Bern, 01.02.2012/CD-EUDNews - "No Adventists has lost their lives. No Adventist building has been destroyed," said Pastor Stephen Binda Haruna, president of the church region in Nigeria. “Our church was not hot and we are praying for God's continuous protection,” said a Nigeria’s Adventist officer, “our God is alive and the church is matching on.” 
However, the churches in the Northern parts of the Country have put on security measures like making sure that all bags are searched before being allowed into the church, employing private security with operatives’ men of the churches.
After recurring attacks by the extremist terrorist group "Boko Haram" on Christian homes and churches, however, the property of some church members had been looted or burned.
Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language, spoken in northern Nigeria, means "Western education is sinful", wants to impose the Islamic sharia law across the country. Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people since of its birth. They consider all who do not follow its strict ideology as infidels, whether they are Christians or Muslims. This attitude increases religious intolerance at the expense of a population that wants to live in peace.
The violence between Christians and Muslims has no religious motivations, declared the Roman Catholic Bishops of Nigeria. "It's about the equitable distribution of power, land and oil. The pursuit of theocracy is a religious and violent charge call for justice," said the Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama, according to Kathpress. The removal of the 'cheaper-fuel-act' by the Nigerian government had contributed to the violence, says Adventist News Network (ANN). It led to the twofold increase of gasoline prices and nationwide demonstrations.
The Nigerian bishops expressed concern about the "helplessness of the government in dealing with the growing security problem," according to Kathpress. These conflicts cannot be solved by military force alone in a country where 70 percent of the population lives in poor conditions. Thus, it is important to reform the social and educational system.
According to The Guardian, the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie asked the religious leaders to speak out clearly against violence. "The leaders of Christian Churches will continue to work for peace, social welfare and preach that Christians do not practice revenge," said the writer. "Muslim leaders must condemn violence against Christians, in the strongest way. They have to make it clear that Boko Haram isn't part of the Nigerian Islam" said Adichie.
"We firmly condemn these senseless attacks", declared Seventh-day Adventists Euro-Africa President Bruno Vertallier. "Violence is never the way to solve problems and incomprehension. It causes religious intolerance. All Muslims and Christians share one loving Father. Let us unite in love and peace. Time has come to end all conflicts and wars that destroy the entire human family. We pray for and support the Nigerian population, the Nigerian leadership and all those, who want a prosperous, peaceful, joyful and united Nigeria."
The continuing violence between Christian and Muslim groups in North East Nigeria has led to widespread uncertainty among the people, according to ANN. Many people do not go to church anymore, as a result, many churches have closed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria has suspended evangelistic events because of the precarious security situation, as church leaders announced. The community members have been encouraged to share their faith in Jesus Christ and to pray and fast in small groups.
Nigeria has some 155 million inhabitants. It is the most populous country in Africa. About half the population professes Islam, especially in the northern part of the country. The percentage of Christians in Nigeria is reported between 40 and 50 percent. The Islamic northern Nigeria is poorer than the Christian south, where the oil is flowing. Already in the 1980s, long before the clashes in central Nigerian city of Jos (November 2008 and spring 2010), violence affected several cities, based on religious motivations, writes Kathpress. “Our solidarity is for all people in Nigeria who want to see this blinded hate ended, because it has no respect for human life and tries to foster more and more hatred and confusion,” said Corrado Cozzi, Seventh-day Adventists Euro-Africa Communication.
Around 277,000 baptized adult Seventh-day Adventists live in Nigeria. They meet in 858 churches. Adventists maintain a university, three high schools, two technical high schools, two middle schools, 101 primary schools, an orphanage, four hospitals, 18 clinics and two veterinary clinics. 

Bern 29.01.2012. CD-EUDNews. Eric Monnier, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, born on July 26, 1952, passed away in the early hours of January 22, in Collonges, France, after a long and exhausting illness. Pastor Monnier, originally from Switzerland, was a member of a missionary family, which served the church and humanity around the world. His father, Samuel Monnier, after years in several mission fields, served successively as president of the former Southern European Union and as departmental director for the Euro-Africa Division and at the General Conference. After a period of studies in Collonges, France, where he got degrees in Theology, Education, and Administration of firms, Eric Monnier followed his vocation and accepted, in 1976, a call to work on the Amazon River (as a child, he had lived for a few years in Brazil). His wife, Françoise, a devoted nurse, whom he had married one year before his graduation, was a precious help. They spent three years on the Luzeiro XIV (Luzeiro means “light” in Portuguese), a missionary boat for which Eric Monnier was both pilot and mechanic. His activities included preaching (three sermons a day, every day), building (an average of one church built every month), and training people. In addition, on their way, Françoise and Eric helped as much as they could the needy people on the banks of the great river. One unusual figure stands out on their log for that period: about 32,000 extracted teeth! The name Monnier was often present in the missionary reports at that time.   
Enthusiastic as usual, permanently active and with an infectious love for people, pastor Monnier worked for three additional years in Manaus, this time living in a house. After one year of study leave at Andrews University, where he obtained   an M.Div, he served as Mission president in Manaus and later in another location, for a total of 19 years in Brazil. After that, he served for almost 12 years as president of the new Bolivian Union. Finally, after 31 years in South America, in 2007 pastor Monnier accepted a call from Bangladesh, where he served as president of the Bangladesh Union Mission. Still affected by the sudden death of his father, and facing difficulties in adapting to the new climate and life conditions, he experienced growing health challenges. In the end, he had to go back to Europe to receive appropriate care and spent his last year in Collonges, facing courageously painful treatments, still hoping to recover. He passed away in his wife’s loving arms, with the certainty of his salvation through Christ.
Eric and Françoise had adopted two children, Valerie and Gabriel. He leaves his wife; his children; a grandchild, Emily; his mother, Yvonne, who lives in Florida, where she chose to remain after the death of her husband; a brother, Yves, who is a pastor in North America; and a sister, Elisabeth, who recently lost her husband, Johan Van Bignoot, former director of the Adventist French Publishing House, following a long period of missionary service as well: he was also the victim of a very painful disease.  
Words of sympathy are arriving from all parts of the Adventist world to the Monnier family, sharing the only hope that strengthens our faith: the second coming of Jesus.

The ADRA Girls’ Project in collaboration with the Women’s Department of the  Southern German Federation. The Girls’ Project of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA Germany, in Kajiado / Kenya has won the first prize in the "Girls for Girls!" initiative. ADRA would use the prize of € 25,000, to build the long-awaited dining room and kitchen in the girls' school , said Heinz-Hartmut Wilfert, spokesman for ADRA Germany. The award ceremony was held on the 19th of January in the ADRA offices in Weiterstadt, near Darmstadt.
 The "Girls for Girls" initiative was launched in spring 2011, by  the cosmetic brand "Essence". It aims to support girl-projects of non-profit organizations. Twice a year, "Girls for Girls!" asks people to vote online, to choose between three selected projects. The most voted project receives a cash prize of € 25,000.
"The 'Kajiado Rescue Centre' in Kenya, of ADRA Germany, by the end of 2011, received by far the most votes, from over 10,000 votes, declared Wilfert. The girls’ school works for equality, education and holistic care for girls and young women, who are fleeing from forced marriage or genital mutilation. In the Kajiado rescue center 160 girls obtained a room, food and possibility to complete their education. Besides the aim to strengthen the rights of girls in the Rescue Center, an alternative rite has been introduced, which should stop in the long run the circumcision among the Maasai.
Besides the project of ADRA Germany, there was also an educational project of UNICEF in Nepal and a project for girls with eating disorders, the SOS families and youth aids in Augsburg. You can fine more information about the ADRA girls’ school in Kajiado on www.adra.de / Kajiado.

Bern/ Switzerland, 25.01.2012/APD: On February 27, Dr. Christoph Berger (45) will succeed Dr. Winfried Vogel (57) as the General Director of the Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen, at St. Peter am Hart / Austria. Funded in 1949, this learning center is supported financially by the 2,300 German-speaking Swiss Adventists and the 3,900 Austrian Adventists. This institution provides ministerial training and other educational opportunities for students coming from both countries, but also from elsewhere around the world.

