A few weeks ago, I took my wife out to a stage production of The diary of Anne Frank for her birthday. One of her favourite books at high school, she’s always had a love for the story of the young Jewish girl hiding out in Amsterdam and journalling through World War 2. Her house, now a museum, was a must visit on our European itinerary.
The story is heartbreaking, no less so because we know the ending. I watched with a sense of appreciation but also foreboding, knowing that Anne doesn’t survive the war, knowing that this precocious, inquisitive and vibrant spirit is crushed by forces beyond her control.
I am also thankful we could go. With two young children at home, it’s not often we get out to do something like that. We had to rely on our village. My wife’s parents were available to look after the kids at late notice. The show only ran for a week, and we attended on the last night.
So we left the kids at home with their grandparents and headed into the big city for a bite to eat and a show.
Life can’t always be navigated alone. That is true in the family, in the workplace, on a team, and in the church. There is a reason the author of Hebrews encourages followers of Jesus to remain in community: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24,25).
Many today think it is okay to be spiritual but not go to church. “Jesus loves me, I’m saved, that’s all I need.” It’s not true. While the church is not perfect, we need each other—for encouragement, for accountability, for prayer, for a glimmer of hope when things feel hopeless.
There have been times in my life where I’ve felt a bit disconnected from a church community. Whether through moving interstate or transitioning for another reason, it is harder to maintain a relationship with God and can feel isolating to not have a “home” church where you are known, involved and hopefully loved. While I understand there are many reasons one may not be able to physically attend church, as Adventist, we have a worldwide community of believers and the modern age provides many alternative ways to connect.
Adventist Record is one way to keep connected. With contributions from all around the South Pacific and beyond, it reminds us of experiences outside of our own in our church family. We can be inspired by your story. Record relies on contributions from around the South Pacific—stories of ministries, your personal testimonies and meaningful perspectives. We need each other.
I love the fact that we’ve been receiving more stories from remote regions in the Pacific. I love reading your letters and feedback, even when you don’t agree, because it shows we care about our church and making it better. I love reading the testimonies of lives changed in our communities. And none of that would be possible without your contributions.
We’re so grateful, because with your help we can keep our wider church community informed and spiritually nurtured through printed magazines, our website, our weekly e-newsletter, podcasts, our WhatsApp channel and social media. There are those who, for whatever reason cannot attend church anymore, who stay connected through Adventist Record.
Sabbath, May 2*, is our Adventist Record offering. We’ve had some fun with the story of Informed Norm (formerly Uninformed) in the past few years. This year, Norm discovers the value of being part of this interconnected community, and he cannot predict how his engagement might spread to others. You can watch the series at record.adventistchurch.com/record-offering.
It’s not just your written contributions that help us continue this important ministry, but your offerings each year. Thank you for your generosity with last year’s offering—please give generously this year so we can keep reading, writing, sharing and serving together.
*(If you’re reading this later, you can still show support using egiving).
If you live in Australia, use this link to show your support. If you live in NZ, use this link to show your support.
