Newsletter
Resource CenterSubscribe NowArchivesSubscribe Now
BestPractices
 June 3, 2009
Loren6A busy week on the world stage, and a week closer to Jesus' return! One of the signs preceding that return, sadly, is an increase in crime, which Pastor Einar Rom from Hardford, CT addresses with a surprising community service event.

Some great Vervent educational events coming up, too, including Innovative Impact in October. Hope to see you there in Nashville. We'll be holding another Night Owl Cafe at Innovative Impact '09, hearing from some creative pastors doing great new things in ministry.

Blessings
Loren Seibold,
Editor, Best Practices for Adventist Ministry
IN THIS ISSUE
Pastor: Einar Rom goes on the defensive
Media: Leonard Sweet, Roger Hernandez, Dave Gemmell
Reading: Southern Baptist baptism push falls flat, leaving questions
Review: The Promise of Peace
Quote: "Often our plans fail that God's plans for us may succeed."
Ideas: Center for In-Hand Leadership
Events: Innovative Impact 2009
Best Practices Pastor
Einar RomA Church to the Solar Plexus
Einar Rom, Hartford, Connecticut

Eye jab, ear slap, elbow, scoop kick, oblique kick, head butt, and knee. Doesn't sound much like community service, does it? But it was for the Connecticut Valley Church.

Connecticut Valley is located in a nice suburb of Hartford. But anywhere in and around cities, people are afraid. So we sponsored a no-cost, multi-evening self defense course for the community.

We first had to decide among ourselves whether this kind of event was a good one for a church to sponsor. It raised a few eyebrows at first. In the end, we all felt that people should know how to defend themselves. Many of us find ourselves in uncomfortable or threatening situations in which we're praying for black belt guardian angels with super powers to thwart evil! "Turning the other cheek" does not mean we should be victims.

We asked a Tae Kwon Do black belt couple to be our lead instructors.  They brought gym mats and other equipment and gave basic instruction on what to do and not to do when attacked from various angles and in various settings.   Each evening participants paired off and practiced the defensive moves with each other under the guidance of instructors.

One evening the instructor brought a realistic looking rubber gun to demonstrate how it is possible toy disarm a person wielding a firearm at close range. As simple as it sounds, the instructors also encouraged people to scream and run when being attacked, if that was an option.

Our advertising was just in a free newspaper delivered in the area of the church, and that brought out some community folks. This isn't evangelistic, but it is a small step in putting the church on the community map as being more than just another building.  The participants had a positive contact (even physically!) with Seventh-day Adventists. The effort was good for the church members, too, in that they began to see that we actually can be a blessing to our community. There are niches we can fill in our culture today but we must discover them.

Contact Einar at edjrom@juno.net
Featured Media
Reading For Pastors

For you history buffs, some great essays from ChristianHistory.net:
I found this very touching: a piece from the NYT "generation b" feature, about a child dragging his non-religious parents back to church. Quote: "As the weekend approached, the father hoped the son might lose momentum. But that Sunday Mr. Sweeney saw a vision almost as miraculous as a statue of the Virgin Mother weeping real tears: a 13-year-old boy who got up on his own at 8 a.m., put on a shirt with a collar, brushed his hair and was ready for church.... Later, he asked Ryan what he liked about church. 'It's very peaceful and everybody's nice to each other,' Ryan said." (Not a bad review for a church, all things considered. Is it noticable that everbody is nice to each other in our churches?)

This, from the WSJ, is a bit troubling: "Why Pay for Religious Schools When Charters are Free?" Hebrew communities have converted private Hebrew schools to public charter schools, supported by taxes, and Roman Catholics have considered it, too. They say they're not really running religious schools, but where do you cross the line?

A page (not sure of the compiler) of Ellen White statements about music.

We're not the only denomination struggling for accessions in North America. "Southern Baptists look for cures to stagnation." Quote: "Seminary president Danny Akin can sum it all up in just six words. 'Business as usual,' he said, 'is not working.'... The goal is to find a new way forward after several high-profile campaigns to boost the number of baptisms - a key measure of vitality and an article of faith for Baptists - fell flat."
Resource Review

promise of peaceBook Review
The Promise of Peace
by Charles Scriven, Pacific Press, 2009

Charles Scriven's, The Promise of Peace, is the book I've been looking for. Practical, honest and rooted in the challenges of daily life 'between our dreams and disappointments,' it will give hope to a new generation of Adventists who desperately long to re-appropriate their faith and traditions in a way that gives meaning to their lives and help them shape a more peaceful and just world. This short book is deceptively simple on the surface but underneath is a deep treasure of theological reflection born of Scriven's long experience in the church and years of study. I will be using this book with all my new members.

Reviewed by Ryan Bell
To the Point
"Make a point, whenever you receive a promise from God, to get all you can out of it. If you carry out that rule, it is wonderful what you will gain. Some go on the principle of getting as little as possible out of God's word. Such a plan may be wise with a man's word, but God's word is to be understood at the maximum, for he will do exceedingly abundantly above what you ask or even think."
  - Charles Spurgeon, Christ's Glorious Achievements

Often our plans fail that God's plans for us may succeed.
 - EGW, Help in Daily Living, p. 6

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.
 - EGW, Desire of Ages, p. 668

Know and believe the love that God has to us, and you are secure; that love is a fortress impregnable to all the delusions and assaults of Satan.
 - EGW, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 119

The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.
 - EGW, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 415

Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.
 - EGW, Help in Daily Living, p. 13
News, Ideas & Reminders
  • I've heard some good things about the Center for In-Hand Leadership. CIHL appears to be a network for coaching clergy and churches, drawing on the expertise of skilled coaching pastors. Quote: "Coaching develops emotionally intelligent leadership competencies so that ministers can more effectively lead their congregations.... Topics commonly addressed including dealing with difficult people, leading effective and efficient meetings, when to refer members to an ouside resource, dealing effectrively sith superiors, time management, stress management and church administration issues." The website is www.cihl.org.
  • From Don Jacobsen: "Don't know if we told you, but Ruthie's book, God Wants to Hear You Sing! became an Amazon.com Bestseller on Tuesday. It went to #1 in sales among all Protestant books on the Amazon.com Bestseller ranking. It went to #2 among all Christian books. And it went to #21 among all books. We are praising the Lord!
  • The Graduate Certificate in Family Life Educationvia intensive courses is still being offered at 50% off the normal tuition price. Contact: reled@andrews.edu or go to http://www.growingdisciples.info.

  • Innovative Impact 2009 promises to be the best conference yet.  Every stop has been pulled out to create a leadership experience that impacts your life and leadership well after the conference is over.Innovative Impact is not designed for a Pastor to come alone. It is deliberately geared for pastors and the key members of their church leadership teams to share and grow together over two days sitting under some of the most insightful leaders  in the "frontline" church today. Registration is available right now for this leadership event that will be held in Nashville October 11-13.
Got a tool, resource, site, article, idea or seminar that you like a lot? Share it with us at BestPractices@ameritech.net.
Upcoming NAD Events

Do you have an event you'd like to invite pastors to? Send details to BestPractices@Ameritech.net.
Best Practices is a Vervent publication of NAD CHURCH RESOURCE CENTER. Editor: Loren Seibold, Senior Pastor, Worthington Ohio Seventh-day Adventist Church. E-mail: Best Practices. You are free to republish pieces from Best Practices in your own newsletter or blog, with attribution to the Best Practices newsletter and the author of the piece.