Stories in the Rearview Mirror

Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500

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

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?
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
Adagio Cantabile (Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken)
Joseph Haydn / Sieving
Praise
Everlasting God
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Total Praise
Prayer
Rodlie Ortiz
Religious Liberty
John Nay
Worship in Music
Prelude for String Orchestra
Elena Roussanova Lucas
Sermon
“Stories in the Rearview Mirror: Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500”
Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes, & Offerings
Closing Hymn
Marching to Zion • 422
As We Depart
Moderato • Christian Finck

More In This Series

03/07/2015
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
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
"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?
01/24/2015
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?
01/17/2015
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
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?

“Stories in the Rearview Mirror:

Why I Believe These 70 Small Companies Are Greater Than the Fortune 500”

www.pmchurch.tv

  • 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 .
  • 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.”

Widow and Widowers Bird Watching Brunch
11356 S Lake Chapin Rd, Berrien Springs, MI 49103

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! 
 

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

 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

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