SEPTEMBER 2001

HEADLINES

S. German Union Holds "Wonderful Congress"

Middle-East Director Holds Nutrition Class in Jordan

14 South Pacific Union Directors Involved in Advisory and Celebration of Women

Working Together Brings Blessings for All

Woman Evangelist's Life Spared in Israel

Revised HeartCall Program Available

Maxson and Stenbakken Represent WM at ASI

News from Here and There about Women

September Editorial

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S. German Union Holds "Wonderful Congress"

The South German Union hosted its first congress at Marienhöhe, Darmstadt, Germany, the last weekend of June. About 450 women attended Thursday and Friday and 800 on Sabbath. The South German WM director is Ingrid Naumann.

Plans are underway for a congress for singles and single parents in 2003 together with the Trans-European Division.

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Middle-East Director Holds Nutrition Class in Jordan

How do we reach out to women in the 10/40 window? One way is through health and nutrition seminars.

Valerie Fidelia, Women's and Health Ministries director for the Middle East region, says that despite an abundance of fruit and vegetables in Jordan, the diet can be unbalanced with an unhealthy emphasis on animal protein. This gave Fidelia an unrivaled opportunity to present the Adventist health philosophy.

"It really pleased me that I was able to speak to Muslim and Christian women," Fidelia says. One Muslim women's union was so encouraged by the classes that they invited her to repeat it in an isolated village as well. Most of the audience were women.
Fidelia stressed that very simple changes in diet can have a profound effect on a person's health and longevity. Listeners were encouraged to make more use of plant foods and to cut down on refined sugar, salt, and caffeine-containing beverages.

"We may not be able to do much to help the present generation, but if these women, who reign supreme in their kitchens, are serious about their intention to change the family diet for the better, then there is hope for the future," Fidelia notes.

"This shows that such programs can work," notes Ardis Stenbakken, GC director for Women's Ministries. "We must develop intentional programs of this type with adequate follow-up. This is a huge challenge that must be taken."

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14 South Pacific Union Directors Involved in Advisory and Celebration of Women

Fourteen conference and union Women's Ministries Directors from throughout the South Pacific territory gathered in Wahroonga, Australia, for almost a week of training, exchanging ideas, and planning for the future.

Joy Butler, the division director, invited the division's departmental directors to come meet the women and to sit in on some sessions. "The women were surprised and pleased to meet more people in their church and felt encouraged to know that there were ‘normal' people in our division office. We prayed for every person who visited." Butler also points out that there are a number of professional young women working at the division and nearby hospital who helped with presentations which were very well done and well received. On the final Sabbath the women were involved in a Celebration of Women at the Kellyville church where each gave a 5 minute report from their field. (back to headlines)

Joy Butler, WM Director

Working Together Brings Blessings for All

In a recent e-mail, Joy Butler, South Pacific Women's Ministries director, wrote that she had just spent two weeks with the Family Ministries Advisory. She was invited there and helped try out a new program with them.

She wrote, "I found the networking and communicating with Family Ministries men around the division invaluable. Two lay women besides myself were invited and we benefitted enormously.... We plan to do far more together—WM and FM. I gave a speech about WM being here to share in everything: sharing the vision, sharing the planning, sharing the proclamation—all together in Christ. Some men thought we were here to only give out pink bows." Of course, Butler assured him Women's Ministries exists for far more than that. She explained that the women leaders are women of spirit, courage, and confidence—professional women, educated women, and humble women of God.

Butler is now scheduled to do a major four-day workshop at the Tasmania camp meeting with Family Ministries. She ends her message saying, "This is a huge move in the right direction."

I agree. We need to work together. We do not want women separated from the rest of the church. What we want is women included and active in all aspects of the church, sharing their gifts, perspectives, and ideas.

Women's Ministries can work especially with Family and Health Ministries as aspects of our ministry are also their challenges and priorities. We also can have input and help from all the other departments. Let's do what we can together to spread the good news of Jesus' soon coming!

by Ardis Stenbakken

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Woman Evangelist's Life Spared in Israel

Can you name a specific date when you knew God saved your life? Olga Murga can give such a testimony.

Murga, who worked with Women's Ministries and the Euro-Asia Division for several years as an evangelist, has moved to Israel and is continuing her ministry. On May 26, Murga was scheduled to go into Jerusalem; her program was to begin at 7:00 p.m., but she had promised to arrive earlier. She says, however, "I was very tired and 30 minutes late."

Murga does not have a car so she must depend on public transportation for all her appointments. When Murga arrived in Jerusalem she discovered that exactly 30 minutes before she was due to be at a certain place, a bomb had exploded and a two storied shop destroyed. In a great under-statement, Murga says that if she had been there on time, "I think it was not good for me!"

She also reports that one of the young women recently baptized is named Vyselya, a Jew from Azerbijan. Through prayer and a dream, her brother was saved when the Tel-Aviv disco was bombed.

Another newly baptized family—husband, wife and daughter—are drama lovers and Murga is hoping that they can begin some new evangelistic programs adapting the presentation of the gospel to the Israeli culture.

Murga writes that 19 people have recently been baptized as a result of her efforts in several sites.

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Resources: Revised HeartCall Program Available

The "HeartCall" program developed by the North American Division to reach women who have "taken a break from church" using Women of Spirit has been revised. The resource package comes with a 100-page notebook, PowerPoint graphics for presentations, and a 7-minute video.

The program has been very successful already but the new program is easier to use and the instructions are more complete.

The program can be purchased from the Center for Creative Ministry by calling 1-800-272-4664; fax 402-437-9502. Catalog #420432 for $29.95.

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Maxson and Stenbakken Represent WM at ASI

Ardis Stenbakken, General Conference Women's Ministries director, and Mary Maxson, North American Division director, assisted by Lois Covarrubias, NAD/WM administrative assistant, manned a booth at the ASI Convention held in Sacramento, California, August 8-11. ASI is the Adventist-Laymen's Services and Industries, made up of business and professional lay members of the church. Several years ago ASI gave grants to Women's Ministries for health and literacy ministry, and evangelism.

"Many, many people came by our booth and we were able to tell these people about the various ministries carried out by women. It was encouraging too when numerous women said how much they appreciate what women are doing." There were about 300 booths representing many areas of service and specialized ministries.

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News from Here and There about Women:

Women clergy in the North American Division recently had their very own retreat. Organized by Dúane Schoonard, associate director of the NAD Ministerial Association, about 120 women met at Pine Springs Ranch in the Southeastern California Conference.

Schoonard, elected to give better female balance to the Ministerial Association, reported that this was an historical event. It was attended by women pastors, chaplains, evangelists, religion teachers, Bible workers, conference departmental leaders, and theology students from all nine unions. Lay people in Australia provided funding to fly 10 women pastors and theology students from that country.

In the United States, women purchase 81 percent of products and services. On average, women live six years longer than men. Women on average are paid 75 cents on the dollar to men—losing approximately $420,000 over a lifetime due to unequal pay practices.– Executive Female, Feb. 2000.

"Women have long been active in church affairs but their dedication may come at a price: a new study by the Barna Research Group warns women may suffer from ‘burn out,' and become less involved in church activities."

George Barna, president of the California-based research group, said they interviewed 4755 people. The number of women attending church has dropped 22% since 1991, the report says, and during the same time period nearly 21% stopped volunteering for church activities. However, because there are more Christian women than Christian men, women are still more involved than men in 12 out of 13 activities analyzed in the study.

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