We hope. you consider joining Coming Together Ministries and Village Seventh-day Adventist Church for the Sexual Integrity Conference. A time of hope, healing, and biblical truth. Most sessions will be held virtually, with in-person meetings on Thursday and Friday, at 5:00 PM. Special care and privacy will be provided for those seeking personal healing. The featured speaker will be Dr. Richard (Dick) Davidson, from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. For details and registration, visit comingtogetherministries.org
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.”
High school students, join us for the first Satellite of the year next Friday, September 26 at 7:00 PM, in the Pioneer Youth Chapel! We’ll welcome the Sabbath with worship, music, and food as we launch our theme for the year: Ignite the Spirit, Awaken the Soul. Come as you are, bring a friend, and leave encouraged and inspired!
If you are currently facing the challenges associated with going through a divorce or separation, please consider joining DivorceCare. We are a grow group that aims to provide a safe, supportive, and encouraging place to process the difficult realities that separation and divorce can bring about. We meet in the Board Room on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 PM.
The Eau Claire SDA will host the FREE 2025 Pure Desire Summit which will be held on Sept 19, Friday: 6-9 PM and Sept 20, Saturday: 3:30-7:30 PM. The Summit is for men, women, and teens ages 14+ who are struggling with sexual brokenness/addiction or betrayal trauma and anyone who wants to learn how to help others or improve their own relationships with a biblically informed vision of relational wholeness. Register here: https://puredesire.regfox.com/virtual-attendees-pure-desire-summit-2025
Please join us for the next Master Guide Toolbox training event at the Andrews University Seminary, September 19-20! Please register at cye.org/toolbox for questions contact Cheryl Logan at cjhlogan@gmail.com.
You are invited to a GriefShare program in the Fireside Room at the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church. The 13-week class begins Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30 PM. Help will be shared in a small group setting for those processing their emotions after the loss of someone they love. For more information or to register please contact Mike and Shirley Gammon at 989-427-5669 or Paul and Linda Pellandini 517-243-2767.
Pioneer Operating Budget
My favorite fruit is mango. A mango boasts an exotic and captivating flavor. The richness and complexity of a mango's taste make it a truly indulgent fruit! The initial taste is a burst of luscious sweetness, followed by a slightly tart undertone that provides a perfect balance.
In Psalm 34, we read, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no lack to those who fear Him.” This figurative language, "Taste and see that the Lord is good," invites us to not just believe in God's rich goodness, but actively experience it in our lives. To "taste" the Lord is to engage with faith in a deeply personal, intimate way.
Just as we use our sense of taste to savor and appreciate different flavors, we are called to savor and appreciate the richness and diversity of God's love, mercy, and grace. It means opening our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit and allowing God's word to nourish and guide us. The goodness of the Lord is revealed in countless ways. It is present in the beauty of creation, in acts of kindness, and in the love we share with others. Today, let’s taste and see that the Lord is good by giving back our tithes and offering!
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
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.
It's time for children in Grade 5-12 to register to be part of the Evergreen Pathfinder Club for this school year. As we start our new year we hope you can join us as we have fun, learn about God and share the good news of salvation in a safe welcoming environment. Please text PMCEP to 269-281-2345 to receive the registration form. Questions please contact Errol.prentice@pmchurch.org