Effective Church Communication

By Jon Cicle

As a pastor, "good" communication seems to be an almost constant struggle. I have heard questions on Sabbath such as "Is it potluck today? I had no idea! Why don't we announce these things?" Comments like these are discouraging because extra effort was put forth to ensure that the secretary had listed the potluck announcement three consecutive weeks. A lot of work goes into planning special events and ministries. It's a shame for that work to go to waste when the right people don't know about the event or service we're working toward. Systems are imperative if we're going to communicate effectively. Read More  

Cultivating Adventist Giving:

But We're Different, Right?

By Michael J. Brown

Giving is a transferable habit that happens to be cultivated in religious settings ~Jonathan Hill, Calvin College Sociology Professor

 

The Seventh-day Adventist church is a unique group of people.The Spirit of Prophecy is unique. The Sanctuary Message is unique. The Three Angel's Message is also unique. According to publication Faith Communities Today1, Adventists have been characterized as one of the most philanthropic groups in North America. So it is no surprise that when contemplating the applicability of philanthropic best practices, some may say: "That's fine for secular organizations or for other religious organizations, but you know ... we're different." Read More

Stories We Tell

Traditions: Why Do You Do That?

By Bruce Nicola

There was a small-town church in upstate New York. They'd had a priest in that church for over thirty-five years. He was loved by the church and the community. After he retired, he was replaced by a young, brand new, inexperienced priest.

 

It was the young priest's first church and he had a great desire to do well. Afterhe had been at the church for several weeks when he began to sense that the people were upset at him and this was troubling to him. Read More 

Attracting and Engaging Millennials

In Local Church Communities

By Rajkumar Dixit, Rajinie Dixit, Kyle Stiemsma

An unusual phenomenon is occurring at Oakridge Adventist Church (OAC) in Vancouver, Canada. The number of young adults, ages 18-35, is defying the typical trend of rampant decrease. Rather, the number of young adults is increasing as displayed not only by their attendance at weekly worship services, but also their active service in all areas of ministry at OAC.

This trend has led denominational leaders to focus attention on OAC as they ask the question, "What attracts young people and keeps them engaged in church life?" Read More 

Newsflash from Cactusville Austin

By Sherri Uhrig  

 
Attention all Ma's and Pa's!  Cactusville Round-up is for all Buckaroos (ages 6-9) and Wranglers (ages 10-12) each evening 7:00.   

 

Sunday evening Sheriff Dusty deputizes all the Buckaroos and Wranglers as Cactusville Deputies.   In Cactusville, Buckaroos and Wranglers are CALLED to be Deputies and will learn how God has CALLED each of them for a special purpose.... a Round-up concert with Mighty Magic Pants ends the first evening in Cactusville.  This is more than your usual concert ... the Buckaroos and Wranglers will be actively involved with knee slappin' joyful music!   

 

That's not all!  Monday evening at the Cactusville Round-up Buckaroos and Wranglers will participate in more music and hear a life-changing message from Nana Puddin'.  

 

Tuesday evening is designed to put into action .... And I mean really big action!...  God's calling to them ... KidsBlitz will involve the whole posse!  Yee-Haw!  See your Buckaroos and Wranglers soon in Cactusville Austin for a Bible treasure seeking adventure that is sure to be rip roarin' fun!

Pastors/Spouses and kids can still register for the June 28-July 1 CALLED Convention in Austin Texas.  

Events, Resources, Announcements

Beyond the Search is a 14 part documentary which explores some of life's biggest questions with gripping cinematography and Bible-inspired scripts. Free sample DVDs are available.

 

6 Things to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed - Practical steps for getting balance back in your life.

 

What Are You Living For? - In this prop-enhanced sermon Francis Chan shows us how life is like a small red piece of tape at the end of a long rope of eternity.

 

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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. 
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