Over 1 Million Join Adventist Church in Fifth Consecutive YeaJ

Secretary, statistical reports reflect membership audits; missionaries increasingly diverse October 13, 2008 Manila, Philippines Ansel Oliver/ANN

World church executive secretary Matthew Bediako said he hopes more of the church's 13 world region's conduct membership audits. Church officials believe such audits generate more accurate membership totals and inspire new growth. [photo: Rajmund Dabrowski/ANN]

The Adventist world church membership now totals 15,780,719.

Eighty-nine percent of new Adventists belong to these six world regions: South America, Inter-America, East-Central Africa, South Africa-Indian Ocean, Southern Asia, Southern-Asia Pacific.

For the fifth consecutive year, more than 1 million people have joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, according to this year's church statistical report.

Church leaders said for the year ending June 30, on average about 2,800 people joined the church each day, bringing the world membership total to 15,780,719.

There is now 1 Adventist for every 425 people on the planet. In 1980, the ratio was 1 to 1,268.

This year's report reflects a membership audit of the church's South America region, which resulted in a more than 300,000-member decline.

"While previous audits in other divisions were also intense, the more accurate membership totals suggest a positive look toward the future," said Bert Haloviak, director of the world church's department of Archives and Statistics.

Reporting a "realistic membership" can prepare a region to grow, church officials said.

Between 2003 and 2005, the church in Southern Asia-Pacific lost 400,000 members from membership audits, Haloviak said. But that region now has the second highest regional growth rate of 6.6 percent -- the highest growth rate since the region organized in 1997
said world church executive secretary Matthew Bediako.

Bediako said he hopes two more of the church's 13 world regions will conduct similar audits.

Both Bediako and Haloviak presented their findings during reports to the world church's Annual Council business session in Manila, Philippines on October 12.

Church growth patterns indicate most church growth took place in non-western societies. About 89 percent of church growth occurred in six of the church's 13 world regions -- South America, Inter-America, East-Central Africa, South Africa-Indian Ocean, Southern Asia and Southern Asia-Pacific (See graphic 2).

Africa and Latin America are now home to about 70 percent of church membership. About 18 percent of members reside in Asia, seven percent in North America and five percent in Europe and Oceania, Haloviak reported to delegates.

Bediako said he was encouraged that missionaries are now coming from more countries and serving in more countries than ever before. There are now more than 2,800 missionary volunteers serving throughout all the church's world regions.

Other church leaders presented their evangelistic efforts as part of the church's Tell the World initiative, the theme for the quinquenium ending in 2010. Gary Krause, director of the church's Office of Adventist Mission, reported the success of mission pioneers in countries where the church is developing.

Several leaders also mentioned the success of church planting in developing church growth. Krause pointed to a Fuller Theological study that said three people are needed to bring someone to Christ in a church that is one to three years old. That figure jumps to seven people in churches that are four to seven years old. Eighty-five people are needed in churches 10 years and older.

Leaders said church growth came from many initiatives, including media outreach, personal witness, schools and other institutions and public evangelism.

[Read original article by Clicking Here]

"He Can Heal the Hurt"

by Max Lucado

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: "Grr-uuuud-ge."

It starts with a growl. "Grr ..." Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. "Grrr ..."

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let's say you get even. Let's say you get him back. Let's say she gets what she deserves. Let's say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?

The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.

I caught my husband making love to another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not--would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I'd have my pound of flesh.

I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to.

Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay.

Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life--without me.

I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am--a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life.

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God's mercy.

No wonder, then, the wise man begs, "Above all else, guard your heart."

David's prayer should be ours: "Create in me a pure heart, O God."


From
The Applause of Heaven
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999) Max Lucado

GRADUATE STUDENT AUCTIONS OFF VIRGINITY

Coming across this month's cat/a/lyst, I came across this shocking little paragraph. What is the world coming to? She might as well work the corner....


> GRADUATE STUDENT AUCTIONS OFF VIRGINITY

In a new low for morals and capitalism, a 22 year old graduate student at Sacramento State has joined with a legal Nevada brothel to auction off her virginity. The young woman says she can verify her purity and is selling her first experience to finance her graduate education in marriage and family therapy. Holding an undergraduate degree in women's studies she believes her actions are empowering to her as a woman and that her virginity is marketable because it is a rare commodity. Several students have expressed support, especially for a cause as noble as paying for school. (CBS13.com September 11, 2008)
-CMU, mailto:cmu@ivyjungle.org