Why Do We Need to Establish Goals?

“In our Conference, if we did not reach the goal of baptism, they threatened that we would lose our job and, if we did not reach the goal of magazines that we had to sell, they would deduct them from our salary. For that reason, when they asked us to set a goal for baptisms, we always tried to put it low, so it would be easy to reach.” 

“Once we reached the goal, we wouldn’t report more than we needed to and would keep the extra baptisms for the following year.” 

“One of my colleagues would go to the cemetery and look for names of the dead in the tombs to report as baptisms.”  

“One of the pastors baptized his mother-in-law every time he came home for the holidays.” 

These are horror stories told in Adventist pastoral circles and they all have to do with established goals and the fear with which many of these pastors had to minister for years outside of North America. These stories disgust me, and I feel very bad knowing that many of my colleagues suffered and some still suffer this type of abuse from some church leaders. I think this is madness and it hurts our missionary movement.

It is interesting to note that here in North America similar things, perhaps not so extreme, have also happened with many pastors who resent the way the goals have been arbitrarily used against them in the past if they resist to establish goals that can be measured in numbers. This has resulted in church members who have never experienced the joy of bringing a friend or relative to Jesus through baptism, into churches that have not baptized and discipled a person in years and frustrated pastors feeling it is impossible to baptize and make disciples in our North American context.

Sometimes I get the impression that talking about numbers in some parts of our Division is almost anathema, as if each of those numbers does not mean a person who has been saved, a member who has become a disciple, or a new congregation that has been planted. I have heard some speak against baptisms and in favor of discipleship, as if there was an antagonism between the two, perhaps not realizing that to make disciples, there is a process that includes, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28: 19-20 - NIV). I also think it's interesting that Jesus said it in that order and not the other way around. There is no discipleship without the public acceptance of Jesus as personal Savior, just as there is no growth if there is no birth.

Personally, I think that the imposition of goals and the use of threats and fear tactics for them to be achieved is a madness that must be rejected; I also believe that it is a devastating madness for churches, faith organizations, and mission leaders to spend years without setting goals for which to pray and work with God's blessing. This mentality, if not corrected soon, can lead many of our churches to the cemetery.

Why is it necessary to set goals?

A goal is a desired result, conceived by a person or organization, that must be reached in a certain amount of time. Some goals are annual, others are quinquennial, some may even take a lifetime to be achieved. But the important thing is that we have them, we pray for them, we plan, and we fight to achieve them. It is essential to set goals because:

1. They help us stay focused on the priorities: A goal that is maintained before the leadership and the members of the church or organization can regularly provide a sense of direction and help the team not be distracted by things that do not contribute to achieving the goal. A good question that each church should ask when establishing its targets is: “Why does this church exist?” And it should establish goals that are directly related to the answer to that question.

2. They help us maximize our time and resources: When we have defined goals, it is clearer to where we should put our time, and resources. There are churches and organizations that suffer because they do not have clear goals. Not knowing what they want to do results in spending a lot of time, and their best human and financial resources, on things that are not priorities. This may cause confusion, exhaustion, a defeated feeling, frustration, and members leaving the church.

3. They help us measure progress: I have heard some people say, "If you value something, you will evaluate it.” If we do not measure the progress of our work in relation to our goals, we will never know how effective we are being. If there is no growth goal, the leaders and members of the church or organization will never know the exact situation they are in—if they are growing, stagnating, or dying. The evaluation of the progress can motivate the team to identify what is not working and to correct the areas where there are failures to be able to advance in achieving the goals.

4. They help to motivate us and keep us united: Although the motivation to help save others should always be there, there are times when as leaders and members of a faith community, we forget the missionary reason why Jesus instituted the church. Reviewing the great commission and establishing goals that help us reach our communities with actions and transforming words can be very refreshing and motivating. At the same time, the desire to work together to achieve a great goal can galvanize and unite a church extraordinarily. For this to happen, the vision must be shared, and the targets must be sought in consensus, not by imposition or fear. Our church in North America does not work like that. Goals must be individual before they are collective.

My dear Pastor, where do you want to see your churches next year, or in the next five years? What do you think you can do to achieve it? Do not expect someone to come and set a goal to your church or district. Meet with your leaders, with your members, and work on a plan with them that has priorities and goals for this year, and the next, and for the future. Your church will appreciate the process, and you will be able to see a difference. Your ministry, with the blessing of God, will have a chance to experience growth.

What would happen if…?

In conclusion I ask myself: What would happen in North America if every Adventist pastor would meet with his entire church, or district, and together they would set goals, and objectives for the year, and for the quinquennium? If together they’d decide: "During the year 2019 we will baptize ___ children, friends and family, make ___ disciples, train ___ leaders, and establish ___ small groups in our church.

What would happen if each church in North America with more than 150-200 members agreed, together with their pastor and Conference leaders, to plant a church during 2019, and even more churches during the quinquennium? What would happen if all the leaders and churches prayed and asked God to give us great things to do for Him and for His church in our communities? What would become of our churches, if instead of small goals we would set great goals that are only possible with the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit, and the united hard work of the pastors, the leaders, and members of the church?

But these things will never happen unless someone dream about them, share them, proclaim them, and, with a united church, work hard to implement them with the blessing of God.

Written by José Cortes Jr.

4 Creative Ways to Turn Your Church Website into an Evangelistic Tool

Drive traffic to your church website by meeting the needs of your visitors.

1. PROVIDE ONLINE BIBLE STUDIES

When you think about Bible studies, what picture comes to mind? For me, I used to imagine sitting in a circle with other attendees, Bibles opened in one hand and a pen in another, while balancing a notepad on your knee and quickly scribbling down everything a Bible instructor is saying. While some Bible study sessions might look like this, that picture is very different as the Digital Age rolls on.

You can use your church website to host a study with people from all over the globe! You have quite a few options, here are some suggestions to start with:

3 Ways to launch online Bible Studies at your church

1. Create your own study guides

• Design slides in PowerPoint and turn them into PDF’s

• Create studies on various subjects

2. Use video conference calls

• Open your church to people in different parts of the world.

• Individuals can study from home.

3. Pre-record Bible study videos

• Create a video series

• Upload to your church website and allow individuals to study on their own time.

Quick Tip: Make Bible Studies Relevant

Don’t just study Bible topics in isolation – show how the subjects are relevant and practical in day-to-day life.

Quick Tip: Don’t Be Boring!

The Bible is not a boring book and your online study shouldn’t be either. Show how God’s Word can stimulate the mind.

2. HOST A PODCAST ON RELEVANT ISSUES

Most church podcasts feature their sermons but why not take it a step further by creating a show for your church website visitors? What do I mean? People are always searching for podcasts that can teach them valuable information or that are related to their interests. What are the needs of the people at your church?

Research the needs of people online and create a podcast that provides answers. 

Some ideas:

Have members over age 50? Launch a podcast exploring retirement.

Lots of young adults? Create a podcast on ADULTING 101

For kids? Record Bible stories for parents to play at bedtime. 

Implementing ideas like this into your church’s podcast will have members and visitors alike clicking back for more.

3. START A PASTOR'S BLOG

Sabbath morning doesn’t have to be the only time that your congregation hears from your pastor. Stretch the pulpit and let it reach your church website. If you think that it means uploading your pastor’s written sermon, I challenge you to look deeper.

What questions swirl in the minds of your members? Collect those questions and have your pastor write a blog post answering a question each week. With a creative pastor’s blog, it won’t be long until members and readers begin to think:

• My pastor took the time to answer my question.

