and to support andencourage each other. During theweekend of 7-9 November, ASI UKheld its autumn conference andAGM.

On the Sabbath 136 delegates,including twenty-nine students inhigher education, met at theStaverton Conference Centre andwere encouraged by the ministry ofJaphet de Oliveira of AndrewsUniversity. His Christ-centred pre-sentations, given in his characteris-tic relaxed and humorous manner,emphasised the importance of rela-tionships to share and grow faith inGod. None of the congregationshowed any sign of boredom or lackof concentration during Japhet’stalks but there were plenty of smilesand much inspiration. The same was

true of the excellent Sabbath Schoolstudy when Dr Jane Sabes, principalof Newbold College, took the lid offthe book of Leviticus.

Reports during the weekendincluded one from Miss TsitsiChituku, originally from Zimbabwe,who told us how help and encour-agement from ASI several years agoenabled her to enrol at universityand eventually complete her trainingas a doctor. Now, two years afterqualifying, she was joining up as anASI member to support and encour-age others. Janine Hartweg is anoth-er young lady who will soon graduateas a medical doctor fromSouthampton University. She alsoreceived help and encouragementfrom ASI. Not to be outdone, retiredPastor Rex and Mrs Elvira Pearson,and farmer Robert Hines told of theirsupport of numerous rural schools inAfrica through REACH International,and, in particular, an orphanage programme and day-care centre inLatvia, supporting forty-eight chil-dren. David Balderstone, recentlyreturned from India, also gave areport on the progress of the ‘Way toLife’ orphanage in Horsur, India,developed by STOP International.This is a village-style orphanagewith dormitories, school, work-skill-learning units, gardens, and so on, with accommodation fortwenty-eight children and youngadults.

‘London Live’ is a youth outreachprogramme. Daniel Sabatier reported

ASI conference beats all expectationsby Pastor Martin Bell, chaplain, ASI UK

Depression. The very term issomewhat like the flu. Tohave the flu can mean manythings, ranging from ‘My

nose is running because it is a bitcold and damp,’ to the Asianinfluenza which is potentially fatal.Similarly, when somebody claims tobe depressed, we do not really knowwhether that person simply feels alittle blue today or is suffering from avery dangerous mental disturbancewhich needs urgent medical atten-tion. We might react by saying:‘Yeah, I know, I sometimes feeldepressed as well. It will pass.’ Andin fact we might be right. But wemight be awfully wrong! So the firstthing we ought to remember aboutdepression – even if we are notmental health professionals – is thefact that depression can mean manythings, can have many differentcauses and can have very different,even fatal, effects. Thus I wouldrather be too careful than be negligent when it comes to depression.

Depression can have differentcauses – like severe crises or trau-matic events (this is different fromnormal grief after the loss of abeloved person) or an inherited dis-position. Symptoms can range fromfeeling down to loss (or increase) ofappetite, sleep disturbances or evensome psychotic outbursts, to name afew. For a clinical diagnosis, suchsymptoms would have to persist for

at least two weeks. In a biologicalsense depression can be hormonalor the result of other biochemicalimbalances or a misfiring of thesynapses (the connecting points ofthe nerves). In that sense depres-sion is comparable to other diseaseslike diabetes. But I am aware thatsuch a comparison will raise someeyebrows.

Some Christians believe thatdepression is an expression of adeficient faith. After all, Christianswho are looking forward to the glori-ous coming of their Lord should be‘always cheerful’, resting quite hap-pily in the ‘blessed assurance’. Atrue Christian who prays and studieshis Bible cannot be depressed.Wrong! We have quite a few exam-ples of godly men and women whosuffered from depression. Just thinkof King Saul – after he was appoint-ed by God and long before he sepa-rated from God; Elijah – after hisgreatest triumphs on Mount Carmel;Jonah – after God had given him themost challenging task one couldthink of at the time. And how wouldyou describe the despair of Hannahbefore Samuel was given to her orthe faithful widow of Zarephath whocollected sticks for a last mealbefore she wanted to lie down withher son and die?

Why is it, then, so manyChristians have reservations aboutdepression? If, for instance, a minis-ter or an elder in the church is over-

worked and gets a stomach ulcer asa result, he will get a lot of sympa-thy from the church. If, however, thatsame person develops depression,suspicions will be raised regardinghis faith and prayer life. Could it bethat we have not fully grasped themeaning of our teaching of man?When it comes to the state of thedead, we know that body and soulare inseparably one. But when wethink of the state of the living westill differentiate between physicaland mental ailments! This needsto be seriously reconsidered –both in the light of the Bibleand of modern neurobiology.

What, then, is to bedone? If you deal with aperson whom you sus-pect to be depressed,encourage him toseek professionalhelp. Yes, you canand should pray forthat person as well!But if you suspected aperson had diabetes,you would pray forthat person and sendhim to the doctor.Counselling depressedpeople professionally usuallymeans providing some struc-ture and helping them to takethe next step, rather than tacklingthe whole future at once. If you aredeep down in a valley, you will notbe able to see the full landscapearound you. The story of Elijah is agood example here. When he wasdepressed, even to the point ofwanting to die, God provided somefood and sleep, some physical exer-cise (walking for forty days) and onlythen a new revelation of himself andthe larger picture of his plan (carefully study 1 Kings 19).

By the way, God did not blame orrebuke Elijah, but rather revealedhimself in a gentle whisper. In thecase of Jonah, God even proddedJonah to vent his anger at him aspart of the healing process (Jonah4)! Therefore let us not add guilt andshame to the illness by speculatingwhat part sinfulness might haveplayed in the depression (rememberthe story in John 9). In fact, the onething I never allow a depressed per-son to discuss with me during thatstate is his failure before God. Iknow he has failed, just as I failevery day. Yet the only helpful per-spective I am ultimately aiming forspiritually is: ‘Turn your eyes uponJesus, look full in his wonderfulface.’

7 Messenger

Depression has beendescribed as that feelingfrom the pit of hell anddespair. It is the feeling of

hopelessness, helplessness, despairand desperation. It is the feeling ofall being lost and no way out. Thisshould not be confused with thefluctuating feelings we all experiencefrom time to time. There is a markeddifference between feeling low ordown and being depressed.Depression is a long-term feelingthat gets worse, and though somedays may be better than others, younevertheless always feel verydepressed.

There are two types of depres-sion – endogenous depression andreactive depression – and the typeof depression determines the treat-ment given.

Endogenous depression is themore serious of the two depressiveillnesses.

