What It Means to Be Church

Focus

“I have called you friends,” Jesus told His disciples (John 15:15). That’s such a high compliment. And the same can be said of us when we join Christ’s body, the church. We’re no longer servants; we’re friends.

Jesus’ ministry captured what it means to be friends with Jesus. He told Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). He asked the woman at Jacob’s well “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7). He told the thief on the cross, “You will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Now that we’re friends with Jesus, it’s our responsibility to invite others to join this fellowship. Friends care for each other; they look out for each other; they believe the best about each other.

No other human institution can match the companionship found in the church. As we live for Christ, our friendship with Him will be reflected in our friendships with each other. In this section we remember that with great privilege comes great responsibility.—Editors.

Snowbirds Seeking warmth when it’s winter

BY A. ALLAN MARTIN

Most of my childhood was spent in Florida, United States, which is known as the Sunshine State. As a kid I was always amazed that during the height of winter, when we locals would be layered and bundled, visitors would be in shorts and flip flops—some even enjoying the beach or swimming in a pool. In January!

But it’s 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) outside! Brrrrr!

These people often came from the northern United States, where it was bitterly cold; and many had come south to escape the frigid temperatures and harsh conditions. I heard some of those folk called “snowbirds,” because they “migrate” to places of warmth and sunshine. Leave the cold, go where it’s warm. Smart move, snowbirds! Smart move.

WHAT’S THE CLIMATE IN YOUR CHURCH?

Those words, “escaping the cold,” brought to my mind life today in the church, and how sometimes our faith communities can be downright nose-numbing chilly. Recently I posted a comment on social media that received considerable reaction online:

“What I love about that church is they are so cold and condescending,” said no one ever.

The departure of young people, as well as people of all ages, from relationally cold churches has been well documented in research. 1 It seems like common sense for warm

blooded humans. “I don’t like the cold; I want to go where it’s warm.”

Could a change of interpersonal temperature be a key to not only keeping but also attracting young people into local church life?

Authors Kara Powell, Brad Griffin, and Jake Mulder, in their book Growing Young, researched more than 250 congregations that were drawing young people into their churches. In speaking to more than 1,300 young churchgoers ages 15 to 29, the authors discovered what next generations want: authenticity and connection. 2

In a word: warmth.

The Growing Young authors analyzed the terms that young adults used to describe the churches or faith communities that they chose, and noticed these words repeatedly: welcoming, accepting, belonging, authentic, hospitable, and caring. The authors began to call this finding the “warmth cluster.”

My friend and mentor Roger Dudley put it best:

“I concluded that while there are many factors in retention, I really think that the congregational climate is perhaps the most important thing of all. Young people, when they think about Seventh-day Adventists, don’t think about the denomination as a whole. To them, Adventism is thatcongregation. If that congregation is a warm, accepting place, then Seventh-day Adventism must be a good thing. If that congregation is a place that is struggling, then they wonder, ‘What’s the matter with Adventists?’ I guess adults do that too, but young people do it particularly.” 3

REASONS TO BELONG

This rings true for me, too. When I think back to the reasons I have remained in love with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, my first impulse has rarely been to point to a belief, doctrine, policy, or cultural practice. It’s just as rare that I point to a building, location, or region.

When I identify what has adhered me to the faith, it is almost always a fond memory of a person that embodied the “warmth cluster,” someone who was Jesus to me. From my teen years through young adulthood I can point to people who showed belief in me, interest, and most certainly . . . warmth. I can name wonderful and warm Christ followers who made it hard for me to imagine being anywhere other than the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

As an adult, and having lived at times where winters can be brutal, I definitely identify with the snowbirds who are drawn to places where the sun shines and the climate is warm. Like young people, I, too, tend to migrate to spiritual spaces where people are kind and the relationship temperature is inviting. May our churches be filled with warm, accepting, genuine relationships.

Next time a snowbird flutters to your faith community, what will the temperature be? My prayer is that they will find in you a person who is welcoming, accepting, authentic, hospitable, and caring.

Be warm.

