Experiencing the Joy
The LIFEdevelopment initiative based in the Trans-European Division (TED) headquarters in the United Kingdom is the first major attempt by Seventh-day Adventists to convey our message to the postmodern mind-set. I have written in previous Adventist Reviews about the DVDs, periodicals, and the Web site that have been developed under the direction of Miroslav Pujic, TED director for Communication and Media and Ministry to Postmoderns. Now a book has been published entitled Experiencing the Joy, which is a comprehensive presentation in 42 chapters. A companion DVD of video clips for each chapter as introductions or teasers for the topics is also available.
 
This book could be an effective witnessing tool with young adults and others in a secular context. It has strong design values and is a large hardcover volume. It’s the work of a number of authors, most of them from Europe and all of them longtime denominational employees.
 
You can order the book and companion DVDs through your local Adventist Book Center or at www.adventistbookcenter.org. For more information about LIFEdevelopment or Experiencing the Joy, e-mail Miroslav Pujic at [email protected].

 
The Reason for God
Timothy Keller is a conservative Presbyterian pastor who is planting churches on Manhattan Island in New York City. He has developed a very effective way of communicating basic Bible truths to secular young adults and others in one of the world’s largest and most influential cities. Recently Keller published a set of six small-group study guides in the format of DVD discussion starters and a small paperback discussion guide. Both of these have been published under the same title as his recent book, The Reason for God.
 
Adventists will find good encouragement in these topics. They include common questions from people of a secular background: “Isn’t the Bible a myth?”; “How can you say there is only one way to God?”; “What gives you the right to tell me how to live my life?”; “Why does God allow suffering?”; “Why is the church responsible for so much injustice?”; and “How can God be full of love and wrath at the same time?” This last topic can be much stronger with the introduction of Adventist theology.
 
Each of the video introductions is about 20 minutes in length, and there are enough discussion questions for each topic to generate 45 to 90 minutes of conversation. The publisher is the well-known Christian press Zondervan, so these materials can be found in most Christian bookstores as well as directly from Zondervan’s Web site (www.zondervan.com).
 

I Am Persuaded
The first eight chapters of the book of Romans have provided the spiritual fuel for the conversion of millions of Christians, including many of the converts won to the Adventist faith. A 60-page booklet is now available that presents a careful study of these chapters aimed at new converts as well as longtime church members who have not fully understood the gospel. It’s an inexpensive paperback published by Pacific Press, and the author is Fred Kinsey, director of the Voice of Prophecy radio ministry. This is a staple for personal evangelism. You can get copies from www.adventistbookcenter.com or by calling (800) 765-6955.

 
A Student Missionary Story
This is not the kind of book that I usually include among Tools of the Trade, but giving a copy of this to young adults in your congregation could help to inspire their dedication to Christ’s mission. Love, Kirsten is the story of a 20-year-old student missionary in Micronesia who paid the ultimate price for her service when she was killed in late 2009. Kirsten Wolcott was a typical Adventist young adult in many ways, and her tragedy shows that young people still serve with courage and compassion wherever God calls them. You can get this book, published by Pacific Press, through your Adventist Book Center.
 
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Monte Sahlin is director of research and special projects for the Ohio Conference and a senior consultant at the Center for Creative Ministry. You can suggest ideas and tools to him by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (800) 272-4664. This article was published September 8, 2011.