What is it? Our bodies consist ofmany different types of cells whichmake up different systems. To keepthese systems alive and healthy,they need nutrition and ongoingmaintenance. This requires varioussubstances called chemicals. Animbalance in these chemicals cancause various changes in the body,especially in the brain. The braincommunicates with itself throughthe use of special chemicals calledneurotransmitters such as serotoninand norepinephrine. It is the imbal-ance in these substances that can

lead to endogenous depression. Itusually has a very gradual onset –you have these strange feelings thatget progressively worse and youcannot get a handle on what is goingon. Your sleep patterns may be inter-rupted. You may lose your appetiteand weight. You may become consti-pated and, as it progresses andworsens, you may get feelings of notwanting to live any more, as life isno longer worth it and there is nothing for which to live.

Treatment. Because this condi-tion is the result of physiologicalchanges, we need to correct it, sowe employ drugs or chemotherapy tohelp us solve the problem. We alsouse psychotherapy and, in someinstances, we also use ECT – electroconvulsive therapy.

Chemo- or drug therapy involvesthe use of drugs from a group ofdrugs we call antidepressants,which is subdivided into the tricyclics, MAOIs and SSRIs.

The tricyclic class of drugs iseffective in treating depression, butis associated with the following sideeffects – drowsiness, dry mouth andconstipation. They are also associat-ed with weight gain and sleepiness.They are also dangerous when takenin an overdose. For this reason, doc-tors usually prescribe the smallestnumber of pills possible, as they donot want a patient to commit suicideby taking an overdose. Amitriptylineand nortriptyline are among the mostcommonly used in this group.

MAOIs (monoamine oxidaseinhibitors) are very effective buthave potentially life-threatening druginteractions and food interactions. Ifyou are taking an MAOI drug, it isimportant that you follow yourdoctor’s instructions very closelyabout which foods to avoid andthe mixing of medicines. Drugs inthis group are not as widely used asthe other groups. Nardil and parnateare the best known.

SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) increase thebrain’s level of serotonin, and areassociated with an improvement inmood. Citalopram, paroxetine, fluox-etine and sertraline are the mostcommonly used in this group.

Reactive depression can be theless serious of the two conditions.

What is it? Things happen to allof us from time to time. When thesethings occur, we react to them –negatively or positively. Depressioncan be a response to one or more oflife’s events, hence the term reactivedepression.

Treatment. As this condition is areaction to external factors, drugtherapy (antidepressant drugs) isused very selectively. Psychotherapyis our primary treatment of choice.Though this form of depression isseen as being less serious, it is notto be laughed at or taken lightly. Itcan be very difficult to treat and suicide is not uncommon.

As in all forms of health – physical or mental – the followingtips will help us avoid or cope withdepression and have a better, moreproductive and meaningful life.1. Develop a meaningful and

personal relationship with God.2. Develop a positive self-

image/self-concept.3. Develop a healthy lifestyle –

proper exercise, diet, rest andpersonal hygiene.

4. Develop proper stress management techniques andcoping skills.

5. Develop a great sense of humour– please do not take yourself tooseriously.

6. Learn to laugh, long and loud,daily – especially at yourself.

In closing, while all the abovewill help us to have a better andmore fulfilled life, things happen andwe do not always get what we want.Take depression very seriously andseek early professional help. Your GPor family doctor should be your firstport of call. Family, friends, col-leagues and employers, please bevery supportive of those goingthrough depression – they needempathy and understanding. Thereis nothing like knowing that there issomeone there for us, one on whomwe can call at any time – day ordarkest night.

Remember: No one cares howmuch we know, until he/she knowshow much we care. And I care! Doyou?

6 Messenger

This is the second feature on understanding andresponding to aspects of mental illness. In the last issue three professionals dealt with the possible consequences of extreme stress. Here two deal withdepression, how to recognise it in ourselves and others,and how to respond to it helpfully.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in The British Islesoperates a comprehensive counselling service, involvinga team of specialists. They are trained to help those suffering from depression and other challenging life situations.Cornerstone Counselling Service:0207 7238050, 0845 7413602

What is depression?by Wallace Cyrus SEN, RPN, MEI, CNA, FCPN, BA, Life Management specialist,writer and broadcaster, having practised in Bermuda, Canada, USA and UK

How should we respond todepression and to those whoare suffering from it?by Andreas Bochmann, PhD, senior lecturer in Pastoral Care and Counselling,Newbold College

God loves you inan amazing way! He loves

you a million times more than youcan ever imagine! When you’re happy, he’shappy and when you’re sad, he’s sad withyou and he’s right there, giving you a big

hug even though you can’t see him. Sometimeswhen I pray I give myself a hug to remind myself how much

he loves me, and how happy he is when I come and talk to him.What can you do to help you remember how much God loves you?

Find some coloured cardboard or foam sheets. Cutthe card or foam into the shapes of clothes, such asdresses, trousers and so on. Write one word of theBible verse on each shape. See how quickly you canpeg them onto a washing line or piece of string in theright order to make the verse. Perhaps you couldfind ways to ‘do good’ by helping with the laundry!

Lock-it in your heart!

Do not forget to do good and to help one another.

(Hebrews 13:16.)

Go to www.fathersloveletter.com tohear, watch, or read a love letterfrom God to you, based on verses inthe Bible. The letter is in more thanfifty languages on the website so youcan email God’s love to your friendsall over the world!

Make a gift to encourage somebody.Find a clean, empty jam jar with alid. Then go around your house andfill it with small things that remind

you about God’s love. An eraser –he forgives; a pompom he is gentle with us; a seed - he helps usto grow; a candle - he is our light. Ask an adult if you are allowed to use them. Put everything in the jartogether with a list of all the things you found and how they reminded you of God’s love. Decorate a labelto stick it on the jar. Call it ‘God’s Love Jar’ and give it to someone who needs to know God loves them.

A way to prayThe theme text from the Memory Verse activity would make a goodsuggestion for a New Year’s resolution. Talk with your family or bestfriend and decide what special act you can do each month that will behelpful to others. Use the first letter of the month to help youchoose what to do. For example January –Joy - you may want togive a sick person some joy by sending a get well card. February –Flowers –you may want to use your pocket money to buy yourmum some flowers.

After planning your activities, enjoy this action prayer together.Help me, Jesus, to be kind - point up towards HeavenAnd care for others when I find - point to othersThat they need my love and prayers - fold hands in prayerHelp me to be the one that cares - point towards selfIn Jesus’ name, Amen. PRAY AND PRAYER BIBLE

Look through MESSENGER and count how many stories thereare of people helping others and sharing God’s love.

