http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/ Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:46:05 -0400 MyBB http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4549 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:51:44 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4549
emiliedavis
arjdette04
hmasonsawyerk
bettie34bett
irise299
vivianlee29

Once again some did not understand not to put a sales advertising link in their signature line and as a result two of them were banned. PLEASE DO NOT PUT SALES ADVERTISING LINKS IN YOUR SIGNATURE LINE. Sales Links can be posted in the Forum Mall.]]>
emiliedavis
arjdette04
hmasonsawyerk
bettie34bett
irise299
vivianlee29

Once again some did not understand not to put a sales advertising link in their signature line and as a result two of them were banned. PLEASE DO NOT PUT SALES ADVERTISING LINKS IN YOUR SIGNATURE LINE. Sales Links can be posted in the Forum Mall.]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4548 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:22:59 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4548
WELL this Monday SEPT 6 we will celebrate Labor Day..

it is the 1st Monday in SEPT...

SO who is off???? and what will you all be doing that will be off

campiing--- having a cooki out ----- having a picnic in
a park ---- or just staying home relaxing ?????

let us know what you will be doing????

dgrimm60]]>
WELL this Monday SEPT 6 we will celebrate Labor Day..

it is the 1st Monday in SEPT...

SO who is off???? and what will you all be doing that will be off

campiing--- having a cooki out ----- having a picnic in
a park ---- or just staying home relaxing ?????

let us know what you will be doing????

dgrimm60]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4547 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:43:27 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4547
Welcome to:

bubblemo77
ssilviasandovalq
pooltable101
tchristianknoxg
aeronroy
elo777
johnrembo09
lcolletteconwayj
nirwinhuberd

Sad to say, 3 of these new people had a sales advertising site in their signature line and were banned. We are a discussion forum not an sales advertising site and we want all new members to honour this requirement for being a member. As long as what is being sold is in good taste, you may post these links in the Forum Mall.]]>
Welcome to:

bubblemo77
ssilviasandovalq
pooltable101
tchristianknoxg
aeronroy
elo777
johnrembo09
lcolletteconwayj
nirwinhuberd

Sad to say, 3 of these new people had a sales advertising site in their signature line and were banned. We are a discussion forum not an sales advertising site and we want all new members to honour this requirement for being a member. As long as what is being sold is in good taste, you may post these links in the Forum Mall.]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4546 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:15:50 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4546
Will add more later.....have to work now. :D]]>
Will add more later.....have to work now. :D]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4544 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:54:17 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4544 Are Valentines Just for the Young?
By Dan Perman, Professor of Family Studies


While the human need for love has not changed, social trends are influencing relationships in new ways, for young and old. In this month of romance, three UBC professors illuminate some of these changes: youth no longer have the monopoly on dating; children of divorced parents aren’t less happy; and the Internet makes relationships more vulnerable to deception.


--------------------------------------------------------------------

When you think of dating couples, what sorts of romantic partners come to mind? Attractive couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in late adolescence or young adulthood, perhaps? Certainly many people associate dating with youth. But, should you? More mid-life Canadians are living alone and more are getting divorced. Added to this, Canadians are living longer. In the past 20 years, these trends have collectively contributed to the proportion of married Canadians shrinking and there being a lot of single individuals in our country. Indeed, today there are over 2.5 million unmarried Canadians aged 55 and up. Given the prevalence of single seniors and the needs that all humans have for enduring, close relationships, it is not surprising that later life dating is becoming more common.

Although it may be less so among the recently widowed and the very old, most single older adults are interested in dating. When asked why, they are likely to answer in terms of companionship, saying they would like to have someone with whom to do things, to talk/confide, and to have fun. Sex is of some interest, especially for men, but is no where near as likely to be mentioned as a reason for dating as is companionship. When it comes to the ideal date, both men and women are looking for partners with a pleasing personality (e.g., a sense of humour), common interests, and a person with appropriate moral, religious and/or personal values. The tendencies of younger females to seek partners offering financial security and men to want physically attractive partner lingers into later life.