• I should share this blog with a friend!

• I can include this blog in my devotion time.

4. DO MORE WITH VIDEO

Video does a great job driving traffic to a website – this includes church websites. Humans love stories. With a cellphone in hand to capture quality video and sound, record individuals sharing how they came to know Jesus Christ and how faith in God brings them through trying moments. Take it a step further. Target various professionals in your congregation and create video content based on their area of expertise. For example, if Mr. B is a psychologist, produce a short video series on mental health or if Sister C is a financial officer, film 1-minute money-management tips. 

'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'And I will send you out to fish for people': Matthew 4:19

Jesus gave people a reason to follow Him. He met their needs and showed them the perfect image of the Father. A church website is a powerful tool to share the compassionate Savior. By applying best practices and stepping outside the box, you can transform your church website into a digital fishing net.

By Felicia Datus as published at: https://www.centerforonlineevangelism.org/4-creative-ways-to-turn-your-church-website-into-an-evangelistic-tool/ 

Southview SDA Church Revitalization Story

In this video, Pastor Dustin Hall from South View Seventh-day Adventist Church in Minneapolis talks about what is happening in his church and how God has blessed it by bringing 175 new members to the church in only three years. He tells that during the very first evangelistic campaign they had in the church after his arrival, they had 35 people getting baptized, and after he started looking to see who these people were, he realized that all of them were connected with some kind of group that met regularly outside the church.

Three Often Ignored Reasons Church Don’t Grow

I had a fantastic time in Las Vegas earlier this week!…..wait, that didn’t come out right. I should explain. I was there with Jose Cortes and the North American Division Evangelism Advisory. We had a fascinating time together addressing the challenge of church growth in the stagnant States.

We looked at the few bright spots and believe me there were few. A creative small groups program here. A church revitalization program there.  A successful evangelistic campaign over there. But in the main, things seem to have slowed to a snail’s pace. Most of our churches are struggling to grow.

And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to explain many of our growth challenges. We share them with other evangelical churches in the U.S.:

 Materialism

Lack of prayer

Loss of mission

Theological battles

Isolated Christians

Outdated methodologies

These problems can certainly be the kryptonite to church growth. But while driving from my hotel this week, some other practical reasons came to my mind. So here are 3 often ignored reasons that many churches are not growing today.

The Location of the Church

Our Las Vegas meetings were actually held in Henderson, Nevada. Henderson is a suburb of Las Vegas and it’s at the front of Nevada’s growth spurt. Neighborhoods are going up everywhere. Schools are filling up as fast as they finish construction.

As I drove through Henderson it occurred to me that you could put an Adventist church practically anywhere in Henderson and it would grow. Or a Baptist church, or a Methodist church, or an Independent church for that matter. Why? Because the area is exploding with new growth.

Churches tend to grow in areas of new growth. And church growth tends to slow when neighborhood growth slows. Period. I’m certainly not minimizing God’s power to raise a great church in an unlikely location, but that doesn’t often happen. Many of our historic churches were once large and thriving but now they are small and dying.  At times, it has less to do with waning spirituality and more to do with shrinking neighborhoods and changing demographics.

We would be wise to avoid spiritualizing away practical reasons for struggling evangelism. It’s hard to grow an Asian church in a now Hispanic neighborhood. It’s hard to grow a working class black church in a gentrified white neighborhood. It’s even harder to grow a church-any church- in a neighborhood where there are….no people.

The Condition of the Church

 The longer we remain members of a local church, the more comfortable we become with our surroundings, good or bad.  We get comfortable in church buildings that many visitors would find uncomfortable. Insufficient lighting. Incomplete repairs. Uneven pavement. Absence of fresh paint. Ancient sound system.

And for parents of young children, the church facility can be an immediate deal breaker. If they find the building unappealing or unsafe, they will probably not be as patient as the congregation. Parents are literally driving away from the churches of their childhood to find a better place for their kids. Same for potential members.

The Reception of the Church

How does your local church receive visitors?  What is a visitor’s initial impression of the church? Not the building but the people.  It’s cliché, but we never get a second chance to make a first impression. Surveys still indicate that the primary reason people attend a church or leave a church, is the people.

Church members need to understand that they are walking advertisements for their church, especially on Sabbath or Sunday morning. Their attitudes can make or break a visitor’s experience.  A smile or warm handshake can mean the difference between a single visit and a potential member.

So, those are 3 reasons that many churches are struggling to grow. How is your local church doing in those 3 areas?

by Jesse Wilson

Starting Your Congregation Strong

When planting a church, it is important to start with a strong foundation. Edwin Vargas explores what it takes to do this. When we ground our church in a prayerful connection with God, strong leadership, and a direct vision, we can lead the church in the path that God has planned for it. When our churches are built on a passion for reaching the lost, God can use these traits to grow this passion. Does your church have a strong foundation?

Church Planting Missionaries: Church Planting is the Best Tool

We stood before the assessment group with fear on our faces and trepidation in our voices. After three grueling days of being under the microscope to see if we would be given the green light to church plant, the assessors asked the question that might sink our chances, “Why do you feel you are called to be a church planter?” 

            Have you ever been at a crossroad where the truth may pull you farther from your goals, but giving the answer you know they wanted would help your cause?  That is where I found myself at that moment.  My amazing wife, Melissa, was nervous the entire church planter’s assessment process.  It is hard on spouses because they feared doing anything that would negatively affect the person they loved.  Dashing your own dreams is often less painful than hurting the dreams of the person you love.  But now this question made me equally apprehensive.  But finally I said the truth, “I don’t feel called to be a church planter.” 

            The expected surprised looks filled the room.  After the momentary shock eased, I was asked, “Then why are you here?”

            “I don’t feel called to be a church planter,” I repeated.  “I feel called to be a missionary.  And the reason I’m here is because I believe church planting is the best tool to reach the mission field.”

            A few years prior I had seriously contemplated entering the mission fields of Nepal, Israel or Albania.  When talking to mission directors a common theme arose; successful missionaries trained locals to reach their community.  Locals were far more effective at building the work.  Then it seemed God reminded me I am a local in a tremendously large mission field.

             Fortunately, assessors recommended us as church planters.  God has blessed us with founding 6 new churches during my 19 years of ministry.  I can also share that I still believe that church planting is the most effective tool to reach the mission field of North America.

            I will not bore you with the dozens of studies that affirm the same idea.  But to summarize new churches grow three to five times faster than established churches and reach far more unchurched people in their communities.  This is not a knock on established churches, but they rarely match the growth rate of new churches.  These statistics are true in all cultures and languages.

From my experience I will share five reasons why new churches have this kind of growth and impact.

1.     Membership involvement.  When a new church starts it takes every single person from the usually small starting team working hard together to find enough people to start the church.  These team members would rarely be offered in an established church the varied ministry experiences, leadership roles and responsibilities they will need to take on for the plant to thrive.  I believe Adventist church members are amazing.  We too often believe members will not accept being challenged to do God-sized ministry.  In a church plant everyone knows survival of the new church requires this kind of commitment.

 2.     Growth focus.  It is easy to get wrapped up in the needs of the members and the upkeep of a church building.  Church plants are ministry streamlined and focused on finding new people to join the budding congregation.   Honestly, there are some church plants that fail and this is usually where they lose the battle.

