Dear Church Family, We have much to be thankful for as we near the completion of our piping project. God has blessed us with skilled hands and willing hearts who gave their time and talents to make this project possible. We are deeply grateful to R.W. LaPine, who replaced the piping and completed the work two weeks before the schedule. We also thank Randal Mack of Randy’s Quality Painting, who refreshed the children’s Sabbath School classrooms with his excellent painting work. Matthew Karpinski also deserves our appreciation for reinstalling the ceiling grids. Last but certainly not least, a very special thank you goes to William Colwell, our maintenance manager. William’s leadership, faithfulness, and diligence have been central to seeing this project through. William has been a steady and reliable force throughout the process, from assisting me with coordinating each step of the work to replacing the ceiling tiles and other relevant tasks. If you see him around, please take a moment to thank him personally for his tireless commitment to our church. Where are we now? Most ceiling tiles are in, and while there are other minor tasks, the final major task ahead is the installation of new carpet. We’ve been informed that the carpet is expected sometime in November, bringing us very close to the joyful completion of this entire project. Thank you, church family, for your prayers, encouragement, and support during this time of renewal in our building. We look forward to celebrating once everything is complete!
A DIY Guide
A DIY Guide to Better Sexual Health: Taming Your Tiger
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
“A DIY Guide to Better Sexual Health: Taming Your Tiger”
www.newperceptions.tv
» THE TIGER
• 64% of young people, ages 13–24, actively seek out pornography weekly or more often.
• A study of 14- to 19-year-olds found that females who consumed pornographic videos were at a significantly greater likelihood of being victims of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
• A Swedish study of 18-year-old males found that frequent consumers of pornography were significantly more likely to have sold and bought sex than other boys of the same age.
• A 2015 meta-analysis of 22 studies from seven countries found that internationally the consumption of pornography was significantly associated with increases in verbal and physical aggression, among males and females alike.
• Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter combined each month.
• 35% of all internet downloads are porn-related.
• The “teen” porn category has topped porn site searches for the last six years.
• At least 30% of all data transferred across the internet is porn-related.
• Recorded child sexual exploitation (known as “child porn”) is one of the fastest-growing online businesses.
• 624,000+ child porn traders have been discovered online in the U.S.
• Porn is a global, estimated $97 billion industry, with about $12 billion of that coming from the U.S.
• In 2018 alone, more than 5,517,000,000 hours of porn were consumed on the world’s largest porn site.
• The world’s largest free porn site also received over 33,500,000,000 site visits during 2018 alone.
• National Center on Sexual Exploitation (www.endsexualexploitation.org/wp-content/uploads/NCOSE_Pornography-PublicHealth_ResearchSummary_8-2_17_FINAL-with-logo.pdf)
• Denny Burk: “A growing number of young men are convinced that their sexual responses have been sabotaged because their brains were virtually marinated in porn when they were adolescents. Their generation has consumed explicit content in
quantities and varieties never before possible, on devices designed to deliver content swiftly and privately, all at an age when their brains were more plastic—more prone to permanent change—than in later life.” (in Meet Generation Z 61)
» THE TAMING
• Luke 5:17-20
• Desire of Ages: “Oh, wondrous love of Christ, stooping to heal the guilty and the afflicted! Divinity sorrowing over and soothing the ills of suffering humanity! Oh, marvelous power thus displayed to the children of men! Who can doubt the message of salvation? Who can slight the mercies of a compassionate Redeemer?” (269)
Five Steps (Maybe Six) to Overcoming Pornographic Addiction*
» Admit your .
• To yourself for honesty—Romans 7:14-15
• To God for help—2 Chronicles 20:12
» Confess your .
• To Jesus for cleansing—1 John 1:7
• To someone else for accountability—James 5:16**
» Surrender your and .
• To the Holy Spirit—1 Corinthians 6:18-20
• To the Lord—Joshua 24:15
» Worship your .
• Daily through prayer—Daniel 6:10/Psalm 55:17
• Daily through His Word—Joshua 1:7-8/Psalm 119:9-11
» Consecrate your .
• Take up your cross—Mark 8:34-35
• Obey His commands—Luke 19:13
» Turn in your .
• Jesus’ radical counsel—Matthew 5:29-30
• The Father’s radical warning—Revelation 21:6-8
*For further study/reflection:
1. www.wikihow.com/Overcome-a-Pornography-Addiction-As-a-Christian
** ADVENTIST RECOVERY MINISTRIES: The Journey to Wholeness (269.281.1520/harelene.e.smith@gmail.com)/GROW Groups: “Sexual Purity for Men” & “Conquer”
“Friend, your sins are forgiven”
Reggie and Ladye Love Smith are two of the world’s most sought-after vocalists. They have been performing as part of the award-winning “Gaither Gospel Series” which airs weekly on television networks all over North America and Europe. Reggie is currently a member of the Gaither Vocal Band and Lady is touring with the band as a soloist on their nationwide tours. With unending energy, plus a wealth of talent and a genuinely sweet spirit, this couple makes beautiful music wherever they go. Join us at the Howard Performing Arts Center on November 2, 2025 at 7:00 pm and enjoy an exceptional evening of Christian music. Please go to https://howard.andrews.edu to purchase your tickets or you can drop by the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University, in person, to purchase your tickets.
Pioneer Operating Budget
My wife and I were committed to teaching our children to be self-reliant from an early age. We encouraged them to master basic tasks such as washing hands and dressing, and to take responsibility for their life choices, including choosing life partners and careers.
However, while cultivating their independence was a priority, we also wanted them to understand the importance of spiritual dependence. In a spiritual sense, the Bible does not promote self reliance.
Instead, it champions the idea of depending on God in all aspects of life. It teaches us that we must learn to trust God completely and surrender our worries and plans to Him. In our pursuit of self-reliance, we often find it difficult to let go and trust God.
We worry about our jobs, our health, our finances, and our future. We fret over things we cannot control, which leaves us anxious and stressed. This anxiety and stress consume our thoughts and energy, diverting us from the time we should be devoting to prayer, worship, and service to others.
We must learn to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV). This reliance on God is achieved when we place our complete trust in Him, rather than depending on our own wisdom.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The Family Life Committee invites our church family to the Annual Hayride at Five Pines Ministries. Come enjoy hayrides through the woods, a bonfire with s'mores, warm food, and even warmer fellowship. Sunday, October 12, 5-7 PM, 6597 Smith Rd in Berrien Center. Join us for this fun, autumn tradition!
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among individuals 15 to 29-year-olds. Sadly, more than 720 000 people die due to suicide every year with 49,000 reported in the USA. According to the World Health Organization, in wealthier countries, suicide is often linked to mental health conditions like depression, alcohol problems, or a history of suicide attempts. Still, many suicides happen suddenly in moments of crisis, when people feel unable to cope with challenges such as money troubles, relationship conflicts, long-term pain, or illness. Suicide is preventable and help is available. Call 988 for assistance if you or someone needs immediate intervention. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom, 15:13).
Pizza & Parables, Where faith meets flavor! Every Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 PM, high school students are invited for pizza, Bible study, and friends. Come hungry for both food and the Word! Meet in the Pioneer Youth Chapel.
The Lake Michigan College Sonography Program at the Benton Harbor campus is offering a free 4D Ultrasound for pregnant volunteers. Appointments are available on Tuesdays in October and November. Volunteers must be between 21 and 35 weeks at time of scan. This free opportunity helps to support the LMC sonography students.
A Memorial Service for Dr. Russell Staples, Professor Emeritus and longtime Pioneer member who passed away in April will be held on Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 PM, in the Seminary Chapel.
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.