The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia (AUC) recently launched the first book in a series of Australian Adventist pioneer stories for children.
Launched at the AUC Ministers’ Convention in February, Leaves of Hope—The John Corliss Story is an amazing story of God’s leading in the face of discouragement and is the first in the “The Angel Said Australia” children’s series.
The stories are written by Amanda Bews and are beautifully illustrated by Jade Zivanovic using oil paintings. The series is published by “Seeds of Faith”— the publishing imprint of the AUC Resource Centre.
“Seeds of Faith was set up specifically to answer the call for more Australian resources,” said AUC Resource Centre director Pastor Tony Knight. “When you see the Seeds of Faith logo, you will know you are buying a quality Australian Union Conference product.”
The series aims to promote the values of servanthood and ministry and have the next generation capture a dream of their place in the bigger story of our Church.
The Adventist Church in Australia is working on a range of resources and strategies that engage and equip young people for ministry. These books are part of the AUC Ministerial Association’s “Next Generation” project.
Author Amanda Bews emphasised the importance of telling our stories and engaging the next generation into the wider story of “us” as a movement, saying she hoped her work will inspire young people to live beyond themselves.
“The Adventist story in Australia and New Zealand is simply amazing,” said Pastor Knight. “The Angel Said Australia storybooks vividly reveal the sacrifice, courage and sheer mental toughness our pioneers demonstrated in the face of huge obstacles, and link their experiences directly to the lives of our kids in a way that is sure to motivate and inspire.”
The book includes downloadable pictures for telling the story publicly, along with links to further resources, including a pioneer walking trail. Seven books are planned in the first stage of the series. The second book, Pedalling the Gospel—the Story of Joseph and Julia Steed, will be launched at this month’s South Australian Big Camp and both books will be available at Adventist Book Centres across Australia.
The Resource Centre has also launched a new picture book, which highlights the character and impact of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia. The high-quality glossy picture book is designed to be shared with family and friends, given as a gift or left on coffee tables at home or work to pique curiosity and start conversations. It outlines the core values of the Church, how it meets the spiritual and social needs of its members, and its service to the wider community through local church ministries and institutions like ADRA, Sanitarium and Sydney Adventist Hospital.
“These new resources have been produced with our mission of discipleship in mind,” said AUC president Pastor Jorge Munoz. “We are excited about the new resources, and those yet to come, and pray that they will be another way for us to connect people to Christ.”
To view or order any of the books, visit www.disciple.org.au.
