In a world where the Internet helps people fit news, entertainment and even spiritual enrichment into their increasingly multitasked lives, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific now offers the Adult Bible Study Guide on podcast.

Digital mp3 files of each Sabbath School lesson, podcast onto the Internet, are available for free download worldwide and are playable on iPods, mobile phones and other podcast-supporting devices.

Church officials in Australia hope the new lesson format will appeal to young people, busy commuters and those who might not have the time, inclination or ability to read traditional printed lessons.

According to Scott Wegener, associate electronic-media officer for Adventist Media Network (AMN) in the South Pacific, this is the first English recording of the Adult Bible Study Guide to be podcast.

While he says there is "no substitute for timely, well-considered study of the Word of God," Barry Oliver, secretary for the church in the South Pacific, expects the podcast will help Adventists familiarize themselves with each week's lesson content before more in-depth study.

Plans are also underway for launching a youth lesson podcast, should the current adult podcast show a demand for additional audio lesson studies.

Produced by the Adventist Media Network in the South Pacific, the podcast is available at the Web site http://sspm.adventistconnect.org