Dr. Christoph Berger has a degree in theology from the former Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Marienhöhe, Darmstadt / Germany, and a Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.), both from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), in  the Philippines. He was a pastor and youth director in Germany and Italy, Vice President of the Asia Pacific International University in Thailand. He leads also the "Plant Academy," a course for mission and church growth at the Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen.  Berger is married with Stefania Mazza and has two daughters, Sharon and Charlotte.

 Dr. Winfried Vogel resigned for personal reasons. He chaired the Seminar since 1997. Winfried Vogel is married and has three grown sons. He was a pastor in Germany, a lecturer in theology at the Theological Seminary Marienhöhe, Darmstadt, and Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at the Seminary in Austria.
The Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen also teaches elementary and secondary school for grades 1 to 8, with 44 students and one senior secondary school for grades 9 to 12, with 87 students. The matriculation examination (Matura) is nationally recognized and valid throughout Europe. At the Theological Seminary, with currently 38 students, you may obtain a degree comparable to a Bachelor's degree in a period of four years. The Language Institute has departments for Hebrew, Greek and German as foreign languages.  The German department, currently with 14 students, will grant an Austrian Language Diploma after a nine-month-course.  The "Plant Academy", the latest training course with seven graduates and lasts one year, teaches knowledge and practice with focus on mission and church planting.
The second German-language training facility of the Adventist church is the Theological College Friedensau in Magdeburg / Germany, founded in 1899 and officially recognized since 1990. At present 178 students are enrolled.  It offers comparable to Bachelor's and Master's programs, in the fields of Theology and Christian Social Work according to the Bologna Process European Degrees.  The following courses are available at Friedensau: Bachelor of Arts in Theology (BA - six semesters), Master of Arts in Theology (MA - four semesters), Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MTS - in English, four semesters), Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BA - six semesters), Bachelor of Arts in Health and Nursing Sciences (BA - nine semesters with professional training), Master of Arts in Counseling (MA - four semesters), Master of Arts in International Economics (MA - in English, four semesters) and Master of Arts in Social and Health Management and a Master of Arts (MA) in music Therapy, both for six semesters with professional training.
Adventists in Austria meet for worship in 49 churches. They run a publishing house, a nursing home, an elementary school with four grades, and four elementary and secondary schools with eight grades.

Bern, 23.01.2012. [CD-EUDnews]. While the country commemorated the earthquake of January 12, 2010, the expectations and needs of the surviving population are enormous. The earthquake killed more than 200,000 persons and sent more than 1.5 million homeless persons to the streets.
Two years after this unprecedented catastrophe, the situation remains precarious, and the return to normality will take far longer than expected. The absence of a strong government, along with corruption and personal interests hamper and weaken the goodwill of the citizens who wish a new face for this Caribbean country, which has so much to promote.
“It’s the first time I have the opportunity to learn a real trade,” 31-year old Gary Laurent said. He is being trained to become a marine carpenter within the framework of a technical support project implemented by ADRA Switzerland for 450 families who make a living by fishing in Petit-Goâve.
Each year, about 2000 canoes are built in Haiti. This practice contributes to the deforestation of this island, already weakened by the intensive use of lumber to produce coal. The project of technical support and training includes an awareness of the protection of the environment. The canoes for this project are built with lumber from Canada, where every tree that has been cut is replaced by a new one. The marine carpenters themselves build the canoes for this project and learn to use new products, such as marine epoxy (see picture).
Gary Laurent had learned his trade with his father. “Formerly I made canoes with unsuitable materiel, and it was very tiring. The oak or mango wood had to be carved by hand. Now, working has become more technical and easier. Through this training program, I feel I have become a real marine carpenter.” Technical training, organizational reinforcement, supply of fishing materiel and basic equipment, etc., are, among many others, the basic ingredients of this action. It will stretch over a 26-month period. ADRA Switzerland, with the support of the “Chain of Happiness,” is financing these activities.
Let us remind you that, immediately after the earthquake, the ADRA network, including ADRA Switzerland, stepped in to bring emergency help to the survivors, taking care of the wounded, distributing food, drinking water, tents, basic supplies, etc. Several hundred thousand of persons received vital support during the weeks following the earthquake.
Additionally, provisional shelters were built in Petit-Goâve, supplying decent lodging quarters to more than a thousand families which lived in extreme precariousness. At the same time, drinking water was distributed to the population which had no access to the water network, damaged by the earthquake.
All these projects were made possible through your generosity and the support of the “Chain of Happiness.” We wish to express our heartfelt thanks.
In spite of the withdrawal of many NGOs, ADRA Switzerland pursues its action to accompany the vulnerable population and improve their economical and social condition. By pursuing our action in the country itself, we participate humbly but surely in the process of change and offer them new perspectives.

Bern, January 14, 2012 [tedNEWS/BUC NEWS/CD-EUDnews] As part of the General Conference Revival and Reformation initiative, the Seventh-day Adventist world church’s Executive Committee voted to make “Operation Global Rain,” OGR’s 10 days of prayer, an annual global event each January. This year it was from Wednesday January 4 to Saturday 14.  What is OGR? Church congregations, small groups, or individuals set aside one hour each day to pray together. Individuals are encouraged to pray by themselves or with a few friends if they are not near a participating church. During the hour of prayer each day, short sentence prayers are encouraged so each person can pray more than once and should be based on the Word of God.

Many churches and individuals joined the initiative across the world. "Operation Global Rain may be a worldwide initiative, but it is only when it takes place in my heart and life that it makes a difference," states Pastor Victor Hulbert, Communication and Media director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the UK and Ireland. He is not alone in those sentiments. Thousands of church members across the country, and millions around the world, joined this initiative that helps focus our minds for the year ahead. Many churches opened nightly for special times of prayer, but more importantly, individual members spent and are spending time praying for themselves, their families, and specific neighbours or work colleagues who need to know Jesus.
The  OGR initiative is finished today, and certainly has improved  the spiritual experience of those who participated. This initiative is included in the context of the project 777 - Worldwide Holy Spirit Prayer Fellowship, where Seventh-day Adventists around the world are invited to pray seven days a week at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power and presence. Praying any hour on the hour a person will join with thousands of others in another time zone around the world bringing unity. Here are some top stories:
Serbia
Some time ago we organized weekly and daily prayer meetings during 40 days, in the local churches and in members’ homes, where people fasted and prayed for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As this happened, a completely new climate began to develop in the local congregations. Inactive church members have become active and more interested in serving others. Those fought with each other for years over different issues (and had even stopped talking to each other!) reconciled, and began making plans for corporate community outreach. Relationships improved: marriages on the verge of divorce have become happy, parents became closer to their rebellious children, and dysfunctional families became functional again.
These prayer meetings in the local churches have brought new enthusiasm for individual spiritual nurture through reading the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. We see fresh passion for evangelistic outreach. Church members are more eager to share the good news of salvation, old and young alike. Public evangelistic series have been organized and new people are coming to the churches.
Russia
Three years ago, Pastor Sergei Kovtun of the Briysk church in the South Russian Conference, asked his church members to give him names of friends, relatives and work associates with whom they had a special burden to share Jesus. Pastor Kovtun wanted to know their specific needs, and pledged to pray daily for people in coming months. He also asked his members to join with him in praying intensely for these people. Over the next couple of weeks he received a list of about 50 names, which he hand wrote on paper -- and a prayer journey began.
Now, twenty-six of those original 50 people are baptized, and others are attending church and learning more about Jesus. The transformation in these people's lives has motivated revival for other church members as well. 
Zambia
The incident took place in a village in northern Zambia, a hard to reach place with hard to reach people.  The villagers as a whole had decided that Seventh–day Adventists were not welcome. The church tried for years to reach out to that particular community but to no avail. However, thank God for perseverance and determination, the church decided to send global pioneer Seed Gabriel Chalwe. Seed, together with his wife and children, relocated with no idea of what awaited them. As he was a prayer warrior, decided to bring this challenge before God.  The solution, inspired by God, was to go and preach to the mentally disturbed. He found eleven of them in the village and prayed a prayer of healing. God honored his faith and they were healed. He then gave them Bible studies and they were converted. But God was not done yet. Among those who were healed was the village chief, and when he was healed then converted, he donated land for a village church.
China
Pastor Mark Finley tells of how amazed he and his wife were recently as they attended the Shenyang church in China (just north of North Korea). They found the people to be so committed to Jesus and dedicated to this message.  After the sermon on Sabbath, Pastor Finley made an appeal and about 300 people came forward for baptism!  The church is now one of the largest SDA churches in the world with a membership of about 6000 though it had started a while backs with only 9 members.  Pastor Finley asked the local pastor what was the secret of this amazing growth.  The pastor said the real key is prayer to our Lord.  We meet each morning from 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. to pray and 150 or so of our people come every day.  These seasons of prayer unleash God's power for growth and revival.