1 Report by Alex Bryant at 2019 eHuddle, www.facebook.com/ NADAdventist/videos/562687697544563/ 2 growingyoungadventists.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/warm-isthe-new-cool/ 3 www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2009/01/embracing-those-who-reject-religion

A. Allan Martin, Ph.D., is the teaching pastor for Younger Generation Church, the young adult ministry of the Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church in Texas, United States (ygchurch.com).

Warming Things Up

Here are some suggestions to fuel a warm community in your local church:

New to You

Introduce yourself to those you don’t know. Having some intentionality to your approach is important so that you don’t stumble in your attempt (saying “Hi, you’re new here,” only to find out they have been attending for some time). Saying something like “Hi, you’re new to me. My name is __________,” allows you to meet new people at church, work, or school.

Food

It used to be customary to invite new people over for lunch after Sabbath services. But with time this practice has faded some. Meals are still a great way to get to know people, and for young people food is always attractive. You may find it rewarding to regularly make new friends over a meal.

Serve Side by Side

Community service, humanitarian causes, and social justice afford all generations opportunities to work alongside each other to help those in need. Such opportunities also serve to forge friendships and meet people with whom you might not otherwise interact. Be intentional to serve regularly and look to build relationships with those around you.

For more ideas about fueling warm relationships, go to GrowingYoungAdventists.com.

Plant Them, Grow Them, Keep Them

The fine art of engaging and encouraging members new and old

BY MARCOS TORRES

The local Adventist church has a beautiful message and a compelling mission focused on biblical truth and evangelism. Active churches run programs to connect with their local communities and host annual reaping series designed to encourage decisions. Reports are sent to the local conference. Smiles and celebrations ensue.

But that’s not the full story. In some parts of the world “one in three people [leave] the church after being baptized, in less than three years. The precise ratio [is] 43 people lost for every 100 new converts.” *

Let that sink in. Nearly half of those who join the Seventh-day Adventist Church are gone within the first three years.

The obvious question to follow such a sobering statistic is What can we do to reverse this trend?

Prayer is key, for without it all our efforts will fall flat. But what can we combine with our prayer efforts, something practical that we can implement to slow the tide? Here are five simple steps to help retain new members.

BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE

Chances are you won’t be able to reverse member exodus while it’s happening. It’s almost too late. But you can learn to adapt so that it doesn’t happen again.

Sit down with your leadership team and map out a simple, sustainable method to increase member retention. This process usually revolves around three simple practices: (1) Build relationships with new members (at least three close church friends for every new member). (2) A “next step” for recently baptized members (most churches baptize them and forget them—no further training; no further study; no discipleship). (3) Consistent pastoral care. The pastor shouldn’t be the only one doing this. Each elder should be charged to care for a particular number of members (be sure to observe proper boundaries for vulnerable or single members).

LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND

The previous step is necessary to prevent backsliding. But once this ball is rolling, it’s nearly impossible to stop. But we can help stop the momentum. Don’t do anything without prayer. From there, meet with those who seem to be pulling back, and do nothing but listen. Do not preach. Do not scold. Do not give a Bible study about the importance of church attendance. And please do not approach them with “spiritual life threats” (such as “We are living in the end-times”; “You won’t make it if you . . .”; or “You are going to be lost if you . . .”). Instead, simply listen. When you do talk, do it to clarify, ask questions, and encourage, not to “put them in their place.”

SERVE THEIR NEEDS

People drop out of church for a variety of reasons. Most of the time it’s a life crisis, a situation or issue they find embarrassing or overwhelming. Sometimes they drop off because someone in church hurt them, or because they

Jesus Called Them

The process of going from followers to disciples

Tara VinCross is senior pastor of the Azure Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church in southern California, United States. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andrews University in biblical spirituality and discipleship. “I enjoy inspiring people to live out their calling and use their gifts to bring others into the more abundant life Jesus spoke about,” she says.

In a recent interview VinCross spoke about guiding members— young and old—in the path of discipleship.—Editors.

simply did not feel connected. Yes, sometimes they begin to doubt the church’s doctrines.

Whatever the case, don’t defend the church or its teachings. Instead, seek to serve. Treat them as you would a wounded person by seeking to mend their wounds and nurture them back to health.

MAINTAIN A CONNECTION

You may be thinking, All this sounds awfully passive! Isn’t there anything a little more forceful we can do to get them to snap out of it? After all, we’re dealing with eternal life, aren’t we?

