News Articles

How to Show Your Church You Care on Safety Sabbath 2019

A Call to Action: One Sabbath. One Drill. A Safer Church.

March 6, 2019 | Silver Spring, Md. | Elizabeth Camps

Safety Sabbath logo

Part of being a church family means valuing each other as beloved creations of God and finding new ways to express Christ’s love and caring nature in our community. While caring actions can take many forms, Safety Sabbath is an opportunity to care for your congregation by taking the time for emergency preparation exercises and investing in practical skills that can improve their personal safety and, possibly, save a life.

For the past three years, Seventh-day Adventist churches across the North American Division have joined in conducting an annual church emergency drill on Safety Sabbath, the 4th Saturday in March. At SafetySabbath.com, church leaders can register for the event, download materials and resources to prepare their churches, and learn how to conduct various emergency drills, including fire, active shooter, missing child, and earthquake drills. When a church takes part in this church safety day and practices the proper procedures for an emergency situation, it is an investment in each person’s safety and reflects the peace and security God desires for His people, which includes physical protection. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and deliverers them” (Ps. 34:7, KJV).

In a world marred by sin, emergencies of all kinds can happen anywhere, even in our churches. We may have different potential emergencies based on our geographical locations or the community in which we reside, but whatever the crisis, it is always better to be prepared and have a plan before emergencies occur. Practicing the plan by conducting emergency drills allows church members to understand what to do and be ready to act should an emergency arise. Encourage everyone to learn how to stay safe through an emergency. By conducting emergency drills in your church, you demonstrate to your congregation that their safety is important, especially when worshiping together. This year, help prepare your congregation on Safety Sabbath, March 23, 2019.

A Call to Action: One Sabbath. One Drill. A Safer Church.

Adventist Risk Management, Inc. invites you to join in this annual safety event and show your church you care by conducting a church emergency drill on Safety Sabbath. This unique opportunity allows you to demonstrate to your church that their safety is a priority and that planning for emergencies is essential. Your church will be able to practice what to do when an emergency occurs and learn how to improve so that each drill is a success. It is recommended that you pick one drill from the list provided, and do that drill on Safety Sabbath.

Get started at SafetySabbath.com and help your church be ready!

And join the safety conversation online using the official event hashtag #SafetySabbath2019 in all your social media posts about the event; follow the official Safety Sabbath Twitter account at @SafetySabbath.

— Elizabeth Camps is writer and public relations specialist for Adventist Risk Management, Inc.

50 Ministerial Spouses Unite for Community Service, Fellowship, and Training During the 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting

Community service, fellowship, and training sessions made up the spouses’ meetings during this year’s NAD Year-End Meetings, with roughly 50 spouses of conference leaders in attendance.

Report on 2024 Consolidated Enrollment

The Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (AACU), comprised of the presidents and other top leaders from 13 Adventist colleges and universities in North America, has determined that the latest consolidated fall enrollment numbers for all 13 institutions totals 20,828 students. This increase of 256 students from the previous year marks the second consecutive year of total growth.

Charting a New Path: 2024 Administrators’ Conference Unites Leaders to Shape the Future of the Church in North America

It’s been 10 years since conference and union presidents, executive secretaries, and treasurers gathered in one room to brainstorm how best to carry out the church’s mission in North America. A long-awaited follow-up, the 2024 administrators’ conference hosted more than 200 conference and union officers at the NAD’s headquarters on Oct. 30-31.

Promoting Healthy Minds at Southern Adventist University

Experts across America have gathered statistics that point to a mental health crisis for college students. Anxiety concerns have risen from 56 percent in 2013 to 65 percent in 2023, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. The center also found that the number of students seeking help has steadily increased from 2009 until the pandemic. In response to the crisis, Southern Adventist University is working to ensure that students have access to various high-quality mental health resources.

Pacific Northwest Hosts Young Adult LIFE Tour

Who are your people? What is good news to them? Where do my people need me to show up for them? These are the questions that attendees were challenged to answer at the Spring 2024 Young Adult LIFE Tour stop at Pleasant Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in Happy Valley, Oregon. Young adults, church leaders, mentors, and parents gathered to learn about the unique challenges emerging adults face and how churches can help meet their needs.