Dear Church Family, We have much to be thankful for as we near the completion of our piping project. God has blessed us with skilled hands and willing hearts who gave their time and talents to make this project possible. We are deeply grateful to R.W. LaPine, who replaced the piping and completed the work two weeks before the schedule. We also thank Randal Mack of Randy’s Quality Painting, who refreshed the children’s Sabbath School classrooms with his excellent painting work. Matthew Karpinski also deserves our appreciation for reinstalling the ceiling grids. Last but certainly not least, a very special thank you goes to William Colwell, our maintenance manager. William’s leadership, faithfulness, and diligence have been central to seeing this project through. William has been a steady and reliable force throughout the process, from assisting me with coordinating each step of the work to replacing the ceiling tiles and other relevant tasks. If you see him around, please take a moment to thank him personally for his tireless commitment to our church. Where are we now? Most ceiling tiles are in, and while there are other minor tasks, the final major task ahead is the installation of new carpet. We’ve been informed that the carpet is expected sometime in November, bringing us very close to the joyful completion of this entire project. Thank you, church family, for your prayers, encouragement, and support during this time of renewal in our building. We look forward to celebrating once everything is complete!
Stories in the Rearview Mirror
Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
“Stories in the Rearview Mirror:
Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500”
- T4T
- In the first 10 years of the movement, it grew from zero to 1.7 million baptized disciples in 150,000 churches—and is now growing now at a rate of 2,000 groups/churches per month!
- Steve Smith and Ying Kai: “Today the movement might best be described as a sort of super church-planting movement. It has become so large that it is impossible to track all that is going on. But it is clear that an entire Asian region has been saturated with the kingdom of God, and the ripples of its effect are now touching people groups in other countries and continents.” (T4T—A Discipleship Re-Revolution Loc 211)
- ACTS
- Acts 2:46, 47—“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from to , they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
- They together in their homes.
- They together in their homes.
- Acts 5:42—“Day after day, in the temple courts and from to , they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”
- They the Scripture together in their homes.
- Acts 12:12—“[Peter] went to the of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”
- They together in their homes.
- Acts 20:20—“‘You know that I [Paul] have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from to .’”
- They together in their homes.
- Romans 16:5/1 Corinthians 1:6—“Greet also the church that meets in [Pricilla and Aquilla’s] .”
- Colossians 4:15—“Give my greetings to Nympha and the church in her .”
- Philemon 1, 2—“To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, and the church that meets in your .”
- The early church that grew by thousands, grew by .
- Acts 2:46, 47—“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from to , they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
- PIONEERS
- “Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could have been no comparison. We wept and wept, till the day dawn. I mused in my own heart, saying, ‘My advent experience has been the richest and brightest of all my Christian experience. If this has proved a failure, what was the rest of my Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure? Is there no God, no heaven, no golden home city, no Paradise? Is all this but a cunningly devised fable? Is there no reality to our fondest hopes and expectation of these things?’ And thus we had something to grieve and weep over, if all our fondest hopes were lost. And as I said, we wept, till the day dawn.” (F. D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry, 247-248)
- “Heaven seemed open to my view, and I saw distinctly, and clearly, that instead of our High Priest coming out of the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to come to this earth . . . , that He for the first time entered on that day the second apartment of that sanctuary, and that He had a work to perform in the most holy before coming to this earth.” (Nichols 458)
- Ellen Harmon: “I was visiting Mrs. Haines at Portland, a dear sister in Christ, whose heart was knit with mine; five of us, all women, were kneeling quietly at the family altar. While we were praying, the power of God came upon me as I had never felt it before.” (Life Sketches 64)
- Ellen White: “The formation of small [groups] as a basis of Christian effort has been presented to me by One who cannot err. . . . As they work and pray in Christ’s name, their numbers will ; for the Saviour says: ‘If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.’ Matthew 18:19” (Testimonies to the Church 7:21-22).