3.     Community impact.  All churches were once church plants.  When they started they were most likely built in a way that helped attract their community.  Being solid on God’s message while being culturally relevant is exactly what we see modeled in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.  However, many churches build ministries and systems that become sacred traditions, even when they no longer serve their surrounding communities. Church plants, when built correctly, focus on ministries that will reach their neighbors in a way that is life changing, compelling and relevant.

4.     The big ask.  Studies show that when there is an accident bystanders are more likely to step in and help when there is a small crowd rather than a large one.  The belief is that with large numbers witnessing an accident each person thinks someone else will come forward to help.  With very few people at the scene people realize they are the ones that have to take action. Every church tells their members they should invite friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to church and their events.  The psychology seems to be the same though; at established churches most seem to think the people in the pew next to them will do it.  While new churches know they personally have to take action and ask as many people as they can to attend.

5.     Miracles are normal.  Certainly God works miracles in established churches.  But what most people do not realize is how difficult it is to start a new church.  Every single ministry system must be developed; new leaders must be trained; a location found; finances raised; and so much more all in a very short timeframe.  It quickly becomes apparent that all this will never happen without divine intervention.  If you ever thought church planting is too difficult for you; you are right.  Fortunately, it is not too difficult for God to work through you to accomplish whatever He desires.  A Church plant has no choice but to lean heavily on God’s hand to lead and build His new church.  These divine encounters then inspire both the launching team and the new members the reach.

Church planting is not the only way to reach our mission field, but it is the most effect tool we possess.  Established churches should embrace the idea that they can increase their reach and effectiveness by supporting new churches.  Sending members, leaders, finances, and prayers help tremendously.  The more we work together using every means possible to share the amazing love and plan of salvation God has blessed us with, the more the mission community will become our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Steve Leddy is the Church Planting Director for Multicultural Ministries at Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventist

Getting Decisions and Making Appeals Part 2

Now let’s talk about making public appeals from the pulpit. Every sermon should have an appeal. Otherwise, it’s just a lecture presenting information. In our sermons, we should unashamedly ask for decisions. If you are not, then why are you preaching? 

Before we talk about the types of appeals from the pulpit, let’s discuss the language of the appeal. 

1. Be specific. What decision are you asking the listener to make? To be baptized? To accept Christ? To have a forgiving heart? If the decision you are asking for is not clear people won’t respond because they won’t know what they are responding to.

 2. Be positive, not negative. Mark Finley calls this the Mini-Max principle. Maximize the positive. Minimize the negative. In other words, don’t focus on the negative aspects of the decision—the challenges, the obstacles, the difficulties. Focus on the positive aspects-- the blessings that come from that decision, the benefits of following Jesus, the peace that comes from surrendering to Him.

For example, if I’m making an appeal for baptism, I don’t focus on what the person may have to give up, or the obstacles they may encounter, or how family members might think they’re crazy. These things may be a reality, but I don’t have to unnecessarily emphasize them in the people’s mind. I emphasize the joy and assurance which comes from making that decision.

3. Give clear directions. How are they supposed to respond? What action are you asking them to take? Are you asking them to come forward? If so, when? While you are talking? During the song? After the song? Are you asking them to raise their hands? If so, should they do it now while you’re talking? Or during the prayer? If you are using decision cards, explain exactly what you want them to do with the cards.

 4. Repeat the appeal. When it comes to making appeals while you’re preaching, you will need to repeat it a few times. People need time to process the appeal and make a decision. Often, repeating the appeal clarifies it in the listener’s mind and strengthens the conviction they feel.

There are usually four main types of public appeals that can be used from the pulpit.

1. Raising the hand or standing. This is a very general appeal that most people respond to. It is a softer appeal that may not be as daunting as having to come forward. This is a good way to help an audience become comfortable with responding to appeals if they are not used to it. It is also a good appeal to start with for preachers who are not used to making appeals. 

2. Silent prayer in the pew. This type of appeal is not used as often but can be very effective for sensitive topics where people don’t want to draw attention to themselves. It’s more of a private decision and requires very little visible action. You invite the congregation to simply bow their heads and talk to Jesus about what they heard in the sermon. Then there is 1-2 minutes of music in the background to create an atmosphere conducive to prayer. After the music ends, the speaker concludes with prayer. You may not know what decisions are being made, but God knows.

3. Altar calls. This is the strongest of all public appeals because it requires a major step of action: getting out of the seat and walking forward. One of the benefits of the altar call is that it encourages other people to respond when they witness someone else making a decision. As more people respond, you can literally sense the Holy Spirit moving. We should use the altar call much more often than we do—even on Sabbath mornings.

When I do an altar call, I usually make the appeal for a specific decision, and then repeat that appeal a couple times to make sure it was clear, and that people understand what I am asking for. After I make the appeal, I let the audience know

 they can start coming forward when we begin singing the closing song. When the song starts, I step down to the floor. Then I simply wait for people to come forward as the song is being sung by the congregation. There are two reasons I do it this way. One, because people are already standing, and that’s half the battle. Now they just need to move out into the aisle and come forward. Two, because I don’t have to keep thinking of things to say. Everybody is singing. So, I sing along and watch the Spirit move.

When the song is over, I speak a few words of encouragement to those who came forward and have a prayer of blessing with them. I invite them to stay up front for a few minutes after the prayer so we can get their names and contact information, if they are guests. This is very important because you need to follow up on those names with a personal visit or at least a phone call in the next 2 days. The personal visit will solidify the decision.

4. Decision cards. Decision cards are not just for evangelistic meetings. They can be used in worship services too. Completing and handing in a card is a major step of action but offers a little more privacy. It gives people a chance to respond who don’t want to go up front or draw attention to themselves. 

When you make the appeal, review the card with the audience and explain what each line means and what decision you are asking for. You might have soft music playing in the background. Then clearly explain how you want them to hand in the cards. Make it as easy as possible. Options include passing around a nice container or offering plate, passing the cards to the aisle where a deacon will collect them, or having a deacon collect the cards at the door as people leave. I prefer to have the deacons collect the cards and bring them to me so I can have a prayer of blessing over them to close the service. Be sure to follow up on these cards in the next couple days with a phone call or personal visit.

When we intentionally make appeals in person or in the pulpit, people will respond, and baptisms will increase. In every congregation, there is one whose heart is ripe to respond.

Whether we are making personal appeals in a Bible study or public appeals from the pulpit there is one essential thing the soul-winner must remember: to get decisions, you must ASK for them

.by David Klinedist

Getting Decisions and Making Appeals

One of the most important aspects of ministry is helping people make decisions for Christ. To be a successful soul winner, we must learn how to make appeals to a person’s heart to follow Jesus. This involves both personal appeals in informal settings such as one-on-one conversations, as well as public appeals from the pulpit. 

One of the biggest factors determining whether a minister (or a lay person) will be a successful soul-winner is if he or she is willing to boldly ask for decisions by making Spirit-led appeals.

Why is it necessary to make appeals? Because people don’t normally just make decisions out of the blue. Most people don’t wake up one morning and say, “I need to make a decision for Christ today.” People need some gentle prompting. They need someone to a make direct appeal that will plant, will awaken the conviction in their heart and mind.

When we make appeals, we have the opportunity to assist the Holy Spirit in His work of conviction. It may sound strange to think of us assisting the Holy Spirit. But think about it. God did not design for the Holy Spirit to do the work of conviction while the church (you and I) sits back and does nothing. The Holy Spirit uses people to reach other people. Yes, the Holy Spirit alone does the convicting, but by asking the right question, by making a loving but direct appeal, we can help that person hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and sense conviction in an even stronger way.

PERSONAL APPEALS

I remember a conversation with Mike. He had been attending church with his wife for nearly 30 years but had never been baptized. I did not know that. So, I asked him, “Have you ever thought of being baptized?” He indicated there were times he had. I asked him a direct question, “Mike, what’s stopping you from being baptized?” After a moment of silence, he said, “I don’t know.” So, I appealed to him to make that decision--- and he did. He was baptized a couple weeks later. But to get that decision, I had to make an appeal to his heart.

There are two phrases I learned early on in ministry that can be used to make powerful appeals. The first is: “Have you ever considered …?” Rather than telling a person what to do, you are simply asking a question that plants a seed in the person’s mind. Most people don’t like to be told what to do. They respond better if you ask them a sincere question that causes them to think on a deeper level.

For example, if I sense someone is at a point where they are experiencing conviction and should be thinking about baptism, I can ask them, “Have you ever considered being baptized?” This doesn’t come across as threatening or manipulative. I’m simply asking a question. But the question is really an appeal which can lead to deeper conversation. If they haven’t been thinking about it, guess what? They will be now simply because I asked the question. If they say “no”, they haven’t thought about it, I can gently ask them why? If they say “yes” they have thought about it, I can ask them if there’s something standing in their way and move the conversation towards dealing with the obstacle.

A second powerful appeal is the phrase: “I’d like to invite you to. . . .” (then you fill in the blank). Again, you are not telling them what to do, but you are giving them an invitation. For example, “I’d like to invite you to think about being baptized” or “I’d like to invite you to consider accepting Jesus as your Savior (or whatever the decision is).” When you give a simple but direct appeal, you are speaking to the heart and causing them to think about what is most important.

Of course, the way you ask the question or make the appeal is essential. If you come across as insincere, harsh, or self-righteous you will push them away. But if you ask with a gentle but bold spirit, with an attitude of love and concern, it will usually yield beautiful results. People can tell if they are just another number to you or if you truly care for them.

That’s why relationship is always the first step of soul winning. Because when you develop relationships with people, it develops trust. And when trust is developed, you can ask the bold question or make the direct appeal.

STEPS TO MAKING APPEALS

Let’s take a look at the process of making personal appeals. 

1. Ascertain if the subject is clear to them. An important principle of soul-winning is this: people don’t make decisions on things they don’t understand. If there is something that is unclear or confusing to the person, they are not going to move forward. So, we need to ask if things are clear, and then give them opportunities to ask questions. When you know they understand, then it’s time to make an appeal. 

2. Ascertain if there is an obstacle. You might ask the question, “Is there anything that stands in your way of following Jesus in this matter? (whatever the matter is). As long as there is an obstacle in their path or in their mind, perceived or real, they are not likely to make a decision. I need to find out what the obstacle is and help them with it. Once conviction is stronger than the obstacle, they will move forward.

This is where listening plays a key role. Listening is a huge part of leading people to make decisions. In fact, listening is even more important than talking. Listening helps me to know what questions to ask and how to better appeal to their heart. I need to understand what their obstacles are and what they’re thinking. The only way I can do that is if I learn to listen.

3. Invite them to make a choice. You might say, “Would you like to tell Jesus you are willing to follow Him in this matter?” Then let the conversation go deeper. If they say “yes”, seal the decision with a prayer of commitment together. Invite the person to pray in their own words and verbalize their decision for Jesus. Then you can follow up with a prayer of blessing re-enforcing their decision and asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them.

Be patient. If they are still not ready to say “yes”, encourage them to take some time to think and pray about it and let them know you will be praying for them and are willing to talk whenever they are ready. Continue to pray for them earnestly, and then appeal to them again in the near future as the Holy Spirit leads. Remember, a “no” right now does not mean “no” forever. A soul winner doesn’t give up. Neither does the Holy Spirit.

4. Invite them to take a step of action. The step of action may be a prayer of commitment as we mentioned above, or some other action relevant to the decision that was made. For example, a step of action for someone who has just said “yes” to baptism might be to set a date. For someone who has just chosen to surrender their finances to God might be to test the Lord for 3 months by returning a faithful tithe and seeing how God provides. For someone who has just chosen to stop drinking it might be to take the alcohol out of the house or to have an anointing service that God will heal them (after all alcoholism is a sickness). The point is this. Expressing a decision by taking a step of action strengthens the decision of the heart.

Some may wonder, “How do you do this in an age of social distancing? How do you make appeals if you are unable to have face to face dialogue?”

 You do the same thing. You ask the same questions—except you do it by phone, email, or text. The process and principles really aren’t any different. You just have to do it through different means. I prefer a phone call because it allows for instantaneous response and mutual conversation, plus you can hear the tone of the voice. The tone of the voice is very important when it comes to making appeals. It’s too easy to misinterpret tone in a text or email.

 If circumstances warranted, I can make an appeal through email, text, or some other private social media. If I knew someone was under conviction, there’s no reason I couldn’t send them a text or email saying, “Joe, I know a lot has been going through your mind lately. Have you ever considered being baptized?” If they responded in the affirmative, I can reply, “Is there anything stopping you from making that decision?” Or I could make an appointment with them to talk further on the phone. If it’s appropriate, I could invite them to meet together. It might be inside or outside, or at a park or restaurant. I may have to wear a mask or stand six feet apart, but in many cases we can still visit together. Just be safe and smart about it. Pandemics don’t have to keep us from being soul winners.

by David Klinedist

Nike is right. Just do it!

I like the Nike slogan—"Just do it." Simple, relevant, yet challenging. The "Just do it" statement is bold enough to challenge you for one thing only: action. Not words, not good intentions, not planning, but simple and raw action. If you are sitting for too long, stand up and move. If you are in bed waiting for something to happen, get up and start doing what you know is the right thing to do. It is simple like that—just do it. 

Jesus didn't stay in heaven contemplating human beings' need of salvation and talking to the Father about it. He decided to just do it. He came to earth, and He showed compassion toward us. He spoke to people. He healed them. He spread love. He served till the end. His love was active, not passive.

Our love towards humanity also must be active. Our compassion cannot be passive. If we know what we must do, let's do it! This is not a new idea or a new commandment. Jesus said that we must love others, and He left the example of how to love them—through acts of service. Pay attention to this Bible verse: "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for you came to church and sang songs from the hymn book, you read from the King James Version, you gave your tithes and offerings, you put out so many fires between the members of your church, you built a nice church building, you kept a vegetarian diet, you wore a suit and tie to look important, you worked for the church, you became a pastor, and once in a while you served someone…now enter to the kingdom of God" (Matt. 25:34-36).

Wait a minute! That's not what the Bible verse says! However, that is precisely how we are living. We think the way we are living our pastoral lives is all that there is, that we are already fulfilling Jesus' great commission. However, Jesus has different things in mind. Here is what He really said: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me'" (Matthew 25:35-36). 

Do you see the difference? These things are simple acts of compassion that anyone can do! You do not have to be the pastor or even to receive approval from the church board to visit the sick or feed the hungry. We don't need a budget to visit someone in prison. We don't have to have an extra income to offer a sandwich and a bottle of water to the homeless. What is required? Nothing. Just our willingness to do it. We just need somebody to start, and that little spark will become a fire that will spread to your church members. 

I have been involved with Compassion Ministry for the last couple of years, and I have had the privileged to mobilize thousands of young people and church members to go out and serve the community with acts of compassion. How did it happen? I just did it, and they followed! Here are some ideas to move in that direction:

Google local shelters, nursing homes, community centers in your area, and get the addresses and telephone numbers. 

Invite 1-2 church members to visit those places with you. Introduce yourself (your name, not your position). Nobody cares about your church position; they want to know if you are willing to help.

Tell them the days you are available to help. Most of the time, they will have an opening for you to serve. Check their full schedule so that you can invite other church members to start serving at different hours of the week. 

When you are scheduled to volunteer, be there 15 minutes before you start your work. 

Share with the church members what you are doing and motivate others to follow your initiative. Take pictures, promote them through Social Media. 

I have been pastoring a new church for the last three years, and I have followed these steps in my church. I invited Thomas Francis, a retired church member, to join me, and in just a few hours, we personally contacted more than eight organizations. All, without exception, gladly accepted our volunteer time to serve the community with them.  

We decided to join one of the organizations which daily feed the homeless called Manna House INC. in Baltimore, MD. We serve there once a week, and we help to feed more than two hundred people. Other church members have been joining Tom and me, and in the next few weeks, we will connect the Pathfinder and Adventurer Clubs with that organization as well. The fire is beginning to spread.

If you don't want to join an organization but instead would like to do something different, check the website: www.compassionmovement.com, where you can find ideas and projects to implement in your local church creatively. Just do it! 

By Pastor Paulo Macena, Lead Pastor of Ellicott City SDA Church in the Chesapeake Conference.

A Conspiracy in North America Part 2

I envision the day when our church will be known for our Compassion and Love for humanity rather than for the things we oppose. The day when this happens, we will be in great historic company, we’ll be in the company of Jesus. Jesus was known for loving people of all walks of life and backgrounds, as He walked this earth. Once, while talking to His disciples Jesus said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). This is not just a call for church unity among believers, this pronouncement extends His love way beyond that, and explains why people felt drawn to Him. People gravitated towards Jesus because they felt safe and loved in His presence.

I have a deep conviction that a Conspiracy of Compassion is perhaps one of the biggest needs of the Adventist Church in North America.

For the conspiracy to become a reality, it takes all of us, collaborating together, in all of our churches, institutions, and organizations, consistently, as if we had all planned to do it together, all at the same time. Can you imagine what would happen if Adventism in North America became a synonym of Compassion? What if, as people walked and drove by our churches they would see open doors and our beautiful visible signs outlining our services to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the community? What if people could see us, Adventists, outside of our church buildings on a regular basis doing good, like Jesus did?

There are a few concepts to keep in mind as your church becomes the Eyes, Heart, Hands, and Feet of Jesus in your community. Take a look:

Relevance:  After last month’s blog “Conspiracy in North America” someone asked, what is your definition of Relevance? Relevance is being there when you are needed. A church that is there for its members and its community when they are in need is a relevant church.

·      When there is a storm in your area, how can your church be relevant?

·      When a house burns down on your street, how can your church be relevant?

·      When there is a death in a community family (see Obituary Section in Newspaper), how can your church be relevant?

·      When there is hunger in your community, how can your church be relevant? 

·      When civil unrest is taking place in your town, how can your church be relevant?

·      When obesity is prevalent in the neighborhood, how can your church be relevant?

·      When there is a Marathon, a Street Market, a Parade happening in your city, how can your church be relevant?

·      When there are thousands playing basketball, soccer, and softball across city parks and playgrounds, how can your church be relevant?

·      When there is a need for new leadership in your city or state, how can your church be relevant? Could a church member run for office and help make a change?

·      When thousands of people walk right pass your church building on a regular basis, how can your church be relevant to them? 

·      Consistency: Blessing the community with acts of love and compassion once in a while is not enough. Just last Saturday, as I was talking to John, a homeless man, in downtown Troy, New York, he told me: “People don’t trust some churches because they come out and help us and then disappear and we don’t hear from them again…” Does this sound familiar? A one time Compassion event although it may help, is not enough. People will not trust someone they only see once in a while. Churches that care keep coming back, they stick with it, they just don’t come once a year right before the public evangelistic meetings begin, people see right through that. It is time that our Adventist Churches become a permanent and active fixture in the public spaces of our communities, where they are needed. Compassion was not an event in the life of Jesus, it was a lifestyle. The same applies to His church. 

Identity: It is vital that people know who we are, as we minister to them in our communities. If they don’t know who we are, how will they ever come back to us when they have a need? How will they contact us when they need a prayer or feel the Holy Spirit leading them to worship, or to inquire more about spiritual things? When ministering, keep in mind to have a card, which includes your Church name, address, telephone #, and e-mail, this way people know whom to contact when they have a physical or spiritual need in the future.

Objective: People will ask why are you doing this? Many will be suspicious that you are doing this because there is an ulterior motive. It must be clear that our ultimate desire is the salvation of every individual that we come in contact with and making them disciples so they can join us in sharing God’s love in this dying world. However, we must learn from Jesus who on a regular basis showed His love in practical ways with no strings attached. Jesus did not enlist everyone He fed, healed, and blessed, as a disciple or a member of his early church plant, but He fed, healed, and blessed them anyway. When people ask why are you doing this? We must be able to tell them “We are showing God’s love in practical ways…” and be willing to continue to be Jesus to them. Just like Jesus, we will not baptize all, but at least we will take their hunger away and give them hope.

Partnership: As a Church, we must remember that we are not an island. There are governmental, private, and faith based organizations and institutions which are already making a difference in the community. They have access to plenty of resources and at times are lacking the most important resource, which is not funding, but people. Partnering with the entities can be a blessing for the community, for the organization, and for our church. Do not be afraid to partner, you do not have to reinvent the wheel, our Church loses nothing when we partner with others to help. There are also wealthy individuals and families who are looking for people to partner with, they may not want to come to your church, but they want to invest some of their money benefitting people and communities. The “poverty” of the wealthy is the need to use their expertise and finances in the improving of lives and communities. They may be willing to partner with your church in an after school mentoring program, food distribution, health clinics, counseling clinics, single mothers outreach, community fitness programs, home makeovers, and others. And this may be the only way for them to ever get to know Jesus and our church.

Let’s join together in the Conspiracy of Compassion across North America!

Pastor Jose Cortes Jr., is an Associate Ministerial Director and Leads Evangelism for the Adventist Church in North America.

Laundry Love

Laundry Love, a nationwide human-care initiative, helps wash clothes and bedding for individuals or families living in poverty. “We provide the quarters and laundry detergent for those who are struggling and trying to make ends meet,” says Terri Krovoza of the Jamestown Church. Krovoza is founder of the local Laundry Love effort.

 The story of Laundry Love began with T-Bone (Eric), a homeless gentleman living in Ventura, California. T-Bone was asked, “How can we come alongside your life in a way that would matter?”

 His response was honest and practical, “If I had clean clothes, I think people would treat me like a human being.” Thus, Laundry Love was born.

 Collecting quarters

 To help facilitate the Jamestown Laundry Love, Krovoza purchased Mini M&Ms that come in circular containers, and took them to church in a basket with a sign saying, “Eat the M&Ms and bring back the container filled with quarters for Laundry Love.”

 Shortly, she had over $300 in quarters. The Homeless Coalition—of which she is also a member—donated $250. A local church invited her to speak about Laundry Love and ended up donating $250. They also took an offering, resulting in an additional $56.

 The next step was to co-op with a local laundry. “Rainbow Laundry consented for us to use their place,” says Krovoza. It was agreed that the third Thursday of every month from 3-7 pm, Laundry Love would be available and Krovoza would be there.

 The first Thursday, Krovoza went prepared with $300 in quarters, but only used $75. Nevertheless, she was undeterred.

 A little later, a newspaper reporter happened to see a poster for Laundry Love at the laundromat. He contacted Krovoza and asked if he could take some pictures. “I was not ready for the newspaper,” she says, “but he came.”

 Krovoza is excited about Laundry Love and hopes more people will take advantage of it. “We purchased some pocket-sized Signs of the Times for distribution. We just want to make them available, not push them,” Krovoza says.

 The individuals being helped are appreciative of the work Krovoza is doing. “You should hear some of their stories,” she continues. “One poor girl came from Alabama to Jamestown to be with her boyfriend. He kicked her out and poured something all over her clothes. She had to wash everything. She was so appreciative.”

People who work with those in poverty can attest that keeping clothes clean and smelling fresh is a struggle for the impoverished. “When asked if they have clean clothes to wear for a job interview, they say no,” explains Krovoza. “If there is a question between food and clean clothes, they will always choose food.”

Jacquie Biloff is communication director for the Dakota Conference

 Originally published in Mid-America Union’s OUTLOOK magazine, March 2018.

LIVE/GIVE/LOVE: I Am Yours God by Peter Casillas

In this video, Pastor Peter Casillas says that "we run on assumptions." We feel comfortable with Jesus in the places where we want him to be, not in the places where He is healing. We feel comfortable seeing Jesus in a place that makes sense to us. We feel comfortable seeing Jesus when we are serving food, but we don't feel comfortable seeing Jesus ministering at a bar. Have we missed out on the one thing that matters? Have we settled into a casual, non-committal relationship with GOD? Pastor Peter Casillas shares the word at the Younger Generation Church in their new series, LIVE/GIVE/LOVE.

Peter Casillas

My First Church Revitalization Experience

“You are going to be the Associate Pastor for the Arlington, Falls Church, and Manassas Spanish Churches, in Northern Virginia. Although you will serve all three, your main responsibility will be at the Manassas Spanish Church.” Those were the marching orders from my Hispanic Coordinator, Pastor Ruben Ramos, right after my return from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.

On my first Sabbath, there were 38 people in attendance. It was Summer, and the people were very loving with me, yet the service and the atmosphere in general felt cold. I preached the best sermon I had, but did not hear a whole lot of amens, or affirmations. I could not tell what it was but, something was wrong.

It is unfortunate, yet it is true that many pastors in North America will, at some point in their ministry, pastor a church that has either plateaued, or is declining, or in some cases, is dying. There are stories of church growth, church planting, and church multiplication across our territory, but there are also plenty of anecdotes, backed up by data which sadly reveal the fragility of church life. 

The lifespan of a church in North America is similar to the lifespan of human beings, somewhere between 80 to 100 years. While we recognize there are churches that will plateau, decline, and someday die, we must be clear there are also churches which manage to live, thrive, and reproduce way beyond their life expectancy. And just like we love to see our grandparents and parents live long and stay healthy, we want to see churches which stay healthy, relevant to the mission, and serve their communities for many years.

After the service, I asked to meet with the four elders, whom I had just been introduced to for the first time, earlier that morning. I asked them, two questions. The first question was: “How are you doing?” Their collective answer was: “We are tired, Pastor. The church is not doing well. Many have stopped attending. We are dwindling! If we don’t do something we are not going anywhere!” So, I asked my second question: “What can we do to make it better?” “Pastor, we are divided. We need to have communion. We are discouraged. Could we plan a communion?”

We agreed we would have communion the following Sabbath. Since members were now gone, we organized a team and divided the responsibilities to contact the members and invite them for communion service. This was our first team-building session. Carlos Alfaro, the Head Elder of the church and a very humble man, stayed back with me after the meeting, and with tears in his eyes said: “Pastor Jose, this is a tough church, we have been through a lot, and you are a young man, but I am here to work together.” After that he invited me to his house for a delicious lunch prepared by his wife. 

Eight months later, the Potomac Conference leadership asked me to serve as Senior Pastor at an English Church. On the farewell Sabbath, my last day in Manassas, there were over 120 people in attendance, 40 new people had been baptized, and about 40 more reclaimed during the eight months. What had happened? The church had been revitalized! I just didn’t know it at the time, perhaps revitalization was not a thing back then.

Let me quickly share with you the lessons I learned from my first Church Revitalization experience:

1. Prayer Works: On my third Sabbath, I preached about prayer and told the church I needed people to pray for me and with me. I gave out a card and asked those who would commit to intentionally pray for the next 3 months, to fill it out. I got 17 cards back. Seventeen committed prayer partners began praying. Mercedes Rodriguez, one of the elders started a prayer group in the church. 

2. Visitation Works: During our second Elders meeting we discussed how Elders do not exist just for the sake of performing platform duty, but they can also be an extension of the Pastor in the church and community at large. At our second meeting our elders’ team became the pastoral team, and on the following Sabbath’s bulletin, the pastoral team, pastor and elders, were listed in the bulletin with contact info. We also talked about the role of deacons and deaconesses, looked at their Biblical role, and agreed that visiting our active and missing members was vital. 

We met together, looked through the Church Directory, and assigned each elder to care for a group of families and individuals. Visitation of each one of our families and members began right away. I went out with a different elder every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to visit. Each Elder committed an evening a week for visitation. We learned not to visit alone, so they always took a deacon and deaconess with them, when they were not visiting with me. We started with the active members, and once we were done visiting the active members, we visited the missing members.

Our visits were very simple. We tried not to stay for more than 25 minutes, although we often noticed they wanted us to stay longer and just about everyone offered us food. During the visit, we asked (1) How are you and your family doing? (2) How can the church help you? (3) What can the church do better? (4) How would you like to get engaged in some type of ministry? After that, we read one Bible verse, prayed for the family or individual and left.

At times it was challenging to arrange a visit due to the busy schedule of the working families in the church. Most had more than one job, plus children, but we still offered the visit. Very few did not take us up on our offer. The majority of the visits took place in the homes, between 5 PM and 9 PM, with morning and early afternoon exceptions in the case of retired, older, or unemployed members. Some visits happened at the work place during a break, a restaurant over a meal, the hospital for those who were not well, and at the church, before or after a service.

Visitation provided the opportunity to meet family members, spouses, children, who did not attend church, and make friends with them. It also created a great bond with the elders and deacons. All of a sudden, we were on the same page and had a cohesive missional team! As word spread that we visited and prayed with people, community neighbors began contacting us to request visits in the homes of non-Adventists, as well as in hospitals to talk with people and pray for the sick. As we found out about needs, members in the church offered some assistance and support to those in need, and although not wealthy and unable to take care of all the needs, people around us could feel the love. 

3. Teaching Works: We began a series on the parables of Jesus and their practical application to our daily lives on Wednesday nights. A grace-oriented sermon series was introduced for Sabbaths. Preached on the Anchors of our Faith, our beliefs, and how they were given by God to bless our lives. On the back of the church bulletin, initially produced weekly by me, there was a detachable connect card, which among other things, included a space for sermon topic suggestions. I paid attention to a large number of them, not all, but many. 