What would you like to do to show God’s love to the peoplearound you? Whenever you do something kind and

caring, you are sharing God’s love.If you’d like to get in touch with us, our address is:

children@adventist.org.uk

Make a list of ten things people have done thathelped you to feel really loved. Or drawpictures of them doing kind things for you.Show your list or picture to someone in yourfamily and talk about it together. Ask everyperson in your family what helps them to feelloved, and then try and do some of thoseloving things for each other. What differencedoes it make to your family when you helpeach other?

Star PuzzlerWrite all the words with three or more letters that you can make from the letters in the words

You may only use the letters in the words (you can make words that have two of these letters: n, e, s,but only one each of the other letters). You may use the letters again for new words.

Why not email your list to children@adventist.org.uk before 28 February? We will send a book prize to the person who sends in the best list. Put your name, age and address on your email so that we know where to send your prize.

K I N D N E S S and L O V E

Messenger 98 Messenger

For the children!

Between 14 and 17 August, a group of around thirty young adults met in Glan-yr-Afon Youth Campsite,

Aberdaron, for the first ever Extreme Camp. You may ask why this camp was so extreme. Well, for one

thing, Beryl Emm from Wilmslow church organised the camp at extremely short notice.

The campers arrived on Thursday night and spent the evening chilling out while making new friends.

Everyone went to bed so we would be up in time for breakfast! (No chance!) On Friday morning, most of the

camp met on the beach for some good all-round fun and some exhilarating powerboat rides around the

Aberdaron islands to see the seabirds and seals. While on the beach the campers were introduced to ‘Extreme

Ironing’ by Beryl. Extreme Ironing is quite a random but fun ‘sport’ and all you have to do is take an ironing

board and iron to unusual or extreme locations (for instance, up Mount Everest) and then take a photograph to

prove it.On Sabbath morning, after the luxury of Beryl and her team’s cooked breakfast, the campers broke into

discussion groups led by some of the older members of the camp. Then we heard a sermon from Pastor Andrew

Rashford-Hewitt, which included an extremely startling demonstration, with the help of Peter Marshall, of how

Jacob would have wrestled with the angel.

After another delicious, hearty meal from Beryl and her team, the whole camp left the campsite in a convoy

to the Secret Village (a very secret village as some of the ‘older’ adult helpers, who have been com-

ing to Aberdaron for many years, didn’t even know that it existed!). When we arrived at the car park

high above the village, we split into two groups. The largest set out to walk down to the village and

then on to the beautiful but very secluded beach; the other in the four wheel drives set out for an

amazing viewpoint overlooking the village.

Halfway through the outing the weather changed. The wind picked up and it began pouring with

rain. The walkers were in need of shelter from the torrential rain when a lady standing outside the

teashop, which had been closed on the way down, invited all of them in for food and a drink at no

charge. The lady was part of another religious group who had prepared food for a large party of

people. However there was lots of food left over. The walkers tucked into a lovely meal and as they

left the kind lady told them that their arrival had been a blessing as otherwise all the food would

have been wasted. Apart from the few people who were tough enough to walk up the hill through

the wind and rain, most of the walkers took the opportunity of a ride up the hill in the 4x4s, which

conveniently returned from their drive just in time to start ferrying campers back up the extremely

steep hill to the cars and a ride back to camp.

On Saturday night David Brownlow organised the ‘Aberdaron Olympics’, where teams were

challenged to undertake different tasks varying in difficulty, including the dreaded ‘Table

Challenge’, where the victim had to climb under and over a table without touching the floor.

Needless to say, most failed miserably.

As the campers left the Aberdaron campsite on Sunday morning everyone was exhausted, as

due to the fact that the camp was only a weekend most of the campers stayed up as late as

possible to make the most of their time there, however short it was.

Thank you to Beryl and her support team, especially the kitchen staff who provided all the

delicious food!ZOË MARSHALL

A Gap Year at Newbold College iscurrently made up of three differentelements. Two of them – a personaldevelopment and an educationalrequirement – take place at NewboldCollege during the autumn semester.The third part occurs during a six-month placement of your choice,from January to June.

What does Newbold’s Gap Yearoffer?A Gap Year at Newbold College offersyou an opportunity to take a breakfrom whatever you are doing andconsider what direction your lifeshould take.

It offers an opportunity to develop skills and enjoy experiencesthat will be vital to any future career,to build a broader world-view andbring you closer to God.

What sort of people take a GapYear at Newbold College?People of any age who seek a careerbreak or hope to recharge their batteries decide to take a Gap Year.We have had college and university students take a Gap Year both beforeand after going to university.

Why do people take a Gap Year?Some people just want an opportuni-ty to take a break from the pressuresof their student and/or workingcareer. For some it is an opportunityto ‘put something back’ by partici-pating in various voluntary exercis-es. For others it is an opportunity toexperiment with a variety of activi-ties and find out what interests them and what sort of work they are suited to.

placement which you will discusswith your personal tutor and choosein the first semester in the Missionsand Volunteerism course. As part ofthe placement you will also be askedto do a written report on your fieldwork for which you will get academiccredit.

Who organises the placement? The teachers of Mission andVolunteerism will help you to maketravel arrangements, apply for visaswhere appropriate and make sureyou have proper insurance and soforth.

Most placements are made inco-operation with AVS (AdventistVolunteer Service) or ADRA(Adventist Development and ReliefAgency), even though other possibili-ties can be considered as well.

What sort of places do peoplevisit?Brazil, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Russia,Thailand, UK and Yemen.

What sort of work do Gap Yearstudents do on their placement?Here’s a list of some of the jobs:classroom assistant, teacher ofEnglish, support worker, projectassistant, IT support worker, drugrehabilitation support worker.

What do they say when they comeback?‘It was the best decision I evermade!’‘It has given me a new direction inmy life’‘Just what I needed!’

What does it all cost?Special bursaries are available forGap Year students. For more details go towww.newbold.ac.uk and searchOffers and Discounts available orcall the director of Student Finance,Simone Smit. T: 01344-407411. E: ssmit@newbold.ac.uki.

Who should I contact to find outmore?Henrik Jorgensen is director of theGap Year. He would be happy to havean informal chat with you or yourparents to discuss any aspect of theGap Year. He also says that new,exciting initiatives are under devel-opment for the Gap Year whichmakes it even more attractive totake some time out to consider yourfuture. T: 01344-401791. E: hjorgensen@newbold.ac.uk.HELEN PEARSON

10 Messenger

Interested in more Newboldnews?The latest edition of the Newboldianis just out with 12 pages of newsand pictures about the College.How to get a copy: Read it online atwww.newbold.ac.uk, or apply onlinefor your personal copy at:www.newbold.ac.uk/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,8/Itemid,1338/, or call the AlumniOffice on 01344-407583, orwrite to Alumni Office, NewboldCollege, Bracknell, Berks RG42 4AN.

