Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight 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

Saturday, March 07, 2020
Program: 
Introit
The Pure in Heart • Patrick Hawes
Songs of Praise
Open The Eyes Of My Heart • I Am A Friend of God • Living Hope
Prayer
Amen • Patrick Hawes
Pioneer Life
Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
Kum Ba Yah (Come by Here) • Philip Jones
Nathan Fernandez
Worship in Music
Jubilate Deo (Rejoice in God) • Dan Forrest
Homily
“PREPARED?—Turning Young Parents Into Vital Mentors”
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes, & Offerings
Pioneer Operating Budget
Hymn of Commitment
Lead Them, My God, to Thee • 653
Benediction

PREPARED?—Turning Young Parents into Vital Mentors
www.newperceptions.tv

 

7 Mentoring Practices for Parents with Children

• Practice #1—Parents must worship the of the child. (Luke 1:67-68)

—It’s one of the great laws of parenting: You can’t pass on what you don’t .

• Practice #2—Parents must declare the of the child. (Luke 1:60-63)

• Practice #3—Parents must pronounce the of the child. (Luke 1:76)

—Gary Smalley and John Trent: “Before the children can walk, they should be carried on the Sabbath and on the Holy Days to their father and mother to receive their blessing. After they are able to walk, they should go to them of their own accord, with body bent and with head bowed, to receive the Blessing.” (The Blessing 33)

• #4—Parents must focus on the of the child. (Luke 1:68-79)

—Donna Habenicht (How to Help Your Child Really Love Jesus):

• Show your children Jesus’ love through love: Hug your baby while you say, “Mommy loves you and Jesus loves you.”

• Paint a   picture of Jesus: Instead of “Oh my, how sad you have made Jesus,” emphasize a smiling Jesus, “How happy Jesus is with what you have just done.”

• Encourage spontaneous with Jesus: “Jesus Christie feels so sad . . . please help her to feel happy soon.”

• Joyfully introduce Jesus through   and pictures about His life: My Bible Friends is a beautiful way for youngsters to meet Jesus, and so is a picture of Jesus surrounded by children hanging in your child’s bedroom.

• “Remind them that Jesus hurts when they hurt. That He would love to take them in His arms and comfort them. Tell them Jesus can be their best friend, their forever friend . . . who never abandons them.” (130)

• “The most important and impressive thing you can do is to show your children openly how much love Jesus, and they will learn to love Him, too.” (130)

• Practice #5—Parents must confirm the of the child. (Luke 1:76-79)

—Re John the Baptist: “From childhood his mission had been kept before him, and he had accepted the holy trust.” (Desire of Ages 101)

• Practice #6—Parents must seek the Spirit’s of the child. (Luke 1:67, 80)

Desire of Ages: “Even the babe in its mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, even from their earliest moments.” (512)

• Practice #7—Parents must control the of the child. (Luke 1:15, 80)

—Q: How can parents today create a “wilderness environment” for their children? A: You control what comes into your .

—The very word “wilderness” suggests “less” is better.

• Less .

• Less .

• Less .

 

“Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

 

Offering for January 24, 2026

Michigan Advance Partners

The Conference leadership is tasked with guiding the churches in proclaiming the gospel in their areas. They do this in at least four ways. First, they provide pastors and specialized personnel like Family Ministries. Second, they encourage conference-sponsored evangelism activities done through pastors and members. Third, the conference supports and supervises Adventist schools. Fourth, they collaborate with the local congregations to build churches, schools, and other facilities.

For much of this work, the Conference depends on the local church and its members for their financial contributions, as the tithe only covers the salaries of the pastors and other specialized conference ministries and personnel. To finance the remainder of these projects, most conferences collect an offering once per month. The name for this offering may vary in some conferences, but it is generally called Conference Advance. While each giver must decide for themselves how much to give, it is recommended that each of us give the equivalent of 1.2% of our income. When this offering is collected, the local treasurer will then forward it to the conference.

Thank you for your committed support to the conference initiatives through your giving and for not becoming “weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:2, 9, ESV).

May you receive the bountiful blessings of God today.

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Something in Common back in the commons!

 Hello, church family. After moving from room to room as space allowed, Something in Common is returning to our roots and will meet in the Commons again starting this week. Something in Common focuses on relationships: with God, with others, in marriage, and in parenting, featuring a variety of speakers and topics. Our current series, Vertical Marriage, wraps up next week. If you’re interested, come check us out.

Love on the Move

 God's Hands 4 Kids, a PMC Grow Group outreach to our community serving foster, adoptive, kinship and guardianship families partnering with Berrien County Department Of Health and Human Services. As a gift to the families served by them and as a gift to the community of ministry leaders and professionals, we will be providing Hope for the Journey, a video conference on Trust Based Relational Intervention - trauma,  on Sunday afternoons in February here at PMC. It is produced by Show Hope. For more information and to register go to our website GH4K.org

Honduras Mission update

Honduras Mission: Our 20 person Youth Mission Team sang, camped, taught, laughed and prayed. They also conducted a day camp for about 60 children, built a two car garage, led 19 worships, set up a security system, and provided food for 60 families. Thank you for your prayers and support for Pioneer Youth Missions.

With This in Mind...

 Forgiveness, a key aspect of the Christian experience, promotes mental and physical well-being. Research shows it reduces emotional tension, psychological conflict, and even psychosomatic pain. Dr. Karen Swartz of Johns Hopkins notes that anger triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, raising heart rate, blood pressure, and disease risk. Forgiveness, by contrast, fosters peace and lowers depression, anxiety, and stress. As Scripture reminds us, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). Go ahead! Enjoy peace of mind.

Adventist Seniors of Michiana (ASM) January Meeting

DINNER FOR SENIORS Sunday, January 25, from 1 to 3 PM, Andrews Academy invites all senior citizens (55 or better) to a banquet at the Academy, to thank us and give us a report on how our support has been a blessing. Bring your appetite and your checkbook, and come enjoy the program and food they are preparing for us.

Master Guide Toolbox!

Please join us for the next Master Guide Toolbox event at the Andrews University Seminary, February 6-7, 2026! Share with your friends, colleagues, students or in your newsletters! If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Logan at cjhlogan@gmail.com. Spread the word! 

Introducing Parent Circle: A Sabbath Space for Growing Together

Parent Circle is a new discipleship space where parents of kids ages 4–12 connect, study the Bible, and grow together while their children are in Sabbath School. The resource area features a lending library, as well as support for completing youth and children’s ministry certifications. Join us on any Sabbath, anytime from 10:30-11:30 AM.

A British Winter's Night: Wind Symphony Winter Concert

A British Winter’s Night concert will be an evening of lively traditional British tunes and ballads.  From the popular Vaughan Williams Sea Songs and English Folk Song Suite, to the rousing tunes of the Irish Washerwoman and Country Gardens, this evening is sure to delight! The Andrews University Wind Symphony, under the direction of Denisse Santos-Gooden, will once again collaborate with the Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band under the direction of Mark Hollandsworth. The two ensembles will take the stage at the Howard Performing Arts Center on January 31, 2026 at 8:00 PM. Start off your new year with toe-tapping tunes and swaying sweet melodies! Tickets are available at howard.andrews.edu.