There are many types of
buildings in Tampa, Florida
00:00:10.07\00:00:13.58
but among the high
rises as a fair representation
00:00:13.61\00:00:16.48
of post-modern architecture
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symbolic of
cities around the world
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with postmodernism
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and post-secularism
is starting to dominate.
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The challenge of
the urban mission,
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that and much
more coming up next.
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Just before He
went up to heaven,
00:00:36.36\00:00:38.90
Jesus gave us a command.
00:00:38.93\00:00:40.54
He gave us a mission.
00:00:41.90\00:00:43.24
Jesus said go,
"Go, unto all the world
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telling them of His love."
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This is our mission,
this is our Global Mission.
00:00:51.98\00:00:55.85
Hello, I'm Gary Krause
00:01:02.82\00:01:04.16
and welcome to
Global Mission Snapshots
00:01:04.19\00:01:06.56
coming to you
today from Tampa, Florida
00:01:06.59\00:01:09.43
in the United States.
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On today's program
00:01:11.07\00:01:12.40
we take you to
various parts of the world.
00:01:12.43\00:01:14.44
We will take you
to Port Charlotte
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just south of here
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where Compass Communities
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is making a
difference being the hands
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and feet of Jesus Christ
at they feed and cloth people
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and show the love of Jesus.
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We will also learn
about Chinese characters.
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How the Chinese alphabet
actually points to stories
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from the Bible
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connecting God's Holy
Word with the Chinese people.
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But first up, let's
go to London, England
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where Ana and Sam
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literally go to the
streets of that city
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with something
called the Sabbath sofa.
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No matter where you go you
find that people are tired.
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The stress of daily
life can be overwhelming.
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We created the Sabbath sofa
to introduce to people the idea
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that they can rest
each and every week.
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Our last two
adventures took place
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at Marble Arch
and Soho in London.
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Take a look
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and see how the
Sabbath sofa was received.
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Sareene. Hamida.
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Hamida and... Munnah.
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Munnah. What do
you do for a living?
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Are you tired?
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Yes, I am.
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I don't know, I've been walking
for really, really long time.
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What time did you start work?
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I start at three.
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Commute that makes you tired.
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The maneuvers that
makes me really tired
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but working day
tired to listening
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but me was tired as like
people they say they are tired
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but they should be sounding like
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rather than
complaining I do not.
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I've done a lot of walking
and walking tires me out a lot.
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Right. Okay.
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You said you are tired mentally,
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why you tried mentally.
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The things you
see, the things you hear
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I think you should
smell when you are out
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in Afghanistan or Iran.
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have you been to Afghan? Yes.
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Wow.
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Okay, what about you
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anything else I
guess that gets you tired?
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The evil in this world. Wow.
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Now I'm looking for a new job
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because I've got
little more energy to do it.
00:03:07.12\00:03:11.19
Sometimes what you can use
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you do get bored
and then you get--
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it reaches a point
where you wait for me
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I just don't
want to you sometimes.
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Imagine with me,
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imagine that you could
take 24 hours out of your life
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every single week
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let's just say
from a Friday sunset
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to a Saturday sunset
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and in that time you could rest.
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Amazing. That sounds incredible.
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yeah. yeah. That's like a dream.
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A dream? A dream come true.
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Really? Yeah.
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I do, you know, day like
that and it sounds like my own,
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my own small world.
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Be that there when you can
just not feel her in just relax,
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just and has a moment
to like refresh yourself
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for the next day.
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And it's a day that
we just take time out
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to remember we were not designed
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to just keep going.
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I think it's
brilliant, any time you can give
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to anybody or what
you do is spend your time
00:04:06.44\00:04:09.18
or money or whatever
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if you just do
good it's perfect.
00:04:11.11\00:04:12.98
I would like to
challenge you today
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that for this coming
week whatever you're doing
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to take some quality
time out for yourself
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and for your family to rest.
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I'm really grateful you've come.
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Me too. Really
very nice thought.
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Thank you
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It's really nice
that you could just
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hear about the
Sabbath for yourself.
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I hope you get an opportunity
to just coming for yourself.
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I hope so. I really hope so.
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You can see that people
are eager for the Sabbath
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without even knowing it.
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The Sabbath so far is
just one of the many ways
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that you can witness
to the people around you.
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How will you tell people
about the good news of Jesus?
00:04:46.88\00:04:50.52
On this program we talk
a lot about church planting
00:04:57.39\00:05:00.43
and my guest is
Pastor Anthony Wagner Smith
00:05:00.46\00:05:03.50
who is a church planter.
Thanks for joining us, Anthony.
00:05:03.53\00:05:06.63
You now, we talk
about church planting
00:05:06.67\00:05:08.50
what is that exactly,
how would you describe it?
00:05:08.54\00:05:11.31
Well when people hear
00:05:11.34\00:05:12.67
that someone is a
church planter like I am
00:05:12.71\00:05:14.74
they often ask
you two questions,
00:05:14.78\00:05:16.48
when does the church
meet and where is the church?