Many other experiences are coming up, raised by these initiatives of prayer. Of course, these initiatives are just a call to pray, so that it becomes more and more an abiding in church members everyday life.

Albania/Tirana - 14/1/2012- CD-EUDNews. The New Year’s Eve Gala Concert is the most important artistic and musical event in Albania. Television and radio stations broadcast this event all over the country. Ambassadors, politicians, artists and important personalities always take part in this great event.
Irida Dragoti-Mazza, an Adventist professional mezzo-soprano, was unexpectedly asked by the director of the national opera theatre to sing the 'Lord's Prayer' song, under his direction of the orchestra. Sacred music is not very common in secular theatres, especially in post-communist countries like Albania.
Irida’s performance was greatly appreciated by all the participants, above all by several foreign Ambassadors. The director commented to some tv channels: "Irida has prayed in a wonderful way for our beloved country".
 
Irida Dragoti-Mazza is a professional opera singer. She has studied in Albania and Italy, graduating with top grades. She has done master-level studies with some of the most important opera singers in the world, such as Renata Scotto, Daniela Dessi', Raina Kabaivanska. She has also worked with very important directors like Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado and famous artists like Andrea Bocelli and Ennio Morricone.
Irida commented: "I thank God for the wonderful opportunity to witness in secular theatres. I love God and I'm always happy to sing for him. My greatest joy is to sing sacred songs. I'm proud to be an Adventist and want to thank the church for also giving me the opportunity to sing at Adventist events."
Irida is married to Andreas. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Christine.
christian-service-center@hotmail.com

Dear sisters and brothers of the Euro-Africa Region, 2011 has been a difficult year for several reasons:  social turmoil, conflicts, economic and financial crisis, natural disasters etc. Our heart is oppressed by deep concerns about life, our families and our future. We are experiencing the signs of the times predicted by Jesus in the Gospel. Almost all families have been stricken by uncertainty, economical problems or disease. Europe is facing a great political and economical instability. One of the richest continents on earth is sharing the common problems of the entire planet.
 
Jesus is coming! Our sorrows are going to finish…our sadness too. After having prayed throughout the entire year 2011 for the 'Global Rain,' according to the General Conference mandate, we are experiencing a great awakening in our global church. SDA church members are rising up, awakened by the Holy Spirit. Many Adventists are more and more involved in the Revival and Reformation worldwide project. We are more and more aware that we have to wake up the world, hypnotized by Satan’s deceiving strategies. We have to join together, proclaiming God's saving grace and love.
 
The time has come to unite, following our supreme Leader, the Holy Spirit. We must share Jesus with our friends, with the world. Jesus has died for all of humanity, and He loves His sons and daughters.
 
The SDA members of our region have demonstrated great commitment, great enthusiasm, great faithfulness and great love, implementing wonderful projects and initiatives. I'm proud of this territory!
 
Let me, together with all of my colleagues of the Euro-Africa Region administration, thank you for your commitment and support. The Global Rain is beginning and Jesus is coming again! May God bless our global church and our European region!
 
Your in Christ,
 
Bruno Vertailler
Euro-Africa Region President

The Climate Change Conference 2011, held from November 28 to December 9 in Durban, South Africa, has finished with an agreement that came after a marathon session of negotiations.
 
It will help tackle the challenges of climate change for years to come, the United Nations' chief said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the decision reached by parties of the Climate Change Convention in Durban, South Africa, which agreed to extend efforts set forth in the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol, ratified by 37 industrialized countries, was set to expire in 2012. It mandates that industrialized nations cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
Ban "welcomes the agreement to establish a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that will increase certainty for the carbon market and provides additional incentives for new investments in technology and the infrastructure necessary to fight climate change," according to a statement from his office.
 
As part of a broad pact, nations will agree in some sort of a legal format to curb their carbon emissions. The talks also launched the Green Climate Fund, which would essentially channel about $100 billion by 2020 to vulnerable countries to help them deal with the effects of climate change.
 
For the first time there is an agreement to negotiate a legal accord of some sort, a legal instrument that is applicable to all countries - this is a new thing. That means China, India and Brazil are, for the first time, included.
The paradigm of negotiation was changed, so that it applies to all the big emitters, because the problem cannot be solved if you have 50-60% of world emissions not at the table.
 
It was an extraordinarily complex negotiation with a lot of moving parts. Up until the last minute, there was every reason to think that it could well have fallen apart. So, the fact that it came together is in of itself a success, even if the outcome doesn't really fully satisfy anyone.
 
"The Adventist church welcomes this agreement and supports all efforts to 'work together, in order to save tomorrow, today'", declared SDA Euro-Africa Division President, Bruno Vertallier. "God created the planet to be managed by human beings wisely and responsibly. We have to respect and love the planet earth, gift from God to humanity. We cannot destroy our wonderful global 'garden'", Vertallier added.

On Sabbath, Dec 3rd, 2011 we concluded the live part of the evangelistic series “faith.simple”. It was the end of a series of 17 programs stretching from Oct 8th to Dec 3rd produced by the HOPE Channel production team at STIMME DER HOFFNUNG for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Together, Matthias Mueller, experienced evangelist and speaker-director of STIMME DER HOFFNUNG, the Euro-Africa-Division Media Center, and Klaus Popa, young evangelist and creative director of that media center, held the series which marked a new phase in reaching postmodern people in Western Europe and beyond.

Each night consisted of a film clip, a reflection (short sermon) and a panel discussion. The film clip was taken from a movie which told an ongoing story of two young people who meet accidentally in New York City but come from two different worlds – not only from Europe and the US but from an atheistic, materialistic world view and a Christian world view, at the same time. The conflicts from that encounter form a springboard for the reflections which lead from real life issues into matters of faith, meeting secular people where they are.
The reflections were – like the movie - recorded in New York City too, to bridge the gap between the film clip and the faith content and to attract the attention of secular minded people who are very familiar with the impressive New York City landmarks. The movie won several awards, including one recently at the Christian film festival in South Africa, for “taking Christian truth to the people without preaching”.
In the live panel discussion following the presentation of the reflection specialists and people with questions on their minds discussed the issues with the two speakers in a very practical way which many people in the live audience could identify with.
The live panel discussion was followed by discussions in discussion groups in the TV studio and in almost 500 locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at the same time.
Parallel to that, the speakers and talk show guests chatted for about an hour with people on the internet. And counselors answered requests on the phone hotline at the same time. In Germany alone, 129 (sometimes long) phone calls were answered. Some of the people requesting help enrolled for Bible study courses.
Many people answered surveys and questions on the interactive website (www.faith-simple.com or www.glauben-einfach.com) which was specially designed for that purpose, or shared their opinion on social networks.
Up to now, at least three more countries (France, Italy, Ukraine) have requested the program for their territories.
 
