What makes a good #leader? How can we be good leaders and how can we support good leaders? What #leadership principles can we learn from the life of #Jesus? These are just a few of the questions Pastor’s Ivan Williams and  Benjamin Lundquist answer during this week's episode of #ANN In-Depth: How Can We Encourage Our Leaders in the #Church? This episode is based on the “Reach the World: I Will Go”  Leadership Objective #8: To strengthen the discipleship role of pastors, teachers, and other frontline workers and provide them with regular growth opportunities. In addition to being pastors, our guests serve in other roles. Ivan is the Director of the Ministerial Association for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Benjamin is a motivational speaker and leadership consultant. Learn more about our guests: Benjamin Lundquist’s Ministry:
Instagram: @benjaminlundquist Podcast: riseandlead.com Ivan Williams: https://www.nadministerial.com/ Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oLPMzMcMsw

The human mind is exceedingly intricate, but what are we doing to support our brain health? Just as with all our other organ systems, our brain must be cared for. By creating healthy minds, mental health issues can be impacted for good, and even our immune systems can be better optimized. Our body is interconnected and promoting good brain health promotes a healthy body, mind and spirit. We will explore some simple ways to help improve our brains, including sleep habits, nutrition and environment. We will also tackle how our brains can become more vulnerable through alcohol and drug use. LEVEL UP Episode 9 brings host Dr. Lela Lewis and special guests Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel, Pastor Mark Finley and Dr. Peter Landless together as they navigate the complexity of the human brain and tackle how brain health can influence our mental health. Learn more about LEVEL UP and our recent symposiums at awr.org/health. MEET THE HOST Dr. Lela Lewis, MD, MPH, is the medical director of AWR360° Health. She conducts free medical clinics across the globe, and also serves as the president of Your Best Pathway to Health, leading a team that provides free medical clinics across the United States. She is an obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Arizona and has more than 19 years of experience in the medical field. She is a graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. MEET OUR GUESTS Pastor Mark Finley is a former speaker/director for It Is Written and a retired General Conference vice president. He is still active as an evangelist and has presented more than 150 evangelistic series in more than 80 countries, as well as 17 NET series throughout the world. He presents regularly at conventions, field schools, and evangelism institutes, and appears on the Hope Channel’s Experience Hope series. Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel currently serves as vice president of medical affairs at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He is board certified in internal medicine with a further qualification in geriatric medicine. His professional activities include clinical preventive medicine, critical care practice, hospital administration, community health, medical education and research. He is currently the vice president for medical affairs at Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Health & Healing and holds academic appointments at both Montemorelos University and Loma Linda University. Dr. Peter Landless is the executive director of the International Commission for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (ICPA), and director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department. He is originally from South Africa, where he worked in academic and private practice as a clinical cardiologist with a special interest in nuclear cardiology. He was also actively involved in pastoral work and is an ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. #BrainHealth #AWRLevelUp #MentalHealth Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBTEcVH2Hg8

#God calls us to #witness for Him. Witnessing is not a gift only offered to a few. When we answer His calling there are unlimited possibilities for anyone to serve Him through the gift of the Holy #Spirit. The #Bible uses different word pictures to talk about our work as witnesses for God. Jesus says we must be the same as “ ‘the light that shines for the world [all the people on the earth] to see’ ” (Matthew 5:14, ERV). This same God who commands us to tell people about Him also helps us to do it. God gives #spiritual gifts to each believer. God does not choose people with a lot of education. He educates the ones He calls to serve Him. God freely gives salvation to all people who believe. In the same way, God gives His spiritual gifts freely to everyone. So, we must give ourselves fully to God. Then there will not be any limit to what we can do for God. “There is no limit to what a person can do when he puts self away. But first, he must allow the Spirit to work on his heart. And he or she must live fully for God.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, page 159, adapted. This week, we will study all that we can do when God’s Spirit lives in us. Sabbath School Lesson 6: https://absg.adventist.org/pdf.php?file=2020:3Q:ER:PDFs:ERQ320_06.pdf Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO8ya1bOGMQ

