We at Pioneer were richly blessed by the ministry of Pastor Ben Martin. Unfortunately, due to tithe shortfalls (not at Pioneer, but in other portions of the conference), Michigan Conference administration has determined that his position will not be filled at this time. Please combine your prayers and patience with mine as we work to cover Pastor Ben’s duties with existing pastoral staff members and volunteers. - Pastor Shane
#RxF4Now
Jolly Old St Nicholas Goes to Bethlehem
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
“Jolly Old St Nicholas Goes to Bethlehem”
- Proverbs’ One Prayer
- Proverbs 30:8—“O Lord, give me neither nor , but give me only my .”
- A Christmas prayer asking God to keep me in because (v 9):
- The great danger in wealth is that it tends to make us feel of God. (Psalm 73:12; Job 21:13-15)
- The great danger in poverty is that it tends to make us feel by God. (Isaiah 8:21)
- “O God—give me neither poverty nor riches—but give me only my daily bread.”
- Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own” (Loc 199-213):
- www.becomingminimalist.com
- In the US we now consume as many material goods as we did 50 years ago.
- Over the same period the size of the average American home has nearly tripled and today contains about items.
- On average our homes contain more than people.
- The US Department of Energy reports that due to clutter, % of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside, and another % have room for only one vehicle.
- One out of 10 American households rents off-site —the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry over the past four decades.
- The average household’s credit card debt stands at over $, while the average mortgage debt is over $.
- Will Rogers: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.”
- “My daily bread”:
- Born in a village whose name meant “House of ”(Beth-lehem).
- A fitting birthplace for Him who one day would teach us to pray: “Our Father who is in Heaven, give us this day our daily .” (Matthew 6:11)
- A fitting prayer from Him who one day would declare: “I am the of Life—whoever comes to Me will never go hungry.” (John 6:35)
- God’s One Promise
- 2 Corinthians 1:20—YES! and AMEN!
- Psalm 33:6, 9
- Isaiah 55:11
- John 6:63
- Jesus: “Give and it will be given to you—pressed down, shaken together and running over!” (Luke 6:38)
- AMEN!
- Joshua Becker, The More of Less: “It’s true that the less we , the more we can . But what if the inverse is also true? What if the more we give away, the less we need? In other words, what if leads to contentment?”
- God: “Bring the whole tithe into My storehouse and test Me and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10)
- AMEN!
- Tweet: “The antidote 2 Black Friday is 4 words long. Memorize them—you’ll have no problem driving past a shopping mall 2day: “I don’t need it.” (@DwightKNelson)
- 2 Corinthians 1:20—YES! and AMEN!
“Give me Jesus”
There will not be any fellowship dinner this Sabbath.
The Pioneer Youth Missions team is getting ready for the January 2-12 project in Honduras. The team will be conducting a camp directed by Scott Schalk for about 100 children from the Hogar de Niños and the surrounding community. Additionally there will be many worships, activities and projects at the children's home. Your financial support and prayers are requested. For more information, contact Glenn Russell (glenn@andrews.edu)

Soup for Students is just around the corner! Sunday, December 7, at 6 PM in the PMC Commons. We’d love to know what you’re planning to bring—soup, bread, your smile, or all of the above! Simply text “NOURISH” to 269-281-2345 to sign up
This holiday season, help make Christmas special for a student/student family by selecting a card from one of the Christmas trees at church. Each card includes a family’s list of needs and wishes—simply choose a card, shop, and deliver your items by December 14th. No need to wrap—we’ll handle that for you! Let’s spread joy together with Belong Ministries this Christmas!
Spring semester GROW Groups will begin the 1st week of February. If you would like to lead a group please text LEAD to 269-281-2345 or click the link below to submit the attached form on or before December 15. https://pmchurch.org/ministries/growgroups/register
Woodrow Whidden died peacefully at home beside his loving wife, Peggy, on Tuesday, November 11. He lived a full life devoted to his family, the ministry, teaching and academic writing. Pioneer has been his home church since 1990 when he began teaching at Andrews. Your love, generosity and comforting presence in the days since Woody's passing have meant so much to our family. Everyone is invited to a public memorial service here at Pioneer on Friday, December 5, at 1 PM. Love and Thanks from The Whidden Family
Michigan Advance Partners
I remember the moment when my wife and I said, “I do” on our wedding day. We made a covenant promise and pledge before God that we would love and be faithful and true to each other. We expressed this covenant of love with words, actions, and gifts to each other! The day we all accepted the Lord, we too made a covenant of love with Him. We honor Him when we take time to worship Him and share His love with others by acts of kindness. But another way we develop our relationship with God and honor and glorify Him is when we return our gifts of time, talents, and our tithes and offerings to Him. "The Lord made a special covenant with men, that if they would regularly set apart the portion designated for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom, the Lord would bless them abundantly, so there would not be room to receive His gifts" (Counsels on Stewardship, p.77).
God has given us this opportunity to enter into a partnership with the Ruler of the universe who is not only interested in the orderly operation of the great galaxies of heaven but also interested in every detail of our lives. Have you set aside your gifts for Him today? Let’s support the ministries around our conference that help people learn more about our God of love.
—Melvin Santos, Kansas/Nebraska Conference in partnership with the North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The Happy, Healthy Holiday 2025 Cooking demonstration will be on Sunday, Nov. 23 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM in the Youth Chapel, with samples for everyone downstairs. They are featuring vegan foods suitable for festive events. This event is being co-hosted by Pioneer Health and Wellness, Healthy Together Friends, and RMES Home and School. To register text "FOOD" to 269-281-2345. Questions: please contact Evelyn Kissinger at evelynkissinger@gmail.com.
Pioneer Women’s Ministries’ Advent devotionals will highlight a few of the promises of Jesus. To receive the “Red Letter Promises” daily devotionals by email for the first 25 days of December, text the word “ADVENT” to 269-281-2345. You can also receive a short daily text message preview of each day's devotional by providing your cell phone number when you register. We pray you will sense the nearness of Jesus during this holy season through these devotionals.









