Advent Talk
SDA Media & News => SDA News Clips => Topic started by: WillowRun on February 21, 2008, 08:23:58 AM
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I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did! Willow
Basketball champs refuse to play on Sabbath
League winners skip tournament, say 'Experiencing Christ' better than to 'Take state'
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Posted: February 20, 2008
1:48 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
The mission statement for Campion Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist Church school in Colorado, is painted on the outside of the gymnasium, "Experiencing Christ in a Learning Environment." It isn't, "Take State."
So there have been virtually no serious complaints when the school's basketball team, winning the Northern Front Range League title in Class 2A basketball competition with a 13-1 record this year, again will not be participating in the Colorado High School Activities Association's state competition.
The team, the league champion for the fourth year, instead, is playing at a tournament for Seventh-day Adventist schools in Nebraska, according to a report in the Denver Post.
The academy's athletic director and basketball coach, Troy Beans, said he knew starting out the school was "academic-oriented."
"Sports aren't at the top of the list by any means," he told the newspaper.
The 101-year-old academy teaches strict adherence to the Ten Commandments, including the 4th, which is "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." It defines the Sabbath as the traditional Jewish day from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
The result? No games on Friday night or Saturday.
The state association had agreed to work with the school, and allow the Cougars to continue to compete as long as their opponents were flexible on the scheduling of games.
But the members of Campion's faculty voted against moving forward.
Beans disagrees, respectfully, with that decision, as do some players.
"I think it would be a good opportunity for our team to show who we really are, and be a good ministry for our school and our religion," starting center Nathan Lorenz told the newspaper.
Michael Beans, the coach's son, is a senior guard and scores 16 points per game.
He told the Post it's "frustrating" that recognition such as a championship is available for the school, but the team won't have that opportunity.
But his opinion couldn't be described as rebellion.
"I love this school, and I love this atmosphere," he said.
Many of the 155 students in grades 9-12 board on campus and work in various positions at the school, which only joined the state activities association in 1997. Troy Beans' father and grandfather also attended, but the three were able to participate only in intramural athletics.
Another Seventh-day Adventist school, Mile High Academy in nearby Denver, also has sports teams but the school doesn't hold a membership in the state organization.
Principal John Winslow said there's really no reason to change the school's priorities.
"I think of it in this realm: With all we have here, it's difficult to extend our season … We want to have good seasons, and then we're going to our local kind of church playoffs … and we're going to call it good," he told the newspaper.
"We're just trying to keep a balance," he said.
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:TY: for posting this interesting news item. :)
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We need some positive news too.
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Does anyone Know about the Quiet Hour Team???? I got an email that there was trouble in India where they where.... I Pray they are safe and return safe...just would like to know......if anyone knows....
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Does anyone Know about the Quiet Hour Team???? I got an email that there was trouble in India where they where.... I Pray they are safe and return safe...just would like to know......if anyone knows....
Unfortunately someone deleted the date of the original message, and the message has the potential to turn into spam. (I've had several copies forwarded to me.) Note that the original forwared message is dated February 13. And Brad said on February 17 that the situation had been resolved "last week," which would be the week of February 13, which is still "last week" today. ;)
By the way, having to close meetings in India a couple days early is fairly common. When Amazing Facts was there last year, the provincial authorities (I believe) ordered the meetings closed down. But the local folks appreciated them, so they informed the Amazing FActs team that they would have to close down two days early. And they did, thus obeying the letter of the directive.
The evangelistic teams in India definitely need our prayers. My husband was there a couple years ago, and there was no opposition, but the situation is getting more difficult every day. But God is able!
Here's an email from Brad Thorp that gives the facts. Please pass it on to those who sent you the email.
----- Original Message -----
From: Thorp Brad
To: Ebe xxxx
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 7:44 AM
Subject: RE: Quiet Hour Staff ;URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!
Ebe,
I am in Loma Linda and talked yesterday with Michael Porter one of the leaders of the QH.
The situation you have requested prayer for has been resolved in India late last week. All QH staff are safe. They had to close the meetings two days sooner than planned but have gained more than 600 baptisms.
So, I think you can send out a notice indicating that God has intervened; all are safe with the meetings being successful.
On the other hand, please continue to Pray for evangelism in India. The enemy is raising prejudice and opposition.
Blessings
Brad Thorp, Director
Hope Channel
www.HopeTV.org
President@HopeTV.org
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing and that you may abound in HOPE…! (Romans 15:13)
From: Ebe xxxx
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 10:33 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Quiet Hour Staff ;URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 Subject: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!
