There will be a fellowship dinner this sabbath in the commons. Visitors are welcome!
The Pugwash Factor:
How to Turn Mingle into Mission
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, September 05, 2015
Program:
As We Begin
Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove • John Dykes
Praise
Indescribable • Awesome God • Hosanna
Prayer
Sabine Vatel
"By the Word of Their Testimony" Baptism
Dianne (POF), Chloey, Haley, and Dominic Cherry with Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners • Dale Wood
Worship in Music
I Love to Tell the Story • Robert Reid
Sermon
“The Pugwash Factor: How to Turn Mingle into Mission” • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Cards, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
Fill My Cup, Lord • 493
As We Depart
Come, God, Creator, Holy Spirit • Johann Sebastian Bach
More In This Series
“The Pugwash Factor: How to Turn Mingle into Mission”
Matthew 9:9-13
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’” (Ministry of Healing 143)
- Following in Jesus’ Five Strategic Steps:
- #1—You among people as one who wants the very best for them.
- To mingle simply means to show up where already are.
- Becky Pippert: “How can we be the salt of the earth if we never get out of the salt shaker?” (Out of the Salt Shaker 124)
- Jim Cymbala: “Christians often hesitate to reach out to those who are different. They want God to clean the fish before they catch them. If someone’s gold ring is attached to an unusual body part, if the person doesn’t smell the best, or if the skin color is not the same, Christians tend to hesitate. But think for a moment about God reaching out to us. If ever there was a ‘reach,’ that was it: the holy, pure Deity extending himself to us who are soiled, evil-hearted, unholy. God could have said, ‘You’re so different from me, so distasteful, I would really rather not get too close to you.’ But he didn’t say that. It was our very differentness that drew his hand of love. Jesus didn’t just speak the healing word to lepers from a distance of thirty yards. He touched them.” (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire 8)
- Practice what the top Fortune 500 CEOs do—M By W A.
- Philip Samaan: “Taking the initiative to mingle with others naturally comes easier to some than to others. I always find it more comfortable to mingle with individuals I encounter in normal daily events. The people we rub shoulders with as we work, shop, bank, [study] and carry out other daily activities. . . . Because we have built bridges with such individuals, they (and we too) are much less likely to be apprehensive or fearful of each other.” (Christ’s Method Alone 53)
- Sports events, school concerts, weddings, parties, service clubs, community volunteering, after-school tutoring, PTA meetings, neighborhood projects, et al
- #2—You show your for them.
- #3—You identify and minister to their .
- #4—You win their .
- Gregory Boyle: “There is no force in the world better able to alter anything from its course than love. Ruskin’s comment that you can get someone to remove his coat more surely with a warm, gentle sun than with a cold, blistering wind is particularly apt. Meeting the world with a loving heart will determine what we find there. . . . Sooner or later we all discover that kindness is the only strength there is.” (Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion 124)
- #5—You then invite them to meet .
- Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use .”
- Desire of Ages: “As disciples of Christ we shall not mingle with the world from a mere love of pleasure, to unite with them in folly. Such associations can result only in harm. We should never give sanction to sin by our words or our deeds, our silence or our presence. Wherever we go, we are to carry Jesus with us, and to reveal to others the preciousness of our Saviour.” (152)
- Ty Gibson invitation
- Mary Oliver: “There are things you can’t reach, but you can reach out to them all day long.”
- #1—You among people as one who wants the very best for them.
The Good News of the Gospel is Jesus.
Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons
Happy Birthday Merille Weithers
The flowers this week are in honor of Merille Weithers' 90th birthday. He's celebrating today with his children Debbie, Ted, David and Mimi, along with 4 of his 5 grandkids Simone, Dee & his wife Kailey, Caleb and Joshua. We're giving thanks to God for Merille's 90 years of life and the blessings of family, health, provision, grace and love.
