News

The Adventist Church in Southeastern Asia (SEUM) recently held a news writing seminar for Communication leaders from the countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in the Southeastern Asia Union Mission. The two-day seminar took place on March 12 and 13 and aimed to equip delegates with the skills needed to write and share stories in this challenging region.

Despite the challenges of writing news in English in this area, more than 20 delegates from all four countries attended the training and were enthusiastic about learning new strategies to share their stories with the world church. Trainers from the Communication Department of the Southern Asia-Pacific headquarters shared their experiences and best practices to assist aspiring writers in their respective missions and conferences.

Led by Pastor Heshbon Buscato, the SSD Communication director, and Edward Rodriguez, Senior Writer for SSD, the training focused on News Writing and Digital Evangelism. Delegates also joined a workshop on collaborative news gathering and writing.

"It's difficult to communicate Jesus in a language you didn't grow up speaking," said Pastor Heshbon Buscato. "Yet, God has called us to provide hope and healing to people of every tongue, country, tribe, race, and people. We will reach more people with these narratives by telling God's story," Buscato stated.

The Adventist Church in Southeastern Asia is committed to empowering its members to share regional stories and experiences with the world church, and this news writing seminar is just one example of its efforts to support and develop communication leaders in the region.

"We are in a difficult region that is primarily non-Christian. We have a huge responsibility to share Jesus through inspirational stories of hope and healing from other individuals who have experienced God's presence in their life," stated Pastor Tran Quoc Khoi, SEUM Communication director.

INSPIRE THROUGH WRITING
The Southern Asia-Pacific Division of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is responsible for spreading the message of the Gospel in a vast region that encompasses 16 countries with a combined population of over one billion people. The division covers Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Despite the challenges posed by the region's diverse cultures and languages, over 1.5 million Seventh-day Adventists worship in more than 7,000 congregations across the Southern Asia-Pacific region. Many of these congregations are located in the 10/40 window, an area that has been described as the most unreached region of the world in terms of the Christian faith.

To share the inspiring stories of how God's work is being mobilized in these areas, SSD is encouraging the writing of articles and stories that showcase inspiring narratives happening within the region. By sharing these stories with the world church, the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific region hopes to inspire and encourage other believers to join in the work of spreading the Gospel throughout the world.

Writing these articles and stories is not without its challenges. However, the region's diverse languages and cultures make it difficult to find common ground for effective communication. But the Communication Department in this region is committed to finding ways to overcome these challenges and to share the incredible stories of faith and perseverance that are emerging from the region.

The opportunity to share these stories is not just a way to inspire others, but also a way to build community and strengthen the bonds of faith across borders and cultures. As the division continues its work of spreading the saving truths of the Gospel throughout the Southern Asia-Pacific region, it will be looking for new and innovative ways to share the amazing stories that are emerging from the faithful believers who call this part of the world home.

Edward Rodriguez, SSD Communication Department