Newbold offers continuingeducation for pastors From January 2009, Seventh-dayAdventist ministers interested inprofessional enrichment are invitedto attend scheduled intensive theo-logical lectures at Newbold. Nextsemester, ten regular courses will beon offer to appropriately qualifiedpastors. In order to get the most outof the learning experience, thesemature students will be expected toattend classes (all scheduled in themornings) and fulfil the reading andthought assignments required of regular students but not to submitwritten work or sit for examinations.

‘Newbold has always trainedpastors,’ says Dr Steve Currow, principal lecturer in Pastoral Studies.‘Now we are offering busy pastorsthe chance to develop their under-standing of present truth and stayinvolved in lifelong learning as theyface new challenges in differentparts of their ministry. This continu-ing education opportunity (designedby Newbold’s Department ofTheological Studies in co-operationwith the Trans-European Division)offers pastors a place to rechargetheir intellectual and professionalbatteries in a stimulating and empathetic environment.’

For more details click here orcontact Dr Steve Currow. E: scurrow@newbold.ac.uk; T: +44 (0)1344 407487.

What is the Gap Year atNewbold College?

Messenger 11

For all, it is a chance to considerwhich direction they want their lifeto take in the future.

What happens in the first semester?The first semester is a time ofthought and preparation for theplacement in the second semester.The preparation takes two forms:

The first part is the personaldevelopment component. Eachstudent meets once a week with apersonal tutor to explore and developthe skills needed for their place-ment. This is an opportunity to thinkabout life choices as well as otherissues in personal and spiritualdevelopment on an individual basis.

The second part is the educa-tional component which has beendeveloped particularly to help youprepare for your placement in thesecond semester. All students take aclass in Mission and Volunteerism.This class will be taught by peoplewho are very experienced in volun-teerism and have a thorough knowl-edge of the Adventist network. Youwill also have the opportunity tochoose from the following four modules: Cultural Anthropology,Principles of Management, Ministryand Culture, and Introduction toInternational Development, as wellas an elective (an extra class cho-sen by you). Those who want toimprove their English language skillsmay enrol in a class in the School ofEnglish.

What happens in the secondsemester?This semester is spent on a practical

Bussue, minister of music, who inturn spoke with the musicians andworship team. All were blown awayby the story and the request. Workschedules were hastily reorganisedand a group of ten from the worshipteam and musicians went along andministered on the day.

We learnt so much aboutKathleen Harrison, who sounded likea warm, humorous, tenaciousYorkshire woman who had livedthrough the war, brought her familyup with sound values, even thoughshe had never been a practisingChristian, had welcomed people intoher home, and anyone who camenever left hungry. She had supportedher family and those around herthrough the slings and arrows thatlife can throw at us.

We all came away thinking threethings – she behaved in the wayJesus admonishes us through herinteractions with people; we wishedwe’d had the chance to meet her;and it was a privilege to minister ather funeral.

But the story doesn’t end here.Wilton Blake received another

phone call after the service. Thefamily and those who attended wereso blessed by the team just doingwhat it does every week at churchand that we so easily take for grant-ed, that they wanted to visit thechurch for a service and come andsay thank you.

Now you have to get the context.The church is located in an areawhere we have historically struggledto engage the local white population.Kathleen had sat for seven yearsand listened to the singing and theservices but had not felt able tocome inside, and here we were, afterone act of kindness, breaking downbarriers!

So, on Sabbath 25 October, trueto their word, Lisa, her sister, herbrother and brother-in-law allattended the service.

It just so happened to beChildren’s Day at Carter Knowle, sothe children led the worship teamand were supported by the churchworship team and musicians.

Gerard Bowen, Lisa’s brother-in-law, spoke to the church and one ofhis comments was, ‘Kath spent solong listening to the music from out-side, today we’ll get to hear themusic from the inside.’ The family soenjoyed the service and the warmthof the welcome that they wereamong the last to leave!

In talking to the family, you justcouldn’t help but warm to them.

Kathleen had clearly done an excel-lent job with them all, and it turnedout that one of our members, NadineWynter, works in the same buildingas Kathleen’s son-in-law!

And still the story doesn’t end!Brother Blake received a card

from Lisa to say another big thankyou from the family for all the wor-ship team had done and were willing

Here in Swansea we meet manyAdventist friends, students and theirfamilies who come from around thecountry and also from other parts ofthe world. Our close proximity toSwansea University and the hospi-tals makes it very convenient foreveryone and for many students toattend our Sabbath services as wellas other church activities. They arenot just spectators and consumers,but active participants with Bibleteaching and the presentation ofmusical items.

Recently we said goodbye to ourdear Masego and her family. Masegowas with us for the year and duringher last few weeks her family spentsome time in Swansea also. Theyfinally went back to Botswana. Wealso said goodbye to our friends Noeland Karen who emigrated toMassachusetts.

We are also bidding farewell toour friend Frankie who spent the

year with us too. We also had achance to get to know his familybriefly, and we all wish him well onhis return to Anguilla.

There are many more who cameto Swansea and became part of ourchurch family and we are very grate-ful for all their gifts and talentsshared with us. Many more havejoined us, like Noreen fromBirmingham who became our divineservice speaker during our youthday, also Thombie from London,Solomon from Birmingham, Luke from Essex and Tony fromCowbridge (who was baptised on 8 November).

Similarly we wish all friends andfamilies well, in particular our youngpeople who have left to attend otheruniversities or to take up employ-ment abroad or elsewhere in thecountry. Recently we had Duane whowas our young speaker for the divineservice.

Messenger 13

Over the weekend of 31October-2 November twenty-nine youth joined Isha Prince

and Khaya Chiweshe for a PurityWeekend retreat at Blaxhall Hostelnear Woodbridge, Suffolk. Isha, fromthe Luton church, piloted the pro-gramme last year but this was thefirst time she was able to run thefull programme.

‘It was really great, fantastic!Really enlightening!’ said Rachelfrom Chelmsford. Infra from Ipswichadded, ‘I understand the importanceof abstinence where I didn’t before.’