4. Prioritizing Children and Youth Works: We requested help from a few members, who seemed to have a gift to expand our children’s programs and launched a small group at a home on Friday nights for youth, led by the two active young adults we had, Jose Luis and Rosalia. We planned outings on Saturday nights. The local pizza hut and bowling allies got some business from us during those eight months. Our Bible study small group grew to around thirty in attendance. Youth and young adults were now participating in the worship services, we did take a few hits from a nearby independent ministry school for using a screen and an overhead projector, but now our church was growing, our members were engaged, and our youth were coming back, so no one had much time for criticism.

The Potomac Conference organized a Youth Congress at Camp Blue Ridge, the cost was $45.00 per person. Our church board met and voted to pay the whole way for every young person and their friends who wanted to go to the Congress. Thirty-five, including some whom had never been to church before, signed up. The total attendance for the event was 310, our small little church had 35 of those 310. Our youth felt special and very motivated and so did their young adult leaders. We invested around $2,000.00 in sponsoring our youth to attend that Congress, it was so worth it. They loved it and you should’ve heard the parents talk about how much they enjoyed being a part of a church that loved their kids.

5. Inviting People to Make Decisions to Accept Jesus and Join the Church Works: The first baptism came a few weeks after my first Sabbath, a couple decided to be baptized. Lazaro and Sandra were my first baptisms, we baptized them on a Wednesday night in the church’s basement. It is interesting to see how the baptism of one inspires others. Any time people made decisions to accept Jesus and join our church, we baptized them. We did not wait to have evangelistic meetings or special days to baptize people who made decisions. Every decision was celebrated, taken seriously, followed-up, and acted upon. During my last month there, we had a special Easter Week of Evangelism, we spent $200.00 at Office Depot copying the flyers. Asked members to bring their family, friends, and colleagues. I preached every night about the passion week, Jesus’ death, and resurrection, made appeals every night, and on the last Sabbath, baptized 16 in one shot.

That is what we did! God blessed, and the church was revitalized!

Now, I am not so naive as to suggest this is the silver bullet for Church Revitalization. This was just what worked for me in that particular situation. Perhaps some of these lessons, if contextualized to your setting, could bless your Church Revitalization journey.

Feel free to share this blog with your colleagues and with your church. I would love to hear about your Church Revitalization story.

Pastor Jose Cortes Jr., is an Associate Director of the Ministerial Association and leads Evangelism, Church Planting, and Adventist/Global Mission for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

Don’t Plant a Church for the Wrong Reason!

The Adventist Church across North America has placed a great amount of emphasis and resources in planting churches. Nearly 600 mission groups - that’s how we call our new church plants - have been launched since 2015 till today in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the islands of Guam and Micronesia. Although we really believe that planting churches is essential to make the gospel accessible to people in every city, town, and island in our territory, we also believe that we must be very careful about planting churches which misrepresent God and our organization.

Reasons Not to Plant a Church:

If you are going to plant a church that does not love all sinners, does not care about what happens outside the walls of the building, and whose only purpose is to change the religion of people and judge their behavior, please don’t plant a church.

If you are going to plant a church because your present church is totally dysfunctional, members are fighting, they cannot get alone, and they are going to take all that dysfunctional DNA with them to the new church, please don’t plant a church.

If you are going to plant a church right next door to a sister congregation, which is already reaching the people and demographics of that community, simply to compete for their members and resources, please don’t plant a church. The territory is too vast and the amount of unreached people too great to be competing over a neighborhood which is already being reached. In church planting, collaboration is the name of the game, not competition.

Planting under these circumstances may be detrimental to our missional movement, hurt the reputation of our church, and above all dishonor the God we serve. It is true, we really want to plant churches, yet we want to plant churches right.

Reasons to Plant Churches

Now that we’ve gone over some of the reasons not to plant a church, there are some reasons to plant which are important to consider.

1. Plant to make the gospel accessible. I would agree with other church planting specialists that for the gospel to be accessible through an Adventist Church to each person in our community, we must have a church for every 25,000 inhabitants. This means that in most of the larger cities we could have twice the amount of churches that we have today, without having to compete for territory or people.

2. Plant because we are the heart, eyes, hands, and feet of Jesus in our communities. Church planting is not just about having another place where we can hold worship services, and corporately study the Sabbath School lesson. We plant churches because we desire to open communities of compassion, where people can experience the love of God and the compassion of Jesus in practical ways, which are transformational to families and individuals. We are not interested in planting worship services, but churches that love, serve the community, and worship regularly.

A church that does not go beyond the four walls is not really a church, it is a club. 

3. Plant to best position Adventism to reach new generations, residents, and people groups. Most older churches don’t grow, but those that do grow, gain the majority of their new members by transfers from other congregations. On the other hand, new churches generally baptize at a higher percentage than older churches and gain 60 to 80 percent of their new members from people who are not attending any church.

Although it is hard to swallow, older Adventist churches have a very hard time reaching millennials, Generation Z, single mothers, whom together with their household have become one of the largest people groups in North America. Older Adventist churches also struggle to reach the LGBTQ+ community, and emerging immigrant groups. Planting new churches with a different DNA can help to reach people, our churches are not presently reaching.

Jesus did not preach an exclusive gospel, He founded an inclusive church. If our church can only reach people who think like us, dress like us, eat like us, smell like us, and worship like us, we will never be able to reach those who are different. Jesus came to save them too. We need to be more like Jesus.

4. Plant to help revitalize existing churches and to provide a natural environment for discipleship. One of the biggest pushbacks often used to reject church planting is: “Why plant more churches if the ones we have are dying?” Saying “we cannot plant a church because the ones we have are not doing well…” is like saying “a family cannot have babies because grandma is sick…” Churches, just like people, have a lifespan. Newborn babies keep the family going as grandparents age. 

There should never be antagonism between church planting and church revitalization, they are both vital. When grandma is sick, we take her to the doctor and try to find a cure for her illness, but if you stop having babies because grandma is aging, eventually the family will be no more.

Church planting infuses new life and helps reset the lifespan of a plateauing or declining church. When an older church intentionally releases leaders and supports the birth of a new congregation it rediscovers its purpose and the rallying around the new baby strengthens its health and missional resolve. As people are released for ministry in the new mission group, more people are required to step in and serve, thus creating an awesome opportunity for disciple-making. Another great benefit of this process is that church plants, with mother churches, tend to grow stronger and faster than churches born without support.

Planting for the right reasons can be a blessing to the church and its surrounding communities. We have learned from the incarnational Jesus we follow, that our churches should not be encased within four walls, filled with people who only talk to themselves and spiritualize everything while the surrounding world suffers. To resemble the Jesus we proclaim, we need churches that are a constant flow of blessings to their neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and those who simply walk the streets in need of hope. Jesus made life better and brought hope whenever He showed up, our church plants and existing churches must be a reflection of that, if we expect to make a dent in our communities for the kingdom.

If you are going to plant a church which is centered in the salvation of God and the compassion of Jesus, a church that will be an agent of transformation in the community, please don’t plant one church, for God’s sake, plant at least 1000.

It Should Not Be an Option

There is no substitute for proclamation! If we want people to learn about Jesus’ love and His grace offered freely to each one of us, sinners, we must not only show them with our actions but also tell them with our words. If we want people to understand the plan of redemption, and Jesus’ command to love others, as well as the hope of His Second Coming and a resurrection, we must tell them about these. If we really want them to live healthier lives and take time out to worship and rest on the Sabbath, we must let them know. 

