Out of His deep love for humanity, God changes our lives and asks us to move His love into our community and world. We are uniquely positioned at Andrews University to share the story of God’s love from the residence halls to the farthest parts of the earth. We accomplish our mission by engaging people across generations to be disciples of Jesus through the process of Connect. Grow. Serve. Go.
Pioneer Media supports the local ministry needs related to classroom and teaching technology. It also creates content for and manages Pioneer's online presence and produces our broadcast television program.
We have volunteer teams that help you to serve the church and the neighborhood in a variety of ways. The best place to serve is where you’re using your God-given gifts, talents, and passions the most.
Your financial gift helps support ministry here at Pioneer. From local to global ministry, keeping our facility safe and clean, to outreach and family growth activities, it all provides a space to worship, learn, and grow together. We invite you to Give Purposefully, Give Faithfully, and Give Joyfully.
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.
Sing Praise to God • No. 29 st. 1-2, 4 congregation; st. 3 choir only
Words of Joy: from Psalm 100
Anthem of Joy
Psalm 23 • Craig Courtney
Prayer of Rejoicing
Vivian Raimundo
Words of Joy: from Psalm 98
Benie Shyirakera
Response of Rejoicing
Hymns of Joy in Creation
Homily
“A DIY Guide: How to Thank Your Healer”
Dwight K. Nelson
Hymn of Thanksgiving
Now Thank We All Our God • No. 559
Letters of Thanksgiving
For the Beauty of the Earth • Kenneth Logan
Invitation to Giving
What Gift Can We Bring? • Donna Kasbohm / Kenneth Logan; st. 1 solo; st. 2 women; st. 3 all; st. 4 men; st. 5 all
Procession of Thanksgiving: Gifts of Food, Song, Tithes and Offerings
Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart! (No. 27, st. 1-2) The Lord Is My Light (No. 515, st. 1-2) For the Beauty of the Earth (No. 565, st. 1, 3) ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (No. 524, st. 1, 3) To God Be the Glory (No. 341, st. 1, 3) Praise God, From Whom All Ble
(Timothy Jennings, The God-shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life 57-58)
• #1—Worship a God of love and reject God-concepts that induce .
- 1 John 5:18—”Perfect love drives out fear.”
• #2—Practice regular meditation on some aspect of God’s character of love at least minutes per day.
- Neil Anderson: “Because Satan’s primary weapon is the lie, your defense against him is the truth. . . . When you expose Satan’s lie with God’s truth, his power is broken. . . . We are not called to dispel the darkness; we are called to turn on the light. Deceiving spirits are like cockroaches. They come out only at night, and when you turn on the light, they head for the shadows.” (Victory Over the Darkness 162)
- Ellen White: “When the enemy comes with his darkness, sing faith and talk faith, and you will find that you have sung and talked yourself into the light.” (Mind, Character and Personality 650)
• #3—Be truthful and eliminate falsehood of any kind from your mind.
- Timothy Jennings: “This is particularly important for those who have suffered abuse. Abused children, because of the level of brain development, will misconstrue the meaning of the abuse and [will conclude] . . . typical falsehoods such as, ‘I’m ugly. I’m gross. I’m nasty, dirty, disgusting and unlovable.’ . . . While the facts of history can not be changed, the adult who has suffered abuse can reevaluate the historic event and apply the truth, that the awful feelings once experienced belong to the event, not to the self. The application of truth is healing.”(57)
• #4—Live to .
• #5—Establish relationships with people of loving and character, and terminate destructive and exploitive relationships.
• #6—Trust God with your and your life’s outcomes.
- Jennings: “One of the greatest sources of worry and fear is trying to make life turn out the way we want, rather than simply choosing what is right. . . and trusting God with the outcome.” (57-58)
• #7—Live in harmony with the physical design protocol for life such as regular sleep, drink plenty of water, exercise mind and body regularly, avoid toxins, and eat a balanced diet.
• #8—When mistakes are made, resolve as soon as possible, forgive those who mistreat you, and don’t hold to anger or grudges as such emotions activate the body’s inflammatory cascade.
• #9—Resolve , as unremedied fear truly destroys.
• #10—Wake up .
- Ministry of Healing:
“When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven.” (253)
“My life is Christ nothing else really matters.”
Offering for January 3, 2026
Pioneer Operating Budget
There is something special about the beginning of a new year. It’s the energy and the excitement. It’s the opportunities that it offers. It provides the chance to forget the past and its challenges, while we embrace the possibility to start over.
The New Year offers the opportunity for us to look at the future with optimism and gratefulness. For this reason, I like new, don’t you? Paul liked the idea of new also. That’s why he encourages us to look towards the future instead of looking back. He says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3: 13, 14, NIV), we should press toward the goal to win.
The encouraging thing is, when Christ is in the lead, we must succeed. For this reason, we can embrace the possibilities of the new year– striving to be better stewards for God. So may our goals this year include spending consistent time in worship and developing a relationship of steel with God. May we take care of our wellbeing (physically and psychologically) and witness about His love by using our talents and gifts.
May we faithfully return to God the designated portion of our wealth and take care of our world and the environment. Let’s determine to make 2026 an exceptional year of sacrificial generosity, in our local church and worldwide.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
Church Office Holiday Closure: 12/22-12/26 & 12/29-01/02
Please note that the church office will be closed from December 22 to 26 and again from December 29 to January 2 for the holiday season. We will reopen on January 5. Our church services will proceed as always. If you have any announcements, please submit those no later than December 19. Thank you for your understanding. We wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!