The answer to that question: it depends. You cannot undo years of spiritual malpractice by suddenly getting tough with people. If your church has failed to nurture, strengthen, and disciple believers, what gives you the right to freak out when they fall away? Where was all that energy when they were among you, struggling, ignored, and unnoticed?

But there are rare cases in which you might come down a bit tougher. If the person is a close friend, someone you have invested in, then you have more leverage. Tough words spoken in love go much further when they are said in a context of loving connection. This is why prayer, listening, and serving are so important.

But if all else fails, maintain a connection. Make sure the person knows that even if they never return to church, they are loved and cared for there.

CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT

When a plant fails to grow in a particular environment, don’t reintroduce the plant to the same environment. Instead, change the environment—temperature, sunlight, air, water, etc. Make sure that the environment is conducive to growth.

Sadly, many churches lose members, then reintroduce new ones to the exact environment that caused the loss of the previous ones. If we are serious about retaining new believers we must change our environment into a healthier, more growth-inducing climate that will disciple new converts in their walk with God and others.

* Adrian Zahid, “Beyond the One Project: The War Over the Local Church,” thecompassmagazine.com/blog/beyond-the-one-projectthe-war-over-the-local-church-5a.

Marcos Torres is pastor of the Victoria Park and Joondalup Seventh-day Adventist churches in Western Australia. For more insights into church mission and leadership follow his podcast at www.TheChurchStoryProject.com.

What principles are essential to this discipleship process?

I’m trying to cultivate knowing, being, and doing, those three elements. There would be increased knowledge of God; then people would actually live out their faith, to live their purpose.

It includes a whole section on praying, devotional reading of Scripture, different ways of connecting in relationship with God according to different learning styles. Because not everyone reacts or responds in the same way.

What’s the process?

It’s a class format, but it’s very interactive. It’s a limited closed group, a set period of time. The first one I did was 12 weeks. We did an all-day retreat, one day at the beginning and one day at the end. [Participants] had to be able to commit to a one-day retreat, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., [then] 12 nights once a week, and one full day at the end. We called it a discipleship group.

Do most new members resonate with this?

The relationships get so strong between the people who participate together. Every group has been between 12 and 16 people because they get close to each other.

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Rosie Fraser

What’s Your Purpose?

Joining the church is just the beginning.

BY JEFFREY O. BROWN

The headline captured my attention: “Man sues parents for giving birth to him ‘without his consent.’” 1 Why did you give birth to me, he effectively argued to his parents, when life has no purpose?

What’s yours?

Birth without a relationship is tragic; so is new birth without discipleship. Discipleship is simply the process of loving those whom Jesus loves. Let me share some ideas for an effective life as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Devotional life. Try to spend an hour with Jesus each day. Divide it up: a half hour in the morning, five minutes here or there, and some time before bed. Read or listen to the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Sabbath School lesson. Journal your thoughts. Write down prayer requests and answers to prayer. Have a prayer partner, an accountability partner, or be in a small group.

Idea implementation. Join an existing ministry or create a new one. The Metro Mission in Sandton (Johannesburg), South Africa, is passionate about seven-day discipleship, not seventh-day discipleship. Their life groups include FunDaMental (men), Clarity (Bible study), The Movement (youth), Empower Her (women), The Squad (football), professional business women’s prayer (women meeting for midday prayer), BeLifeSum (health), and Worth Fighting For (family life). These life groups provide an authentic place for members to establish relationships with unchurched persons.

Social media. Rachel Aitken, founder of Digital Discipleship

Jesus Called Them

continued Every person is put into a group of four that is like their family group throughout the discipleship process. They also have a spiritual companion, one other person they’re talking to throughout the entire time. They pray together, and there’s an accountability element to that relationship.

Is this something you expect new members to participate in? Or do you open it up to older, established members as well?

I’ve always kept it open to both, because I’ve found that you can be like the older brother inside the church who never left, but who never knew the Father’s love. It’s always been a blessing to both, to be able to have some who are longtime members who needed and desired growth, and to have those individuals alongside newer members.

What form does discipleship take now that you’re senior pastor of an institutional church of 2,300 members?