 Neither is there a substitute for inviting people to accept Jesus and join the body of Christ, the church, through baptism. If we want people to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, publicly commit to Him through baptism, and join the church, we must be willing to issue the invitation to those whom have not yet made a decision.

If we preach awesome sermons and no one is accepting Jesus, being baptized, and joining the church as a result of our preaching, perhaps we are just giving speeches. If we produce amazing church programs and decisions for Jesus and the church are not been made as a result of these programs, perhaps we are just putting up a mission-less religious display. The reason Jesus came to this earth, died, founded the church, and asked us to proclaim the gospel is that people would accept Him, be baptized, and be saved. If we are not providing opportunities for this to take place regularly through our churches, we may not be doing Jesus, the church, our programs, and our preaching any justice.

Evangelism Outcome #5 - Every year provide multiple opportunities for people to decide to follow Jesus through baptism and membership

For the last three years (2015-2018) we surveyed and discussed with thousands of pastors, members, and church leaders, Five Outcomes that could revolutionize mission and evangelism across North America. The fifth one is key to our church, please read on:

Every year provide multiple opportunities for people to make a decision to follow Jesus through baptism and membership: 77 percent scored this outcome 7 or higher in a 1-10 scale. We cannot afford to be the church of God, having being trusted with such a life-transforming gospel and yet not invite people on a regular and constant basis to accept our Savior and join our church. 

The good news need be told somehow, everybody ought to know. Therefore, I would like to encourage each Pastor and able lay leader in North America to find ways that work for you to constantly keep the invitation, in many different and tactful ways, before those who have not made a decision.  

When it comes to proclamation evangelism, one way or one size does not fit all. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why, proclamation evangelism has become so burdensome for some, because we feel we must do what others have done and have the same success others have had. It is OK to apply principles that work, yet you are not obligated to follow a school that does not apply to your context.

You do not have to fight the giant in King Saul’s armor. Please find something that works in your context and put into practice. I know churches that utilize their funding to bless the community through incarnational evangelism and make of every Sabbath an evangelistic service, with the needs of the unchurched in mind. I know pastors who have successfully used a CrossFit Gym for a week to present the gospel to health enthusiasts. I know families who invite their friends and neighbors to a smaller gathering in the privacy of their homes and present the gospel in a very informal way that is effective. 

As a corporate church we must give organizational permission and flexibility to pastors and church members to create effective templates for the proclamation of the gospel. A proclamation which tells the story, allows people to know about Jesus, gives them the opportunity to accept Him as Savior and Lord and provides room for them to become a part of the body of Christ. If something does not work, take note of it, make changes, and try again. It is OK to try different methods and issue different types of invitations and appeals; what is not OK is to spend a whole year preaching, holding church services and programs, without giving people opportunities to accept Jesus, be baptized, and join the church. Not inviting people to make a decision and join should not be an option for Adventist pastors, preachers, lay leaders and churches in North America.

Please, discuss this outcome with your church and how to make it a reality to reach people who have not made a decision for Jesus and for the Adventist church in your community.

Pastor Jose Cortes Jr., is an Associate Director of the Ministerial Association and leads Evangelism, Church Planting, and Adventist/Global Mission for the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

A Conspiracy in North America

What if our Adventist Churches across North America began a conspiracy? What if we decided in harmony with all the other churches across Bermuda, Canada, United States and the islands of Guam and Micronesia that we are going to love our cities like Jesus did? What do you think would happen if we ventured outside the walls of our churches, asked people about their needs, and did something transformational for individuals and communities?

What if our local churches conspired together to do the following?

·      Respond to disasters in the community (fires, earthquakes, storms, tornados).

·      Feed the hungry.

·      Clothe the naked.

·      Mentor children after school.

·      Minister to prisoners, and also minister to their families.

·      Visit and pray for the sick in the community regularly.

·      Offer FREE Marital Counseling (married couples) and FREE Pre-Marital Counseling (engaged couples).

·      Offer FREE Parenting Classes for parents.

·      Donate space, FREE of charge, for community weddings and funerals.

·      Advertise the Services of the local Adventist Pastor to conduct Weddings, Dedications of Babies, and Funerals, FREE of charge for the church’s community.

·      Provide manicures and pedicures for battered women

·      Celebrate communion with the homeless and bring them in when it is cold.

·      Lead Toy Drives during Christmas.

·      Stand against modern Slavery and the abuse of women, children and the elderly (not a silent church).

·      Teach FREE Financial Management Classes (How to budget? How to buy a house? How to become debt-free? Financial Freedom, Income Taxes)

·      Hold FREE Fitness classes.

·      Connect with governmental leaders and work with them to support good causes regardless of their party affiliation.

·      Hold a reception for community business owners and pray for their success.

·      Promote and facilitate the adoption of children.

·      Co-sponsor and organize concerts with well known musicians in some of our very beautiful, historic, landmark buildings, rather than having these buildings closed to the public most of the time.

·      Organize and sponsor celebrations during special days and recognized holidays such as: New Year’s, Superbowl, Valentine’s, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and others.

·      Partner with the city and other organizations to serve as volunteers in events such as: marathons, fairs, festivals, and others.

·      What would happen with our churches if we would venture to open our doors more often, rather than just Saturdays, for a few hours, and Wednesdays for an hour? After all some other churches who don’t have the beautiful and powerful message we have, keep their doors open all the time. What if we dared to distribute flyers in our communities, not with beasts on the cover, but offering the few services mentioned above and many others? What if we did this, not just for a day, or for a season right before the evangelistic meetings, but on a regular basis as a lifestyle? What do you think would happen?

1. A Relevant Church is never empty. Jesus was surrounded by people constantly, He did not preach to empty pews, there is a reason why He always had a crowd.

2. A Relevant Church reaches and reclaims its community. Jesus did that on a regular basis. He went to the synagogue, sat and read, and then went out to reach and reclaim His community.

3. A Relevant Church retains its members. When a community of people are active and happy doing something good, which they enjoy, they don’t leave; the total opposite happens, more people come, youth, young adults, adults, and children, believe me it can be viral. Jesus went viral, and that’s why our church is here today because of what He did.

It’s time for a Conspiracy of Compassion in our Adventist Churches in North America!

Pastor Jose Cortes Jr., is an Associate Ministerial Director and Leads Evangelism for the Adventist Church in North America.

How to bless those who think different

Beginnings are usually filled with hope for a better day, positive thoughts, and intentional good change. And that’s how many of us welcomed 2021, hoping for something much better than what 2020 had brought us, only to be harshly disappointed during our first week. We woke up to a 2021 tainted with loss of health, life, and employment due to a pandemic that has haunted us and our loved ones for nearly a year. We woke up to hungry families, blatant racism expressed in violent ways, slower COVID vaccination rates than we first thought, and deadly riots that shocked our nation and threatened our democracy.

How can we respond?

We pray for our family, community, nation, and leaders.

We respect the opinions of others, as long as those opinions are not filled with hate that results in disrespect, violence, destruction, and harm to lives.

We continue to respectfully stand up for truth and for those who cannot stand for themselves.

And above all things:

We love!  We love others in practical ways - with our daily calls and texts, words of affirmation, employment if we can offer it, food if needed, financial gifts when possible, advocacy, strength in the presence of bullying, and sharing our best with them, Jesus and His words of grace, mercy, and hope for times such as these.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that times of need, hurt, hopelessness, and transition, present a great opportunity to bless people who are different. Even if they bug us, let’s not waste this opportunity.

by Jose Cortes Jr.