Friends, relatives, and work (for those still in the labour force) are still good ways at this point in the lifecycle to find dates. Social groups including singles clubs, matchmaking services, and the Internet are also helping older adults get together. Given that there are 2.4 women for every man aged 55+ in Canada, it is not surprising that men in this age group find it easier than women to locate dating partners.

Men and women also differ in how quickly they establish new relationships after the death of a spouse. Men are three times as likely as women to do this within two years. Demographics play a part here but recent widows’ attitudes are different than recent widowers’. Women who are recently widowed express more reservations about forming new romantic relationships than widowed men and are more apt to see it as a sign of disloyalty to their former spouse. Establishing new unions may, however, be adaptive: Greater psychological well-being has been demonstrated to be correlated with being remarried or in a new romance 25 months after the spouse’s death.

Many older adults are happy to simply date without necessarily wanting to remarry. What is called Living Apart Together (LAT) is a form of relationship first noted in the Netherlands over 25 years ago that is now finding its way to Canada. In LAT relationships such as that of Simone de Beauvoir and John Paul Sartre, partners define themselves as a couple, see each other often, but maintain separate residences. For some, creating this form of relationship stems from external constraints (job demands, responsibilities to family members, etc.) but for others it is the preferred way of relating. For them, it provides sufficient intimacy but also provides a time “to lead their own lives” in terms of friends, finances, and activities that they enjoy. It also gives greater freedom in how they bequeath their estate. For women, maintaining their own home constitutes a resource base from which to avoid the asymmetrical distribution of household labour that remains common in Canadian society.

To conclude, the basic processes of dating extend into old age. Throughout their lives, most humans have a need to belong, to form close relationships with others. Dating helps fulfill those needs. But there are also subtle differences between the dating experiences of younger and older adult. For example, the reproductive goals of young adult courtship are no longer central; and for older adults the romantic experiences of youth may be icing on the cake but they give way to more pragmatic concerns. Older daters seek partners for companionship and enjoyment. Some older adults find it hard to get back into the dating loop after years of being partnered. Once they do so, however, they typically find a comfort in the wisdom of age and experience that was missing from their earlier life dating activities. For all Canadians, young and old alike, dating can add vitality and enjoyment to their lives. The next time you think of dating, remember to include couples like 80-year-old Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique, who married late in life.

Married or Single: Who is Happier? And What About their Children?
By Mark Holder, Assistant Professor of Psychology, UBC Okanagan

Scientists have extensively researched negative emotions (e.g. depression, and anxiety) but not positive emotions (e.g. happiness and joy). For example, a search of 1,700 psychology journals identified over 100,000 articles on depression, and fewer than 5,000 articles on happiness. My research focuses on happiness in children -- particularly aged nine to twelve.

Relationships are important to happiness. Family and friends contribute strongly to happiness in adults and children. For example, researchers have found that married people are typically happier than single people, and single people are happier than divorced people.

However, we found that children’s happiness does not differ with their parents’ marital status. We found no difference in the happiness levels of children whose mother and father were married and living together, and those children whose parents were separated or divorced.

Happiness is associated with many aspects of our lifestyle. For adults, watching a lot of television is associated with lower levels of happiness (an interesting exception is watching soap operas). We found the same for children.

Our preliminary evidence suggests that children who report higher levels of spirituality are happier. Although people report that they think they would be happier with more money, money does not actually predict happiness for adults or children (at least once you are above the poverty line).

Does the Internet Enhance or Trivialize Relationships?
By Richard S. Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science

We live in interesting times. It is possible to establish “relationships” with people around the world, in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. I use the term relationship advisedly because in most cases the participants will never meet in person but will nevertheless often claim to have established deep and meaningful connections. My students vociferously argue that they have acquired real buddies all over the world. I raise my objections that never having met face to face must limit the depth of these encounters, given that human evolution has resulted in social animals, which need to touch, feel, see, and smell one another. They respond with rolling eyes, that I must be really out of touch.