There is an urgent need to pray NOW for Bill and Jackie Tucker and the Quiet Hour/Share Him team in India. Please read the following email and forward it on to your list of contacts.
Thank you and may God work His miracles!
In Christ, Ethel and Loren
Subject: Fw: Pray for Quiet Hour Staff in India -- NOW]
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:33:57 -0700
While this was sent to Az. pastors & conf. staff, I know we all need to pray for Bill & Jackie in this most precarious position. If God sees fit to deliver them from the hands of the enemy, it will truly glorify his name. So send up your prayers and pass the word along - the more prayers the better!
Nancy
-------- Original Message ------
Dear AZ Staff and Friends,
I just got a text message from Kristian Allen, videographer for the Quiet Hour, and he asked for immediate prayers for their very serious situation in India.
I phoned the manager of the Quiet Hour and he assures me that they need our prayers. Bill and Jackie Tucker are in meetings in India along with Don Folkenberg and other staff of QH and ShareHim. A local lawyer filed charges and two of the group (don't know if they were local pastors or not) were arrested. The others are barricaded in their hotel. Right now it's about 3:00 a.m. in India. The hotel is surrounded by an angry mob. They would like to get our people out but it may not be possible with this mob scene.
PRAYER! They're requesting it. I'll give updates as they are given to me.
Thanks!
Phil Draper
_____________________________________
Phillip L. Draper
Communication Director
Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
13405 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480-991-6777 ext. 139
phildraper@azconference.org
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It is a sad day when a basketball team is a Positive SDA News Story. Just how many evangelistic events will this team sponsor and just how many of those young sports heros will be sitting in the pews of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the decades ahead.
I had a first hand look at just what can happen when young sports heros participate in interscholastic sports, contrary to the counsels of the Spirit of Prophecy. The AUC Flames were born in the Gerrity Presidency and they literally burned AUC. Rather than being the great expose' of SDA education, these giants of Basketball would go to local churches and stay prior to their away games and were constantly criticised by local church constituencies for poor behavior of various sorts.
Further, as the program progressed we found "athletic scholarships" for players develop. In one incident, the captain of the team was caught blowing up dorm property with cherry bombs and banned from campas housing facilities, even though he was on a full scholarship. Sports jocks have ego problems and inter-scholastic sports feeds this serious problem rather than developing Christian Values and SDA goals.
We even had a boys and girls team and because the school was an NCCA member, they were attracting students from all over the division, just to play interscholastic sports.
Of course, we had serious repercussions as the Atlantic Union Constituency and the Alumni began to turn their backs on AUC and giving dropped to ridiculously low levels. I remember a treasurer tell me that one special union-wide offering for AUC gathered barely $10,000 or less than 10 cents per member of the Atlantic Union. Reaping the Whirlwind???
The college finally was close to bankruptcy and had to abandon the NCCA and the Flames and I have not heard one story of some other schools athletes or students joining the SDA church because of this NON-evangelsim. It was a waste of money, resources and a mis-application of talents when we are so close to the end of time. Far better to direct the efforts of these students to realize the lateness of the hour and let them Share Their Faith.
YUP!!! I am that conservative and proud of it!!!
Gailon Arthur Joy
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Thank you so much Inga for that information.....I do appreciate it......Thank God, I did go to the QH website and it has been posted that they have arrived home safely.....Yes We all need to pray for the people in India......The message is truly being heard, in all nations.......
Thank you again Inga for the informative response.....HAPPY SABBATH to all!!!
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"True education ... is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.
"The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves. Unselfishness underlies all true development" (Ed 13-16)
Often folks call competitive sports "Physical Education" or "PE," but based on the above, since competitive sports do not develop unselfishness, it appears that competitive sports are by definition excluded from PE.
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How many of our church leaders though are glued to the TV on Hockey Night in Canada/USA?
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How many of our church leaders though are glued to the TV on Hockey Night in Canada/USA?
Daryl.....surely you kid....do you mean that people actually watch Hockey? :ROFL:
Down here in the US of A, we watch AMERICAN FOOTBALL as a religion! :D
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Come on JR.... What about baseball?.... :praying:
I need to be faithful to both Mets and Yankees... A New Yorker by heart here bro.
And you know it!
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Naw Danny......If I were ever a New Yorker again......I'd be watching the Giants and the Jets :thumbsup:
Now the wife and our son are basketball nuts. We once had to stop and get a motel room, in Hagan Mt. after a day of skiing at Silver Mt. Idaho. Just so they could watch the playoffs! OTOH.....if the Cowboys (a curse on Jerry Jones for ruining that fabulous club) are playing.....it gets recorded in this house.