Sabbath School is [one] of our best avenues for discipleship. People are part of Sabbath School here. We have to look at the context and say, “OK, Sabbath School is the best way people are connecting in small groups; where they’re being taught, discipled; where they’re known and they know others. How can we be more intentional about using that time [for discipleship]?”

in Australia, told me, “Meet the needs of people within your community in the digital space. Encourage your church members to engage in conversations on their social media accounts. . . . Provide support for people on your social media accounts, in forums, or on your church website. Consider having a section about parenting, health, or prayer. Host an online Bible study or prayer meeting. Livestream a cooking class. Always seek to meet people’s needs, whatever they may be.”

Community outreach. Every second Sabbath of the month our church has an abbreviated service, then goes into the community. Musicians, singers, and other volunteers go to a nursing home. Visitation teams go visit those who are sick and housebound. Other members serve at interfaith food shelters. We assist in neighborhood revitalization and in giving individualized support to move families from poverty to economic self-sufficiency. It’s about service, not serve-us.

Intimacy integration. When you got baptized you not only joined Christ, you joined His family. It’s not always easy to become close to people you don’t know. So make an intentional effort. Host a Welcome to the Family program involving your entire church, including new members, learning together about health, spiritual, family, and church dynamics, and improving relationships. 2

Project Participation. Participate in a mission project, at home or overseas. I did a student missionary year in Ghana, West Afria, when I was in college. There is nothing like it.

Legacy building. Take somebody with you, perhaps a young person. Let them catch the fire of discipleship. At the University of Arusha in Tanzania, a freshman theology student was assigned as my translator. Victor performed his task well. I realized that this was more than a ministry assignment—this was a mentoring window. He later wrote: “Know that there is a millennial in Tanzania who is following your footsteps.” Who are you bringing with you?

Everyday deposits. Pray for those you want to reach, and for opportunities to perform daily acts of kindness. Deposits for Jesus: Every Member, Everyday Witnessing has more than 400 practical ways to make witnessing deposits, including social media deposits for young people. 3 George Webber states, “Our job is to discover those who have been forgotten and do what we can to be a sign of love and hope. . . . [Our signs] will not be for the sake of getting new members or winning converts. Simply, we live in the style of our Lord . . . , offering our love without any ulterior motive.” 4

A little boy was found crying because he had lost the note his mother had given him for his schoolteacher, explaining why he didn’t have a birth certificate. The boy cried, “I have lost my excuse for being born.”

When we live out what it means to be disciples, we will find our purpose. What’s yours?

1 www.wivb.com/news/man-sues-parents-for-giving-birth-to-himwithout-his-consent1/1766482167 2 www.adventsource.org/store/adult-ministries/family-ministries/ welcome-to-the-family-38153 3 Ashton O’Neil, Deposits for Jesus: Every Member, Everyday Witnessing (Port of Spain, Trinidad: Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2018). 4 George W. Webber, Today’s Church: A Community of Exiles and Pilgrims (Nashville: Abingdon, 1979), p. 96.

Jeffrey O. Brown is associate secretary of the General Conference Ministerial Association and associate editor of Ministry. He also serves as pastor for discipleship at Emmanuel-Brinklow Seventhday Adventist Church, Ashton, Maryland, United States.

What is your counsel to those who want to take the next step in discipleship?

First to leaders: Everything else will crowd out what’s most important. But being a disciple and making disciples is worth blocking out the time for. In every area of our ministry we can ask, “How are we growing disciples here?”

We were designed to grow in relationship. So whether you’re going through the book of Romans or the book of John, reading another book by another author, read a chapter a week and gather together to read and pray. Something happens when we make intentional space to grow with other believers, nurturing those relationships.

I have seen transformation happen. A person in the first group came to me when we were going to read Scripture. He said, “They can do it, but I can’t. I know it works for other people, but I can’t. I can’t hear God.”

I talked him through it, this whole idea that we come to God exactly as we are and that it is the acceptance and love of God that leads us to experience the Spirit, this growth, this transformation. As we had that conversation, I prayed with him, and he reengaged with Scripture and with God. His eyes lit up with joy at experiencing God.

That’s what I want people to know: that God wants to meet with them.