Now the Internet does provide a variety of modalities to meet various needs of individuals and groups, such as email, listservs, chat rooms, instant messaging, online games, wikis, with more to come. To varying degrees people make connections, establish relations for social, political, economic, and other reasons. Are they deep, are they meaningful, can they evolve or are they doomed to be superficial? If text is the most common medium of communication, then deception and lying are the coin of the realm.

While most of the communication over the Internet is innocent, probably silly, and surely wasteful of time and energy, there are some harmful and dangerous encounters. The seduction of children by predators, which moves from online interactions to real world encounters with occasional horrible results, cannot be ignored. Leaving children unattended on the Internet is somewhat equivalent to leaving them unattended in the evening, downtown, in large cities. Aside from the potential dangers to children, the Internet, as is the case for most technologies offers benefits and harms; it depends on an educated and experienced clientele to realize those benefits and to avoid the possible harms.

This article comes from the UBC (University of BC) website at:

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcrepor...mance.html]]> Are Valentines Just for the Young?
By Dan Perman, Professor of Family Studies


While the human need for love has not changed, social trends are influencing relationships in new ways, for young and old. In this month of romance, three UBC professors illuminate some of these changes: youth no longer have the monopoly on dating; children of divorced parents aren’t less happy; and the Internet makes relationships more vulnerable to deception.


--------------------------------------------------------------------

When you think of dating couples, what sorts of romantic partners come to mind? Attractive couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in late adolescence or young adulthood, perhaps? Certainly many people associate dating with youth. But, should you? More mid-life Canadians are living alone and more are getting divorced. Added to this, Canadians are living longer. In the past 20 years, these trends have collectively contributed to the proportion of married Canadians shrinking and there being a lot of single individuals in our country. Indeed, today there are over 2.5 million unmarried Canadians aged 55 and up. Given the prevalence of single seniors and the needs that all humans have for enduring, close relationships, it is not surprising that later life dating is becoming more common.

Although it may be less so among the recently widowed and the very old, most single older adults are interested in dating. When asked why, they are likely to answer in terms of companionship, saying they would like to have someone with whom to do things, to talk/confide, and to have fun. Sex is of some interest, especially for men, but is no where near as likely to be mentioned as a reason for dating as is companionship. When it comes to the ideal date, both men and women are looking for partners with a pleasing personality (e.g., a sense of humour), common interests, and a person with appropriate moral, religious and/or personal values. The tendencies of younger females to seek partners offering financial security and men to want physically attractive partner lingers into later life.

Friends, relatives, and work (for those still in the labour force) are still good ways at this point in the lifecycle to find dates. Social groups including singles clubs, matchmaking services, and the Internet are also helping older adults get together. Given that there are 2.4 women for every man aged 55+ in Canada, it is not surprising that men in this age group find it easier than women to locate dating partners.

Men and women also differ in how quickly they establish new relationships after the death of a spouse. Men are three times as likely as women to do this within two years. Demographics play a part here but recent widows’ attitudes are different than recent widowers’. Women who are recently widowed express more reservations about forming new romantic relationships than widowed men and are more apt to see it as a sign of disloyalty to their former spouse. Establishing new unions may, however, be adaptive: Greater psychological well-being has been demonstrated to be correlated with being remarried or in a new romance 25 months after the spouse’s death.

Many older adults are happy to simply date without necessarily wanting to remarry. What is called Living Apart Together (LAT) is a form of relationship first noted in the Netherlands over 25 years ago that is now finding its way to Canada. In LAT relationships such as that of Simone de Beauvoir and John Paul Sartre, partners define themselves as a couple, see each other often, but maintain separate residences. For some, creating this form of relationship stems from external constraints (job demands, responsibilities to family members, etc.) but for others it is the preferred way of relating. For them, it provides sufficient intimacy but also provides a time “to lead their own lives” in terms of friends, finances, and activities that they enjoy. It also gives greater freedom in how they bequeath their estate. For women, maintaining their own home constitutes a resource base from which to avoid the asymmetrical distribution of household labour that remains common in Canadian society.

