Members of Landsborough Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Landsborough, Queensland, distributed 1500 copies of Ellen White’s The Great Controversy on April 13. To celebrate Missionary Book Distribution Day, church members went into their local community, distributing the books through door knocking and letterboxing. Bookmarks were also handed out, inviting people to attend Bible studies at Landsborough church. The bookmarks also contained the contact details of young adult church members and Bible workers D’Arty and Emily, who are working in and around the community. Landsborough church members ..read more

Pastoral teams from across South New Zealand gathered recently at Lake Lyndon Lodge for connection, training and prayer. The team was joined by associate ministerial secretary, Dr Edyta Jankiewicz, and field and ministerial secretary, Dr Darius Jankiewicz, from the South Pacific Division. During the three days, the pastoral team heard presentations on relational intelligence, with specific emphasis on emotional intelligence. The life of Jesus was used as a model, and many stories from Scripture where Jesus displayed His masterful ability to connect and minister to people, were studied and disc ..read more

Extreme weather disasters, deforestation, droughts and wildfires have displaced and disrupted millions of lives across the world. In response to Earth Day, April 22, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is encouraging communities across the US and worldwide to get involved in the #GoGreenWithADRA initiative. The #GoGreenWithADRA effort aims to promote environmental stewardship, raise awareness of global environmental concerns, and instill a sense of responsibility in students and individuals from all backgrounds to contribute to a more sustainable planet. “In the f ..read more

It is not always recognised that Paul’s letters are the oldest witnesses to the life and times of the early Jesus-movement available to readers today. They precede the earliest Gospel (Mark) by at least a decade and several decades in the cases of the other Gospels. The first thing one notices when focusing on Paul’s own context is that his gospel is hammered out within a polemical environment (2 Corinthians 11:1–13; Philippians 3:1–11). Most of Paul’s adversaries feared that his gospel to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:2; Ephesians 3:6) would “change the customs that Moses handed on to” the Jews ..read more

The “Future of Health” is the focus of this year’s ELIA Wellness Summit, which is being held from May 24-26 on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Hosted by Professor Darren Morton and Dr Geraldine Przybylko, the summit will feature engaging presentations on a diverse range of topics including “Cancer and Nutrition”, “Mental Health and Christianity”, “Pain Management and Lifestyle” and “Artificial Intelligence and Health”. There will be panel discussions and interactive booths, move and stretch sessions, and plenty of opportunities for networking. Attendees will learn about wellness hubs and other com ..read more

My favourite General Conference meetings usually take place over Easter. Not that I like being away from family at Easter but the GC “Spring Meetings” focus on how we reach the billions who have not heard of the everlasting gospel of Jesus. Enthralled, I listen to frontline missionaries who have left their home countries, learnt other languages and cultures to work with very different people groups from atheist, Muslim, communist, Buddhist and other backgrounds. They share the challenges of not having many who understand them, of meeting people and having no response, but also the joys of new ..read more

Early in 2023 while visiting my brother, I suddenly developed double vision. At first, I thought I had just strained my eyes and needed some rest, so I went to bed early.  The next morning it was worse! I couldn’t walk properly and the double vision was making me nauseous. It is very disconcerting to see two of everything!  I ended up going to Emergency at the local hospital, and after multiple tests—checking for stroke and diabetes etc which failed to find any obvious reason for my double vision—I was discharged from the hospital, with a patch over my left eye so I could see straigh ..read more

In extraordinary scenes, thousands of people are queuing for check-ups at a mega health clinic which is being held this week in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Located at Mt Hagen, the clinic was opened on Tuesday with a large welcoming ceremony attended by more than 2500 people, including the Governor of the Western Highlands Province, Wai Rapa. A joint effort of the 10,000 Toes Campaign and Adventist World Radio, the clinic is being manned by 426 international volunteers, including 86 doctors and 40 nurses, alongside 300 local health workers. Services include diabetes scr ..read more

Solomon Islander Barnabas Tiva has had his life transformed by a cocoa drying shelter funded by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). The Solar Cocoa Dryer is a clear, corrugated, solar-powered facility that assists with the drying out of cocoa beans. It is part of the ADRA Cocoa Livelihood Project funded by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in the Solomon Islands, which aims to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families. This project has played a crucial role in fostering positive impacts in the Northeast Guadalcanal community. Mr Tiva, 72, is the old ..read more

My wife and I recently watched the Australian drama series Prosper, about the leading family of a Christian megachurch—and their shortcomings.  While the show is purely fictional, there is no doubt some inspiration has been drawn from real world headlines from the past few years, especially from a certain Australian megachurch that has become world famous.  While I am not writing to endorse the show (and would encourage Christian discernment as it includes some questionable elements), I am always fascinated by mainstream entertainment that features Christianity in some way. I find it ..read more