SDA Mission & Ministry

[Gregory Matthews]

In my travels as a military chaplain, I have witnessed many SDA Congregations that struggled to exist.  Often, they lacked essential resources for ministry in their community.  They may have operated without a clear sensis of what the intended goal of the program was and never were evaluated to determine whether or not they were effective.

As a military chaplain, a major commander once called my supervisor in and asked him to give the Commander, a document outlining how chaplains would contribute to the overall success of the organization.  My boss gave me that task to me, and I wrote a 110-page document which he presented to the Commander.  Unfortunately, he did not read which I had written prior to presenting it to the Commander.  NOTE:  The Commander read every word it.

To illustrate my thinking on this, I have decided to illustrate with a a common SDA ministry of providing food to the needy in a community.

*  Mission is probably the first aspect of the congregation ministry that should be determined.  In our example, that mission could be simply to provide food to the needy, or it could have the addition aspect of increasing congregational membership.  This is a critical difference that impacts on every other aspect of the ministry.

* Resources needed:  An obvious response is that a source of food is needed.  Will it be a free source, such as a food bank, or will food have to be purchased.  Sometimes some food will need to be purchased.  If so, are the finances needed available.  People will be needed to operate the distribution.  When the mission is simply to distribute food, the workers can come from outside the congregation.  If the mission includes increasing the membership, whether the congregation can supply the needed member to operate the distribution is critically important.  Will the congregation e able to supply any needed funding is also critical.  NOTE:  In my thinking the Church Board has the overall responsibility to provide all needed resources, not the person in charge.

* Evaluation:  Are the objectives being accomplished?  If not, what is the needed correction that must be made to accomplish the objectives?  In our example, if it is desired to increase membership and that is not happening, what needs to be done to correct that?

Note:  On a personal basis, I think that many struggling congregations have reached the point where they are unable to survive and accomplish ministry outside of help for a higher level such as the Conference.

I also believe that in order to survive and do ministry each viable congregation must have the following, not listed in priority:

* The finances needed to run a successful program.

* A sufficient congregational size, which has been estimated by some to be abut 200.  Yes, I believe that the Conference can be of help in this aspect.

*  Sufficient capable leadership.  Let us face it, individual members are not capable of filling every needed position in the congregational life.  Yes, I believe that the 'Conference will often be able to help in this.

* Be a welcoming congregation.  A congregation which holds high standards that few can meet, is not going to retain members. I have seen such.

NOTE:  Some reading this may wonder if I have any specific congregation/Conference in mind.  I will simply say:  If the shoe fits, put it on.  My desire is to stimulate thought.

[Asia Joe]

Quote

 Mission is probably the first aspect of the congregation ministry that should be determined.  In our example, that mission could be simply to provide food to the needy, or it could have the addition aspect of increasing congregational membership.  This is a critical difference that impacts on every other aspect of the ministry.

This is common throughout the world. The church members have no common purpose. In churches where they know their mission, there is no growth problem. 

Once, after many months, I convince a district pastor with 12 churches, the importance of community service as a mission. Then his wife was transferred to another island and he went with her. 

Churches without a mission, stumble along. It is not a simple thing to get the local church into mission mode. 

[Hanseng]

2 minutes ago, Joe Knapp said:

It is not a simple thing to get the local church into mission mode. 

If mission is important to you, consider the JWs. Their congregations are/used to be training schools for their members to do personal evangelism. Members were/are expected to devote certain hours every month to door to door evangelism. Members who excelled in this work might secure a paid position to do evangelism in other parts of the world.

An acquaintance of mine was from Kazakhstan. He had heard of JWs, knew something of their teachings. Never heard of 7th day Adventists 

[Asia Joe]

I am a lay evangelist, so mission is important to me. 

[Hanseng]

5 hours ago, Joe Knapp said:

lay evangelist

Joe, I noticed that EGW used the following expressions in her writings: Gospel medical missionary evangelists, medical missionary evangelists, gospel medical missionaries, medical missionaries who labor in evangelistic lines. Could you explain what a "lay evangelist" is? 

[Asia Joe]

I am not employed by a conference or mission. But I hold evangelistic meetings. Later this year I will start a new set of meetings. Evolution VS Creation.   There is a lot of scientific evidence proving evolution is impossible. Dr James Tour has many videos on it.  The difficulty is to make the complex, a simple thing to understand. 

[Hanseng]

10 hours ago, Joe Knapp said:

There is a lot of scientific evidence proving evolution is impossible.

Do you really understand the science behind the creation evolution debate?

[Asia Joe]

Not all of it. But enough. And far more than the basic science teachers. I had no interest in learning chemistry until Dr James Tour came along. Now it is fascinating. 

[Hanseng]

19 hours ago, Joe Knapp said:

more than the basic science teachers.

Joe, A "basic science teacher," depending on where they teach, would probably hold, at minimum, a master's degree in their field. If, by watching YouTube videos, you have acquired more knowledge than they, I commend you. 

[Asia Joe]

It has the nickname YouTube University.  There are deep videos on that platform. You can learn so much.