Announcements

Two new official documents on church governance and unity have been released by the General Conference Secretariat, and are now available to download. These documents are "A Study of Church Governance and Unity"; and a shorter "Summary of A Statement on Church Governance and Unity", which summarizes and draws on the longer Study. GC Archives carried out the research on which the documents are based, and contributed to drafting them.

For further information, see the following article from the Adventist Review: http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story4391-church-governance-and-unity-to-be-discussed-at-annual-council

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association (AHSRA) Conference 2017 

May 17-20, 2017

Loma Linda University, California, USA

The Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, in collaboration with the Andrews University Departments of History & Political Science and Religion & Biblical Languages and the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, is sponsoring a conference to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses. This conference will be held at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, from October 31 to November 3, 2017.

We welcome all scholarly paper or session proposals from all disciplines, time periods, and locales--with the common thread relating to Martin Luther, Protestantism, and/or the Reformation. Roundtable discussions that foster audience involvement are welcome as well. Please provide a 250-word abstract and CV by March 1, 2017 to Dr. Stephanie Carpenter at lutherconference@andrews.edu.

For more information, please visit www.andrews.edu/cas/history/lutherconference

Why did they leave? Why might they come back?
Insights into membership loss, retention, and reclamation

Sponsored by Walla Walla University Seventh-day Adventist Church
and the General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research

(April 1 and 2, 2016) 

Friday April 1

7.00–8.30 pm
Friday Forum: WWUC Fellowship Hall
David Trim: Leaving the Church: Facts, Figures and Research Data
Alex Bryan, coordinator: The Student Experience

Sabbath April 2

9.30–10.20 am
First Service: WWUC sanctuary:
David Trim: Seeking the Lost

10.30–11.30 am
Sabbath School: Canaday Technology Center
Galina Stele: Adventist Youth: Connected and Disconnected
Alex Bryan, coordinator: Finding a Church Family after Walla Walla: Recent Alumni Share Their Experiences

11.45 am–1.00 pm
Second Service: WWUC sanctuary:
David Trim: Seeking the Lost

3:00–5.00 pm
Afternoon Conversation: WWUC Heubach Chapel
David Trim: Stopping the Haemorrhage: Caring and Welcoming Church Communities
Alex Bryan, coordinator: Welcoming Churches
David Trim: Why Might They Return? Reconnecting with Former Adventists
Panel Discussion: David Trim, Galina Stele, and Alex Bryan

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

We invite you to submit a proposal for a presentation at the Adventist Human-Subjects Research Association (AHSRA) Conference at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL from May 9 – 11, 2016. 

AHSRA’s 2016 conference solicits presentations that investigate the internalization of faith.
The conference will explore:
• Factors that facilitate faith internalization from programs to relationships
• Obstacles and barriers to faith internalization
• The impact of faith internalization on mental health, physical health, risk-behaviors, and decision making
Presentations will be approximately 30 minutes each including 10 minutes for discussion.

Criteria for Workshop Selections:
A peer review process focusing on the following criterion will guide in the selection of proposals:
- The presentation will add to the body of knowledge currently available on the topic addressed.
- The presentation includes a practical component that participants can readily apply in practice/ministry/service.
- The proposal is clearly informed by the current literature.
- The concepts in the proposal are clear and the proposal is understandable and well organized.
Procedure for Presentation Submissions:
Please submit your presentation proposal directly to Sarah Burton sgane@andrews.edu no later than March 30, 2016 (this is a firm deadline). All proposals most be submitted electronically.

Your proposal must include the following information:
- Name and contact information for the person(s) making this submission
- A title and one page (250-500 words) summary of the presentation
- A 50-word abstract suitable for printing in the final program
- A list of references/bibliography which includes some sources published within the past 5 years

Download the CFP document for more information

Visit ahsra2016.eventbrite.com to register for the conference.

PRECONFERENCE SEMINAR ON QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ANALYSIS

This year, AHSRA is pleased to offer an afternoon half-day pre-conference session on developing qualitative research skills.

Preregistration: Preregistration is required by April 30.
Cost: $60 includes seminar materials and handouts

Building Qualitative Research Analysis Skills
The seminar will cover the following topics:

The nature of qualitative inquiry
Why and when to work with qualitative data
Data collection – steps and common pitfalls
            Types of qualitative data
Qualitative data gathering approaches
Basics in qualitative data analysis
            Preparing the data
            Beginning analysis - preliminary steps
            Coding the data - identifying categories
            Working with data - looking for themes and processes
            Using a framework for analysis – examining theory
Answering your research questions
Refining and reporting analysis – writing up your findings