News reports from Loma Linda University Health; The Cognitive Genesis study; the Lake Union; London, UK; Australia and Calexico Mission School:

Loma Linda University Health, along with Adventist Health International, held its first global leadership conference in India, primarily serving healthcare administrators in the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Southern Asia and Southern Asia-Pacific divisions.

Nearly 150 Seventh-day Adventist healthcare leaders from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the United States attended the four-day event in Pune in the western state of Maharashtra, January 22 to 25.

“Our global healthcare conferences are instrumental in providing a venue for collaboration between sister Adventist institutions,” said Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH, president of Loma Linda University Health. “These events encourage dialogue, and leaders share challenges, successes and practical solutions.”

Source: Loma Linda University Health news story.

The Cognitive Genesis study examined standardized test results of 52,000 students in Adventist schools in North America over four years. The research showed that students in Adventist schools perform better in all subjects and at all levels, than those in other schools. The most striking outcome is that the students at Adventist schools in terms of their measured abilities did even better than would normally be expected for their grade levels. This effect was greater with more years spent in Adventist schools and for students who switched from other schools. The research also showed that there were no differences in performance between small and large Adventist schools, or urban and rural schools. The study was conducted by the Center for Research on Adventist Education (CRAE) at La Sierra University in Riverside, California, and directed by Dr. Elissa Kido, Professor of Education.

Because of Project Safe Church, there is a website where anyone in the Lake Union (LU) can report sexual abuse by an LU employee or volunteer. That report will go to a trained care provider, who will help the victim develop a statement. That statement will be turned over to a trained sexual ethics committee that will gather more evidence and eventually adjudicate the case, passing their recommendations on to the conference administrators. In other words, because of this system, a sexual abuse allegation in the Lake Union has far less chance of being swept under the rug, forgotten, or mishandled. Perpetrators, be warned; saints, rejoice! “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).

I would like to ask that you 1) pray for Project Safe Church; 2) spread the word to your conference or union leaders that such a system exists; 3) share this email on your social media or forward it to your contacts; 4) donate to the cause as God leads through jenniferjill.org, earmarking it “Project Safe Church.”

Source: Jennifer Jill Schwirzer

Do you know someone who has been sexually abused by an employee, elected leader or volunteer of the Adventist Church in the Lake Union?
Are you ready to make a report and seek resolution?
Report sexual abuse confidentially here: http://projectsafechurch.org/report/

Croydon Seventh-day Adventist Church Gospel Choir (London) will feature in upcoming Songs of Praise programs on BBC1 television. Celebrating 40 years of unbroken service, the choir is no stranger to television, and has performed on several occasions for the British monarchy, including two Royal Gala performances.

Source: BUC News

Australian store Gelatissimo has partnered with Weet-Bix to create a new flavour called “Weet-Bix with Honey and Banana. “Weet-Bix is famous in Australia as the breakfast cereal product produced by Sanitarium Foods, a company owned by the Adventist denomination and the largest producer of breakfast cereal in the nation. The new flavour is described as “banana gelato with a drizzle of wildflower honey”. The #AussieFamilyFavourites range will be available until the end of January, while stocks last.

Source: The Record

The BBC television news carried a story on 17 February about students attending the Calexico Mission School operated by the Adventist denomination within walking distance of the international border between the United States and Mexico. Eight out of ten of the students in this 12-grade school live in Mexico and cross the border each school day, both coming to school and going home. The report on BBC follows two young women.

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