30 Jun

LAY PASTOR TRAINING CONTINUES WITH SABBATH AND LITERATURE OUTREACH DISCUSSION

By‌ ‌Rachel‌ ‌Williams‌ ‌–‌ ‌Grand‌ ‌Junction,‌ ‌Colorado…‌ ‌“This‌ ‌last‌ ‌lay pastor‌ ‌training‌ ‌session‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌very‌ ‌rich‌ ‌experience,”‌ ‌Patrick‌ ‌Williams,‌ ‌lay‌ ‌pastor‌ ‌training‌ ‌attendee‌ ‌said.‌ ‌

‌Evangelism‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌were‌ ‌the‌ ‌main‌ ‌topics‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Western‌ ‌Slope‌ ‌lay‌ ‌pastor‌ ‌training‌ ‌held‌ in‌ ‌May.‌ ‌

‌Twenty-two ‌individuals,‌ ‌including‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌attendee,‌ ‌gathered‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Grand‌ ‌Junction‌ ‌Adventist‌ ‌Church‌ ‌to‌ continue‌ ‌their‌ ‌training‌ ‌to‌ ‌become‌ ‌lay‌ ‌pastors.‌ ‌

The‌ ‌weekend‌ ‌of‌ ‌training‌ ‌began‌ ‌with‌ ‌Matt‌ ‌Hasty,‌ ‌RMC‌ ‌literature‌ ‌ministries‌ ‌director,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Robert‌ ‌Koorenny,‌ ‌associate‌ ‌director‌ ‌of‌ ‌public‌ ‌relations‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌Voice‌ ‌of‌ ‌Prophecy,‌ ‌leading‌ ‌out‌ ‌in‌ ‌discussions‌ ‌on‌ ‌how‌ ‌to‌ ‌conduct‌ ‌successful‌ ‌literature‌ ‌evangelism.‌ ‌

Hasty’s‌ ‌presentation‌ ‌was‌ ‌on‌ ‌how‌ ‌literature‌ ‌evangelism‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌huge‌ ‌part‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌rapid‌ ‌growth‌ ‌in‌ the‌ ‌early‌ ‌Seventh‌-day‌ ‌Adventist‌ ‌Church,‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌still‌ ‌being‌ ‌used‌ ‌today.‌ ‌The‌ ‌group‌ ‌also‌ ‌learned‌ ‌that‌ ‌literature‌ ‌would‌ ‌be‌ ‌a‌ ‌big‌ ‌factor‌ ‌in‌ ‌finishing‌ ‌the‌ ‌end‌-‌time‌ ‌work.‌ ‌

‌Following‌  ‌Hasty’s‌ ‌presentation,‌ ‌Koorenny‌ talked about GLOW ‌Ministries‌ ‌and‌ ‌shared several‌ ‌inspiring‌ ‌stories‌ ‌of‌ ‌people‌ who ‌had‌ ‌been‌ ‌led‌ ‌to‌ ‌Jesus‌ ‌and‌ ‌given‌ ‌hope‌ ‌after‌ ‌reading‌ ‌a‌ ‌Glow‌ ‌tract.‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌training‌ ‌on‌ ‌literature‌ ‌evangelism‌ ‌ended‌ ‌with‌ ‌Hasty‌ ‌and‌ ‌Koorenny‌ ‌sharing‌‌ ‌practical‌ ‌ways‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌non-intrusive‌ ‌and‌ ‌friendly‌ ‌while‌ ‌handing‌ ‌out‌ ‌literature.‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌gathering‌ ‌continued‌ ‌on‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌and‌ ‌Sunday‌ ‌morning‌ ‌with‌ ‌Nate‌ ‌Skaife,‌ ‌pastor‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌Grand‌ ‌Junction‌ ‌church,‌ ‌leading‌ ‌an‌ ‌in-depth‌ ‌study‌ ‌and‌ ‌discussion‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath,‌ ‌which‌ ‌began‌ ‌with‌ ‌reviewing‌ ‌the‌ ‌creation‌ ‌account‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌was‌ ‌instituted.‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌discussion‌ ‌continued‌ by discussing‌ ‌how‌ ‌different‌ ‌churches‌ ‌view‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌those‌ ‌views‌ ‌either‌ ‌do ‌or‌ ‌do not‌ ‌match‌ ‌the‌ ‌Bible‌ ‌view.‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌group‌ ‌concluded‌ ‌their‌ ‌study‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌examining‌ ‌how‌ ‌the‌ ‌Bible‌ ‌shows‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌a‌ ‌day‌ ‌of‌ ‌relationship‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌importance‌ ‌of‌ ‌keeping‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌meant‌ ‌to‌ ‌be kept.‌ ‌ ‌