- TODAY
- Timothy Keller: “We live in a culture in which the interests and desires of the individual take precedence over those of the family, group or community. . . . [But] there is no way you will be able to grow spiritually apart from a deep involvement in a of other believers. You can’t live the Christian life without a of Christian friends, without a family of believers in which you find a place.” (Prodigal God 139-141)
- Kenda Creasy Dean: “When nominally religious people experience the church as a community of people who embrace first and preach later, who celebrate life in those given up for dead, who err on the side of grace in matters of doctrine and politics so that no one, ever, must sit on the margins—we’re far less likely to lose people around the edges.” (Christianity Today March, 2014, p 25)
- GROW Groups—a circle of new friends:
- Who will share the same interest
- Who will pray together
- Who will study the Bible together
- Who will party together (a social night)
- Who will serve together (a service project)
- Who will have one empty chair—to fill with a friend who needs Jesus
- Keller: “You will never be able to [get to know Jesus better] by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church, in Christian community, with strong relationships of love and accountability. Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness.” (142-143)
If you want to grow, you have to “group.”
Reggie and Ladye Love Smith are two of the world’s most sought-after vocalists. They have been performing as part of the award-winning “Gaither Gospel Series” which airs weekly on television networks all over North America and Europe. Reggie is currently a member of the Gaither Vocal Band and Lady is touring with the band as a soloist on their nationwide tours. With unending energy, plus a wealth of talent and a genuinely sweet spirit, this couple makes beautiful music wherever they go. Join us at the Howard Performing Arts Center on November 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm and enjoy an exceptional evening of Christian music. Please go to https://howard.andrews.edu to purchase your tickets or you can drop by the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University, in person, to purchase your tickets.
Pioneer Operating Budget
My wife and I were committed to teaching our children to be self-reliant from an early age. We encouraged them to master basic tasks such as washing hands and dressing, and to take responsibility for their life choices, including choosing life partners and careers.
However, while cultivating their independence was a priority, we also wanted them to understand the importance of spiritual dependence. In a spiritual sense, the Bible does not promote self reliance.
Instead, it champions the idea of depending on God in all aspects of life. It teaches us that we must learn to trust God completely and surrender our worries and plans to Him. In our pursuit of self-reliance, we often find it difficult to let go and trust God.
We worry about our jobs, our health, our finances, and our future. We fret over things we cannot control, which leaves us anxious and stressed. This anxiety and stress consume our thoughts and energy, diverting us from the time we should be devoting to prayer, worship, and service to others.
We must learn to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV). This reliance on God is achieved when we place our complete trust in Him, rather than depending on our own wisdom.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The Family Life Committee invites our church family to the Annual Hayride at Five Pines Ministries. Come enjoy hayrides through the woods, a bonfire with s'mores, warm food, and even warmer fellowship. Sunday, October 12, 5-7 PM, 6597 Smith Rd in Berrien Center. Join us for this fun, autumn tradition!
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among individuals 15 to 29-year-olds. Sadly, more than 720 000 people die due to suicide every year with 49,000 reported in the USA. According to the World Health Organization, in wealthier countries, suicide is often linked to mental health conditions like depression, alcohol problems, or a history of suicide attempts. Still, many suicides happen suddenly in moments of crisis, when people feel unable to cope with challenges such as money troubles, relationship conflicts, long-term pain, or illness. Suicide is preventable and help is available. Call 988 for assistance if you or someone needs immediate intervention. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom, 15:13).
Pizza & Parables, Where faith meets flavor! Every Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 PM, high school students are invited for pizza, Bible study, and friends. Come hungry for both food and the Word! Meet in the Pioneer Youth Chapel.
The Lake Michigan College Sonography Program at the Benton Harbor campus is offering a free 4D Ultrasound for pregnant volunteers. Appointments are available on Tuesdays in October and November. Volunteers must be between 21 and 35 weeks at time of scan. This free opportunity helps to support the LMC sonography students.
A Memorial Service for Dr. Russell Staples, Professor Emeritus and longtime Pioneer member who passed away in April will be held on Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 PM, in the Seminary Chapel.
Please join us for House of Prayer Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the Earliteen Loft for a time of singing, Bible study and prayer.
Small groups for PMC, known as Grow Groups, are now beginning for the fall semester. Please text "JOIN" to 269-281-2345 to view the groups and choose one or more that interests you. If would would like to lead your own group, text "LEAD" to the same number, and complete and submit the form.