Spiritual nurture centered on the Bible and involvement in the church's mission to "Tell the World" the Gospel message are essential hallmarks of a Christian's life, Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, said in an interview that will be broadcast beginning January 20.

"We've got to start with that which is personal and that which is private, and that is for me to take time with the Word of God. ... We have to nurture ourselves," Pastor Paulsen, who this month begins his seventh year as world leader of the church, told evangelist Mark Finley, who hosted the broadcast. The broadcast, to air on the Hope Channel, the official television network of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, will include more details on the church's "Tell the World" vision.

"I think that what I would rate as an equally important part of our lives is that of reaching out, becoming involved; we have to reach out and become part of the lives of other people," Paulsen added. Holding his Bible aloft, he declared: "Cut yourself off from involvement in mission and I don't care how much you read this book, you will die spiritually."

The twin themes of spiritual nurture and mission were embodied in the "Tell the World" interview, a 20-minute segment of the broadcast. Finley, former speaker/director of "It Is Written" television, is now a general vice president of the church, tasked with leading evangelistic development.

"Tell the World," which was launched at the Adventist church's 2005 Annual Council, is not a specific program, but rather a framework containing several efforts, Paulsen explained.

"'Tell the World' is both a vision and it's a kind of an umbrella," he said. "It's a vision of what the church is and what the church must be to accomplish God's design, for the church, as His instrument in the world today. And it is also intended to be an umbrella that has the capacity to hold together a number of different initiatives. The church is designed for mission; 'Tell The World' is all about mission."

Another component of "Tell The World" is for members to have an active, growing Christian life. That includes an emphasis on devotional study of the Bible and on involvement in the mission of the church, Paulsen said.

"The Word of God must feed the life we live. And I think it is very important that as we are serious about our own quality of life, we have similarly to be serious about the extent to which we set aside quality time to the Word of God," he said.

This quality time with God and looking after our own spiritual needs "has to flow into the active life that we have in the community," he said. "I don't believe you can sustain spirituality and be disengaged in the life with the public and the people."

Part of that global engagement, Paulsen said, involves reaching out to those in the "10/40 Window," an area defined by an imaginary rectangle that extends between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from western Africa to eastern Asia. The people in that region have largely been unreached by the Gospel message.

Adventists can reach this part of the globe -- home to two-thirds of the world's population, he said -- by taking advantage of the opportunities that exist: "We have to recognize that the opportunities that come to us as a community of faith, to be actively engaged in reaching the general public ... are very limited for many reasons. They are limited by cultural, religious/cultural situations which prevail, but they also in some places [are] limited by the laws of the land."

At the same time, Paulsen said, the Internet can open doors in otherwise-closed areas.

"I think that the media we use, both through radio, television, and Internet -- and not least Internet -- will have a huge impact on our capacity to reach people in other cultures, or in geographical areas where our physical access is very limited and in some places [is] even impossible," Paulsen said.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Internet evangelism is going to give us a possibility that far exceeds what we've been able to do through the other media. I think that our opportunities in Internet evangelism are really, virtually, unlimited," he added.

Noting that the Internet is a medium that attracts many young people, Paulsen also said the youth of the church have a role to play in "Tell the World."

"Young people are part of the church. I say to the young people, 'The church is you. You have to allow yourself to take hold of the church and be part of it, and let yourself become engaged in what God wants to do,'" he said.

Can the church reach a goal of sharing the Gospel with 6.5 billion people on the planet? "I think we can," Paulsen said, noting that the recent "Sow 1 Billion" effort has distributed 900 million Bible study invitations worldwide so far.

"But it isn't really important for the way in which you and I make our critical decisions for involvement, whether it is possible for me to do it or not. God only asks of you and me and of His Church to do your best, give your best, make sure that you are involved, let yourself be drawn into the whole life -- please don't become an observer; don't just simply watch what's happening. Become a partner in the mission of the church," he said.

Since the organization of the church's leadership in 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has had a mission focus that has brought the church's message to some 203 countries and territories around the world.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, a protestant mainstream world communion, has more than 14.3 million baptized members, and some 25 million attending weekly worship in more than 203 countries and territories around the world. It is one of the fastest-growing Christian church, with a global network of hospitals, educational institutions and health food businesses dedicated to serving needs worldwide.

More information on "Tell the World" can be found at http://www.adventistmission.org/article.php?id=186 [Editor: Mark A. Kellner and Christian B. Schaeffler for ANN/APD]