January 29, 2016 
#NADEvangelism     #NADMinisterial     #NADPastors    #compassion10m     #dayofhope     #plant1000
Some of Our Churches Are Dying, Why Plant More?
by Jose Cortes Jr.

Pastor Jose Cortes Jr
"Our Churches are old and dying and now you are encouraging us to plant new ones? That is Ok in places where the Church is growing, but here, why should we have to do that?"- These were tough question asked by one of my colleagues during a recent Pastors'Meeting where I had the privilege to attend and present. He was not being negative, he was just struggling with reality, which is also the reality in several places in North America. This question is a valid question for many Pastors, Lay Leaders, Church Members, and Conference Administrators; why should we plant new churches if our existing churches are old and some are dying?
 
Experts tell us that churches that reach maturity, have a life expectancy that spans between 70 - 100 years, just like us humans. Although very sad, it is normal and expected that churches will get old and die, there is no dishonor in a church dying with dignity after having served its purpose.
 
My paternal grandparents had my father. My maternal grandparents had my mother. My parents got married and they had my brother Josue and I. Please bear with me, this is not about to turn into a genealogy chapter we all "enjoy"reading, I am going somewhere with this. Both, my brother and I, got married to gorgeous girls and now we both have children. Now my question for you is: what would happen if our children decide that they will not have children? What would happen to our family? Exactly, if we want to be around, make a contribution to this world, if our family is to survive, thrive, and make a difference, each generation must do its part to add family members. I hope and pray that our kids will have or adopt children one day. I would like our family to survive, thrive, fulfill a purpose, and bless many in this world till Jesus comes.
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The Grace Place, A Church Planting Story
by Betty Eaton & Hyveth Williams
"I won't be coming to church anymore,"Dr. Hyveth Williams, Professor of Homiletics, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, declared to her pastor, Dr. Throstur Thordarson.   She continued, "I feel the Lord has called me to do more than just sit in a church. I have been praying about this with one of my students, Heber Aviles, and I have decided to go to a section of Chicago and start knocking on doors. If you don't see me in church it will be because I am out knocking on doors praying with people and seeing if I can find some who will study the Bible with me."

Pastor Throstur calmly responded, "Let's pray about this."When they finished praying, he said, "There is a little company I have in South Bend. They are not growing and I'm thinking of disbanding them, but they have this beautiful church. Why don't you go and look at it before you go to Chicago. Just see what can come of it."The next Sabbath Hyveth looked at the church "I was just overwhelmed by the facilities, the location and everything. It was just as if God was saying, 'This is where I want you to minister.'"

Immediately Hyveth contacted her friend, Heber, a Seminary student, and they both prayed about the possibilities. They invited a few other individuals to join them and the group grew eventually grew to twelve. They prayed and fasted together for a whole month asking the Lord to reveal His will. The impression on all involved was that God wanted them to do something in South Bend, Indiana. They were further affirmed in their goal and zeal and became charter members and The Executive Team of "The Grace Place,"as the church plant has been named.
Missional Initiatives for North America
Compassion Website Available with Tips, Blogs, Downloadable Poster, and Funding Info  #compassion10m
   
Compassion 10 Million is an opportunity for each Adventist member in North America to be involved in mission by becoming the Eyes, Heart, Hands, and Feet of Jesus inside and outside the walls of our homes and churches. It calls for Adventists across North America to collectively invest 10 million hours blessing our communities with intentional, repetitive, and relevant acts of love and service. This initiative provides the opportunity for everyone to be involved somehow. Preaching and teaching are also acts of compassion, yet not all of us may be able to preach or teach, but we can all reach.
 
Compassion Weekend (second weekend of every month): To create momentum, establish unity, and produce a greater effect, we are encouraging each church to set aside the second weekend of every month, making it a special time for intentional community outreach, attending to the needs of people in our neighborhoods. These weekends will serve as reminders of our mission and as an opportunity for all the Ministries of the Church to collaborate together under the umbrella of Transformational Evangelism. Just imagine 6,277 churches, taking time every second Sabbath, after the church service, and every second Sunday to go out into the community to show the love of God and the compassion of Jesus in practical ways.
 
Compassion Weekend Dates for 2016: January 9-10; February 13-14: March 12-13; April 9-10; May 14-15; June 11-12; July 9-10; August 13-14; September 10-11; October 8-9; November 12-13; December 10-11.
 
