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Mission Possible

Urban Decay - Angels in the Inner City

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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

The heartbreaking terrorist attacks in the streets of Paris only serve as a painful reminder that we live in a broken world. Our planet is filled with cities, and those cities are filled with hurting people who are in desperate need of a few inner city angels.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
More About Jesus I Would Know • John Sweney
Praise
Prayer
Adrianne Magsipoc
"By the Word of Their Testimony" Baptism
Korollos Abdelmalak with Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
José Bourget / Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven • Timothy Waugh
Worship in Music
Capriccio • Kevin McChesney
Sermon
“Mission Possible: Urban Decay—Angels in the Inner City” • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Cards, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go • 573
As We Depart
O God, Faithful God • Johannes Brahms

More In This Series

11/07/2015
What We Can Learn from Ben Carson, Evangelicals and America
Considering the Adventist Church's historical stance on the separation of Church and State, how do we respond to the increased attention and scrutiny brought on by the presidential candidacy of one of our prominent members? Where do we stand when it comes to the causes of our Evangelical nation? How can we best serve this nation that we love?
10/31/2015
How to Stand Alone - Living Up to the Luther in You
Nearly 500 years ago, a young monk stood all alone before the the greatest assembly of powers, princes, and pontificates the world had ever seen. His courage would spark one of the greatest social revolutions in history. How can we tap into that same source of strength to start our own social revolution today?
10/24/2015
Called 2 B Uncool
In a world where we are called to follow what is popular, Christ calls us to be "uncool." If we desire to follow Christ, we are called to deny self, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).
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“Mission Possible:

Urban Decay—Angels in the Inner City”

www.pmchurch.tv

 

□      This World of Pagans

·      The daughter of Bertrand Russell: “His whole life was a search for God. . . . Somewhere at the back of my father’s mind, at the bottom of his heart, in the depths of his soul, there was an empty space that had once been filled by God, and he never found anything else to put in it.”

·      Bertrand Russell: “There is darkness without and when I die there will be darkness within.” (Mysticism and Logic)

·      His daughter: “I would have liked to convince my father that I had found what he had been looking for, the ineffable something he had longed for all his life. I would have liked to persuade him that the search for God does not have to be vain. But it was hopeless. He had known too many blind Christians, bleak moralists who sucked the joy from life and persecuted their opponents; he would never have been able to see the truth they were hiding.” (In Philip Yancey’s Vanishing Grace, 32-33)

□      His Love for Pagans

·      Exhibit A—God and the pagan king

§  Genesis 20

·      Exhibit B—God and the pagan city

§  Jonah 4:11

§  Clark Pinnock: “. . . the book of Jonah stands in the canon to testify to the universal salvific will of God.” (A Wideness in God’s Mercy 28)

·      Exhibit C—God and the pagan city

§  Jeremiah 51:44-45

§  Revelation 18:4

·      Exhibit D—God and the lost city

§  Luke 19:35-42

§  Desire of Ages: “While the westering sun was tinting and gilding the heavens, its resplendent glory lighted up the pure white marble of the temple walls, and sparkled on its gold-capped pillars. . . . [which] caught the splendor of the setting sun, shining as if with a glory borrowed from heaven.  Jesus gazes upon the scene . . . His eyes fill with tears, and His body rock[s] to and fro like a tree before the tempest, while a wail of anguish bursts from His quivering lips, as if from the depths of a broken heart.” (575)

·      Exhibit E—God, Giuseppe, Sonya and the pagan city Bergamo, Italy

·      Exhibit F—God and the pagan city

§  Acts 18:9-10

§  NASB: “Do not be afraid any longer.”

§  Prophets and Kings: “In every city, filled though it may be with violence and crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of Jesus. Thousands may thus be reached with saving truth and be led to receive Christ as a personal Saviour.” (278)

 

The question is:

Are you willing to go?

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

Love on the Move

 Would you like to make a difference in our community? God's Hands 4 Kids has ways you can do that. GH4K loves the "True religion way to love the least of these" James 1:27. The Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner is being held on May 16 in a church in our community. We are working with the Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services to put this on.  We are looking for childcare help. Also seeking gift baskets, gifts or gift cards. For more information contact Carol Jordan at Godshands4kids@gmail.com There is a presentation this Friday evening from Unaccompanied Refugee Minors. Ask for more info if interested.

Music Camp at Pioneer!

The Institute of Young Musicians for Christ is excited to be having a music camp at Pioneer Memorial Church! At our music camps young people ages 6-17 are offered an immersive, week-long musical experience. Our quality musical training—combined with fun, friends, and faith-building encounters— provides a truly incredible opportunity. The camp offers tracks for children 6-12 with or without musical experience and a track for teenagers with significant musical experience. To learn more and register, visit iymcsda.org/michigan. We hope to see you there!

Lamson Hall Upgrades with Maranatha

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/.