The weekend was based aroundtwo books, And the Bride WoreWhite . . . Seven Secrets to SexualPurity by Dannah Gresh, and WhoMoved the Goalposts? . . . 7 Winning Strategies in the SexualIntegrity Gameplan by Bob Gresh.The girls and guys utilised thesebooks respectively in their weekenddiscussions and activities. ‘It was avery personal time, people sharingexperiences you could relate to. Itwas quite deep,’ reflected Tom fromChelmsford. Rodney from Basildonchurch agreed. ‘I learned a lot. Veryinteresting.’ But the youth did muchmore than read. There were activi-

ties involving egg dropping, paperripping, football throwing, laughterpealing, pens a-drawing, and dis-cussions a-flowing! There was alsolots of food! ‘We’ve learned lots fromothers’ experiences, and that theywant to help us learn so that wedon’t make the same mistakes,’reported Abigail from Colchester.

Pastor Jerry Smith saw theretreat as a bold step in a climateneeding straight talk about thesesensitive and truly important issues.He was impressed. ‘Three girls inattendance all said, near simultane-ously, that they have now decided towait until they get married beforehaving sex.’ Youth now recognisethat sex is something to be cher-ished and kept for the confines ofthe marriage bed. Before the week-end some of the youth said sexbefore marriage really ‘didn’t seemto be all that big of a deal’. ‘Weknew [a retreat like this] was need-ed, but this weekend made usrealise how much,’ Isha reflected atthe conclusion of their time together.‘The group that we’ve worked withhave been brilliant, really gettinginvolved, and they seem to havetaken a lot from it.’

The weekend was an intenseseries of large and small groupmeetings, focusing on various issuessuch as lies about sex that Satanpropagates, issues concerning self-worth, personal and video testi-monies about the pain and problemsthat come with premarital sexualencounters, and biblical definitionsand principles of sexual purity.

The event was organised by Sue

The story I am about to relate epito-mises the maxim: ‘We never knowhow many people we may reach.’

On 15 October, church elder

12 Messenger

Promoting Purity forTeenagers weekendby Jerry Smith

Sampson, leader of the Area 8 YouthFederation, and largely sponsored bythe SEC Family Ministries depart-ment. Please contact Bernie Holfordon bholford@secadventist.org.uk orIsha Prince on ishaprince@ hotmail.com if you would like to volunteer as a team leader in thisministry or see this event organisedin your area.

Carter Knowle’s worshiptouches the communityby David Bussue

Wilton Blake received a telephonecall from Lisa Harrison who relatedthe following story.

Her family was planning the

funeral of their mother, KathleenHarrison, that was to be held on 21October.

The church did not know thefamily, but for seven years, Lisa hadlived across the road from the CarterKnowle Road church. Lisa’s mumlived on the north side of the city butwould visit Lisa on a Saturday.

One week she heard the praiseand worship session coming fromthe church. From that point on,Kathleen made it her practice to getto her daughter’s house early on aSabbath morning, where she wouldsit in the bay window and watch usall arrive at church. Then she wouldopen the window wide and listen tothe music and just bask in the serv-ice. This went on for most weeksuntil Lisa moved to Birmingham.

The request was made: ‘Wouldwe be able to come and sing at thefuneral?’

Wilton Blake contacted David

to do free of charge to make theirmum’s funeral such a special day.

With the card was a substantialcash gift to the church.

Our purpose in praise and worship is threefold:

To put Jesus Christ front andcentre in our services.

To inspire and encourage ourselves.

To inspire and encourage thosewho are present.

If ever there was evidence of theimpact of what we do and can dowhen we all pull together rather than pulling apart, then this storyexemplifies it.

We hope that the friendshipsmade out of this situation will belasting ones.

Swansea: It’s all happening! It was also our great sadness tosay goodbye to our minister duringthe year. Ed and Shana are nowdoing well in Santa Barbara,California, with the recent arrival ofbaby Jack.

The arrival of Pastor Adamovicand his family has given us newhope of revival in our church. Wenow have a regular midweek prayermeeting and youth activities, hope-fully in preparation for the year ofevangelism in 2009.

Our regular after-church potluckhas always been a great successand given us the opportunity to getacquainted with everyone. It benefitsregular members as well as visitors.We have friends and relatives whohave joined our worship and fellow-ship and have later commented onthe warm experience of their visit.

If anyone wants to know moreabout Swansea, please log on to thewebsite of the city and county ofSwansea at www.swansea.co.uk orwww.swansea.org. For church infor-mation log on to www.adventistwales.org. LILY KIDWELL

The first South England Conference EducationRetreat took place at Staverton Park,Northamptonshire, on the weekend of Friday 31October to Sunday 2 November. Adventist teachersand church Education officers all came together tohear the keynote speaker Dr Orville Woolford, for-mer John Loughborough head teacher, focus onthe theme ‘Education for Life: The Marriage ofMission and Vision’. Dr Woolford, currently Dean ofAdmissions and Records at the University of theSouthern Caribbean, was accompanied by hiswife.

The retreat was opened by the South EnglandConference Education director, Opal Johnson-Christie, who set out the programme for the week-end. On Friday, ‘The Mission’, Sabbath, ‘TheMarriage’, and Sunday, ‘The Vision renewed’.Other visitors who joined us were the SEC presi-dent Pastor Sam Davis, who gave the openingaddress, and his wife Rowena, and also assistantBUC Education director Anne Pilmoor, as well ashead teachers of two of our schools in London –Gina Abbequaye from Hylands House and LauraOsei from Eden School, who is currently also executive head teacher of John Loughborough.

Participants were inspired during the weekendby the speakers and presenters, the prayer teamwho led in seasons of prayer throughout, the communion service, and the beautiful music fromBlessed, a group of five young girls aged 10-12from the Brixton church.

Some highlights from Dr Woolford’s discourseswere:

Education for life brings our minds into communion with the mind of God.

Education should be redemptive.In many areas God is not popular, but we are

here because we want the Lord to do something.We began a journey secure in God as our person-al Saviour. If Adventist education is not workingthen we have to fix it by God’s grace.

This was a clarion call in harmony with theSEC president’s exhortation on Sabbath evening to‘let us together reclaim our school(s) for Adventistchildren’.

In the ‘Vision’ Dr Woolford reminded us thateducation is for life here and the hereafter. Thiswas what made Adventist education unique. Ourmission was to co-operate with God. He quoted E.G. White who said, ‘Even the most uncompromis-ing plan will succeed if we all unite behind it.’Furthermore we were asked not to be so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good.

Finally, we were reminded of the nursery rhyme‘Humpty Dumpty’ who represents the brokennessof the human condition after he fell from the wall.Our teachers, schools and children will not be perfect – we are all broken, but it is Jesus whocan put us back together again.