Many lives have been touched by the series. Those already members of the Adventist church were confronted with a new, very personal way of discussion because the speakers made themselves vulnerable by letting people in on their own quest for answers. People who stumbled on the series while zapping through their TV channels were touched by the (for them) surprising sincerity and openness of the presenters.
At the almost 500 locations (250 churches plus more than 200 groups and home Bible circles) each night between 4,500 and 8,200 people met, of whom between 600 and 1000 were non-Adventists and between 250 and 800 unbaptized Adventist youth. In addition to that, each night around 1000+ people watched the program via live stream. We do not know their background. Also, each night an unknown number of people – certainly thousands – watched the program on their TV sets by satellite or a publicly accessible special computer network service. We got mails from people in different countries like the US, New Zealand, the Marshall Islands, Ukraine, and Luxemburg who watched the program. It was translated live into English and a handful of international churches or groups in Germany followed the translation.
A totally new dimension is the series’ use of internet. Amazingly, 172,000 (October) and 151,000 (November) live streams of the program were watched, which is about a third more than the live stream of hopetv.org, the worldwide church’s most watched HOPE Channel (143,000 / 103,000).
Immediately after the live series, Klaus Popa started a Bible course on TV teaching people how to read the Bible in an existential way. And in addition to the 17 live programs there will be three more programs with Mueller and Popa of the same style broadcast once a month from January to March 2012 to keep contact with the audience.
Since Mueller and Popa belong to two different age groups they were able to bridge the gap between different generations and reached young and old.
 
There are numerous stories of people whose lives have been touched by the series – or will be touched - like those in this story:
There is the Lutheran teacher of a public school who teaches religion and came to watch one program but never came back. The student who had invited her was disappointed but later she found out that the teacher had not been attending the series in the church anymore because she had been staying at home to record the broadcast and will use the program as teaching material in her religion classes.

There is the young lady who for various reasons did not make it to more than two programs. But she attended the meeting on “making decisions” near the end of the series and decided to let God into her life again. She prayed for the first time after seven years of no contact with God and had an extraordinary experience.

There is the husband whose wife died too early and who never overcame the loss. But he was present during the presentation on the theme of death and how to cope with grief. He was deeply touched by the testimony of a pastor who was part of the panel discussion and who described his experience with his wife and mother of his children who died of cancer. The visiting man found new hope in the experience of that pastor and said, “If he can make it, I can make it too. How can I learn more about Seventh-day Adventists?”

There is a lady who came across the HOPE Channel for the first time in her life by accident precisely at the first broadcast of the series. She was stunned by the authenticity of the series and could not believe her eyes. She called her husband but he was skeptical. She watched all programs and kept inviting her husband. Near the end of the series the skeptical husband enrolled for Bible studies at the Bible Correspondence School and she even drove 1and a half hours one way to attend the studio production on site twice. When she came the second time she brought her two daughters.

There is the well-to-do family which was hesitant to attend the meetings but the husband said, “Well, if there is a film then I might be able to “endure” the program.” After four programs he stated, “I don’t need the film anymore. The program is so good – I always return home filled with valuable thoughts.” After the theme on the Sabbath he said that he and his wife are convinced now that the Sabbath is the right day to keep and is seeking ways to put his new insight into practice.

In a church non-Adventist parents bring their children regularly on Sabbath mornings to attend Sabbath School since they perceive this as a valuable tool for their children to learn values for life. But there was never any fitting church program those parents would be willing to attend. They always left church before worship service because they felt it was not for them. Now with “faith.simple” ultimately this local church got a program where they felt free to invite those parents. And: these parents came regularly and attended the meetings because they felt free to discuss all the issues which were brought up in the discussion during the program. It felt natural to them. Since the presenters were so authentic, they felt touched and willing to open up to others too.

A church administrator with years of experience revealed himself to be skeptical about satellite and TV evangelism. This time he confessed, “I am converted now. When I watched the visiting people at my church immersed deeply into the discussion after the reflection and panel talk I was perplexed and simply had to accept that this is a viable method of reaching out to people in postmodern times.”

Young Adventist pastors and youth repeated several times that they are proud of their church because of the professional quality of the program and that they hardly dared to hope that something like this would be possible. This is strengthening their allegiance with the church and encourages them to talk more freely of their faith to others.

Madrid/Spain, November 28, 2011.[CD-EUD/ANN Spain]. The Council of Ministers of November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) approved a royal decree that recognizes the civil value of courses taught so far by the Adventist School of Theology, that is, its degrees and the Master of Theology. The first and second final provisions of this royal decree also established the possibility of recognizing other Master degrees and even doctorate degrees in the future, as long as they relate to theology or to training ministers of religion. The Adventist School of Theology is working actively for the recognition and implementation of new qualifications. After decades of neglect, obstruction and difficulties of every kind in which the degrees of the Adventist Faculty of Theology had only the recognition and accreditation of the Adventist Church itself, studies and degree courses now have the same recognition as any official university degree in Spain.
Ministers Valeriano Gómez and José Blanco declared, during the press conference after the Council of Ministers, "It was not easy and we had to work hard because the Ministry of Education set the same conditions for the recognition of qualifications as those required of any degree of any faculty.” First, the Adventist Faculty of Theology of Sagunto curricula were submitted, as requested by the Ministry of Education, for consideration by ANEC (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation), which is unique in Spain, proving the soundness of a degree. Once a favourable evaluation had been received from the ANECA, the curriculum was examined, among others, by the College Board, the General Conference of University Policy and, finally, by the State Council of these agencies. It received favourable recommendations. With all these safeguards, the Council of Ministers gave the green light for the Royal Decree and proceeded to register the new title in the RUCT (Registration and Diplomas Graduate Centre).
This is without doubt the most important achievement of the protestant world in Spain since the signing of FEREDE (Federación de Entidades Religiosas Evangélicas de España) agreements with the Spanish state in 1992. This Royal Decree is not only important for institutions that have accredited their titles but also represents a breakthrough in a normal democratic country where religious freedom has struggled to get through. The hope is that there may be significant further steps in that direction.
“We express our gratitude to the authorities who made this achievement possible,” said Miguel Ángel Roig, dean of the Adventist Theological Faculty, “and to all those who actively participated in the preparation of various reports and, above all, to the Lord who has guided this process.”

Berlin, November 28, 2011 (CD-EUD). The Livingroom Youth Church of Mainz, founded in 2006, has won the 'Gold Hope Prize’, thanks to the 'Chancengleichheit' project (Equal Opportunities Project).
The Livingroom Youth Church is a local congregation of the Seventh-day Adventist church. It aims to be a church that is in tune with the times, where young people can find freedom and feel at home, where people experience true love and community, where people follow Christ's lifestyle, where talents are discovered and promoted, a church where there is passion, constant growth and that has a positive impact on our society. "We help people to grow their personalities and to build up a relationship with Jesus Christ," said one of the founder.
 
The Equal Opportunities Project of Livingroom provides disadvantaged children and teenagers with prospects for the future, under the motto "In everybody lies a hero." These include offers of non-formal education in the school setting – similar to a Scout club - homework help and individual tutoring. In cooperation with three elementary and secondary schools in Mainz, as well as with a youth centre, students with little or no parental support are targeted as well as people who have low economic or educational standards, a migrant background, or a socially-disadvantaged environment in their residential district. Currently, more than 30 people, mainly students, work as volunteers. More than 50 students are supported over the school year. Livingroom is also successfully providing a Pathfinder education program in some elementary schools of Mainz.
 
The Gold Hope Prize
The "Hope Initiative - serve in word and deed" is a network of over 70 individuals who represent different Christian associations, churches and communities. It was founded by the German Evangelical Alliance and invites all Christians from all denominations and congregations to participate. Further details can be found on the website www.initiativehoffnung.de/hoffnungspreis.
The 'Hope Award' of the Year 2011 awards exemplary commitment and witnessing of Christian charity. It was launched in Germany and the first place is awarded with €500, an award sculpture and a concert. The 19-member jury awarded Livingroom with the first prize. The award was presented during a ceremony held on 23.11.2011 in the German Bundestag in Berlin.
 
Jessica Dietrich, Project Director of Equal Opportunities Project, was pleased about the recognition. "This award belongs to all the volunteers who use their free time to serve other people." Veit Claesberg, coordinator of the "Hope Initiative", congratulated Livingroom with the words, "You are the winner, but a lot more people have won - the ones you have served in the name of Jesus Christ". Christian Faber, executive of the Livingroom Board, especially thanked the 'Hope Initiative': "We are happy that our project has set an example for cohesion in our society. Livingroom would like to inspire many more people and sponsors to make such a commitment."
Ruben Grieco, preacher at the Livingroom Youth church, added, "We thank God for this award. Over 90% of our work and mission is done by young people. God is blessing our commitment and faith."