Anyway....nice to see you again...seems like years since we chatted.
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How many of our church leaders though are glued to the TV on Hockey Night in Canada/USA?
Daryl, I don't know much about hockey but someone told me it was just professional wrestling on skates. I hope I got that right.
Maxey
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I'm just out of the loop as far as watching sports (except for the one year the Portland Trailblazers with Clyde Drexler won the basketball championship)... most of the time now, though, watching any sport is like watching bowling or somesuch on TV.
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/Makualla/lol-1.gif)
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I remember where I was when the Blazers won that year almost as clearly as when I heard about President Kennedy being shot and the walk on the moon. Guess I'm showing my age. My son played basketball in Academy and it was a very positive experience. I don't buy the competition thing. We start it in grade school with spelling bees. All of life is a competition. Watch as your children apply to graduate school or LLU. It is a good thing if they have learned to win or lose gracefully.
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I remember where I was when the Blazers won that year almost as clearly as when I heard about President Kennedy being shot and the walk on the moon. Guess I'm showing my age. My son played basketball in Academy and it was a very positive experience. I don't buy the competition thing. We start it in grade school with spelling bees. All of life is a competition. Watch as your children apply to graduate school or LLU. It is a good thing if they have learned to win or lose gracefully.
Dead on Grat! It has always interested me to see the sportsmanship of the athletes as contrasted with how the parents behave. The ability to win or lose gracefully is an important lesson for life.
Maxey
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Communication at Core of Effective Governance,
Church Financial Officers Say
Document stresses transparency, accountability among Adventist leadership
BY ELIZABETH LECHLEITNER, Adventist News Network
Open communication lies at the core of effective governance, Paul Douglas told delegates at Seventh-day Adventist world church headquarters on October 13, 2011, during Annual Council business meetings.
Douglas, who directs the church’s Auditing Service, is among church financial officers continuing their call for increased transparency and accountability among Adventist leadership worldwide.
“In a Christian organization there is a greater expectation for each person—but particularly leaders—to demonstrate exemplary behavior in financial matters, ensuring that they conform to biblical principles, legal parameters, professional standards, and denominational policies,” Douglas said.
Douglas and world church treasurer Robert E. Lemon first presented a collaborative document called “Transparency and Accountability in Financial Reporting” earlier this year. Annual Council delegates took the next step to promote and model its framework in their home fields by voting to receive the document.
TRANSPARENCY: Adventist world church Auditing Service director Paul Douglas is among leaders of the General Conference who are stressing the importance of transparency in financial reporting. Here Douglas is shown after his election at the 2010 General Conference session. [ANN File Photo/ Robert East].
The document encourages church officials worldwide to foster a better culture of leadership, outlining what it calls the “credibility cycle.” Accountable leadership and transparent auditing build greater trust among all church stakeholders. Practically, it means members feel confident returning tithes and offerings, because they see that funds are handled judiciously.
The document is the product of a task force comprised of Lemon, Douglas, North American Division treasurer Tom Evans, and Robyn W. Kajiura, associate director for the world church’s Auditing Service. Initially the document responded directly to then-unresolved audit findings. It’s now meant to apply broadly to the Adventist Church’s organizational culture.
“Transparency and accountability encompass much more than just financial activities,” said world church president Ted N. C. Wilson. The document includes a message from the world church leader, calling for a “high level of integrity” to inspire “confidence in leadership.”
Also included in the document are thoughts from world church secretary G. T. Ng, who said that “transparency must remain the default position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
At Adventist business meetings earlier this year church financial officials asked delegates to suggest ways leadership worldwide can foster an environment of transparency. Their ideas are listed in the document delegates reviewed October 12.
“Set a personal example,” one delegate said. “Ensure openness,” another said. “Diminish the risk of people being afraid to talk just because of organizational structure or lack of communication channels.”
Many delegates called for increased leadership training, underscoring the idea that leaders should be “stewards” of their positions.
“We need to change the culture and the way we do business,” one said. “We cannot assume that those who are spiritual are also ethical and moral. There needs to be proper training.”
The document is set for distribution in each of the church’s 13 world divisions, where it can be translated into local languages, Lemon said.
“We intended to make the document similar in size to the Bible study guide, so you’ll review it every day,” Douglas said.
Currently the document is undergoing a final revision to include suggestions from delegates. It will be available in January, Douglas said.
Carlos Medley webmaster@adventistreview.org via pc1.postmailman.com