We are inviting all widows and widowers to join us for a nature walk at 9:00 AM, June 1, at the home of Dave and Terri Village. We will also be having a vegetarian potluck and a birdwatching presentation with boat rides to follow. We hope to see you there!
Tattoos on the Heart
Tattoos on the Heart: A Case for Apocalyptic Compassion - 3
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
Saturday, March 09, 2013
More In This Series
“Tattoos on the Heart:
A Case for Apocalyptic Compassion”—3
□ Luke 15:1 ,2
- “‘This man welcomes immoral people and enjoys their company over a meal!’” (v 2 The Voice)
□ Luke 19:1-10
- “‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.” (v 10 The Voice)
□ Luke 5:17-26
- Desire of Ages: “ . . . this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery. His disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse. . . . The Pharisees regarded [his] affliction as an evidence of divine displeasure, and they held themselves aloof from the sick and the needy. Yet often these very ones who exalted themselves as holy were more guilty than the sufferers they condemned.” (267)
- Gregory Boyle: “Compassion isn’t just about feeling the pain of others; it’s about bringing them in toward yourself. If we love what God loves, then, in compassion, margins get . ‘Be compassionate as God is compassionate,’ means the dismantling of barriers that exclude. . . . The focus of the story [Luke 5:17-26] is, understandably, the healing of the paralytic. But there is something more significant than that happening here. They’re ripping the roof off the place, and those are being let in.” (Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion 75)
- That was the mission of Jesus—and that is the mission of those who : margins get erased, and those outside get let in.
□ Three prayers you can pray to love the lost back to Jesus (Luke 15:20)
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Prayer #1—Ask God to open your to see the one in need.
- Luke 15:20—“The father looked off in the distance and the young man returning.”
Matthew 9:36 The Message: “When [Jesus] out over the crowds his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd.”
- Prayer #2—Ask God to open your to love the one in need.
Luke 15:20—“He felt for his son.”
Luke 6:36 The Voice: “‘So imitate God and be truly , the way your Father is.’”
Gregory Boyle: “God is compassionate, loving kindness. All we’re asked to do is to be in the world who God is. Certainly compassion was the wallpaper of Jesus’ soul, the contour of his heart, it was who he was. I heard someone say once, ‘Just assume the answer to every question is .’” (Tattoos on the Heart 62)
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Prayer #3—Ask God to open your to hold the one in need.
- Luke 15:20—“He enfolded him in an , and kissed him.”
- When Jesus lepers, the news sent shock waves through the community of the untouchables as well as the circles of the respectables—because conveys a solidarity that words can never prove.
Ellen White: “The strongest argument in favor of Christianity is a loving and lovable Christian.” (Last Day Events 191)
Just like Jesus
Widow and Widowers Bird Watching Brunch
11356 S Lake Chapin Rd, Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Andrews Academy’s Graduation Weekend Events
Congratulations, Andrews Academy seniors! May the same Lord who got you here lead you into the uncharted adventure ahead! “I am with you always,” is His promise. Everyone is invited to attend graduation weekend events.
- Class Night May 22, 7:00 PM at Andrews Academy
- Consecration May 23, 8:00 PM at Village SDA Church
- Baccalaureate May 24, 11:45 AM at Pioneer Memorial Church
- Commencement May 25, 11:00 AM at Pioneer Memorial Church
Something in Common Sabbath School
Something In Common Sabbath School presents The Five Love Languages DVD series.
- May 17- Love Language One: Words of Affirmation
- May 24- Love Language Two: Quality Time
- May 31- Love Language Three: Receiving Gifts
- June 7- Love Language Four: Acts of Service
- June 14- Love Language Five: Physical Touch
- June 21- Growing in Love
Everyone is welcome to join us in PMC Room 141 each Sabbath morning from 10:30 - 11:30 AM.
Offering for May 17, 2025
Pioneer Operating Budget
Author Melvin Santos Speaking: When our kids were old enough to work, it warmed our hearts when we saw them buying gifts for each other for special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas, or no occasion at all. They received great joy in seeing their siblings’ reactions when opening the gifts.
God too, loves a cheerful giver. I learned in my study of giving that our motives for giving are important. Giving results from two motives -- either from unselfish love, or for personal reward.
The gifts exchanged between couples may serve as an example of unselfish devotion. On the other hand, many gifts are not gifts at all, but a means to an end. They may be given to promote, to influence, or to bribe. Some give out of pressure or obligation.
God measures the gift by the motive of the giver. But “the offering from the heart that loves, God delights to honor…. If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.” (Desire of Ages, p.65)
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
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)
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
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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!
