Hong Kong: Health Advisory Focused on AIDS and Drug Prevention, Community Service, Lifestyle, Relationship

The Advisory was organized by Dr. Barbara Choi, the Health Ministries Coordinator of Northern Asia-Pacific Division. The theme is related to the General Conference’s motto: “Tell the World.” The Advisory’s motto was “Every Church a Community Center.” The focus was on how to develop community centers in churches that address the local community needs.

The design of the program was very practical. There were two lectures in the morning followed by a workshop. The audience was divided into four groups and then each group had almost two hours to discuss issues during the workshops. In the afternoon there was a panel with the experts talking about important health and social issues and then again other workshops session.

Topics ranged from AIDS prevention, drug prevention, to lifestyle factors like exercise, vegetarian diet, and stress control. The climax of the Advisory was the topic about relationships and how this could help individuals, mostly children, to avoid getting involved in drugs, alcohol and addictive behaviors.

Prevention of children and adolescents’ problems were targeted and discussed in depth. If the child has what they call resilience, they most likely will not get involved with drug and sexual behaviors. One of the important factors that increase or promotes resilience among children is mentoring, the presence or the existence of an adult as a role model who can influence these children positively without judging or putting them down.

Dr. Dewitt Williams, Health Ministries director from the North American Division presented an important issue about the prevention of sexual addictions, mostly the growing problem of pornography on the internet. Men are mostly affected by this and there is a need to address this issue in the church as the problem is global. There is a need for counseling and other support programs to prevent this problem that has been for many years ignored by church authorities and members.

Family violence was another important issue discussed in the meetings. Even among SDA church members there was a high percentage of child and family violence according to data from the US. Local Asian countries leaders also mentioned that there is an increased incidence of spouse abuse mostly because of old men marrying young and foreign women. The appeal is that the church should address this issue that certainly is happening in the Adventist community worldwide.

One of the important comments from people who attended the advisory was that the messages were very spiritual and Christ connected. One comment was about the focus on Christ’s grace, how to develop programs for the community that show the same spirit of Christ who died to save the human race. Another main point was that the materials presented were updated and based on strong scientific evidence. A final but very meaningful point was that the material was given to the participants free of charge to be used in their local health programs.

The Advisory was a success and most of the participants were very glad to receive such information mixed with pure Christian motivation. It was, without doubts, a very inspired program that will help health leaders to promote health in their communities following Christ’s example. Health, mixed with love and compassion, will attract people to Christ which we represent and to His church.