Livingroom has many social and charitable activities. Information about Equal Opportunities Project is available from www.livingroom.info and chancengleichheit.livingroom.info.

Recognition to Pastor Teodor Hutanu

Publishing House Safeliz becomes Division Institution
On November 7, 2011, the Executive Committee voted a Memorandum of understanding between the EUD and the Spanish Publishing House, Editorial Safeliz, giving it a Division Institution status. This implies that the Spanish Union has given the governing authority to the EUD.
Editorial Safeliz is currently distributing its products in more than 120 countries worldwide, serving the 13 Divisions of the church without exemption. Its products can be found in more than 30 countries in Africa, in all countries of the Americas, Europe, and in many countries of Asia and Oceania. Safeliz has specialized itself in the production of books on health and education for the family that are carried by literature evangelists with great success.  Safeliz  not only conducts business with the largest publishing houses of the denomination such as the Brazil Publishing House, the Review and Herald, Pacific Press, but also with the smaller ones. It can be considered the most international publishing house of the Seventh-day Adventist church, having its books available in more than 35 different languages.
Despite this heavy workload, Editorial Safeliz will continue to provide and give priority to the production and distribution needs of the Spanish Union, home country of this Publishing House.
Even after receiving the status of Division Institute, the Publishing House will maintain its own financial responsibility, working as a financially self-supporting institution.
Director of Editorial Safeliz, Mario Martinelli said:  “We are working very hard to offer our services to the churches around the world. Many countries receive our support in terms of publications. Considering the work we are producing, it seems logical for us to become a Division Institution.”

Memorandum of understanding between EUD and ASI Europe
On November 7, 2011 an interesting discussion animated the Executive Committee as they worked to establish a Memorandum regarding the cooperation between the EUD and ‘ASI Europe.’
Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI), is the worldwide umbrella organization uniting different supporting ministries that operate and support the church by bringing together business people and professionals for fellowship, strengthening them for creative witnessing in their workplaces and providing a business network for Adventists.
These supporting ministries are run by lay members who, through their expertise and experience, independently support the mission of the church. “Mission belongs to the very being of the church. Proclaiming the Word of God and witnessing to the world is essential for every Christian in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. All those engaged in that mission will do it according to gospel principles in the full respect of all human beings,” states the Memorandum. The full cooperation of these supporting ministries, with the purposes and goals of the church, gives a positive support to the gospel commission.
“I'm very happy about this Memorandum because it was one of my personal goals during this first mandate,” said Angel Duo, ASI Europe president. ASI Europe is an organization with almost 900 members, living in 16 countries, with the precise objective of fulfilling the mission entrusted to the church. “Jesus talked about unity and Ellen White points to pastors and laity working together in order to finish the work,” underlined Angel Duo, “My desire and prayer is that we grow together in mutual trust for a more effective witness.” The document designates how the EUD and ASI may acknowledge the supporting ministries in the Euro-Africa Region territory.  ASI Europe will seek agreement with the respective church organizational levels. They will be the umbrella for the various supporting ministries and will recommend them to the EUD executive committee for approval, according to the church policy.

The Executive Committee expressed a special thank you to the personnel of ATMA, Adventist Trans-Mediterranean Association. Following the decision taken by the Annual Council of the General Conference to reorganize this geographic area, the personnel will end their mandate at the end of this year. The EUD president, Bruno Vertallier, spent words of gratitude for everything that has been done regarding the management of programs in the countries of Northern Africa - radio, television, web, literature, etc. The ATMA president, Reynolds Agathe, thanked for the support received from the administration but shared his sadness for the unexpected decision to close down the actual ATMA offices. To all ATMA personnel go our sincere wishes  for special protection from our Lord to help them overcome these difficult moments.

November 6-8, 2011 Collonges, France [CD-EUD]. The Euro-Africa (EUD) 2011 Annual Council was opened by the message of John Thomas, Associate Secretary at the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Maryland, USA. He invited the members of the executive committee to reflect on the existential question:  Who are we? Focusing on a historical journey of the Adventist church, J. Thomas invited the participants to reconsider the mission that identifies the Adventist church announcing the Second Coming of Jesus. “We are the result of Bible study and prayer,” said J. Thomas in answer to his introductory question, as he once again highlighted the importance of continued dedication to these two spiritual practices.

President’s Statement
In addition to what J. Thomas presented, EUD President, Bruno Vertallier proposed a Statement for the 2011 Annual Council:  “I salute the engagement of all of you. As we carry on our mission in unity and peace through the Holy Spirit we may discover that we still have a long route to go. Relating to people is not always easy but we are called to support each other in the love of Christ. As we interpret the time and the events, let us have humility and a spirit of service, walking towards Revival and Reformation and pleading for a transformation of heart in Jesus. Our desire to reach out must become a passion and ask that we experiment new venues with the help from above. Let us be confident that the Lord will provide for our needs and fill our lives with His joy.” This statement has been voted unanimously.

Secretary report
Executive Secretary Gabriel Maurer’s report went in the same direction pointing out the missionary nature of our church. Even if such a report has to present figures and statistics, the core of the message was clearly defined by the recognition of the work contributed by volunteers and missionaries, as well as by church members - children, youth and adults - who are strongly committed to the mission given by Jesus. “Sharing the Good News of the Second Coming of Jesus with the people living in our European territories,” asserted G. Maurer “is the core of our mission, and we are working for this.”
The EUD membership at the end of the 2nd quarter 2011 totaled 177’836 baptized members, attending 2’539 churches and 695 companies. “We have the joy to greet the 1001 new members who joined us over this last 18 months,” said G. Maurer. Unfortunately the trend of the church growth doesn’t match expectations:  the continuously diminishing baptisms bring up serious questions about the future of the church. “For this reason,” urged the executive secretary, “we are working on a strategy that envisions three main areas:  improvement of human resources; improvement of processes to make structures more efficient; improvement of Urban Evangelism.” There are more areas that need improvement, and with the help of God as well as a serious commitment of every member, the mission will be reached.

Treasurer report
Regarding finances, this Year-end Meeting (YEM) focused on the budget for the following year. Due to the current financial crisis and the effects of the EUD territory realignment, the budget has been reduced by 14 percent to 13.7 million Euro. More than three-fourths of the income has been reallocated to the various institutions, programs and Unions of the Euro-Africa Division.
In spite of the financial crisis, tithe income is growing in the EUD with 9’721’283 Euro in 2010, up from 9’558’481 in the previous year. However, in some Unions which are heavily-hit by the financial crisis, we are confronted with a decline in tithe-income.  We want to thank our church members for their faithful support. Through this time of financial incertitude, the administrators continue to adopt a prudent and careful attitude towards church finances management. EUD treasurer, Norbert Zens said, “We have to carefully analyze the current expenses of the church in order to make sure that we invest the resources we are entrusted with in the most effective way.”
 During the YEM, the executive committee members also approved the General Conference Auditing Service’s report on the EUD’s 2010 financial statements, based on the recommendation of the EUD Audit Committee (a committee which has a majority of lay members). Furthermore, Norbert Zens invited the executive committee members to seriously consider the subject of transparency and accountability in financial reporting. Material has been prepared on this topic and is available upon request.