To conclude, the basic processes of dating extend into old age. Throughout their lives, most humans have a need to belong, to form close relationships with others. Dating helps fulfill those needs. But there are also subtle differences between the dating experiences of younger and older adult. For example, the reproductive goals of young adult courtship are no longer central; and for older adults the romantic experiences of youth may be icing on the cake but they give way to more pragmatic concerns. Older daters seek partners for companionship and enjoyment. Some older adults find it hard to get back into the dating loop after years of being partnered. Once they do so, however, they typically find a comfort in the wisdom of age and experience that was missing from their earlier life dating activities. For all Canadians, young and old alike, dating can add vitality and enjoyment to their lives. The next time you think of dating, remember to include couples like 80-year-old Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique, who married late in life.

Married or Single: Who is Happier? And What About their Children?
By Mark Holder, Assistant Professor of Psychology, UBC Okanagan

Scientists have extensively researched negative emotions (e.g. depression, and anxiety) but not positive emotions (e.g. happiness and joy). For example, a search of 1,700 psychology journals identified over 100,000 articles on depression, and fewer than 5,000 articles on happiness. My research focuses on happiness in children -- particularly aged nine to twelve.

Relationships are important to happiness. Family and friends contribute strongly to happiness in adults and children. For example, researchers have found that married people are typically happier than single people, and single people are happier than divorced people.

However, we found that children’s happiness does not differ with their parents’ marital status. We found no difference in the happiness levels of children whose mother and father were married and living together, and those children whose parents were separated or divorced.

Happiness is associated with many aspects of our lifestyle. For adults, watching a lot of television is associated with lower levels of happiness (an interesting exception is watching soap operas). We found the same for children.

Our preliminary evidence suggests that children who report higher levels of spirituality are happier. Although people report that they think they would be happier with more money, money does not actually predict happiness for adults or children (at least once you are above the poverty line).

Does the Internet Enhance or Trivialize Relationships?
By Richard S. Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science

We live in interesting times. It is possible to establish “relationships” with people around the world, in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. I use the term relationship advisedly because in most cases the participants will never meet in person but will nevertheless often claim to have established deep and meaningful connections. My students vociferously argue that they have acquired real buddies all over the world. I raise my objections that never having met face to face must limit the depth of these encounters, given that human evolution has resulted in social animals, which need to touch, feel, see, and smell one another. They respond with rolling eyes, that I must be really out of touch.

Now the Internet does provide a variety of modalities to meet various needs of individuals and groups, such as email, listservs, chat rooms, instant messaging, online games, wikis, with more to come. To varying degrees people make connections, establish relations for social, political, economic, and other reasons. Are they deep, are they meaningful, can they evolve or are they doomed to be superficial? If text is the most common medium of communication, then deception and lying are the coin of the realm.

While most of the communication over the Internet is innocent, probably silly, and surely wasteful of time and energy, there are some harmful and dangerous encounters. The seduction of children by predators, which moves from online interactions to real world encounters with occasional horrible results, cannot be ignored. Leaving children unattended on the Internet is somewhat equivalent to leaving them unattended in the evening, downtown, in large cities. Aside from the potential dangers to children, the Internet, as is the case for most technologies offers benefits and harms; it depends on an educated and experienced clientele to realize those benefits and to avoid the possible harms.

This article comes from the UBC (University of BC) website at:

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcrepor...mance.html]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4543 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:01:08 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4543
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlVExsYYnp4]]>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlVExsYYnp4]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4542 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:51:23 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4542
hdilloncarrollr
turkiyespot
alexdestin
jordannjames
wmillicentwalshv
mandy_ng86
RessieSchott
dzzyraeann
ivylim24
Avril12farley3
lcolletteconwayy

Yes! We are making progress because only one of those had a sales advertising site in their signature line and was banned. If someone wishes to post a sales advertising site here in this forum it must be done in the Forum Mall, not in a signature line.]]>
hdilloncarrollr
turkiyespot
alexdestin
jordannjames
wmillicentwalshv
mandy_ng86
RessieSchott
dzzyraeann
ivylim24
Avril12farley3
lcolletteconwayy