The weekend was a time of fellowship, withGod always at the centre of everything. The organ-isation and attention to detail was excellent. Letus hope that this is just the beginning of gettingtogether the amazing talent of educationalists wehave in the South England Conference to progressthe mission of the Church in an area of

tremendous importance in these end times.SHERRILLE HYATT

14 Messenger

gave them the opportunity to distrib-ute leaflets to the public outsidetheir store and publicly made anannouncement to pick up a leaflet,as well as making the Health Dayevent a success.

Members of the public said theevent was brilliant and informativewith a friendly atmosphere and surroundings. They also showedtheir appreciation to the health professionals who gave up their time to help others and look forwardto seeing similar events organised inthe future.SONIA LEE

fascinating story of the life and workof Henry Martin of India.

Ray Hornett and his early-teengroup PowerPoint – Dominika, Nicoleand Gertrude – reviewed the quar-ter’s lessons from their own per-spective, reflecting on how the stud-ies related to them personally. It was a happy morning for everyonepresent.

Three weeks later, it was the turnof our younger children (3-8-year-olds) to participate in SabbathSchool. Daniel, Paidia, Samuel,Natasha, Ruth and Max all explainedto us in their biggest voices what ourfeet, knees, hands, ears, eyes andmouths are for – we must use themto serve God and other people.

Tracy presented the missionsappeal and we all responded gener-ously to her urgent appeal for funds.

In the divine service our attentionwas drawn to the Holy Spirit. Thespeaker, our elder Ray Hornett, usedthe young people in an illustration ofhow the Spirit works. Three youngpeople held a rope. At one end wasNicole, representing an angel; at theother end was Gertrude, represent-ing evil; and in the middle wasDominika, representing the HolySpirit. She was pulled variously inboth directions, but, thankfully, sheeventually ended up on the side ofthe angel after making the rightchoices. It was an entertaining andthought-provoking presentation.

It was another wonderfulSabbath morning and children andadults alike had a very happy time.

from these ancestors that she inheritedthe characteristics of boldness, inde-pendence, courage and determinationto succeed, qualities which made herthe person we came to love and respect.Her children called her Mum; her fam-ily, Sister or Aunt Vadne; her closefriends, Miss Vadne or Eva; but every-one else knew her as Sister Whyte.

She married Burnett LivingstoneWhyte at the age of 21 and they settledin London where they attended Brixtonchurch, later to be joined by theirdaughter Eunice. Blessed with twomore children, Alistair and Gillian, thefamily set up home in Preston,Lancashire. Sadly, Alistair sustained se-vere brain damage and was not ex-pected to live. Refusing to give up, hismother asked the church to pray forher son. Alistair lived to the age of 25and this was through the grace of Godand the tender love of his family. MrWhyte also suffered ill health and SisterWhyte nursed and cared for him untilhe passed away in 1986.

Sister Whyte studied GeneralNursing and then specialised inPsychiatric Nursing at WhittinghamHospital. During her lifetime she mademany Christian and non-Christianfriends. She blessed the Preston church,of which she was a member, with hermany talents, one of the most conspic-uous being her angelic singing voice.She formed and led the Zion Singerschoir for over thirty years. In 2002 she,along with Zion Singers, attended aspecial robing ceremony for the choir.

She was well known in the com-munity through her witnessing on theMarket Square, Prison Ministry, andthrough public worship. After knock-ing on every door in her street, invitingher neighbours to church, she receiveda positive response from Carol Lawtonwho subsequently became a memberof Preston church.

Sister Whyte enjoyed success in theannual ADRA campaign, taking twoweeks holiday, not to relax, but tospend time ingathering and to drive hercar all over Lancashire to the shoppingcentres to collect. At the weekends shewould go to the pubs and clubs, eventhough they were noisy and smoky. Formany years she was the leadingIngatherer of Preston church and theNorth England Conference, collectingover £1,000, and in 2004 she broke therecord by collecting £2,000! She wasan outstanding worker in LiteratureEvangelism, selling 800 copies ofFamily Life and 500 Focus magazineseach quarter. Through her efforts,Preston church was top of the list in theBritish Isles for the sale of magazines.Her efforts did not go unrecognised.The MESSENGER published a profile ofSister Whyte and in 1988 she wasawarded a cup from Stanborough Pressengraved with the words ‘Champion

for God’. In the same year Prestonchurch received the ‘Church of the YearAward’ as a result of three consecutiveyears of the highest sales in the UnitedKingdom. In 1990 she went to theIndianapolis GC session to representBritain as a delegate. She loved partici-pating in missionary work and trav-elled to Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania.

Sister Whyte was a natural leaderand was greatly respected by all. As shealways had words of authority and en-couragement to share, she was electedhead elder and ordained in 1986, be-coming one of the first female elders inthe whole of the British Isles. Her wordsin 1988 were: ‘Let’s have a campaign!’so in 1989 Pastor Fordham came fromAmerica to the Arts Centre in Preston,and over twenty souls were baptised.

Sister Whyte was in tune with theHoly Spirit and knew how to do thework of God. She was prayer-centredand overcame all obstacles – caring fora disabled son, a sick husband andmother, and her own personal circum-stances. Nothing prevented her frommaking God the first priority in her life.

Throughout the last year, with fad-ing health, she still continued to sing inthe choir and everywhere she went.(Even in hospital other patients mar-velled at her voice.) She was truly anunceasing missionary for her God.

In the many moving tributes cele-brating her life, Sister Whyte was de-scribed as ‘a Heaven-sent original’ wholoved the Lord and people and had apassion for the Kingdom. She was atrue warrior of righteousness whosefaith was firmly anchored in Jesus. Shewas also funny, mischievous, full of lifeand spirit, an encouraging, inspiring,resourceful and resilient woman wholoved to give more than receive.

Pastor Stokes in his sermonettestated: ‘Better is the day of our deaththan the day of our birth.’ When we areborn, we don’t know what directionour lives will take; we can’t see the con-sequences of life because it is like ablank page. But the day of our death isa story of our life. Everyone sees whatdirection our life has taken. Have welived selfishly? Have we responded tothe cry of God? Have we appreciated hislove for us? Sister Whyte gave eighty-three years to God. She now sleeps,awaiting the Life-giver’s command.

Many musical tributes includedsome of her favourites: ‘There’s a landbeyond the river’, ‘It will be worth it allwhen we see Jesus’, and ‘Children of theHeavenly King’.

Our condolences are extended tothose she leaves behind – six brothers,five sisters, her daughters Eunice andGillian, and grandchildren Chanelleand Ian Micah. She leaves many friendswho worked, prayed, worshipped,laughed and cried with her. SisterWhyte testified to the goodness of God.Let’s honour her memory by living andworking for Christ.JENNY JEFFERS

Messenger 15

On Sunday 16 November, over 140delegates from around the SouthEngland Conference (SEC) gatheredat London’s Advent Centre for thefirst Church Acquisition Conference,sponsored by the Stewardshipdepartment of the SEC.

