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Stories in the Rearview Mirror

Go BIG or Go Home

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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

On Sept. 26, 1874 the first Adventist missionary set foot on the shores of Europe. It was the first step towards building what would become a global movement. What step should we take today?
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Paul Manz
Celebrate & Praise
John Weiss
Prayer
Sabine Vatel
More Celebration
Angela Holmes
Children's Story
Be Thou My Vision
Irish Traditional
Worship in Music
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
Paul Halley
Sermon
"Stories in the Rearview Mirror: Why I Believe It's Time to Go BIG or Go Home"
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes, & Offerings
Closing Hymn
So Send I You 578
As We Depart
Work, for the Night Is Coming
Sharon Rogers

More In This Series

03/07/2015
Why I Believe in the Third Person's Last Rain
When a young physician undergoes a conversion through the work of the Holy Spirit, he joins forces with a comrade and proceeds to bring about a revolution to point the focus back to Christ. What kind of transformation can the Third Person's Last Rain bring about in our lives today?
02/28/2015
Ellen White and Why I Believe in the Ordination of Women
In the 19th century, a young woman was called by God to a ministry that would eventually become a worldwide movement. What does her legacy mean for us today?
02/21/2015
Why I Believe There's an App and a Kiosk that Connect to Heaven
"We entered upon this work penniless, with few friends, and broken in health.” - James White. What does a God who sacrificed all for His children ask of those who wish to follow Him today?
01/31/2015
Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500
Deep in the heart of an unknown Asian country lives one of the most explosive spiritual growth movements on the planet. What is their secret and how can we apply it to our own lives right now?
01/17/2015
Why I Believe in the ‘1000 Man March’ After Ferguson
In 1832, a man named Joseph Bates decided in the sight of God that he must take a stand for those who were oppressed. The world has changed much since then, but one thing remains: The oppressed are still with us. What can we learn today from the stance taken by that old sea captain so many years ago?
01/10/2015
Why I Believe We’re Running Out of Time
As we enter into a new year, we see a world still fraught with the troubles and turmoil of the year just ended. Yet if we dig even further into history, we find a small band of devoted Christ followers living in the United States who were willing to sacrifice all for His kingdom. What lessons can we glean from them as we begin a new chapter of our own?
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“Stories in the Rearview Mirror:

Why I Believe It’s Time to Go BIG or Go Home”

www.pmchurch.tv                                                                                   

  • John Nevins Andrews
    • The “young man” in the dream: “The cities and villages constitute a part of the Lord’s vineyard. They must hear the messages of warning. . . . You are to sow beside waters. . . . You are entertaining too ideas of the work for this time. You are trying to plan the work so that you can embrace it in your arms. You must take broader views. Your light must not be put under a bushel or under a bed, but on a candlestick, that it may give light to all that are in the house. Your house is the .” (Ellen White, Life Sketches 208, 209)
    • Mervyn Maxwell: “On August 14, 1874, the General Conference responded at last. Under the flapping canvas of a camp-meeting tent [in Battle Creek, Michigan] the historic action was voted that officially moved Adventism out of North America: ‘Resolved, That the General Conference . . . instruct the Executive Committee to send Eld. J. N. Andrews to Switzerland as soon as practicable.’” (Moving Out 132)
  • Jesus
    • Revelation 14:6-7, 14
    • Matthew 28:18-20
  • And You
    • David Platt: “Every person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every  person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world—to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in  to the nations.” (Radical 74)
    • David Platt: “This is a cause worth living for. It is a cause worth dying for. It is a cause worthy of moving urgently on. We have the [everlasting] gospel of Christ in us, and we do not have time to waste. Some wonder if it is unfair for God to allow so many to have no knowledge of the gospel. There is no injustice in God. The injustice lies in Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who haven’t heard. That is .” (159)
    • Ellen White: “God’s faithful people have always been missionaries, consecrating their resources to the honor of His name and wisely using their talents in His service.” (Acts of the Apostles 109)
    • Ellen White: “Not upon the ordained minister only rests the responsibility of going forth to fulfill this commission.  who has received Christ is called to work for the salvation of [their] fellow men [and women].” (110)
    • Ellen White: “Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory.” (111)
    • John Nevins Andrews: “I know of only one way: Find a field of labor, ask God to help, take off your coat, and pitch into the work.”

Go BIG or Go Home

 

Mission and Strategy Statements Town Hall Meetings

The Elders have finished! After many months of prayerful and concerted work, the draft of Pioneer's potential new mission and strategy statements are ready for your review.  

Please join us at any of the identical Town Hall/Q & A sessions listed below to hear Pastor Shane and our elders present the drafts for your feedback.  Our goal is to take your input, modify the drafts as needed, sent them back to the church board for final review, and begin implementation in the Fall.  

Please join us for any of these important and impactful meetings that will help guide Pioneer's witness for years to come!

