Reach - July, 2008

May 2008

North NSW Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

of the Seventh-day Church

July 2008

Advice for the Adventist Church from outside the denomination

By Adam Johnstone

The evangelistic heartbeat of the Adventist movement is still alive and well according to the research of Natural Church Development (NCD). Compared to the 55,000 churches surveyed around the world on all six continents, Adventist churches consistently score highly in the area NCD calls ‘Needoriented Evangelism’. That is, evangelism that speaks the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the lives of people outside the church in ways that meet their unique needs.

On the lower end of the scale for Adventist churches is the area of Wholistic Small Groups. This area relates to the deepening of relationships on the discipleship journey. As it stands, people are likely to find their way into Adventist fellowships on the basis of strong ‘Needoriented Evangelism’ but will struggle to find the intimate community necessary for growth and spiritual maturity. This serves to act as an incentive to remain on the fringe or even outside the local Adventist fellowship. Some in the local community could be heard saying, “Thanks for the invitation, but you

seem to like me more when I’m not part of your church so I’ll stay outside if that’s ok.”

Understanding evangelism and discipleship more as a journey than an event or program will be very important in the next phase of the Advent-

not just for what you can do for the church; a place where you feel part of a close caring family; a place where you are allowed to have problems and openly speak about them on your way to complete transformation in Christ.

Adventists have participated in the NCD process in 33 countries around the world and are the second most represented group out of the more than 100 denominations and movements in the NCD international database.

ist movement internationally. The evangelistic heart must be recognised, validated and put to work. But it will only be effective in as much as it is leads people into a fellowship characterised by authentic intimate community — a place where people are genuinely concerned for you and

Adam Johnstone is the Director of NCD Australia and one of the Directors of NCD International.

“Understanding evangelism and discipleship more as a journey than an event or program will be very important in the next phase of the Adventist movement.“

Is Your Church Healthy?

By Pr Murray Chapman

Do you wonder sometimes about the health of your local church? Is your church growing? Experience in my vegetable garden tells me that where there is health there is also growth. I am also reminded in my garden that a variety of factors contribute to health and therefore growth. A similar situation exists in the local church.

After quoting from Mark 4:26-29 in his book “Creating Healthy Adventist Churches through Natural Church Development,” Dr Russell Burrill goes on to say, “The seed does not work at growing. The farmer does not cause the seed to grow. All the farmer can do is to create healthy conditions for the seed: good soil, plenty of water, and a weed-free environment. Add sunshine and the seed sprouts and produces crops for the farmer. How? No one knows. It happens all by itself. It is not the work of the farmer that

causes the seed to grow, but the blessing of God upon healthy conditions.”

Like plants, healthy churches will naturally grow and thrive when certain conditions are present. Worldwide research in thousands of churches, including many Adventist churches, has identified eight quality characteristics always present in healthy, growing churches. These characteristics are:

1. Empowering leadership

2. Gift-oriented ministry

3. Passionate spirituality

4. Functional structures

5. Inspiring worship

6. Wholistic small groups

7. Need-oriented evangelism

8. Loving relationships

The quality of church life reflected in

My Journey from Mormonism to Adventism

By Shelia Pratt

My spiritual journey began as a 10 year old, when my mother gave me a pocket New Testament. I would read a chapter of it every day.

As a teenager I moved to Kenya with my parents. It was here that I met my husband and emigrated to Australia in 1960. After my marriage ended over 10 years later, I became depressed and searched for answers in the Baptist and Uniting churches as well as Buddhism and the New Age movement. I found nothing satisfying anywhere.

Praying for answers to my depression as my children started leaving home, two Mormon missionaries knocked on my door. I joined the church within four weeks and spent three and a half years on mission trips spreading the Mormon message. Returning from one of those trips I again found myself unfulfilled and lonely.

I started attending vegetarian cooking classes at Lismore Seventh-day Adventist church and instantly sensed in the people I met a deep love for Jesus

Christ and the Bible. I asked that I be allowed to attend services, assuring the pastor that I would never join the church.

The first time I went I felt the Holy Spirit very strongly, and I was so overwhelmed by my love for Jesus that I

the degree to which these characteristics are present correlates closely to the growth taking place in that church.

In speaking of Natural Church Development (NCD), Dr Burrill says, “This is the best tool for church growth analysis that I have seen in 25 years.” He is a firm believer in NCD and the potential it has for transforming Adventist churches to maximize their health and grow as God designed that they should. NCD also reflects the principles found in the Bible — principles which were used in the early Adventist church and written about by Ellen White.

The NCD process gives the participating church a profile of itself which provides a base to work from, allowing the areas most needing attention to be addressed first. Experience shows that this process works and churches are encouraged to become involved.

could hardly keep back the tears. I attended a Revelation seminar and learned things from the Bible that I had never known. Almost immediately I realised that Saturday, not Sunday, was the true Sabbath.

