• ADRA gets helps to cyclone devastated Burma,
• Gisborne Adventists move after 119 years and dedicate their new church,
• Cook Islands will run four new evangelistic series,

AP:

Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

On April 8, 2008, a group of students held a panel discussion on homosexuality with the support of the School of Social Work and Family Studies, History Department, and Campus Ministries. Eight days later. . .

On April 16, 2008 Southern Adventist University held a panel discussion entitled “Compassion and Clarity: Biblical Perspectives on Homosexuality.”

Crossposted from SDA Gender Justice.

More than 50 participants and over 125 guests met at Campus Hill Church in Loma Linda, California, on April 12, 2008, for the first annual Young Women and the Word Conference.

Jared Wright, La Sierra University M.Div student and creator of the Adventist Environmental Advocacy blog attended the recent San Diego Adventist Forum conference on Sustainability.
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May 2-4, Pine Springs Ranch -- The San Diego chapter of the Association of Adventists convened to take part in a give and take weekend gathering focusing on the intersections between Adventism and the environment.

The Press-Enterprise reports:

Mike Kendall, vice president of Turner Development Corp., has tried pitching his open restaurant space at Turner Riverwalk across from La Sierra University in Riverside 25 times before and invariably received the same response:

No hard liquor? No thank you.

On Thursday, May 1st the Evangelical Leaders Forum hosted David T. Olson, Director of the American Church Research Project and author of The American Church in Crisis. He spoke about ways to grow and multiply healthy churches that help people know Jesus and effectively fulfill his mission on earth.

Sponsors for this discussion included Bethel Seminary, Evangelical Covenant - NW Conference, Minnesota Baptist Conference, and Zondervan Publishers.

DONATE TO ADRA's BURMA RELIEF FUND HERE.

UPDATE III:

Cyclone Nargis Devastates Myanmar: ADRA Expands Response

Silver Spring, Maryland—In a continued effort to assist the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has committed at least $235,000 in emergency funds for immediate disaster relief, and is providing food assistance and medical supplies to communities in the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta region in southern Myanmar.
In partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), ADRA has begun the distribution of 20 metric tons of rice to an estimated 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Laputta, a rice-trading town in the delta which has become a refuge for thousands of people who escaped low-lying villages after a devastating 12-foot storm surge swept away homes, destroying, in some instances, more than 95 per cent of buildings. ADRA’s food distribution activities are expected to increase in the following days, as more supplies become available.

ADRA International, through a partnership with World Emergency Response (WER), shipped 20 medicine packs containing medical supplies valued at approximately $129,000 to be used by a medical team already providing first aid assistance to residents of an isolated part of the delta. Each pack provides about 1,500 treatments from mixed medicines, antiseptics, and antibiotics. In a separate shipment donated by Heart to Heart International, ADRA has sent 150 lbs. of medical supplies, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, analgesics, vitamins, topical creams, oral rehydration salts, anti-amebic drugs, bandages, and disposable vinyl gloves.

ADRA’s emergency response is centered in the devastated Irrawaddy Delta region, which suffered the most damaged as a result of cyclone wind speeds reaching more than 120 mph. By some estimates, between 63,000 to 100,000 people have died or are missing, and more than 1.5 million people have been left homeless and millions more have been affected and left vulnerable to diseases.
Updates will be released as ADRA’s response efforts expand.
To send your contribution to ADRA’s emergency response effort, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give to the Myanmar Cyclone Fund at www.adra.org

UPDATE II:

h/t to Johnny.

ADRA UK releases:

ADRA Myanmar is one of the few international agencies on the ground, bringing immediate relief. ADRA emergency workers are evaluating the damage and responding to the most critical needs in affected areas. ADRA is working on a network-wide strategy to respond to this disaster, with funds already donated by a number of countries.

The people of Myanmar are in mourning and in desperate need. ADRA has committed itself to assist in the relief and rebuilding efforts.

ADRA has had a long-term presence in Myanmar, implementing development projects in the affected regions since 1993. The ADRA Myanmar office has already commenced relief activities with the provision of food, medical supplies and shelter.

The ADRA network was mobilised into action within hours of the cyclone hitting Myanmar. ADRA-UK director Bert Smit has been planning the international response with partner offices across Europe and the United States. Mark Castellino, ADRA-UK Programmes Director is preparing to leave for Myanmar immediately to assist with preparing proposals for the long term assistance needed to help the affected region to recover.

Due to the nature and location of the disaster ADRA-UK will not be sending containers filled with aid supplies to the region. The supplies that are needed are available locally and it is far more cost effective to send funds and then request the local ADRA office to purchase these items. This procedure will save money and, more importantly, will enable the victims to receive aid as quickly as possible.

UPDATE I:

CNN is reporting "The death toll from the cyclone that ravaged the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar may exceed 100,000, the senior U.S. diplomat in the military-ruled country said Wednesday."

These are personal photos from ADRA employees in Yangoon. As ADRA International releases more information on their response to cyclone Nargis, I'll update.

The Adventist blogosphere is buzzing with news about the Lord Our Righteousness cult.

On Stephen Eyer's Adventist Filmmaker site one of the cult members posted the following:

Peter Drucker (1909-2005) was a world-renowned management consultant, university professor and author of 39 books. Perhaps his most significant work was the book titled Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Practices (1973). Many years back, when I was studying management – out of a mixture of personal interest and professional desperation