Adventist church history tugs at the heart. In the Southern-Asia Pacific Division, the locals started to write their own stories. Southern-Asia Pacific Division (SSD): Home of the beautiful diversity
SSD is one of the 13 global divisions of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GC). All in all, it houses 14 countries. It also has five of the major non-Christian world religions like Islam and Buddhism. With these diversities, the history of the church started with a humble beginning. Through passion and dedication of pioneer leaders and members, the church grew and kept growing. The Adventist missionaries and local church members brought God's Word through literature evangelism coupled with the medical ministry. Many of the stories tell about how people brought the gospel in their workplaces. Even in their migration to the different places in Asia, they share their faith. Read about the colorful Asian heritage here: https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8ASR&highlight=Southern|Asia-Pacific|Division Online Encyclopedia: First written record in the region
The newly launched online Adventist reference is the first of its kind in the global church. It brings local knowledge and flavor to the world. Its launch created excitement and awakened more interest. The diversity of contributors is one of the best assets of this online reference. The encyclopedia represents a first written record for SSD church history. This tool captures and preserves community knowledge. Mission stories bring fresh to memory the region's experiences. Learning about heroes of faith inspires the new generation of missionaries. The encyclopedia aims to inspire the youth to carry on the legacy and continue the church work. Find many interesting stories, photographs, and videos here: https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/ AIIAS: A partner of ESDA
The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines has a faculty representing 18 countries. It is serving students from 123 countries. AIIAS is supportive of the ESDA project. Teachers and students of the institution engage with the online encyclopedia. AIIAS also grants scholarships. In return, the scholars write articles for this reference. Not only do they fulfill their class requirement, but they also become authors. Its higher goal is to engage the youth in history. Be connected to the church heritage and strengthen their identity. For this episode, let us hear from Dr. Dragoslava Santrac, managing editor of ESDA and Dr. Remwil Tornalejo, editor of the Southern Asia Pacific Division. Next on deck…
Take a peek at the Adventist church growth in Europe. Let's explore fascinating stories that will surely keep our fires burning! If you missed the previous video podcast episodes, no need to worry! Check the playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-k2Gb-DBYo-_LOrS0obIEGcCOTQgdvGa or visit http://adventistarchives.org/. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwAS-xSkde4

In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson will talk about an especially important question—What is the very important #mission #God has called us, as His #Church, to carry out during these distressing and tumultuous #end-times? Seventh-day #Adventists have been called for a special work—to lift up #Christ and His Word, His righteousness, His sanctuary message, His health message, His saving power in the gospel, His Three Angels’ messages, and His soon coming. We are to assist in the work of the Holy Spirit, pointing people to the cross of Christ and His intercession for us in the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary. And we are to do this in a very practical, spiritual way as #Jesus did—touching people’s lives directly. Christ’s #ministry was a very balanced ministry—helping in a temporal sense—alleviating suffering where He could, but always with eternal, spiritual results in mind. He came to relieve not literal captives, but those who were captives of Satan. He offered spiritual release from sinful bondage. Today, there are so many captives to sin—immorality abounds, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco hold many in a slavish grasp. Pornography, anger, hatred, bigotry and more bind people in sin and sorrow. But, praise God, Jesus came to set people free from Satan’s bondage, and today He works through us as we lovingly help others as Jesus did. Christ came to open eyes, not only of those who were physically blind, but those who were spiritually blind. He came to set at liberty those who were oppressed, those “bruised” spiritually—those who were discouraged, feeling hopeless and helpless. God calls us to reach out to such individuals today with hope and healing, pointing them to the Savior who alone can heal, and who alone can transform hearts. As we reach out to a hurting world, ministering to the many needs today, let us, as Jesus did, always keep the eternal in view, realizing that only He can regenerate the heart. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWqhsmCpmAc