Book marks next chapter

Theology students to launch voices from The One Project

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

Ministry and theology students at Avondale will launch in Australia a book celebrating the centrality of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

For the One: Voices from The One Project includes 19 adapted presentations from gatherings during the first three years of The One Project. It is edited by Avondale master’s student Nathan Brown in his role as book editor at Signs Publishing.

“For the One takes The One Project’s strong relationship with the church in Australia a step further,” says Nathan. “Publishing the book will only broaden what is already one of the best conversations in the church.”

Nathan will launch the book in Australia at Ignite! this Saturday (March 8). Ignite! is organised by FigTree, the theology and ministry student association of Avondale. FigTree is subsidising one copy of the book for each ministry and theology student and sponsoring 10 students to attend The One Project’s gathering in Sydney in July. “Jesus is central to everything we do,” says staff advisor Pr Mike Parker, the chaplaincy course convenor. “So, a book and a gathering celebrating the centrality of Jesus in our lives, we’re in to that in a big way.”

Avondale, as a gold level partner of The One Project, is also funding copies of the book—50 as gifts for Adventist Church leaders in Australia and New Zealand.

The gathering in Sydney will include a new element called Reframe for many of these leaders and leaders in training—Reframe is for ministers, ministerial interns and ministry and theology students. The One Project co-chair Pr Japhet De Oliveira sees benefits in bringing students and their mentors together. “Theology students will shape how the community sees the church because when they’re called to a local church, they’re called to the frontline of the gospel message we’ve been commissioned to share. So, focusing the conversation on sharing Jesus. All. is important.”

For the One launched as the first book from The One Project at its annual North American gathering in Seattle (Washington, USA) on February 10, with Japhet presenting one to each of the 750 participants at the opening session.“Reading books together from different experiences helps connect dots we would not imagine possible,” says Japhet. “In reading the manuscripts for this book, there were thoughts and expressions that I missed when I listened, that the written word allows me to engage in again. I also love to underline, mark and react in the space around the text, having a deeper conversations with the authors.”—with Nathan Brown, book editor, Signs Publishing

For the One: Voices from The One Project, Adventist Book Centres, $19.95.

The One Project, Sydney, July 19-21, Perth, July 26–27, and Auckland, November 8–9.