AUSO Young Artists Concert
The Andrews University Symphony Orchestra is presenting its annual Young Artist Competition concert featuring this year Jonathan Clough, tenor, and Aiko Ayla, piano, as well as violinists Nikolaz Feliciano and Claire Yang. Join us on this unique evening of virtuosity and elegance, and enjoy the music of Clara Schumann, W. A. Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Donizetti, and Tchaikovsky. This concert is free, but patrons will have the opportunity to support the students of the Symphony Orchestra as they are currently raising funds for their music tour to California in March.
Offering for February 7, 2026
Pioneer Operating Budget
John Paul Young’s song “Love Is in the Air” became a worldwide hit in 1978. Its opening lines declare: “Love is in the air, everywhere I look around. Love is in the air, every sight and every sound.” Long before this song was written, Christians have been singing about love in the beloved hymn “Love at Home,” composed by John Hugh McNaughton in 1860. Its opening words remind us, “There is beauty all around when there’s love at home; There is joy in every sound when there’s love at home.” Reflecting on love, the Apostle John writes, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NIV). Love truly fills the air because God loved us first.
While many express love through flowers and gifts, Christians are reminded that the greatest act of love came from Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for a world He loves without end. The Apostle Paul affirms this when he writes: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25, NIV). Christ’s love, demonstrated on Calvary, is unmatched—its effects are eternal, securing salvation for humanity and restoring the universe.
Today, as we enter God’s loving presence and return our tithes and freewill offerings, let us receive His love with grateful hearts and commit to sharing that love with others. Indeed, love is in the air!
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
New DivorceCare group starting 2/4/26
If you are experiencing the realities that come with divorce or separation and are looking for a safe place to process it all and find a caring community that understands what you are going through, please join us Weds evenings from 6 to 8 PM in the boardroom. You can sign up on divorcecare.org or on at pmchurch.org in the Grow Groups section under Pioneer Life.
Honduras Mission Vespers
Come hear stories of answered prayers, stories and abundant blessings from our Honduras youth missions team. February 7, Sabbath afternoon 5 PM in the PMC commons.
You Can Lick Diabetes
Type II diabetes, by far the commonest kind, causes nerve and eye damage which can be completely reversed, along with lowering risk for heart attack and stopping further kidney damage through simple lifestyle changes. Join us on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM in the 6th grade Sabbath School room to learn several ways. The first meeting is this Monday, February 2, so register now by texting "DIABETES" to 269-281-2345, and bring your spouse or a supportive friend.
Sunday Music Series with Carla Trynchuk & Elena Braslavsky
Violinist Carla Trynchuk and pianist Elena Braslavsky will be performing a recital including works by Beethoven, Debussy, and the Jewish Ukrainian composer Meitus. Trynchuk, faculty at Andrews University, has performed internationally as soloist and recitalist in more than 15 countries. Braslavsky, formerly a faculty member at The Juilliard School and the Mannes School of Music, currently serves on the piano faculty of the Mozarteum University of Salzburg. Trynchuk and Braslavsky were classmates together at The Juilliard School. This will be a FREE recital on February 22, at 4:00 PM.
An Acoustic Evening with Sidewalk Prophets
We’re excited to be hosting An Acoustic Evening With Sidewalk Prophets this spring. In partnership with Great Big Family Productions, we’re hosting a night built around connection, stories, and songs. Because this is a small acoustic experience, seating is limited and will move quickly. If you or someone you know is planning to attend, we encourage you to get seats while they’re still available. The Howard Performing Arts Center is pleased to be able to host Sidewalk Prophets at our venue, however, all tickets will be sold online. Please click on the link to purchase your ticket.
Love on the Move
God's Hands 4 Kids, a PMC Grow Group outreach to our community serving foster, adoptive, kinship and guardianship families partnering with Berrien County Department Of Health and Human Services. As a gift to the families served by them and as a gift to the community of ministry leaders and professionals, we will be providing Hope for the Journey, a video conference on Trust Based Relational Intervention - trauma, on Sunday afternoons in February here at PMC. It is produced by Show Hope. For more information and to register go to our website GH4K.org