‌Recalling‌ ‌the‌ ‌weekend,‌ ‌Williams‌ ‌commented‌ ‌“We‌ ‌were‌ ‌blessed‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌enthusiastic‌ ‌presentation‌ on the‌ ‌potential‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌literature‌ ‌ministry‌ ‌to‌ ‌play‌ ‌a‌ ‌significant‌ ‌part‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌closing‌ ‌work;‌ ‌emphasis‌ ‌was‌ ‌placed especially‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Glow‌ ‌tract‌ ‌ministry.‌ ‌We‌ ‌then‌ ‌dove‌ ‌very,‌ ‌very‌ ‌deeply‌ into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Sabbath‌ ‌and‌ ‌we‌ ‌learned‌ ‌that‌ ‌the‌ ‌Lord’s‌ ‌Day‌ ‌is‌ ‌far‌ ‌more‌ ‌beautiful‌ ‌and‌ ‌special‌ ‌than‌ ‌we‌ realize.‌ ‌It‌ ‌really‌ ‌got‌ ‌us‌ ‌thinking‌ ‌about‌ ‌and‌ ‌sharing‌ ‌how‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌keep‌ ‌it‌ ‌truly‌ ‌holy.”‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌Denver‌ ‌cohort‌ ‌training‌ ‌was‌ ‌held‌ ‌earlier‌ ‌in‌ ‌June‌ ‌where‌ ‌17‌ ‌individuals‌ ‌were‌ ‌trained‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌topics.‌ ‌The‌ ‌next‌ ‌session‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌held‌ ‌in‌ ‌September.‌ ‌

–Rachel Williams is member of the Cedaredge Adventist Church; photos supplied

03 Mar

LAY PASTOR TRAINING IN GRAND JUNCTION DISCUSSES CHURCH GROWTH

RMCNews with Rachel Williams – Grand Junction, Colorado … The Western Slope lay pastor training was held at the Grand Junction church, February 26-27. Twenty-three participants, including three first-time attendees, studied the theology of the covenants and best practices for church growth.

Nate Skaife, pastor of the Grand Junction church, led the sessions with a discussion on how covenants worked in the Bible, placing a special focus on the stories of Noah and Abraham, which drew many questions from the trainees.

“Having studied about the covenants and how the Lord is both Suzerien and Vassal, Christ’s character of love shines through even more,” Connie Heinrich, Grand Junction member and lay pastor trainee said.

Another trainee, Rachel Williams, explained her thoughts about the covenant training received, “I had always heard a lot about the old and new covenants, but what I learned this weekend gave me a much clearer understanding of how they actually work, how they show God’s love, and how He takes responsibility for both Himself and us in both covenants.”

On Sabbath afternoon, the focus of the meetings shifted with Skaife leading the discussion on best practices for church growth, the life cycle of the church, the importance of showing friendship and kindness to our communities, and personal evangelism.

The afternoon session gave opportunity for participants to share stories of personal ministry as well as their struggles, while coming up with new ideas for helping home churches grow and minister to their communities.

Mickey Mallory, RMC ministerial director, showed appreciation for the weekend training, “I am happy that our RMC lay pastors had exposure to information on two very important topics in the church today. Understanding the covenants in the Bible reaffirms one’s faith in Christ, while understanding church growth provides the opportunity to see how sharing the Gospel will lead to church growth, qualitatively and quantitatively.”

Reflecting on the training, Palisade member and lay pastor trainee Curtis Strain, said, “I have learned so much during these meetings. [I’ve gained] new perspectives and new tools that I can use to improve my ministry.”

Mallory explains why these weekend gatherings are important to continue: “To have a group of trained lay pastors right now is a tremendous luxury for our conference. Because of their effort, we are enabled to do lots more in our churches.”

The next training will be held in Denver on April 23 and in Grand Junction on May 21.  For more information on the lay pastor training sessions, please contact Mickey Mallory at [email protected].

RMCNews with Rachel Williams who attended the lay pastor training in February; photo supplied.