10,000 less Adventists in Australia
By Peter Roennfeldt, pastor, church planter and New Church Life editor

The 2006 Australian census figures provide challenging reading for Christians. Although the population in Australia is growing by over 260,000 per year, the number connecting with Christian churches is in decline. Denominations with stable membership numbers are in fact in rapid decline in relation to population growth. But official church records don’t always provide the best comparison. For example, as many as 10,000 people on the official membership lists of the Adventist church in Australia do not now identify themselves as members – and church attendance is significantly less. While some denominations have not yet embraced church planting as critical to reaching new people (and even denominational survival) – many evangelical leaders now see the urgency of cultivating planting movements. While cautious, most are also encouraging emerging and missional initiatives. For many this is in fact a return to their heritage. Glenn Townend, leader of the Adventist church in Western Australia , sees it this way for Adventism began as a planting movement. At a recent Church Planting Summit in Western Australia a possible vision was floated – 2,000 small missional groups and 200 churches by the year 2020. Such visions are needed and give identity. In Rekindling a Lost Passion Russell Burrill demonstrates that if Adventists were today planting at the 1870s rate, 1,822 new churches would be planted each year in North America alone!

(For more details on 10,000 less Adventists in Australia and the urgency of church planting, visit the New Church Life website at www.newchurchlife.com

'I Have Not Been Accepted By My Family'
By Patrick Falby, Newsweek International

NEWSWEEK's Patrick Falby spoke with Devon, a 30-year-old homosexual who was granted asylum in the United States three years ago, about growing up gay in Jamaica. Devon, who lives in New York and attends a Seventh-day Adventist church, didn't want his last name used for fear of being thrown out of the congregation.. Read the full story.

Cordiality marks Adventist-Presbyterian Conversation
By Jerry Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Representatives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Seventh-day Adventist Church met Aug. 22-24 to better understand each other's faith, remove stereotypes, and explore areas of possible cooperation. Participants discussed four papers prepared for the gathering on the two traditions' understandings of sola scriptura (biblical authority), law and gospel, and the writings of Adventist theologian Ellen G. White and John Calvin in relation to the two topics. Read the full story.

Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church Reviewed by Texas Reporter
By William Martin in the Texas Monthly magazine

Earlier this year, reporter William Martin of the Texas Monthly, a magazine read by more than 2,500,000 people each month, visited a worship service at the Arlington, Texas Seventh-day Adventist Church. He recorded many positive observations, including some interesting quotes from a phone call with "rising star" pastor Mike Tucker. In reference to Tucker's theological views, Martin writes:

Though he holds to traditional Adventist doctrines, he admitted, "We see them in a different light. We are more grace-oriented." He added that overemphasis on biblical prophecy and strict behavioral standards had caused Adventists to lose their original focus. "We have missed the gospel," he said. "Some [Adventists] are able to tell you exactly what will happen in the last days but not how to live on Monday morning. We need to do both." Read the whole article.

Who Is Marianne Thieme?

By Julius Nam, editor of Progressive Adventism

Marianne Thieme (pronounced "tea-EM") is a Dutch politician, animal activist and publicist. She is the chairwoman and political leader of the first animal rights party in history that is represented in a national parliament. She was voted Political Talent of the Year 2006 by the Dutchparliamentary press, Most Spicy Politician by women's magazine Viva and Most Influential Woman for Farmer's Incomes by the leading Dutch magazine on agriculture. Marianne has published a book on animal rights ('The Animal's Century') and dozens of articles in Dutch national & regional newspapers on factory farming, hunting, animal testing, bird flu, ritual slaughtering, fur, fisheries and vegetarianism. She also happens to be a Seventh-day Adventist. Read the whole article.

Southern Adventist students step out of classroom to film movie in Ireland
By Angie Herrington, Staff Writer, Chatanooga Times Free Press (8 Sep.2007)

" On shelves at movie rental chains across the country is the new DVD release "Secret of the Cave," a film created by Southern Adventist University with the help of students and faculty.

The family-focused adventure film was shot in Ireland and is the first feature-length film produced by the university...

"Mark Thomas, one of the film's producers and the university's school of visual art and design manager of productions, said the university wanted to tackle the project to give film students hands-on training.

'It's a really awesome idea the way the university had this vision to do a project that would actually give their students experience so when they graduate, they're more marketable,' he said.

Southern chose to pursue "The Secret of the Cave" as its film project in spring 2004, officials said. The film is based on a 1920s children's book of the same name." Read the whole story and view a clip from the movie.

Kevin Novotny as Roy inspects a gravestone as part of his detective work. From Secret of the Cave.

Do Something About Torture
By Monte Sahlin in the Adventist Peace Fellowship blog

Consider showing " Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," documentary video, on your campus or at your local church the week of October 21-28. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT wants to help communities of faith move beyond an emotional response to the film's intensity (emotions that may include not only grief and anger, but also a sense of helplessness) to a positive and constructive commitment to faithful action.
Read More Here

Motion Picture “Marbles with Thoreau” Set for Pre-Production
~ by Marcel Schwantes, Staff Writer

The latest independent film project to be generating attention is Marbles with Thoreau - a short film currently scheduled for production in May of 2008. It is the brainchild of Melody George (director/writer) and Thomas Wentworth (producer). Both are recent graduates of Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, TN.

The film captures the spirit and vision of American author, essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau and draws most of its storyline from his classic book Walden. Thoreau’s vision depicted in "Marbles" is a cinematic reminder that happiness truly comes from appreciating what God has given, and embracing a simplicity that leads to a hope greater than anything this world can give us.

Adventist filmmakers living and working in Hollywood are a rare breed. Chasing funding and making ends meet on tight living budgets are a day-today struggle. George understands and has already faced many of those obstacles. Yet her passion for exercising her God-given gift, and her own faith journey continue to drive her ambition further. She shares on her website,

“Thoreau said, ‘Live the life you have imagined.’ Making a film of this kind is pretty much exactly what I've wanted to do since I was a junior in high school. It is my prayer that the making of 'Marbles' be a real-life example of the potential for this statement to be true in someone's life.”

The most recent development as of this news issue is a casting decision for the role of Thoreau as well as the kids - the characters of Ace and Eva Calloway. Having met with George recently over lunch, she let me know that funding this picture is still a work in progress. Almost half of the $25,000 budget has been raised, mostly coming from small private donations. Currently, George and company are looking for corporate or individual sponsors to coming on board in executive-producer roles and completing the budget. They hope to finish fundraising efforts by January so they can move into preproduction and begin shooting in May, 2008.

For more information contact Handwritten Pictures at marblescasting@gmail.com

Or visit the Marbles with Thoreau website: www.marbleswiththoreau.com