Imagine a Bible study where 80 to 90 percent of those who start, finish. Imagine a Bible study where 70 to 80 percent make a decision for Christ and are still active in the church a year later. Imagine a study that is so simple that even a young person or one young in the faith can be a successful soul winner. Imagine a Bible study that even seasoned soul winners and evangelists find captivating. Read More
Simply is a new series of study guides designed for facilitators who are working with the secular and/or unchurched, the "noes" or the "dones". They can also be used in small groups and Sabbath school environments, but the guides are specifically designed for the mission field.
The goal of relational Bible studies is to build trust and share life stories in the context of a Bible story. This means that relational Bible studies are different then doctrinal study and they are even different then life application studies. Read More
Pastor Nelson Fernandez Jr. writes, "If the 1950s were to come back, many churches would be ready to receive the culture and people of the day." He suggests that at our growth peak there was a "general trend and willingness to engage the predominant popular culture at the time. Adventists were willing to explore the values that the larger society held dear and tweak their outreach methods to meet the culture where they were, and thus transform culture into one of the most engaged generations ever." Read More
I read about a Baptist minister who, when asked to conduct a funeral, asked the family if they could remember a favorite joke or a humorous story of the deceased. This got the family thinking more about how the deceased lived and less about how he died. The family quickly discovered that when asked to recount humorous times of their loved one, their tears were quickly replaced by smiles.
Gordon Kainer is a writer and retired academy Bible teacher living in Santa Rosa, CA
Young Adult Life Featured in CALLED Digital Magazine for Clergy
By Dave Gemmell
The threat of losing the millennial generation grabbed the attention of NAD leadership and in 2013 they launched 'Young Adult Life', an initiative to study and find options for engaging Millennials. This quarter's edition of CALLED magazine focuses on the status of young adults in the NAD. Read More
CALLED Convention General Session Information - Over 4000 registered!
By Ivan Williams
The 2015-CALLED Pastor's Family Convention is less than three months away. We are praising God for over four thousand registered attendees and we are looking forward to meeting each one at the convention.
Our six general sessions will focus on 7 qualities for excellence in pastoral ministry. The qualities are Character, Worship, Leadership, Evangelism, Management, Scholarship, and Relationship. Each day several speakers will address these qualities and the attendees will be able to participate and respond to speakers through media, Q & A, and panel discussions.
What are the simple tools you have created for ministry that consistently deliver successful results? What are the ministry hacks that are working for you? Send us a one to three paragraph description of one of your best creative tips for ministry, your picture, and your title for a future issue ofBest Practices for Adventist Ministry.
Ideas, Events, Resources, Announcements
Church Bullies are Common in Many Churches. They wreak havoc and create dissension. They typically must have an "enemy" in the church, because they aren't happy unless they are fighting a battle. Thom Rainer offers practical insights in Nine Traits of Church Bulliesand Nine Ways to Deal With Church Bullies.
Reflections is the official newsletter of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference. It seeks to share information concerning doctrinal and theological developments among Adventists and to foster doctrinal and theological unity in the world church. The April 2015 issue is now available.
Best Practices for Adventist Ministry is published by NAD Ministerial. Opinions expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NAD Ministerial. Publisher: Ivan Williams; Managing Editor: Dan Martella. Copyright 2015 North American Division Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. (301) 680-6418
The threat of losing the millennial generation grabbed the attention of NAD leadership and in 2013 they launched 'Young Adult Life', an initiative to study and find options for engaging Millennials. This quarter's edition of CALLED magazine focuses on the status of young adults in the NAD. 