  • May 13, Tuesday, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
  • May 18, Sunday, 9:00 - 11:00 AM
  • May 22, Thursday, 7:00 - 9:00 PM (Zoom only)
House of Prayer Series Led By Pastor Dwight Nelson

“How to Pray for Rome NOW: Following Jesus in Today’s Headlines” 

House of Prayer Spring Series, 7 PM, Pioneer Earliteen Loft, May 2025 

  • May 7 “The Sea Beast and Jesus” (Revelation 13) 
  • May 14 “The Little Horn and Jesus” (Daniel 7 & 2 Thessalonians 2) 
  • May 21 “The Purple and Scarlet Woman and Jesus” (Revelation 17) 
  • May 28 “The Babylonian Queen and Jesus” (Revelation 18) 

“Prophecy is fast fulfilling. More, much more, should be said about these tremendously important subjects. The day is at hand when the destiny of every soul will be fixed forever. This day of the Lord hastens on apace. . . . Great pains should be taken to keep this subject before the people. The solemn fact is to be kept not only before the people of the world, but before our own churches also, that the day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly. The fearful warning of the prophecy is addressed to every soul. Let no one feel that he is secure from the danger of being surprised. Let no one's interpretation of prophecy rob you of the conviction of the knowledge of events which show that this great event is near at hand.” (Fundamentals of Christian Education 335)

Mission and Strategy Statements Town Hall Meetings
Pioneer Youth Chapel

The Elders have finished! After many months of prayerful and concerted work, the draft of Pioneer's potential new mission and strategy statements are ready for your review.  

Please join us at any of the identical Town Hall/Q & A sessions listed below to hear Pastor Shane and our elders present the drafts for your feedback.  Our goal is to take your input, modify the drafts as needed, sent them back to the church board for final review, and begin implementation in the Fall.  

Please join us for any of these important and impactful meetings that will help guide Pioneer's witness for years to come!

May 13, Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 PM

May 18, Sunday, 9:00-11:00 AM

May 22, Thursday, 7:00-9:00 PM (Zoom only)

The Tent

Join us for a special Evangelistic Series presented by the Jr. High Students of Ruth Murdoch Elementary School. We hope you can join us in big white tent near Griggs Hall at 7pm starting Friday May 9 through May 18. There will be no meeting on Tuesday. Come and be inspired as our students share messages of hope, love, and the good news of Jesus. Your presence will encourage them, and more importantly, you can help bring someone closer to Christ. Bring a friend or family member and experience God's message together!

Holding Onto Jesus

Sunday, May 25, 3-5 PM Pioneer Youth Chapel What do we do when our life is shaken by illness, a great loss, or some other devastation? How do we find God when it feels like He isn’t there? Women of all ages are invited to hear Emily Gibbs share her testimony, and explore ways that we can have resilience in the midst of difficult experiences. Register by texting TRIALS to 269-281-2345. Questions? Email women@pmchurch.org.

AdventistGiving Online (AGO) Contributors

 Your faithfulness is very much appreciated.  To ensure that your donations are properly credited to your account, when contributing through Adventist Giving, please log in under your name, instead of contributing as a "Guest."

Adventist Seniors of Michiana Meeting May 18.

Seniors 55 and up are invited to the Adventist Seniors of Michiana program to be held in the PMC Commons May 18. Bring a dish and enjoy the potluck starting at 1 PM followed by a program featuring Ken Denslow, recently retired Lake Union Conference President. His topic will be Project Amigo and Other Missions. For any questions call Cheryl Doss at 269-277-0767

Love on the Move

 Would you like to make a difference in our community? God's Hands 4 Kids has ways you can do that. GH4K loves the "True religion way to love the least of these" James 1:27. The Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner is being held on May 16 in a church in our community. We are working with the Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services to put this on.  We are looking for childcare help. Also seeking gift baskets, gifts or gift cards. For more information contact Carol Jordan at Godshands4kids@gmail.com There is a presentation this Friday evening from Unaccompanied Refugee Minors. Ask for more info if interested.

Music Camp at Pioneer!

The Institute of Young Musicians for Christ is excited to be having a music camp at Pioneer Memorial Church! At our music camps young people ages 6-17 are offered an immersive, week-long musical experience. Our quality musical training—combined with fun, friends, and faith-building encounters— provides a truly incredible opportunity. The camp offers tracks for children 6-12 with or without musical experience and a track for teenagers with significant musical experience. To learn more and register, visit iymcsda.org/michigan. We hope to see you there!

Lamson Hall Upgrades with Maranatha

From May 11–June 8, 2025, Maranatha Volunteers International will be working at Andrews University to update the Lamson Hall residential rooms and suite bathrooms. Please consider volunteering and letting your family and friends know of this opportunity. All individuals (including local) should sign up at the Maranatha website: https://maranatha.org/volunteer-opportunities/.