For many months I was in torment,

drawn to the Adventist church because of its Bible-based truths, and yet loving the Mormon church that I had been blessed by and belonged to for 10 years.

Finally, after much prayer and fasting, my Heavenly Father made His will very clear to me; that I should join the Adventist church where I would find many opportunities to serve Him. A tremendous peace and joy has filled my whole being since I made that decision.

Sheila Pratt

“For many months I was in torment, drawn to the Adventist church because of its Biblebased truths...”

Local Church Evangelism News

120 People Being Trained in Lay Evangelism

Central Coast Community Church is currently running ‘Just Walk Across the Room’, a training program that seeks to teach the laity how to make friends with the unchurched and share their faith with them in a natural way. There are currently 120 people, which includes non-Adventist and unchurched people, involved in this four week training program. Each week the worship service and sermon focus around this theme. During the week the 120 people join together in small groups to study the ‘Just Walk Across the Room’ curriculum. Wayne Krause, pastor of Central Coast Community Church, says that the aim of the program is to let church members know that they can share their faith with the unchurched in a natural way.

Lakeside to Run In the Footsteps of Paul Seminar

Commencing Thursday 17 July, 7:30 pm, Pastor Clive Nash will conduct a public seminar two nights per week for 10 weeks at the Bonnells Bay Youth and Community Centre, Fishery Point Road, Bonnells Bay. This program will run every Sunday and Thursday evening. From Thursday 31 July, the program will be held at the Lakeside Adventist Church Hall. This series features the programs hosted by Tony Moore as seen on Hope Channel and 3ABN.

Special Events Evangelism Success at Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge Church has found they have the greatest success with ‘one-off’ special occasions offered as evangelistic efforts.

On 15 March, a church service celebrating the life and teachings of St. Patrick of Ireland was held to which the public were invited. Using his own poetry and music, it was revealed from his Lorica how his beliefs were in complete harmony with the teachings of Scripture. The town looks forward to the National Day of Thanksgiving and Lightning Ridge Adventist Church is the only church that offers a special celebration on that day. As it was also Mothers' Day all the ladies were given white chrysanthemum corsages. In the afternoon corsages were

taken to the hospital and given to elderly ladies in the town.

Geoff Youlden at Raymond Terrace

On 23 May, 45 people enjoyed an evening with Geoff Youlden that kicked off an eight night evangelistic program. For the first two weekends of the program there was an attendance of 12–14 people. These visitors came in response to personal invitations, letterboxing and newspaper advertisements. The final two programs were held at church with seven visitors attending and most staying for lunch. Seven people signed up for

the prophecy seminar. Five people attended church the following Sabbath.

Tamworth ‘Kids Spot’ a Success

Tamworth church has developed ‘Kids Spot’, to encourage more children to attend church. This is a Sabbath School program that runs from 9:00am to 10:30am each Sabbath morning. It is aimed at 6–12 year olds and includes singing, Bible stories, quizzes, health spots and crafts. Up to 25 community kids have regularly attended for the past two years. One lady has been baptized as a result of the program.

30 June - 28 July

What’s On

2008

Bridging the Gap, Avondale Memorial Church

8 - 29 July Bridging the Gap, Erina Church

Commencing 17 July In the Footsteps of Paul, Bonnells Bay Youth & Community Centre

11 - 16 Aug

Family Matters with Mike Tucker, Avondale Memorial Church

30 Aug - 6 Sep Dr Hyveth Williams at Avondale Memorial Church

3 - 11 Oct NNSW Conference Big Camp 2009

18 - 22 Jan Islamic Conference, Avondale College, Dr Jon Paulein & Dr William Johnsson

6 - 9 Mar Empower the People, Yarrahapinni

Bridging the Gap

Church Plant 2008

Thank you for your response to the appeal for a church plant in Newcastle. Donations are coming in and prayers are being sent up. Praise the Lord! The challenge is great but our God is far greater. His vision for reaching Newcastle is much larger than we dare to dream.

What is our vision?

We want a pastoral team in place by 31 October this year. During 2009 we want this team to establish evangelistic small groups based in homes and build a strong core group through prayer and Bible study.

We are planning a city-wide crusade in 2010 and by the grace of God hope to establish a new congregation in Australia’s largest non-capital city.

Can you help? Has God blessed you financially or given you the burden to pray for a lost city?

If you would like to make a donation to this project please contact the NNSW Conference Office.

Phone: (02) 4951 8088

E-mail: johnlang@adventist.org.au

Reach Fourfold Purpose

The purpose of Reach is to:

Erina Church

Commencing Tuesday 8 July

Each Tuesday Night for Four Weeks

Concludes Tuesday 29 July

Presenter: Pr Justin Lawman

1. Inform the members of the NNSW Conference about the channels through which the Holy Spirit is working to reach souls in our Conference

2. Inspire members with what God is doing in our Conference

3. Motivate members and churches into evangelistic action

4. Generate funding toward specific evangelistic projects in our Conference.

North NSW Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church