Delegates were welcomed to theevent by the conference’s convenerDr Richard de Lisser, and the morn-ing’s devotional exercise was con-ducted by Pastor Paul Lockham,executive secretary of the SEC.

Pastor Lockham spoke of the Churchbeing about people and not build-ings, that we are the Church, andwherever we reside, be that in rent-ed accommodation or in a buildingof our own, the work and mission ofthe Church must continue.

The purpose of the ChurchAcquisition Conference was to makemembers aware of the policies andprocedure as they relate to the pur-chase of church buildings, and toraise the awareness of the member-ship of the need to consult the rele-vant bodies before any formal nego-tiations begin in the procurement ofany church building.

To this end, delegates were suit-ably informed through a range ofpresentations given by such speak-ers as Mervyn Leicester fromAdventist Risk Management whospoke on Church Acquisition:

Insurance & Risk Management; EarlRamharacksingh, SEC treasurer, pre-sented The SEC Church AcquisitionPolicy; Victor Pilmoor, British UnionConference treasurer, lectured onThe Fundraising Campaign; SteveOkelo, Associate BUC treasurer andsecretary of the Seventh-dayAdventist Association (SDAA), raisedthe issue of Church Acquisition: TheLegal Hurdles; and Dr Steve Thomasinformed the delegates on Managingthe Asset: Preventative Maintenanceand Church Sustainability.

A special presentation was madeby chartered surveyor BernardGordon, estate agent of BernardGordon & Company, who enlightenedthe delegates on The Current Market:Buildings that Can Be Acquired forReligious Use.

It was ironic that during thelunch period news came to us of the

tragic fire that engulfed the BUC. Asthe meeting reconvened prayer wasoffered, asking God to intervene andthanking him for the fact that therewas no loss of life.

The conference ended with alively panel discussion. PastorJonathan Barrett said, ‘I found mostof the presentations very, very use-ful, and the lunch was excellent, sothanks for organising this.’ Patrickand Dr Jeanie McKerrow stated, ‘Wehave enjoyed and benefited so muchfrom the Church AcquisitionConference; the venue and speakerswere well chosen; we found it veryuseful. Well done, and the food wasso good!’

Copies of each presentation canbe downloaded from the SEC web-site at www.secadventist.org follow-ing the links to the Stewardshipdepartment.

Church Acquisition Conferenceby Dr Richard de Lisser, Communication director, SEC

Education retreat: ‘Reclaiming our vision’Wycombe district –Community Health DayOn Sunday 5 October, Micklefield and AmershamAdventist churches held a free Health Day programme for the community at the HilltopCommunity Centre, Crest Road, High Wycombe.

The event was widely advertised around theBooker/Cressex vicinity and a large inviting bannerwas placed outside the Hilltop Community Centre.

Health professionals from the Wycombe andAmersham churches carried out health checks onpeople’s cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, urineand blood pressure. Back and shoulder massagewas also given. Consultants were made availableon site for private consultations, and dietaryadvice was given by doctors. There were manypamphlets and leaflets on health awareness andillnesses for the community’s interest. A healthseminar on back pain, heart disease and diabeteswas also held, along with free, tasty vegetarianfood available for the public.

Health is vitally important to everyone and pro-viding education within the community emphasis-es the importance of changing to a healthierlifestyle.

Edward Sinclair, team co-ordinator, said, ‘Thehealth fair is to benefit the community who, likeAdventists, want to live longer, healthier lives.’

The organising team was grateful to Asdasupermarket in Holmers Farm Way, Cressex, who

Colchester is very fortunate to havea very strong youth presence, somuch so that we have to have twothirteenth Sabbath programmes aquarter! Only six years ago we werewatching as our junior and preteenSabbath Schools dwindled to nothing. How’s that for growth?

In one of our recent thirteenthSabbath services, Andre (aged 8),with occasional prompting from hismum Angela, recited all the memoryverses for the quarter. He also toldthe story of Jacob and Esau in hisown words, giving the story a slightlyoriginal slant!

Pastor Paul Smith took the lessonand this was followed by a quiz con-ducted by Eleanor, after which prizeswere awarded for correct answers.

The missions appeal was slightlydifferent. Cynthia Austin and a num-ber of other members presented the

Colchester: Growth in thejunior sectorby Susan Ingram

The officiating ministers at the funeralservice of Sister Whyte were PastorsFred Mapp, Barry Stokes, EgertonFrancis, Kevin Johns and Felix Jack.

However, a total of eleven pastors at-tended, which in itself was a tribute tothe standing of Evadne Etheline Whyte.

Sister Whyte was born on 29October 1925 in Portland, Jamaica, thedaughter of Francetta and StanleyHarris. She was the eldest of fourteenchildren and had a natural talent forsinging. From a Baptist background, atthe age of 13 she was the first familymember to be baptised into theSeventh-day Adventist Church, show-ing her commitment to be an activeworker for God.

She had an interesting ancestry. Shewas from the Maroon tribe, and it was

Evadne Etheline Whyte (1925-2008) d. 11 October.

16 Messenger

SunsetSunset times are reproduced with permission from

data supplied by the Science Research Council.

Lond Card Nott Edin BelfJan 2 4.04 4.16 4.00 3.51 4.10

9 4.12 4.25 4.09 4.01 4.2016 4.23 4.35 4.20 4.13 4.3123 4.34 4.47 4.33 4.27 4.45

MESSENGER SUBSCRIPTIONSCost to member supplied in bulk to churches £6.

Single copy subscription by post £13.Overseas airmail £27.50

MessengerVolume 114 • 01 – 2 January 2009

EDITOR: D. N. MARSHALLDESIGN: DAVID BELL

COPY FOR No. 2 – 5 January 2009Copy should be sent to the Editor, MESSENGER, TheStanborough Press Limited, Alma Park, Grantham,

Lincolnshire, NG31 9SL. Tel: (01476) 591700.Fax No: (01476) 577144.

Email: Editordnm@mac.comSend high resolution pictures to:dbell@stanboroughpress.co.ukABC Sales line: (01476) 539900 Mon-Thurs only, 8am- 5.30pm.

www.stanboroughpress.com

The Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expandarticles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.Published fortnightly on Fridays by the BritishUnion Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Printed in Denmark.Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.uk

ISSN 0309-3654

to being fully involved. Our Evangelism director, Eglan

Brooks, has written to pastors withregard to some of the programmesand resources in connection with theYear of Evangelism. Curtis Murphywill also be in touch to ascertain thenumber of copies of the ‘MissionaryBook of the Year’ that yourchurch(es) will need.

