I was touched by the article “How to Stop the Adventist Church Membership Bleeding” (June 2019). It’s a perennial issue. I was taken back to the 1980s, when I wrote Roger L. Dudley about the matter, and he later wrote the book Why Our Teenagers Leave the Church. It seems the issue has not changed.
We have many ways to help and keep young people. The home is the basic element. John Wesley’s mother spent time every day nurturing her 10 children. Children and youth must be taught in the home and introduced to Jesus.
The church plays a vital part by helping young people feel loved by their members, involving them in positions and programs. Pathfinders and Adventurers keep them in the church.
Youth look for models to strengthen their Christian experience. We must challenge them to be involved in mission work, foreign and domestic, sponsored by our schools and local churches. When they come back, they will never be the same again.
We work so hard to win people for Christ; let us redouble our efforts to keep them active as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.
Leo Ranzolin, Sr.
Estero, Florida
I found the article by Juan Román, “Three, Two, One, Blastoff,” interesting (June 2019). Readers may also be interested to know that a few Seventh-day Adventists have worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in both science and engineering (I can count five off the top of my head).
Indeed, several Bible study groups have met at Goddard over the years, in addition to an officially sanctioned Bible club, which has even had Seventh-day Adventist speakers on occasion. The club was started by the man who was Roman’s predecessor, who later became director of engineering. For many years this club promoted creationism with speakers from major creation science organizations and through various videos. When Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis, spoke, more than 125 people attended.
Even though NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is a world-class center for science and engineering, many Bible-believing Christians work there, including Seventh-day Adventists.
Daniel Endres
Ruckersville, Virginia
Allow me to express my appreciation for the issue “Being Green: Adventists and the Environment” (April 2019). Besides Bill Knott’s fine editorial, I wish to shine a spotlight on the article by Jen Logan. She can really write! I hope to read more from her.
Blessings on “green” journalists.
A reader from New England
Thank you for publishing my article “A World Without Feathers, Fins, or Fur” (June 2019). I hope it helps make a point.
I thought I had included a quote from Patriarchs and Prophets in my original manuscript (it turns out I had not). It’s from Ellen White’s section about the Flood.
“Again they [the people] rejected his words, and raised their voices in jest and scoffing. Suddenly a silence fell upon the mocking throng. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most gentle, were seen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward the ark. A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all directions, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passed to the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while [men and women] were disobedient” (pp. 97, 98; italics supplied).
This is just another example of the care with which the Creator brought forth creatures that crawl, swim, and fly.
Cecilia Luck
Caldwell, Idaho
I have enjoyed reading Bill Knott’s pieces over the years. He is obviously in the right place to serve our members.
I salute DeWitt S. Williams for his article “Two Are Better Than Three” (May 2019). He is to be commended for taking the responsibility of getting healthy on his own.
Floyd Seaman
via web
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