The Euro-Africa Region of the Seventh-day Adventists (EUD) started its annual council on Friday, November 4, with a two-day program focused on Adventist Mission.  More than 70 administrators, departmental directors, lay members and pastors attended this Executive Committee meeting on the Campus Adventiste du Salève, in Collonges-sous-Salève, France.
The goal of this special meeting was to continue enhancing the church leadership in order to accomplish the mission that Jesus gave to all of us to announce His Second Coming.
EUD President, Bruno Vertallier introduced this meeting inviting the participants to reflect on Luke 4, when Jesus inaugurated His practical and inspiring mandate. Continuing his message, President Vertallier underlined the urgency of announcing the return of Jesus, starting by a personal witnessing lifestyle.
Speakers of this convention included Gary Krause, General Conference Adventist Mission director, Paolo Benini, EUD Global Mission director, and Mario Brito, EUD Ministerial Association secretary.
A general overview of the church’s situation in terms of mission was extensively presented.  Every 30 seconds someone becomes a Seventh-day Adventist. Every 4 hours a new Seventh-day Adventist church is organized.
There are 132’000 Adventist churches and companies present in 206 of 232 countries and areas of the world where Seventh-day Adventists are established. One of every 407 world inhabitants is Adventist. In Europe the ratio is one for every 1’800, showing that the growth here is the most difficult. 25’000 new congregations are expected in 2015, with 296 in the EUD territory. “Our responsibility is to be a witness,” said Krause “to be faithful, and to play our part in God’s much larger plan.” Following a strategic plan for western countries such as those in the EUD, Krause highlighted the Urban Mission challenge. The world’s urban population went from 10% in 1900, to 47% in 2000 with a projection of 60% in the year 2030. Taking this trend into consideration, the GC’s Annual Council launched the ‘Mission in Big Cities’ project, which will also be implemented in our countries. This is a challenge that needs to be combined with a more precise church planting program, including the small group model.
“To reach our goal,” said Krause “the mission has to be welcoming, community based and wholistic.” In other words, the character of the mission has to be more relational than ‘institutional.’ A friendly attitude, good preaching, great events, as well as training and equipping church members should provide the needed elements to accomplish the mission.
Paolo Benini, presenting the factors that lead people to a new relationship with Christ and their Church, confirmed this relationship character of mission, affirming that “studies show the best method to invite people to accept Jesus is a personal and friendly attitude.” More than 75% of new members were drawn because of this attitude, compared with 1-2% from traditional methods. 
“Preaching the Gospel is not a question of numbers,” said Benini, “but how to labor for those for whom Christ died.” And Mario Brito echoed “People are looking for Christ, not for religious practices.” In this context, Krause urged the participants to consider ways to create a place where barriers are down in order to invite people to enter into contact with Jesus more easily. Once this contact is established, then we can help them to become His disciples. Finally, the Biblical approach for mission is to make disciples according to Jesus’ method, “sharing faith in high quality relationships and creating a welcome and loving atmosphere” concluded Gabriel Maurer, EUD Executive Secretary. At the end of these two days of Adventist Mission Convention, the Executive Committee voted the following declaration:

Declaration of commitment on mission
The members of the Executive Committee of EUD, representing different countries, cultures and backgrounds realize that our methods in accomplishing the task that has been entrusted to us may vary according to the context. However we commit ourselves to being more intentional about contextualized mission and discipleship both in our personal and professional life by dedicating time, finances and effort to reach out to the community that is surrounding us according to our best gifts, talents and possibilities.

November 7, 2011, Collonges, France [CD-EUD]. On November 7, 2011, the Euro-Africa Region’s Executive Committee voted Dr. Liviu Romel Olteanu as the new Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Secretary. He succeeds Karel Nowak, the former Secretary, who passed away last August 2011. Under the direction of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Vice President, Dr. Ella Simmons, the nominating committee worked together in a good spirit to consider all the possibilities and conditions of this nomination. Dr. Liviu Romel Olteanu, born in Romania, has lived in Spain since the year 2000. Married to Reveica, he is father of three children:  Mihaela, Gabriel and Camil.  He fluently speaks Romanian, Spanish, English and has a good understanding of French. Dr. Olteanu received a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Theology, as well as in Education, at Andrews University, Michigan, USA. At the University of Sibiu, in Romania, he acquired a Licence in Law in addition to Diplomas in Human Rights Studies. Currently he is a PhD candidate in Law at the University of Madrid, expected to be completed in March 2012.  For many years, Dr. Olteanu has been involved as a main spokesperson for PARL in Spain, while working as Assistant to the Adventist Spanish Union President, Associate to the Ministerial Association Secretary and Ethnic group coordinator of the Adventist Spanish Union.  He has also written various publications on Religious Liberty, Education and on Human Rights.
Following the vote of the Executive Committee regarding the residence of this position, the office and residence of Dr. Olteanu and his family will be in Bruxelles, Belgium.  The Executive Committee welcomes Dr. Olteanu as member of the Euro-Africa body and wishes God’s best blessings for him and his family.

Lisbon, October 26, 2011.[SDA Portuguese Press]. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, as member of the Portuguese Inter-religious Work Group, participated in a conference that was organized by the Nursing and Bioethics Centre of the S. Francisco das Misericórdias Nursing School. This Inter-religious Work Group coordinates the implementation of laws concerning Spiritual and Religious Assistance in the National Health Service. At this conference, held in Lisbon’s Banco Montepio Geral auditorium, the opportunity was given for the different religious entities that are part of the Work Group to present their specific interaction and collaboration within the Group.
During his 10 minute address, Pastor Artur Machado highlighted the significance that health has in the Adventist message by telling about the hospitals and health institutions owned by the Adventist Church around the world.  He also presented the Adventist Chaplaincy Ministry, which exists since 1875, demonstrating the significance that Adventist Healthcare places on Spiritual and Religious Assistance. “Every Adventist pastor is called to cooperate in a responsible way concerning the implementation and success of the law of Spiritual and Religious Assistance,” said pastor Machado.
This conference also had a question and answer period, during which it was possible to ask for clarification, and to point out potential concerns of the law. It also pointed out that nurses, as front line workers, consider the religious and spiritual assistants to be partners in the therapeutic process.
After the conference, an informal dialog took place among the participants, and many showed great interest in learning more about the Adventist principles and perspectives. Then, in the afternoon, the Work Group was received at the Presidential Palace, by His Excellency the President, Dr. Anibal Cavaco Silva. At this occasion, the President pointed out the significance of this Work Group and the spirit of collaboration existing among its members. He also highlighted the commitment of every religious entity present to afford meaningful spiritual assistance to those in pain.
At the end of this meeting, Pastor Artur Machado presented the Head of State with the book Arautos das Boas Novas (Good News Heralds), by Pastor Ernesto Ferreira, which describes the history of Seventh-day Adventism in Portugal. “The presence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Work Group is the result of its commitment to break down prejudice,” concluded pastor Machado. “By promoting a spirit of freedom and an inter-religious dialog which respects the differences and the identity of each denomination, the Church would like to cooperate in enhancing the condition of life.”

Berlin / Germany, 11.10. 2011 [APD]. The  'Waldfriede' Hospital of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Berlin-Zehlendorf, under the direction of Bernd Quoss, is one of the best hospitals in the capital. According to the Berlin regional edition of the "Bild"- Zeitung, which builds on the results of the 2011 patient survey on the TK (National Health Service), 'Waldfriede' comes sixth in the classification of the 41 hospitals in the city. According to its patients, the overall satisfaction with the hospital lies at 81.5 percent. 79.1 percent of respondents were satisfied with treatment outcome, 78.5 percent with the medical and nursing care, 79.3 percent with information and communication, and 74.2 percent with organization and capacity.

As soon as 'Waldfriede' scored good results in all five areas, it received the 2011/2012 'TK-Klinikus award' from the TK. The strengths of the hospital were, according to the TK, the support from the nursing staff, the time nurses and doctors spent on patient concerns, the comprehensible responses of doctors to questions from patients and the excellent exchange of information between doctors and nurses. You may find more detailed information on the web: www.tk.de/tk/klinikfuehrer/114928.
 
Established in 1920, the Waldfriede acute care hospital has a 170-bed capacity and is equipped with departments in General Surgery, Anaesthesia, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hand and Foot Surgery, Internal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Pelvic-floor Centre, Intensive Care, Radiology and the Centres for Bowel and Pelvic-floor Surgery (Coloproctology), and Diabetes and Diabetic Foot Syndrome as well as a Breast Centre. 9,000 patients are hospitalized and 18,000 outpatients are treated each year. Last year around 900 babies were born in Waldfriede.

Waldfriede is an academic teaching hospital of the Charité medical school - University of Berlin and a European training centre for surgical techniques in coloproctology. To strengthen international cooperation, the hospital closed a cooperation agreement with the Florida Hospital Group in Orlando, Florida (USA) in March 2008. This agreement includes a regular mutual exchange of doctors and the additional education and training of medical personnel. In the 'Waldfriede' Academy for Health and Medical Care a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree may be obtained in 'Health and Nursing Sciences' in cooperation with the Department of Christian Social Work of the 'Friedensau' Adventist Theological Seminary at Magdeburg.

The hospital received the Silver certification from the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government for its role as a "smoke-free hospital". It was awarded with the KTQ certificate for high-quality standards and with the seal of the German Cancer Society (DKD) in breast cancer diagnosis. 'Waldfriede' has been part of the "German network of Health Promoting Hospitals" of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1996. The "Association for Environmental and Nature Protection in Germany" (BUND) honoured the hospital with the title "Energy-Saving Hospital". It is also a member of the Social Service Agency of Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz, of the German Protestant Hospital Association and part of the worldwide 'Adventist Health System', of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Alsbach-Hähnlein, Darmstadt, Germany [CD-EUD]. On Saturday October 8 and for another 16 appointments between Saturday and Wednesday, the new evangelistic series transmitted by the Euro-Africa Division Media Center, STIMME DER HOFFNUNG, started. More than eight thousand people were able to watch this new series, Faith Simple, every night, and many more will be contacted to join the 466 official meeting locations spread around the secularized German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and one church in Luxemburg), over the next two months.
The series is reaching out largely to two age groups (20+ and 40+) and aims to speak to the postmodern mind. The series is oriented towards debating some of the most important questions that today’s generation is called to face.
The program is divided in 4 main parts. The first is the presentation of a story set in New York where two people, a woman and a man, realize that their encounter will wind up changing their lives. Their story will further develop during each evening in the series. The purpose of the movie is to introduce the audience to a specific theme.
In the second part, two pastors of different ages, representing the two different age groups, present short sermons (10–15 minutes each) on the topic of each evangelistic night. In their short sermons Matthias Müller and Klaus Popa expand on some of the questions that arise in the story. The sermons will be presented with the New York City mindset, trying to move the pastoral presentation away from the pulpit and onto the street.
The third part of the evening program is planned as a live discussion of the evening topic during the broadcast on HOPE Channel in the presence of special guests. There will also be ample opportunities for live group discussions in local settings. There are about 250 churches, many of them being small; and 215 small groups participating in the series.
In the fourth part, after the program, which will be broadcast on HOPE Channel (English live translation only via Internet), the churches or local places are invited to continue the discussion of the topic of the night (or other items of shared interest) around the table.
Some of the topics that will be discussed give a glimpse of the whole outreach platform: Living through crises; Comfort in times of sorrow; Praying – Placing an order with the universe?; The Beginning - Beautiful old world; When life is fading out; This I believe - God is there; The ultimate freedom - The world coming to an end?; Golden moments - A life-changing decision. And so on.
This huge evangelistic project requires strong teamwork, not only to present the topics, but also to face the thousands of contacts that are generated.
Since the beginning of October the web page for the event has already had about 40,000 visitors. Each night there are around 10.000 page views on the web site.
 
During the first night, and also during the following two nights, more than 7.500 people participated indirectly from the 466 sites around the German-speaking countries. More than 1000 are not Adventists. About 700 people watched the program via streaming. “We do not know how many people are sitting at those computers” said Pastor Müller, one of the speakers “It must be at least one, maybe more per computer.” After the broadcast, there are about 150-200 people for one hour chatting with the discussion guests and the pastors. “This is very tough,” said Pastor Müller. The first night the phone-counseling-hotline was totally exhausted. Each night about ten pastors are in contact on the phones with people that need spiritual support. “I would like to thank God that everything is working fine. I’m happy that we ultimately made it to this point despite all the challenges we faced.” But Pastor Müller is especially happy that so many churches and home Bible groups in Germany, Austria and Switzerland joined the effort. This is considerably more than in any earlier NET/Satellite event of the past years. In fact there is an unknown number of people watching at the TV set at home. “It is the first time that we broadcast an evangelistic series, which can be received at home. We think that several thousand are watching at home each night” said Pastor Müller.
“It is great that we have HOPE Channel (the Seventh-day Adventist TV channel),” added Pastor Müller, “otherwise we would not have a chance to reach the homes of an unknown number of people. Technically-speaking by satellite alone we reach about 15 million homes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Now we are trying to motivate people to watch it not only at home but to visit one of the churches or Bible groups for discussion, since talking to each other is a major concept of this series.” The series will end on December 3. More figures and results are expected. But the beginning seems to support this aim.
“We have received some very encouraging reports on the outstanding quality of the program, skeptical people now being positive, depressed people now seeing hope. And there are, of course, some critics, too” conclude Pastor Müller.

The evangelistic series is broadcasted live on ASTRA satellite in German (Hope Channel) and live-streamed via Internet in German translated into English.

11 Oct 2011, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States – ANN/CD-EUD. The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church's officials, represented at the General Conference (GC) Annual Council, voted to accept a recommendation to realign the mission fields of the Euro-Africa Division (EUD) and the Trans-European Division (TED).  This means that the Middle East countries will be joined together with other fields in North Africa to form a new Union called Greater Middle East Union (GMEU), and it will be placed directly under the oversight of the GC.  The restructuring will also add other countries that currently belong to another division but have a shared border with those countries from the two divisions mentioned above.  These changes will take effect on 1st of January 2012.
Data from the church's Greater Middle East and Mediterranean Survey Commission (October 9 report to the Annual Council delegates), presented that despite more than the 100 years of outreach in the region, the church faces great challenges to its mission.  The restructuring will then provide more resources for the needs and mission challenges to the Middle East and North Africa territories and keep countries with similar cultures together.  In addition, this decision will also give the two European divisions more time to focus on their own mission challenges.
The desire for move was evident in several comments mentioned.  The Middle East is part of a region called the 10/40 Window, where two-thirds of the world's population lives but only one percent is Christian.  Commission members said the Middle East "should be the focus of the entire church."  President Ted N. C. Wilson asked delegates to “think of the incredible challenges in the Middle East” and to give “full credit to the workers already there.”  The proposal had a few parts that some had reservations about.  However, BertilWiklander, president of the TED, said he and his team would fully support it.  He added, "We have personal ties to our people in this area and we have spent much time in prayer with and for them.  We have thoroughly enjoyed working in our attached fields and have poured our best time, talents and resources into it."
EUD President Bruno Vertallier said that in recent years, the region has redoubled its work in the Middle East and that the administrative shift would be considered difficult for some people.  He added, "Our recommendation is to strongly emphasize the training of local people.  We have some wonderful people working there right now and we must add to them.  The great challenge will be to train more people in local fields and to give them the best tools possible to meet the needs of Adventists and community members.  We thank all the people who have worked in and for these countries and we wish the many blessings from the Lord to the new team.” Reynolds Agathe, former president of the North Africa Countries Association, also expressed words of thanks for all who are ministering in these territories, as well as to the Division’s officers for the support received.  Agathe wishes for the new administration to carry out God’s plan for His glory.

The restructuring included appointing new leadership.  Homer Trecartin (former world church Undersecretary), was appointed to serve as president of the newly formed Greater Middle East Union Mission.  Trecartin has also previously served as secretary-treasurer of the former Middle East Union and planning director for the world church's Office of Adventist Mission, among other positions.  Leadership also voted to reappoint Tibor Szilvasi, who will continue in his capacity as church secretary for the region.  Regarding the union treasurer, World church Secretary G. T. Ng said church leaders will review possible candidates and announce their nomination at a later date.
In concluding the GC Annual Council session, President Wilson said, "The Middle East is a unique place.  We have to take this area of world field as a special burden.  We're also grateful for what the Euro-Africa and Trans-Europe have done to foster and nurture Adventist mission in those areas of Middle East."

Paris, September 22-25, 2011. The Amicus International Student Congress, now in its fifth edition, was held in Paris on September 22-25. More than 200 participants attended the congress, with an additional 90 that came just for Sabbath.
The general program, through plenary sessions, panels and lectures, focused on the main topic of the second coming of Jesus. “Much speculation has been spreading regarding the end of the world,” said Stephan Sigg and Barna Magyarosi, the promoters of the congress, “therefore it is vital that we have a biblical understanding of it.” Excellent speakers were invited to explain, through Biblical concepts, this important plan outlined by God.
“Just before Christ comes again a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit will enable the true Gospel to reach the whole world,” argued Roy E. Gane, professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminar at Andrews University, Michigan, USA.
Dwight Nelson, Senior Pastor of the Pioneer Seventh-day Memorial Church on the Andrews University campus, animated the debate on “What does it mean to be the “last” generation on earth?” Another interesting theological reflection was offered by Timothy Standish, biologist and writer, on how intelligent design may be used productively in Christian thinking when sharing the Gospel in this last era. Practical suggestions for personal assurance of salvation, freedom from guilt, and power to witness was presented by Cindy Tutsch, Associate Director of the Ellen White Estate at the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference in Maryland, USA. Finally, an interesting and challenging “Survival Guide for Civilization’s End” animated debates with Felix Hadid Cortez, Academic Secretary for Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at the School of Theology at Montemorelos University, Mexico.
“This EUD AMiCUS Congress in Paris strengthened the Advent hope among the students. Besides identifying past and present false prophecies as well as confirming the accuracy of biblical eschatology, the AMiCUS Congress highlighted the Christian faith in Christ's imminent return,” said Stephan Sigg, Youth Leader at the Seventh-day Adventist Euro-Africa Region headquarters, Bern, Switzerland. “In awaiting the Advent,” continued Stephan Sigg, “God's people are called to live a ‘holy’ life in the here and now. Biblical holiness means first and foremost ‘Love in action’. In this sense the students were called to ‘ARISE’ and to witness the soon coming of Christ through actions of love - now and ‘At The End.”
The program was conceived by alternating plenary sessions with workshops. Naturally, there were moments of healthy fellowship and an interesting cultural visit to the beautiful city of Paris.
 “I want to give thanks for the Student Congress,” said a participant, “It was great! I especially liked the challenging workshops.”
Student and Campus Ministries are getting more and more important for us as a church. Many Adventist youth today chose the path of higher education. Thus they also face the challenge of integrating their faith into an intellectual and scientific mindset. AMiCUS Congresses are designed to foster an international community among Adventist students and to reflect with them in an intelligent way on our faith in Jesus, our fundamental beliefs and our mission in this world. AMiCUS thus also fosters communication and interaction with and among the students. Asking questions is thereby as important as providing or suggesting answers. AMiCUS Congresses can make a positive contribution to raising the rather weak intellectual climate in the Adventist churches.

Lasko, Slovenia, September 22-27. "Eden must have moved west" – that was the opinion at least, for over 100 Adventist communicators and media personnel who gathered at the Hotel Wellness Park in Laško, Slovenia.  The early morning mist reminded them of the way Eden was originally watered, while a stiff climb up the mountain opposite the hotel gave not only therapeutic exercise but stunning views across the valleys of this alpine region.  However, it was down in the valley, and mostly indoors, where the creativity happened.  "People are usually my 'highlight' at such events," states Messenger Editor, Julian Hibbert.  "Just getting to know them, and the context in which they exercise their various professions is immensely stimulating.  Through all of it I sensed two things: the vast diversity of contexts in which our message must be made relevant is an ongoing challenge; and the impression that, despite the diversity from which we emerge, we share so much in common because of our core Adventist identity."
 
The sense of networking, identity, and learning certainly increased across the 5 days of the 'Explore Creativity' Conference, 22 - 27 September.  The event, organised jointly by the two European regions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (TED and EUD) included presentations on practical issues such as knowing your audience, helping the local church communicate better, marketing, media relations and social networking.  With delegates gathered from as far north as Iceland, Finland and Norway, down to the warmer climates of Italy, Spain and the Middle East, there was a mixture of expertise, ideas and sharing.  Working behind the scenes, TED Administrative Assistant, Deana Stojkovic, rejoiced in that sharing: "For me personally, I love the idea that I could connect the faces to the names in the emails, we could all gather together and learn from each other and so many were happy to share their experience and expertise."  Newly elected SEC Communication director, Kirsten Øster-Lundqvist, had to rapidly change schedules to attend.  She said, "the opportunity of networking across the two Divisions was outstanding, adding to that the GC leadership presence and the parallel conference for Ministerial Association directors brought the networking to an even higher level."  Kirsten added, "the conference enabled me to pick up practical tips and discover different approaches to communicating."
 
Arunas Klimas, another delegate from within the British Union stated, "I was surprised to see a very big interest in media, talent and other resource sharing among media producers.  I was almost jumping out of my seat to say 'amen'".  Arunas also expressed the views of many that 'local politics' should not prevent sharing and cooperation.  Those barriers seemed to break down over the weekend anyway, as by Monday afternoon media producers were making arrangements to meet again early in 2012.
 
What were the highlights?  The spiritual highs for Kirsten were the Sabbath school by Dr Duda and the sermon by Editor Bill Knott – what she called "a spiritual and intellectual feast, in the midst of practical seminars."  Julian adds that it "was the complexity and pervasiveness of the various forms of social media, and the potential for these to be used quickly and effectively to share information and influence thinking.  It just makes me realize that such technologies really make it possible … for Christian witness to spread exponentially across the world finding people almost immediately, just where they are!"  On the downside Arunas felt there were also examples of poor practise and that the Church still has a lot to learn about social networking.  Kofi Owusu, BUC New Media Producer was thrilled by the sharing and the new ideas that bounced back and forth across meeting rooms, dinner tables, and, in the evening, the leisure facilities. 

He agrees with Kirsten's comment, "The mix of people and expertise meant that I was able to secure support and develop new plans as well as realign projects for my work."  There was also satisfaction for pre

senters.  BUC Communication director, Victor Hulbert, was delighted with the networking and conversations he had following his workshops on Communication audits, Interview techniques and Copyright/legal issues.  "While some of the countries here are very advanced media wise, others are struggling," he said, adding, "I found it very rewarding to be a small part of the process that helps build up the Communication teams across Europe."

The Franco-Belgian Union is going to host the 5th International AMiCUS Congress of the Euro-Africa Region in the Espace Charenton Congress Center in Paris, September 22-24, 2011. The theme of the event was triggered by a general interest in today’s world toward an eventual doom day in 2012 according to particular Mayan calendar. In a society in which confusion, fear or indifference reigns regarding the end of the world, the organizers of the event decided to offer Bible-based information not only related to the end-time events, but especially on how we, as Christians waiting for the second coming of Christ, are supposed to live a committed life in the light of the approaching event.
The event, “Arise in the End!” gathers well known speakers: Dwight K. Nelson (Senior Pastor, Pioneer Memorial Church), Roy Gane (Professor, Andrews University), Cindy Tutsch (Associate Director, Ellen G. White Estate), Tim Standish (Researcher, Geoscience Research Institute), and Felix Cortez (Professor, Montemorelos University).
Here are only a few of the topics that will be addressed: 2012: A Survival Guide to Civilization's End, The Issachar Factor: How to Discern the Times and Really Know What To Do, Staying Ready for the 2nd Coming, and others.
The Youth & Education departments leaders hope that the event will offer also fellowship and prayer for students from all around the territory of the Euro-Africa Region, and it will prove to be profitable experience that will prove to be an important milestone in the life of those who attend.

AMiCUS (Adventist Ministry to College and University Students) seeks to meet the spiritual, intellectual, and social needs of Seventh-day Adventist students on secular campuses worldwide. In cooperation with leaders at various church levels, it aims to achieve these goals by strengthening the faith commitment of these students to Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and values, providing opportunities for Christian fellowship, preparing students to deal with the intellectual challenges that arise in a secular environment, developing their leadership abilities, and training them for outreach and witnessing on the campus, in the community, and in the world at large. AMiCUS is a Seventh-day Adventist organization.