This year has been an exciting and eventful one for Adventist Record, with team members travelling abroad, getting pregnant, moving states, receiving promotions and achieving their goals. Usually we bring you news and stories from across the South Pacific, but today we’re taking you behind the scenes for a closer look at our team’s personal lives. So, without further ado, here is a list of our top 10 achievements from 2019.
1) Maritza had a baby
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Assistant editor Maritza Brunt and her husband Dan became first-time parents to a beautiful, healthy baby on July 19 when Naomi Christina Brunt came into the world. Only months later, Dan found out he would be moving to a new pastoral role in Melbourne, meaning that Maritza would sadly not be re-joining the team at Adventist Record (Sydney). Although the team are sad to see her go, Melbourne means being closer to family, which is always a blessing with a brand new bubba in tow!
2) Jarrod announced that baby Stack is on the way!
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In October, Jarrod announced that he and his wife Lyna were expecting a baby in March 2020! After years of struggling to fall pregnant, the Stackelroths decided to make their health a priority in 2018-19 and as a result were able to fall pregnant naturally! We wish them continued good health and our best wishes as they venture into the world of parenthood!
3) Jarrod completed the Kokoda trail
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On July 24, Jarrod Stackelroth, joined by a group of around 30 Adventists, completed Papua New Guinea’s infamous Kokoda trail. After a gruelling and muddy nine-day hike and months of intense preparation beforehand, we were very proud to see him cross the finish line. He raised approximately $A6000 for the 10,000 Toes Campaign, adding to the $65,000 total that was raised altogether to fight diabetes in the South Pacific.
4) Tracey was appointed SPD communications director
Tracey Bridcutt, head of news and editorial at Adventist Media, was appointed communication director for the South Pacific Division in March, adding to her original position. Currently, she is the only female communication director for the world Church’s 13 divisions and we are amazed at how well she balances both roles!
5) Dora returned from maternity leave
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In September, graphic designer Theodora Pau’u rejoined the team at Adventist Record after being away for a year on maternity leave. Armed with fresh new ideas, we’re excited to see what she will bring to the table in 2020! We are also excited that our other graphic designer, Nerise McQuillan, who joined during Dora’s maternity leave, is staying on part time.
6) Maryellen joined the team
In May, Maryellen Fairfax joined the Adventist Record team as new assistant editor in lieu of Maritza. Having worked at Adventist Media on Mums At The Table and the I AM series, she was excited to join a team of friendly faces. Finishing off her bachelor of Law/Media, she was balancing full-time work and study for a few months but is pleased to announce that she is now finished! She plans to continue on in the role next year, and for as long as she is able!
7) The team received religious press awards
Adventist Media won three awards at the Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) Awards in 2019. Adventist Record was awarded silver in the “Best Theological Article” category for Dr Norman Young’s article “Was Paul a Misogynist?”. Signs of the Times magazine was also awarded silver for “Best Design”, closely followed by Mums At The Table magazine, which received bronze in the same category.
8) Team members ran their first half-marathon
On November 24, a team from Adventist Media participated in the Central Coast Half Marathon held at The Entrance (NSW). Jarrod, Adventist Record assistant editor (digital) Linden Chuang and Adventist Media commercial manager Jean Tiran ran 21 km in under 2.5 hours. Signs of the Times assistant editor Daniel Kuberek and Adventist Record assistant editor Maryellen Fairfax also participated, running the 10-km fun run instead. Both clocked in at just under the 1 hour mark.
9) Jarrod shaved his beard!
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After more than eight years of consistently having facial hair—and in most cases, a full-blown beard—Jarrod shaved it all off on June 4 to raise money for the 10,000 Toes Campaign. Or rather, friends and colleagues from Adventist Media and the South Pacific Division did. What was it like, feeling the wind against your face for the first time in nearly a decade?
10) Our Instagram started up again and we got some stellar stats!
In May, we decided to revamp our Instagram after a not-so-brief hiatus with fresh new content! Starting with around 600 followers, the photos, news updates, polls, quotes and behind-the-scenes content has been drawing crowds. With now more than 1500 followers on Instagram and 8000 likes on Facebook, we are thriving as an online community! This year we also hit 500,000 page views on our website for the first time ever! If you haven’t checked out either of these channels, they’re filled with some pretty stellar content. And we’re not biased, at all . . .
