Adventist churches and other groups involved in relationship-building with their communities will now qualify for a discounted rate on the Church’s flagship evangelistic magazine, Signs of the Times, under the new “Community Connection” 5-Star Project.
“The era of fly-in, fly-out evangelism is over,” said Signs editor Kent Kingston. “Increasingly now, we’re seeing Adventists passionate about meeting the needs of their communities and developing authentic relationships with their neighbours, not as simply ‘contacts’ or charity cases, but as trusted friends whose barriers are dropping until a conversation about Jesus is as natural as breathing. These are exactly the contexts where Signs magazine helps to build that trust in an open, but non-threatening way.”
The kinds of projects that are eligible for the discounted rate include food pantries, ADRA op-shops, prison ministries and health retreats. Adventist campgrounds and convention centres are also included, as is Sydney Adventist Hospital, which has Signs racks in several locations throughout the facility.
“Basically, this is for ongoing programs run by Adventists in Australia and New Zealand that have regular contact with the public,” said Mr Kingston.
The funding may be provided by the program itself, by donors, or by a combination of the two. The experience from existing projects of this kind is that the demand for Signs magazines is usually higher than what a small group of volunteers can fund—external donors are vital partners.
The new Community Connection 5-Star Project will reduce the cost of annual Signs subscriptions to these locations to $20, rather than the usual $26. Are you involved in a community project where Signs magazines would add value to the good work that’s being done? Or would you like to partner with an existing project by sponsoring regular batches of Signs? A monthly donation of $50, for example, would provide a year’s supply of 330 magazines.
Visit signsofthetimes.org.au to find out more about the new Community Connection 5-Star Project.
