Dear Friends

Welcome to the first edition of the Let’s Talk newsletter. We hope that you will share this newsletter, either by e-mail or website, with other Adventist young people in your community.

The Let’s Talk broadcasts offer a special opportunity to see World Church President Jan Paulsen respond directly to questions from young people from different parts of the world. The Let’s Talk website (www.letstalk.adventist.org) allows young people, wherever they live, to ask questions of their church leaders and receive personal responses. And now, the Let’s Talk newsletter will keep you up-to-date on upcoming broadcasts, website features, and ideas on becoming more involved in your church and community.

We hope you read it, enjoy it, use it, and pass it on!

God bless,

The Let’s Talk Team

What issue do you want to see the Church become more involved in? Here's what people are saying.

Typically someone who wants to participate in the activities and life of the church would also want to be a member of the church. Why choose to stand on the edge of the action when you can be a baptized, fully functioning member of Christ's family?

Age: 24
State / Province: Greater Accra Region
Country: Ghana

Tell us something that makes your community unique: It is a community made up of plenty charismatic churches but the residents are not God fearing

Tell us your favorite thing about your church: Sabbath School is the best thing in my church

What things are you or your church doing to share Christ with your community? We go for evangelism often

What are you doing to help your community? I talk to them when I get the chance

What is your favorite thing to do with your family? We pray and share testimonies on the phone because we don't live together

What is your favorite food? Rice and fish sauce

What is your favorite Bible text? Psalms 91:He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge nad my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Emmanuel, 21, Nigeria: No, I don’t think that culture plays a role, because that is culture and culture has been ordained by God who created all things. People should know God, should dress responsible because their body is the temple of God.

Spink, 26, Honiara, Solomon Islands: I do agree that culture plays a lot of roles on young peoples dressing and what they do. But it shouldn't be a total influence on our lives. Let alone, that God should be our focus to what we wear and do.

Teka-Ann, 24, California, USA: On the broad scale culture certainly and naturally plays a role in how we dress and what we do. Should it? There is no way to avoid it. Why? Because that is the essence of culture; diversity. I wouldn’t imagine a native Indian growing up and dressing like the Japanese nor would I imagine a native Jamaican growing up and eating with chopsticks instead of knives and forks. Culture, in the larger scheme of things, to a great extent defines what we wear and what we do. Does it play a role in what we wear or do in regards to our spiritual lives? Hmmmmmmm... To an extent, but much less than it affects our routines. What plays a greater role in how we dress or what we do as it relates to our spiritual lives is how we are grown or cultured in our homes, the values we are taught, and the exposure we are given. Then as we get older it becomes our own choices and the roads we decide to take.

Martin, 27, Netherlands: I believe very strongly that culture plays a role in what people wear and do. What people wear and do makes them unique before God. Of course what you do has to be in line with what the Bible tells you, you should do, but the guidelines are very broad. Also in Biblical times (which cover about 2000 years!) we see that what people wore and did changed. Paul said: "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews."(1 Cor. 9:20a) For me this means that for Paul culture also played a role and that every culture has its own values. The main question to ask is not what should I wear and do, but how do I manage to keep up my relation to God?

:etang, 17, Gaborone, Botswana: I definitely think that culture does play a very important role in what most people do and wear today. However I think as Adventists our different cultures should not play a very major role in what we do, we should be more concerned on what God wants us to do and do His will. This is because some of our cultures may bind us to do things that God wouldn’t see as right.

Don, 24, Florida, United States: Cultures do have a role in what we wear, but simplicity and modesty of dress is universal.

Read more responses at letstalk.adventist.org/have_your_say/current_topic.html