Missionary book of the year: HE IS COMINGLet me provide more information onthe ‘Missionary Book of the Year’: Itis written by the most successfulevangelist that we currently have inour Church. He is Allejandro Bullónof the South American Division. Thebook is entitled He is Coming. TheBritish Union will bear the majorcost of printing the book. At lessthan 50p a copy we expect thatchurches will take thousands ofthem for mass distribution. This is aproject that can be justifiably sup-ported by the Gift Aid funds that

<1

ABC BOOK SALESDecember16 Stanborough Sch Ass. Hall 10am-5pm

January10 Cardiff Evening11 Bristol Central 10am-2pm

February1 John Loughborough 10.30am-2pm

ABC Shops Watford, BUC. Due to the recent fire, the ABC shop in Watford is closed until March

Advent Centre, Sundays 11.30am-3.30pm

Scottish Mission of Seventh-day Adventists Triennial SessionNotice is hereby given that the Triennial Session of the Scottish Mission of Seventh-day Adventistswill be held on Sunday 21 June 2009 in the Crieff Seventh-day Adventist church.

Delegates should note that registration will take place in the church from 8.30am to 9.30am.Delegates are required to have registered prior to the commencement in order to participate inchoosing members of the Recommendation Committee.L. R. EDWARDS, Scottish Mission president, V. PILMOOR, secretary

LIFE IS A JOURNEY – WRITE IT WELLA conference on spiritual writing for therapeutic purposesSunday 1 February 2009, 10am-4pmVenue: Stanborough Centre, Stanborough Park, Watford, HertfordshireThe cost of the event will be £25 and includes lunch and a resource pack.This conference is for all writers and budding writers, healthcare professionals, and youth and com-munity workers.Life is a Journey – Write it Well is sponsored by the South England Conference, Adventist Writers &Editors & Write Words.For further information or to book a place on the course, please contact the SEC Communicationdepartment on 01923 232728 or email your interest to: writewords7@googlemail.com and you willbe sent an application form.‘Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mineheart.’ Jeremiah 15:16, KJV.

CATHY BOLDEAU

Full-time Secretarial Vacancy at the North England Conference OfficeClosing date for applications: Tuesday 13 JanuaryThe North England Conference is seeking a competent and committed person for the post of secretary to add to our secretarial pool – a person with good secretarial skills and a commitment tothe mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The responsibilities will include, among others, secretarial and data entry tasks, preparation of workshop/seminar materials, and so forth. The position will require a competency in the use of a PCas well as the use of Microsoft Office or comparable software packages and desk-top publishing.

Previous secretarial experience preferred.Salary and terms of employment will be in keeping with denominational policies and are

available on request. Interested individuals are invited to send a CV and to request an application form. Write to:

Paul Haworth, Executive Secretary, North England Conference, 22 Zulla Road, Mapperley Park,Nottingham, NG3 5DB. Email: admin@necadventist.org.uk.

It is a rare and difficult thing to findanything that has been lost inLondon. The sheer vastness of theplace, coupled with the density ofpopulation in some areas, rendersanything left momentarily unlikely toremain for very long. A few years agoI lost my watch. It had been given tome as a gift by my mother and,therefore, had for me a great senti-mental value. One day as I walkedalong a quiet street, it slipped frombeneath my sleeve, off my wrist, andby the time I realised, it was toolate. I returned to the place where Ihad been walking, with a small hopethat perhaps I might find it on thepavement. But of course I did not.There was no sign of it anywhere. Iwas very upset about having lostthis special thing of mine, but waslargely convinced that I would see itno more. After several weeks, I stillremembered the incident and friendsencouraged me to ask at the localpolice station. Eventually I did – andI found it. Imagine my surprise whenthe officer behind the desk asked meto describe the features of thewatch, and said that an identicalone had been anonymously handedin a few weeks before. As far as Iwas concerned, it was a small miracle, and I am reminded of it

have been remitted to churches.For any evangelistic programme

to be successful, it must be under-girded by prayer and spiritualrevival. Consequently, we are askingyou to take the lead in your localchurch in arranging for the firstSabbath in each quarter to be a timeof prayer and the formation of prayerbands. In addition, please lead yourmembers to identify one person forwhom they will pray and with whomthey will work during the course ofthe year.

Please join us in praying for thedew of God’s blessing to rest uponall workers and members, and alsoupon our evangelistic plans for2009.

Yours sincerely

Don McFarlane, President

Can the lost be found in London?by Sasha Dixon

each time I wear that watch.It certainly can be difficult to lose

a treasure, whatever it might be.And I must say that during my timein London I have been very fortu-nate. Not least of all because I lostsomething held dear and managedto find it again, and most of allbecause, in the end, I found some-thing much more precious than Iever lost. I first came to England atthe age of sixteen and since thenI’ve lost many things, including abest friend. But what I found wasGod. London is certainly a big city,and many young people do find it achallenge not to lose things of signif-icance to them. Values, virtue,morality, even human concern. Ihappen to be one who found a lot. Icame to London three years ago tobegin my undergraduate studies,and was baptised a week beforegraduating. Evidently, my educationtook place as much in school as itdid in church. Interestingly enough,my university course was one whichoften glorified some of the modernscientific theories in greatest opposi-tion to Creationism, leaving no roomfor Intelligent Design by a loving andomniscient God; but even there, Ifound him.

What this experience has taught

me is that our God is big, he isomnipotent and he would do any-thing to have a relationship with us.He is much larger than the cities wemay find ourselves in and muchmore able than our strongest com-petencies. Even when we ought tohave been lost, if we seek himrather than accept defeat, he willgently guide us down the better pathhe so desperately wants for us.Moses admonished the children ofIsrael in the same way, saying tothem that even if they were scat-tered among the people and few innumber in the land they would occu-py, God would never be far fromthem; ‘But from there you will seekthe LORD your God, and you will findhim if you seek him with all yourheart and with all your soul.’(Deuteronomy 4:29.) Similarly, Godseeks after us, as he did after Adamin the Garden of Eden when hesinned. We just have to be willing tobe found, and to keep ever focusedon him as the object of our ownsearch. In doing so, we will not allowthe important things to slip off unno-ticed. We will not allow standards tobe compromised, and will not yieldourselves to the preoccupations ofthe world around us. True, it is notan easy thing to move against thetide, but we must try to swim any-way; mostly he will carry us. I knowhe carried me. And with our eyesfocused on him, we will surely beable to find him anywhere.