Yes! We are making progress because only one of those had a sales advertising site in their signature line and was banned. If someone wishes to post a sales advertising site here in this forum it must be done in the Forum Mall, not in a signature line.]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4541 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:36:06 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4541
glad you joined this forum...hope you meet new friends here...
we would like you to post your thoughts and comments...


again greetings...

dgrimm60]]>
glad you joined this forum...hope you meet new friends here...
we would like you to post your thoughts and comments...


again greetings...

dgrimm60]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4540 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:44:12 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4540
Here is their website:

http://www.jamesonmail.com/]]>
Here is their website:

http://www.jamesonmail.com/]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4539 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:38:23 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4539
http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/10c/less10.html]]>
http://www.ssnet.org/qrtrly/eng/10c/less10.html]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4538 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:36:05 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4538 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4537 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:29:58 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4537
kennywong33
biVyphamq
ferryyoderw
jioje2010
jmaxwellbergerh
milkmilkmo77
simon_chua33
mima
mginnybush2

Unfortunately two had sales avertisement links in their signature line and had to be banned. I wish they would have put the links in the Forum Mall. I do not like having to ban anyone but......it's their choice.]]>
kennywong33
biVyphamq
ferryyoderw
jioje2010
jmaxwellbergerh
milkmilkmo77
simon_chua33
mima
mginnybush2

Unfortunately two had sales avertisement links in their signature line and had to be banned. I wish they would have put the links in the Forum Mall. I do not like having to ban anyone but......it's their choice.]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4536 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:54:48 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4536
http://www.amazingfacts.org/]]>
http://www.amazingfacts.org/]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4535 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:41:18 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4535
Website:

http://www.silverhills.ca/

I also eat Silver Hills Bread, which is really not a part of the Guesthouse and Spa. But that bread is very, very good....

http://www.silverhillsbakery.ca/]]>
Website:

http://www.silverhills.ca/

I also eat Silver Hills Bread, which is really not a part of the Guesthouse and Spa. But that bread is very, very good....

http://www.silverhillsbakery.ca/]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4534 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:18:16 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4534
missumo77
corncornmo77
landy_sim33
lawerencemiles]]>
missumo77
corncornmo77
landy_sim33
lawerencemiles]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4533 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:43:01 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4533
I hope all of you have a HAPPY SABBATH

dgrimm60]]>
I hope all of you have a HAPPY SABBATH

dgrimm60]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4532 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:20:59 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4532
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY

more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHge...re=related

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo_24_qTN...re=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bL3GR4iA...re=related

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxJ8Sd2Z1...re=related]]>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY

more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHge...re=related

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo_24_qTN...re=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bL3GR4iA...re=related

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxJ8Sd2Z1...re=related]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4531 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:27:10 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4531
http://www.biblesociety.ca/the_word_and_...res?page=2

You will want to choose the option "When it Hurts."]]>
http://www.biblesociety.ca/the_word_and_...res?page=2

You will want to choose the option "When it Hurts."]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4530 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:53:31 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4530
So, today we want to welcome the following new members of this forum:

lSharie12stantonh
berrymo33
chesterA321
jecourdclearck
kdanaharrisn
odanaharris
venusstephen

All you are very welcome here. We hope you will find useful information and find fellowship and friendship from those in this forum. Once again.....a warm welcome to each of you.]]>
So, today we want to welcome the following new members of this forum:

lSharie12stantonh
berrymo33
chesterA321
jecourdclearck
kdanaharrisn
odanaharris
venusstephen

All you are very welcome here. We hope you will find useful information and find fellowship and friendship from those in this forum. Once again.....a warm welcome to each of you.]]> http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4529 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:26:30 -0400 http://www.adventistsam.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4529
Violence against women focus of annual Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day

17 Aug 2010, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ANN staff (Adventist News Network)

This month (August) Seventh-day Adventists worldwide are encouraged to raise awareness of violence against women and girl children within their respective congregations.

