What is a "Holistic Small Group" - a definition

I am writing this on Thursday morning, sitting among some 70 pastors and leaders of the Ontario Conference at the Toronto West church reflecting on issues impeding growth of our church.  11,837 church members from 427 churches were polled with surveys and questions from 2007 to 2012.  The two weakest factors in general for most of Adventist churches in North America are loving relationships (fear of judgmentalism L when everyone tries to be perfect, trust others with our real issues), and lack of community in Small Groups.  In our church we had addressed the need for Small Groups, understanding that lack of relationships hinders formation of such community groups.  During our “brainstorming” sessions among local leaders in London a question that was frequently raised and not fully answered was: “Define the Small Group!?”  As I look at responses of people from different backgrounds on the NCD survey, I think of this “checklist” definition:

Holistic Small Group (or a House Church) is a group which:

o  Helps me with the challenges of my life

o  Spends lots of time on things that are urgent and relevant to me

o  Helps me to grow spiritually, and connects me with Christ more

o  Is safe to talk about personal problems

o  Has an environment of trust, where we trust each other

o  Integrates newcomers quickly, and is welcoming

o  Will pray with me when I need it

o  Makes me feel at home

o  Has caring leaders well trained to serve

o  Actively seeks to multiply and grow other groups

If you belong to a group, did you check all the above?  It is our goal to have all groups become such beacons of hope!  If you are not in a group, and may be considering hosting one, offering your home for such a weekly group, please let our leaders team know.  There are sign-up sheets if you would like to open your doors.  Hosting a small group just may turn out to be your special blessing.  You may know someone who’s got leadership giftedness – team up and form a group.  The best approach for groups is by geographic proximity, making it close and convenient to meet, without time loss to travel.

You may be the very person that God is looking for to lead a small group. You don't have to preach, you don't have to be an expert in bible history, we are looking for individuals who can connect with people, are compassionate, respectful and can direct an evening of casual conversation, focussed discussion and meaningful group prayer. If you are even remotely interested, speak with our elders and myself to explore this opportunity, you may be pleasantly surprised at what God can do with your willing heart.

Our movement grew from revivalist small groups, it grew through small groups in multiple locations, and today such experience is much needed to help believers grow in Christ As we address these will our church become more or less Adventist?  I believe that in Small Groups we will become more fit for our mission and our Adventist heritage will be enhanced.

October 13 is the Spirit of Prophecy day

Dear church family, greetings from Minneapolis were we are conducting nightly meetings, well attended by interests facilitated by local churches. We miss our kids, and interactions with you.

First of all, today is the Spirit of Prophecy Sabbath, established in the late 1930s, when the Adventist world church’s Spirit of Prophecy Committee first called for an “earnest effort” to encourage increased study of White’s published writings. This whole month has an emphasis on the Adventist Heritage, and the next Sabbath commemorates the Great disappointment experience of 1844.

On this day it is important to remind ourselves that the description of our church used by our early Adventist pioneers was this: the Great Second Advent Movement.  Our church is about being engaged and moving forward. Our faith isn’t something that stands still; we play an active role in transmitting it from generation to generation, we are not spectators. Take time this week to read up on church heritage, reflect on the work of Holy Spirit through Ellen G.White in our church, renew your reading of the Spirit of Prophecy books.

This weekend the leadership of our world-wide church is assembled for the annual meeting in Silver Springs, Maryland at the GC headquarters.  Meetings began on the 11^th and will continue until 15^th.  On the agenda are administrative restructuring in Europe, Africa and Middle East, and the matter of ordination and women in ministry.  Pray for leadership to be guided by the Holy Spirit, to be obedient to the Spirit moving, to humbly abandon individual prejudices and preferences for the sake of seeking truth.

I would like to share a new discovery I made this week.  Going through this week’s Sabbath School’s lesson I was impressed with an instruction in teacher’s supplement to invite the class to share about recent learning from the scripture.  It is a good exercise for sharing a testimony of how the Holy Spirit impresses us daily with new truths.

I had learned also a new passage I never seen before.  Dwight Nelson preached a sermon last Sabbath at PMC on a passage from Psalm 68:11.  Popular King James version does not convey the original message. Other languages I know (Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian) all did fairly close rendering of the Hebrew text, yet I never paid attention to it.  So here it is: “The Lord gives the command: The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great multitude.”  From Hebrew text it sounds even more beautiful, “when God gives orders  multitudes of women will take the Good News and proclaim it widely.”

I encourage you to listen or watch the whole sermon at following site:

http://www.pmchurch.tv/

It is pivotal message for our church today, moving toward equality in ministry, toward priesthood of ALL believers, away from discriminative hierarchy, inviting every believer to serve.

Wishing you blessings on this Sabbath day.

Praying for the World Church

Dear church family, we have completed a whole year of praying for different countries of the world, and now I have opportunity to use this blog again to bring prayer request for many urgent matters to your attention, and to communicate important undertakings of our church and community.

Before the “prayer requests” I wish you good family time, enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend with your family and bless someone by inviting them over for time of fellowship and sharing. And remember – the celebration is more than about food, it’s about relationships.  We are in Minneapolis, MN conducting evangelistic efforts, and folks here are also on holidays – Columbus Day.

First major prayer request comes from the leadership of the North American Division of our church.  The Annual Council of our world-wide church will be starting next weekend, October 12.  The administration of the General Conference will announce what they plan to do because of the various unions decisions to ordain without regard to gender. North American church president Dan Jackson and the team need our prayers.  Pray for representatives from all countries of the world to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Another matter that needs all our prayers is developing in Maryland. In November voters in the state of Maryland will be asked to vote on a measure that would permit marriage between two partners of the same sex. There are more than 40,000 members of the Seventh-day Adventist in that state.  This Sabbath (October 5 and 6) two Adventist churches in the Washington DC area will be hosting presentations and discussions on the topic of homosexuality. As you will read this, the first meeting already happened, last evening, Friday, at the Capital Memorial Seventh-day Adventist church where a screening of the documentary “Seventh-gay Adventist” took place with a discussion panel including two Adventist theologians Nicholas Miller and Roy Gane, co-editors of the new book “Homosexuality, Marriage, and the Church” published by the Adventist University Press, Bill Knott, editor of the Adventist Review, Jason Hines, an Associate Editor for ReligiousLiberty.TV and the producers of the film, Daneen Akers and her husband Stephen Eyer.  This is a continuation of a dialogue that had began earlier this year.  18 screenings were already held in major Adventist communities.

What do we do with the faith on the margins?  With people who are different and yet do not want to give up their religious heritage?  In plain, how do we treat people of LGBT community?  Are we ready to put a spotlight of grace to people who have been excluded from fellowship because of their choices? Are we ready as a church community in London to address this?

Pray for our leaders navigating in a fast changing world to stay faithful to the teachings of Christ, and the truth once delivered to all saints of God.  Pray that we would see the Kingdom of God growing beyond the walls of our church.  Pray for you to be a spotlight of grace shining in the darkness of the world around you.