Adventist Headlines From Around the World—February 18, 2025

NEW ZEALAND

Service Trip Strengthens Multicultural Church Fellowship

Christchurch Multicultural Filipino Seventh-day Adventist Church (CMFSDAC) in New Zealand embarked on a weekend service trip at Greymouth, across the South Island of the country. The outreach activity included a church visitation and the exploration of God’s wonderful creation, organizers said. “It also aimed to share God’s love, experience spiritual renewal, and strengthen support among fellow Adventists,” they reported.

Some of the church members left Christchurch on Friday afternoon to travel 3.5 hours across the island to the west coast and welcomed the Sabbath in with an evening prayer service. On Saturday CMFSDAC members led the worship program at Greymouth Seventh-day Adventist Church. They also visited Hokitika beach, followed by a sundown worship service.

A member of CMFSDAC, Aileen Demafeliz, described her experience as transformative. “I learned to trust God more and that nothing is impossible with Him,” she said. “The highlight of the trip was feeling God’s presence. . . . Our family cherished the fellowship with church members while exploring God’s creation.” 

One of the elders of CMFSDAC, Elvin Porquez, said that the visit served as a powerful catalyst for both personal spiritual growth and collective renewal. “It filled everyone with a greater sense of purpose and unity,” he said. 

AUSTRIA

Two Adventist Media Companies Merge

The two Adventist media companies Top Life Wegweiser-Verlag (Vienna) and Adventist Book Center (Bogenhofen) recently merged under the name ABC Medien. In 2023 Top Life Wegweiser Verlag had acquired the Adventist Book Center (ABC). In a further step, the two companies have now been merged.

Top Life Wegweiser-Verlag, the publishing house of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austria, was founded in 1948 under the name Wegweiser-Verlag. From the beginning the focus was on the publication of Christian and Adventist literature and magazines that dealt with such topics as faith, health, and lifestyle. The Adventist Book Center (ABC), which focused particularly on distribution via the internet, was founded in 2007 as a private initiative of two theology students and a lecturer at the Adventist Theological Seminary Schloss Bogenhofen in St. Peter am Hart, upper Austria. Especially through the online shop, the Adventist Book Center has become a popular place to go for Christian literature among Adventists in Austria.

Both media companies have been working together successfully for years and have therefore decided to join forces through a merger and exploit synergies. Both the Top Life Center brand and the Adventist Book Center brand will be retained, leaders said.

NEPAL

Stewardship Training Strengthens Faith and Mission

A Stewardship Training held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pokhara, Nepal, was an enlightening three-day event, organizers said. The January 10-12 training brought together church members from 14 satellite churches in the area. Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) Stewardship Ministries director Kim NakHyung was the keynote speaker during the event, which saw a remarkable turnout.

The training was organized to reinforce mission work and ensure its continued progress throughout Nepal and was a significant blessing for the congregation, leaders reported. “It inspired everyone to engage deeply with stewardship principles and their application in daily life,” they said. “It particularly impacted young adults, field pastors, and their spouses.”

Sessions educated participants about the importance of stewardship and offered a platform for spiritual renewal, revival, and growth, organizers reported. They shared that a highlight of the event was the baptism and certification ceremony. More than 100 church members attended the training, and 50 participants received certificates recognizing their commitment to learning about stewardship and deepening their relationship with Christ. Eight people also accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior during the training and were baptized.

SERBIA

ADRA Inaugurates House for Young People in Need in Belgrade

ADRA Serbia recently marked the official opening of a house to support young people transitioning out of the social welfare system in Belgrade. The initiative is part of a European Union program that seeks to offer options in social housing and inclusion (EU SHAI).

“There are few services of this kind for young people who face significant challenges,” said ADRA Serbia director Igor Mitrović. “That’s why the European Union’s support is so important.” He explained that “every year dozens of young people leave the alternative care system and cannot move forward without support. Our house will offer nine young people a secure place to live while they transition to independence with the help of mentors.”

The project, titled A Step Toward Independence, included the purchase and renovation of a house with three apartments. The apartments are fully furnished and equipped with small household appliances. In addition to housing, young people will receive individualized support to improve their daily life skills through various workshops and consultations, as well as comprehensive support in education and employment.

PERU

More Than 160 Adventist Young People Will Begin a Year of Mission and Service

More than 165 young Adventists will begin a year of missionary service in various cities in northern Peru, after completing an intensive six-day training. The program, called One Year in Mission (OYiM), aims to train and motivate young students and professionals to dedicate their talents to the service of the community.

Through evangelism, church planting, and community work, OYiM offers participants a unique opportunity to live out their faith in action, while developing leadership skills that will positively impact the communities they will serve. In this edition 25 young Brazilians have joined the program.

During the training days volunteers participated in seminars and workshops in various areas. Topics addressed included spiritual habits, homiletics, preaching, and evangelism. Also, Adventist identity, missionary strategies for new generations, physical health, and resource management.

In the six days of preparation, practical activities were included so that the youth could experience missionary work firsthand. Alan Cosavalente, Youth Ministries director for the North Peru Union Mission, explained the importance of volunteers being trained.

“The preparation is not only theoretical but also experiential,” said Cosavalente. “Young people have experienced fieldwork and learned to strengthen their relationship with God before impacting others.”