Respect as a God-given right is the theme of this year's Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day. On Saturday, August 28, Adventist congregations worldwide are encouraged to raise awareness of violence against women and girl children. [graphic: Women's Ministries]

The Adventist Church holds its Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day annually on the fourth Saturday of each August. Church leaders launched the initiative in 2001, noting that domestic violence and sexual abuse affect Christian homes at rates similar to the general population. The first steps to fight abuse, they said, are awareness and education.

This year, resources produced by the world church's Women's Ministries department focus on violence against women, including topics such as human trafficking, the forced prostitution of young girls, Female Genital Mutilation, child marriages, domestic violence, forced abortions and rape. Previous years have tackled domestic violence, incest, abuse of power and abuse of the elderly.

One out of three women worldwide is a victim of physical or psychological repression, while approximately 135 million girls have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, church leaders have said.

This year's materials are designed to help church members approach the subject of violence against women by first affirming that every individual is a "temple" of God, deserving of respect, according to a website launched for the emphasis day. The resource packet includes a sample sermon, Scripture reading selections, a children's story and a PowerPoint presentation that local church leaders are urged to present on August 28.

"If we are precious in God's eyes, then we must do all we can to prevent anyone from desecrating not only our own bodies, but those of our sisters [worldwide]," said Heather-Dawn Small, world church Women's Ministries director, in a letter distributed with the resource packet.

The emphasis day is also an opportunity to rally the community in support against abuse. "When you invite the community to come to your church to discuss abuse and learn how to end it, this is common ground," said Raquel Arrais, associate director for Women's Ministries. "They come not only to support the program, but to learn more about the God who says 'yes' to love and 'yes' to justice," she said.

Also part of the Women's Ministries department's ongoing abuse awareness effort is EndItNow, launched last year with the church's humanitarian arm, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, to end violence against women and girl children.

To learn more about EndItNow, visit http://www.enditnow.org. Find the resource packet for Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day here.]]>
Violence against women focus of annual Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day

17 Aug 2010, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ANN staff (Adventist News Network)

This month (August) Seventh-day Adventists worldwide are encouraged to raise awareness of violence against women and girl children within their respective congregations.

Respect as a God-given right is the theme of this year's Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day. On Saturday, August 28, Adventist congregations worldwide are encouraged to raise awareness of violence against women and girl children. [graphic: Women's Ministries]

The Adventist Church holds its Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day annually on the fourth Saturday of each August. Church leaders launched the initiative in 2001, noting that domestic violence and sexual abuse affect Christian homes at rates similar to the general population. The first steps to fight abuse, they said, are awareness and education.

This year, resources produced by the world church's Women's Ministries department focus on violence against women, including topics such as human trafficking, the forced prostitution of young girls, Female Genital Mutilation, child marriages, domestic violence, forced abortions and rape. Previous years have tackled domestic violence, incest, abuse of power and abuse of the elderly.

One out of three women worldwide is a victim of physical or psychological repression, while approximately 135 million girls have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, church leaders have said.

This year's materials are designed to help church members approach the subject of violence against women by first affirming that every individual is a "temple" of God, deserving of respect, according to a website launched for the emphasis day. The resource packet includes a sample sermon, Scripture reading selections, a children's story and a PowerPoint presentation that local church leaders are urged to present on August 28.

"If we are precious in God's eyes, then we must do all we can to prevent anyone from desecrating not only our own bodies, but those of our sisters [worldwide]," said Heather-Dawn Small, world church Women's Ministries director, in a letter distributed with the resource packet.

The emphasis day is also an opportunity to rally the community in support against abuse. "When you invite the community to come to your church to discuss abuse and learn how to end it, this is common ground," said Raquel Arrais, associate director for Women's Ministries. "They come not only to support the program, but to learn more about the God who says 'yes' to love and 'yes' to justice," she said.

Also part of the Women's Ministries department's ongoing abuse awareness effort is EndItNow, launched last year with the church's humanitarian arm, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, to end violence against women and girl children.

To learn more about EndItNow, visit http://www.enditnow.org. Find the resource packet for Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day here.]]>