There will be a fellowship Dinner served this Sabbath, June 3, immediately following second worship service in the commons on the lower level. Visitors are welcome.
2 B Friends
2 B Friends: Ready or Not–Here We GROW!
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
“2 B Friends:
Ready or Not—Here We GROW!”
-
□ The Research
- The British National Child Development Study (a longitudinal study tracking individuals born in the same week in 1958) reported in 2012 that of the men and roughly a of the women said they now have more than friends and relatives they get together with once a month or more.
- Regarding psychological health, these people ranked themselves significantly than the others with less friends.
- The researchers concluded: “Having fewer than friends at age 45 predicted significantly poorer psychological well-being at age 50.”
- The education men had, the more likely they were to have a larger social network—but the opposite was true for women.
- Being was associated with a smaller circle of friends.
-
□ The Reason
-
John 15:12-17
- “[Jesus is] our best and most sympathizing friend.” (5T 201)
-
vv 13, 14 The Voice: “‘[13] There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends. [14] You
celebrate friendship if you obey this command.”
-
I.e., when you read v 13 and v 14 together, Jesus isn’t so much describing His death the day
as He is commanding our willingness to die for our friends day.
-
Craig Keener: John 15:12 “is emphatic that believers must love one another in the same way that Jesus loved
them (cf. 13:34), which means dying for their , as Jesus would die for them (15:13-14).”
(The Gospel of John 1004)
- John 15:5
-
John 15:12-17
Friends and fruit—what do they have in common? You must them both.
Because friends and fruit are all about .
Acts 2:38-47
3000 brand new radical followers/disciples of Jesus Christ
And how do they GROW? (Acts 2:42)
o They share .
o They share .
o They share .
o They share .
Just as Jesus taught in John 15—first, you with Me and then you with each other, and thus you .
The simple mission of the church in Acts: CONNECT.GROW.SERVE.GO.
□ The Result
- Five VIP points about GROW Groups:
#1—They are about friendship, not .
#2—They are about short-term, not .
#3—They are about “interesting,” not “.”
#4—They are about growing spiritually and . #5—They are about growing together, not .
-
Desire of Ages: “Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to impart this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’ (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.” (641)
Friends and fruit are all about GROW
Pioneer Operating Budget
It’s that time of year when school graduations take place. You, or someone close to you, may have already celebrated this milestone, or perhaps it’s just around the corner.
Graduations matter! They mark a significant accomplishment—the culmination of years of study, hard work, and hopefully, worthwhile education along the way. The regalia might look funny, but it represents something. For some, graduation is a miracle they once thought might be impossible. For others, it’s the expected result from their investment. And then what?
The day after graduation might mean starting a job or maybe continuing with more schooling. Time marches on. Even with photos and video clips of graduation, you must still face another day. As you look back, one question that often surfaces is, “Was it worth it?” Did all the time and money and study pay off, or was it merely a passing chapter of life with little to show for all the investment made?
That’s true for all of us, whether or not we’re formally graduating. What do you have to show for the investments you’ve made? God repeatedly reminds us to invest in Him and in others for eternity. Is it worth it? It actually turns out to be more than a passing chapter of life. It is life—and eternal life at that. The investment of our time, temple, talent, and treasure (the pillars of stewardship) pays off when we take it to graduation and beyond.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
Matthew 24:14 presents almost unbelievable problems, but Pastor Laurence Burn of Adventist Frontier Missions has a potential solution which he will present to ASM attendees on Sunday, June 11. Come with your food and friends who are at least 55 years old, to the Village SDA Church Fellowship Hall at 1:00 PM for fellowship, potluck, and perhaps an exciting answer to these age-old problems!
We will also be treated to a vocal solo or two by Trudean Tselliott, from Jamaica, who is now a dormitory dean at Andrews University. Doug and Carol Macomber got acquainted with her last year at campmeeting and really enjoyed her beautiful voice, so now we are privileged to hear her, too!
Nurture, interact, support and create a safe and inclusive environment for children grades 1-7. Responsibilities include managing a group of children Monday-Friday, supervising all aspects of the day, leading children through a weekly schedule and participating/teaching/assisting in all activities.
June 5-Aug 18, 2023. Various shifts available between 7:30 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday Must be at least 18 years old. Competitive pay. Lunch included! https://www.andrews.edu/admres/jobs/
You are invited to join the New England Adventist Heritage Tour. On this tour you will have the opportunity to walk the ground that the Adventist Pioneers walked, sing the songs they sang and learn what their passions were. As part of this tour, lectures will be given in which lessons from Adventist history will be applied to life today. Give yourself the chance to deepen your understanding of Adventist history and have an enjoyable time while doing so!
• Dates: July 16–23, 2023 (Sunday–Sunday)
• Cost:
o Students: MDiv and MAR students pay $385 in addition to their Summer Semester Tuition
o Spouses: There are 5 reduced rate spouse seats at $799, but if the number of spouses exceeds five, additional spouses will pay the full price of $1,725.
o Community members: $1,725.
• Applications Now Accepted: Applications will only be accepted via email at carclasses@andrews.edu.
• Brochure & Application Form: See online at www.centerforadventistresearch.org/netour/.
• Courses Offered: See www.centerforadventistresearch.org/netour/.
Video about the historical tour: https://youtu.be/bklPuhasb7I
We are blessed to have 34 students graduating from 8th Grade on Thursday, June 1 at Pioneer Memorial Church.
Each Sabbath morning at both 1st and 2nd services, people gather in "The Prayer Room" to pray for the church service, the participants, and the congregants, both in-house and online. We are in need of more volunteers for both services. We pray for the prayer requests submitted each week (which are anonymous). We participate in the congregational prayer and listen to the sermon on a monitor provided in The Prayer Room. If you have a heart to pray for others or are looking for more information, please contact Deb Montcalm at greengables75@yahoo.com.
Neighbor To Neighbor, Adventist Community Service Center is looking for an Adventist Administrator. Must be caring, flexible and have great communication skills with management and public relations experience. Must have an associate or bachelor degree. Duties include management of the Thrift Store, volunteers and facilities supervision. A full time position with benefits. If interested, have questions or want to submit a resume contact: info@n2nhelps.com
Do you have a child between the ages of 6-16 who would like to participate in music camp? If so, then they will enjoy IYMC's Music Camp at Village SDA Church. We accept children both with and without musical experience. Come for a week of quality music instruction, a focus on music used for ministry, and fellowship with like-minded friends! Your child can attend masterclasses, learn a new instrument, and participate in choir, orchestra, handbells, and more! Register at https://www.iymcsda.org/village
Andrews University Summer Camp and The Crayon Box Children’s Learning Center are together offering 10 weeks of Bible-based educational summer adventures for children entering grades 1–7 (June 12 – August 18). Our day camp is held exclusively on the Andrews University campus and features Vacation Bible School-style programming and field trips. Each week of camp highlights a different theme and Bible adventure. Registration is open now. https://www.andrews.edu/services/crayonbox/summercamp/