A new book produced by Adventist Record in partnership with Signs Publishing, entitled Living 28: Fresh perspectives on practising our faith, was launched over the weekend of February 21-24 at the Adventist Book Centre (ABC) managers’ meetings in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.
“This project has taken a few years of planning and hard work from so many people to get to this point,” said Adventist Record and Living 28 editor Jarrod Stackelroth. “The most exciting part is some of the new and young writers we uncovered through the series.”
The book launch on the opening day of the meetings was followed by a worship, themed “Living faith in today’s world”, which reflected the book’s key question—how do we take our cherished beliefs and live them out in practical ways that change our everyday lives?
“Jarrod’s vision was one that really appealed: How can we make the fundamentals more accessible to the coming generations?” said Living 28 writer Josh Wood, who pastors North Fitzroy and MASDAC churches in Victoria.
On the Monday following the launch, a lunch was held with staff at the Warburton printing press, where the book was dedicated with prayer and Mr Stackelroth thanked staff for their contribution to Record and making Living 28 possible.
“Living 28 was written in community and can be enjoyed that way too, as we’ve added discussion questions that can help small groups go further into their journey of living their faith,” said Mr Stackelroth.
The chapters, one for the preamble statement and each of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists, were run in Adventist Record throughout 2018 and 2019, with the book format giving readers an easy-to-access and longer shelf-life format.
“Working on this project taught me that the 28 Fundamentals work best as one combined vision of the character of God and His purpose for His people,” Mr Stackelroth added.
“You will be exposed to a part of God’s story through the story of the God-believer,” said South Pacific Division president Pastor Glenn Townend, who also wrote the book’s foreword. “While each article may not be exhaustive or you might have chosen to highlight other aspects of the particular belief, this book was compiled to remind us that our faith today is to be biblical and practically lived” (Foreword, IX).
An advance copy of Living 28 has been sent out with the March 7 issue of Adventist Record to be used as a resource in church libraries. The authors hope the book will be used in creative and diverse ways, from personal reading, to youth and small groups, a Bible study or Sabbath school resource or or even a baptismal gift.
With this in mind, there is a special offer for Living 28: buy four copies and get the fifth copy free.
The book can now be purchased through Adventist Book Centres and online.
