General Conference Women's Ministries Newsletter : January 1999 |
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Another new year. Another clean slate. Another chance. God has been good and 1998 was a good year in Women's Ministries. There were many encouraging reports of baptisms, literacy programs, women elected to leadership positions and of women using their gifts in many unique ways. But plenty of challenges remain. When Women's Ministries was reborn in 1990, six major challenges for women were
recognized. These were: During The Year of the Adventist Woman 1995, our emphasis centered on literacy. Early in 1996, during the Women's Ministries Advisory, it was decided to put emphasis on abuse during 1996, health during 1997 (that was also the church's Year of Health and Healing), poverty during 1998, workload during 1999, and leadership and mentoring during 2000. Because of various divisions becoming fully organized at different times and because of other programs, not as much importance has been given to these topics world wide as we could have. But we now have another chance, a clean slate. What can we do about workloads during 1999? That is the challenge. It seems there is not much we can do to shorten the number of hours women have to work, but there actually is. First, and most important, we must help our women understand that spending time with God, in personal relationship and devotion, is of vital importance. For too long women have left most theological and Bible study to the men. It is time for women to study the Bible for themselves, to understand and share the Bible from a woman's perspective. We can do this through small group Bible study and prayer, retreats, and personal devotional materials such as our devotional books. Then we can help women with time management and organizational seminars. Most of us can learn to put what time we have to better use. We can also help women understand they are not responsible all the time for everyone and everything in the family. We can help and encourage women to involve other family members in the tasks around the home, especially now that so many women have full time jobs. In some parts of the world we can also help promote projects that will help make a woman's life easier by working to provide more accessible clean water, health care, schooling, and other necessities of life. We can also help women learn to read or carry on small enterprises that will help them make more money in a shorter time, thus helping to support the family. I am sure you can think of many other things also. We all have too much to do. Let us do all we can to help each other and make 1999 the beginning of a better future for our sisters around the world. End |
News from the world of... ESD: Olga Murga, division and Women's Ministries evangelist in the Euro-Asia Division (formerly the Soviet Union) conducting one of her series and some of the candidates at a recent baptism. EUD: Noëlle Vitry, director of the Euro-Africa Division Women's Ministries, reports that the work is going well in all their unions. The North France Conference has now appointed a WM director. SSD: The women of Singapore and Japan have caught the vision and are helping to support a livelihood center in the Philippines. Linda Koh, director of the division Women's Ministries Department, reports that women all over the division are filled with new vigor and vision following the Chiang Mei Congress. Linda also reports that she just attended a wonderful women's retreat in Sabah, Malaysia, that ended with a soul touching commitment service. The most recent division news magazine, Outlook, was a special full color edition featuring Women's Ministries with pictures and short articles from the Chiang Mei Congress held in July in Thailand. It is beautiful! SUD: Almost 95% of the Women's Ministries units in the Southern Asia Division now have women directors according to a report received from Hepzibah Kore, the division WM director. She says further that the women have started to report on activities and she is planning to start a newsletter. NSD: The ladies in Taiwan are planning a women's congress for next June according to Mary Wong, WM director of the North-Asia Pacific Division. TED: Women's Ministries Emphasis Day was celebrated in the British Union (Trans-European Division) on November 21, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Women's Ministries and emphasizing the work begun by SMI Henry. SAD: Vasti Viana, director in the South American Division, reports that she was able to attend a one day WM congress in the Santa Catarina Conference, South Brazil Union, which followed the theme: "Thanks to Our Lord." Over 1500 attended the congress, some traveling over 500 miles to attend. After the closing service, everyone received a balloon with a pamphlet attached; all went outside and enthusiastically released the balloons. |
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