Funding for a Compassion Model Church in each Conference: $15,000.00 has been set aside in collaboration with the Unions and Conferences to support a Compassion Model Church per Conference (NAD $10,000.00 / Union $2,500.00 / Conference $2,500.00) - Application and Guidelines will be available shortly - Each Conference will select its Compassion Model Church.


Adventists in North America Prepare to Celebrate Day of Hope & Compassion (April 16-17, 2016) #dayofhope #compassion10m
The Day of Hope & Compassion will serve as a very festive two-day Division-wide commemoration of our hope. Our President, Pastor Dan Jackson, envisions all Adventist Congregations, K-12 Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Hospital in North America celebrating our hope through acts of compassion, a social media blitz, joyful worship services, and distribution of inspiring Adventist literature that is practical to the daily lives and needs of our communities. This celebration will provide an opportunity for grand collaboration among church members, church ministries, and institutions. Please, mark your calendars, we need total involvement to make it a reality.

Resources: the North American Division will develop resources and create a media promotional campaign to assist congregations, schools, and hospitals for this extraordinary celebration.

Modeling Hope & Compassion: the North American Division Leadership Team will celebrate the Day of Hope & Compassion by partnering with the local churches, Conferences, and Union in the City of Columbia, Maryland, the home to the future new Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. Pastor Dan Jackson and our North American Division Leadership Team would love to see all Union and Conferences Leadership Teams do the same in their geographical areas.


NAD Church Plant Website Available with Funding Info and Resources #plant1000

Plant1000 is a bold and unprecedented vision of collaboration in church planting. The North American Division, General Conference, Conferences, and Unions will partner with our local churches and invest to help fund 1000 community churches from 2016 to 2020. Envision 200 Community Church Plants, each year, for the next five years. There are many neighborhoods, towns, and counties in North America that still don't have access to the good news of Jesus. There are peoples groups in our Division which are still mostly unreached. These new community church plants will put the gospel within their reach.
 
Support and Funding for Conferences: we are praying and have set aside funding to support all of our Conferences with more than 15,000 members to take a step of faith and plant 4 churches every year for the next five years. We are also praying and have set aside funding to support all of our Conferences with less than 15,000 members to plant 3 churches every year for the next five years.
 
The funds set aside to support 200 Community Church Plants per year are $10,000.00 per Church Plant, in collaboration with the General Conference, Unions, and Conferences (NAD/GC $5,000.00 / Union $2,500.00 / Conference $2,500.00) - Application will be available shortly - Each Conference will select its church plants to be funded
 
Church Planters BootCamp (April 28 - May 1, 2016) in Camp Kulaqua, Florida: a top of the line equipping opportunity for those leading the Community Church Plants funded. It will include cutting edge training, assessment, coaching, and networking with other Church Planters in North America and the world. No Registration Cost to Church Planter (only cost to church planter is transportation to BootCamp).
 
Deadline: after May 1, 2016 - unrequested funds may become available on first come, first served basis for Conferences wanting to plant some extra churches.

The Evangelism Huddle - February 7-10, 2016   #ehuddle
The Evangelism Huddle, "the ehuddle",  (NAD Evangelism Visioning & Leadership Team) will be meeting in February 7 - 10, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. The objective is to   help to create a shared and collaborative vision for Evangelism and Church Growth in the North American Division. For more information please Click Here...




North America Needs your Articles, Photos, & Videos
In the months to come we would like to publish, celebrate, pray for, and spread what God is doing through you. North America would love to see your evangelism and outreach stories, photos, and videos.

Send us articles, photos, and videos of your Best Practices in Evangelism & Outreach (traditional & innovative): 


Patrick Peralta baptizes his father during the closing of Alejandro Bull�n's evangelistic series.


Patrick Peralta baptizes his father during the closing of Alejandro Bull�n's evangelistic series.


Pastors Marco Molina  & Jose Marin with the Mayor of the City of Oakland,
Libby Schaaf


The WHY Behind Younger Generation: Baptism Celebration


The WHY Behind Younger Generation: Baptism Celebration


The WHY Behind Younger Generation: Baptism Celebration

In This Issue
Deep Thoughts on Evangelism, God's Grace, Compassion & Leadership


For NAD Ministerial & Evangelism photos, please click here:


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Best Practices for Adventist Evangelism is published by NAD Ministerial. 
Editor: Jos� Cort�s Jr.; Managing Editor: Dave Gemmell.; Media Assistant: Henry Juarez

NAD Ministerial | 301-680-6699 | [email protected] | http://www.nadministerial.org
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2014  North American Division Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. v(301) 680-6418