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.
More In This Series
“The Last Letter: Home Alone 19”
www.newperceptions.tv
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock”
—Revelation 3:20
»Invitation #1—Jesus’ invitation.
• Ralph Carmichael: “The Savior is waiting to enter your heart—why don’t you let Him come in? There’s nothing in this world to keep you apart—what is your answer to Him?”
• Proverbs 23:26—”My child, give Me your .”
• John 14:23—”‘Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our with them.’”
• John 14:17—”‘The Spirit of Truth with you and will be in you.’”
• Ellen White: “That heart is the happiest that has Christ as an abiding . . . . Let us acknowledge Him as our Friend and Saviour.” (My Life Today 157)
»Invitation #2—Jesus’ invitation.
• Mark 13:26, 29 NASB: “‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. . . . Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the .’”
• Revelation 22:12, 20: “‘Look! I am coming !’ . . . He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming ‘“
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3): “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them , as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not [GK: no not] escape.”
• Ellen White: “At this time the Laodicean message is to be given, to arouse a slumbering church. Let the thought of the of time stimulate you to earnest, untiring effort. Remember that Satan has come down with great power, to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” (Selected Messages 1:196)
»Invitation #3—Jesus’ invitation.
• Jesus isn’t even the church—He’s standing on the !
• Ellen White: “The Holy Spirit waits to soften and subdue hearts; but they are not willing to open the door and let the Saviour in, for fear that He will require something of them. And so Jesus of Nazareth passes by. He longs to bestow on them the rich blessings of His grace, but they refuse to accept them. What a terrible thing it is to exclude Christ from His own temple! What a to the church!” (Testimonies to the Church 6:262)
• Song of Solomon: “[She speaks] I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: ‘[He speaks] Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.’ [She] I have taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again? My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him. I arose to open for my lover . . .” (Song of Solomon 5:2-5).
• Sigve Tonstad: “. . . to this thoroughly unlikeable community, Jesus propositions a privilege so amazing that I don’t dare repeat it (3:20-21).”
"Come in, Jesus"
What we experienced at the MORE+ Conference was a wonderful start. Reformation/Discipleship is the indispensable follow up to any such revival experience.
Come and fan the flames of revival.
On Wednesday, April 16 we begin a 7-Session Discipleship Journey using an interactive curriculum created with Pastor Don MacLafferty, participants will experience seven principles of discipleship in fresh ways.
We invite you to join us at Pioneer for an in-person evangelism training event from Friday, April 4, to Saturday, April 5. This is open to all Seventh-day Adventist churches in the North American Division. We encourage every member—pastors, teachers, young adults, and students—to participate. The event will feature keynote speaker Mark Finley. Additionally, there will be breakout sessions available in both English and Spanish. The King's Heralds will provide music during the Friday evening service, both Sabbath worship services, Sabbath afternoon, and the evening concert. Don’t miss this opportunity to be equipped and inspired for impactful evangelistic ministry as you prepare for Pentecost 2025!
Our Pioneer Youth Missions team has just returned from Beirut, Lebanon. Come to the mission vespers at 6:00 PM on Sabbath, April 5, to hear the testimonies, see the pictures and be inspired by what God is doing in the Middle East.
Pioneer Operating Budget
Jesus shared the parable of the talents to illustrate our relationship with Him and purpose in life. The three servants were each given talents according to their abilities. In the end, two were commended for investing their talents wisely, and one was not.
The parable teaches us that we need to use the talents we’ve been given to grow God’s kingdom and for God’s glory. We shouldn’t hide or neglect them. God rewards those who act in faith by investing what He has given. He gives us the responsibility to manage our time, talents, treasures, temple, and testimony.
What belongs to God? For time, it is one-seventh of our week; for talents, we must use them and double them; for our treasures, one-tenth; for our health, we must care for our bodies because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit; and for our testimony, we must tell the story of what God has done for us and how he is transforming us.
God has committed these things to us; how we invest them reveals whether we can be entrusted with eternal riches. By using and growing these talents, they develop in us Christ-like characters and He then multiplies what He gave to us.
Why not ask God to help us manage His gifts?
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
Pioneer Women's Ministries invites you to join us for 10 days of devotionals leading up to Easter (April 11-20). Together, we will consider what various individuals present at Christ's arrest, trial, and crucifixion might have thought and experienced. If you would like to receive daily text teasers and emails with the full devotional insights, please text the word "CROSS" to 269.281.2345.
Every day, around 2,300 children are reported missing in the USA. At Pioneer, we prioritize child safety and have effective procedures to locate missing minors quickly. On March 29, 2025, we will conduct a Missing Child drill from as part of Adventist Risk Management's Safety Sabbath. This will involve a mock missing child report. Please stay calm; it's just a practice exercise. If you see a child matching the description, inform any volunteer with a badge (Deacon, Greeter, or Sabbath School teacher). Thank you for helping us keep Pioneer safe.
We are creating a master list of all Pioneer Sabbath schools. If you are a teacher/coordinator of a Sabbath School class that meets outside the sanctuary, please email your name, class location and meeting time to Melchizedek Ponniah at melponniah@gmail.com.
The Katinas have traveled the globe with the mission of hope and love at the heart of their vision. Who you are, where you’re from, what you believe, it does not matter. The love of Jesus Christ is a gift for us all. Through their music and their actions, the Katinas strive to embody this love. Please go to howard.andrews.edu to purchase your tickets.
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/.
Do you want to complete your Master Guide Program? If so, please consider joining the Master Guide Club that meets weekly on campus to help you complete the requirements.
For more information or to join, please visit cye.org/toolbox