00:05:16.51\00:05:19.31
So most people think of a church
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or a new church
in terms of a program
00:05:20.95\00:05:23.12
that meets once a week
00:05:23.15\00:05:24.49
and so is Adventist, you know,
00:05:24.52\00:05:25.85
meets once a week on the Sabbath
00:05:25.89\00:05:27.62
and they think of it in
terms of a worship service.
00:05:27.66\00:05:29.69
But really a church plant
is where you plant the gospel
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before you start
a worship service.
00:05:33.13\00:05:35.20
So in my ministry
we do three things
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before we start
worshipping on Sabbath
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with new churches.
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We do discipleship
with our core team,
00:05:40.34\00:05:42.80
really going
through what they got--
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disciple-- the gospel is
00:05:44.21\00:05:45.54
and how it
changes our everyday life.
00:05:45.57\00:05:47.41
We also do visioning and prayer
00:05:47.44\00:05:49.31
so that we have a
vision for the plant
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in a DNA, in a strategy.
00:05:51.05\00:05:52.88
And then the third thing
is community involvement.
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So I'm hanging
out with my neighbors,
00:05:55.12\00:05:56.82
train bringing
other people along
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so that it's not
just teaching and talking
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but it's believing and
walking in our everyday life.
00:06:00.52\00:06:03.59
So it's all about
inviting people to a building
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for a worship
service, you're talking about.
00:06:06.93\00:06:08.66
Now people will say well,
this is all very good in theory
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but I don't have time
for community involvement.
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What do you say?
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Yeah, if someone tells
me they don't have the time,
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I would say you
misunderstand the gospel.
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Because the gospel is not
about clearing your schedule
00:06:20.38\00:06:23.04
to do additional church stuff
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it's about being intentional
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in the rhythms of
life that you already live.
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So for example here in
Tampa we're shooting this video
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there's some high-rises
and the hockey theaters
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right over here,
the hockey stadium
00:06:33.59\00:06:35.86
and some-- many people
I work with enjoy hockey
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and so they say
I don't have time
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but they have time for hockey.
00:06:40.33\00:06:42.00
So I encourage them
invite your un-church neighbor
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to the hockey game with you
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and invite them into
the rhythm of your life
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rather than feeling like
you can no longer go to hockey
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as a Christian to make
space to do "church stuff."
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Right and so we
have three meals a day
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and so instead of
eating it by ourselves
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we invite someone to
share the meal with us.
00:07:02.12\00:07:04.39
Now, Anthony, tell us-- tell me
00:07:04.42\00:07:05.99
a little bit about your
church planting background.
00:07:06.02\00:07:09.59
Well, I've pastored
to establish churches
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and districts and
over the course of time
00:07:11.63\00:07:15.80
God really opened doors for
me to work full-time as a pastor
00:07:15.83\00:07:19.43
with developing new churches
00:07:19.47\00:07:21.00
and the first
one that we planted
00:07:21.04\00:07:22.87
called Campus Communities
00:07:22.90\00:07:24.24
and we were there
for three, four years
00:07:24.27\00:07:26.78
trained up two of our elders
00:07:26.81\00:07:28.98
to really take the
lead with that church.
00:07:29.01\00:07:31.71
We started as two house churches
00:07:31.75\00:07:33.42
have moved into
a community center
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and it's a multi-ethnic
multi-economic church
00:07:35.58\00:07:37.95
that's just really
making a dynamic impact
00:07:37.99\00:07:40.36
in that community.
00:07:40.39\00:07:41.72
And then after
that we moved to Tampa
00:07:41.76\00:07:43.99
we plante and start a new church
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a year and a half ago
00:07:45.63\00:07:46.96
and I also work as a coordinator
00:07:47.00\00:07:49.10
with other pastors in
the area making plans,
00:07:49.13\00:07:52.27
praying together, and
then developing strategies
00:07:52.30\00:07:54.57
to facilitate new churches.
00:07:54.60\00:07:56.64
So let me ask you a
fundamental question
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why do we focus on
studying new congregations
00:07:58.97\00:08:02.64
rather than just filling
up the ones we already have?
00:08:02.68\00:08:05.61
I mean, it's an issue
especially in western context
00:08:05.65\00:08:09.42
but if a church
hasn't grown for 20 years,
00:08:09.45\00:08:12.42
they continues
doing the same thing
00:08:12.45\00:08:14.32
its probably gonna
have the same result.
00:08:14.36\00:08:16.19
So if that church
were intentionally plant
00:08:16.22\00:08:18.89
the kingdom is extended
00:08:18.93\00:08:20.30
in the
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:08:20.33\00:08:21.66
has a greater impact
00:08:21.70\00:08:23.37
and the research shows
00:08:23.40\00:08:25.03
it impacts the
church set plans effectively
00:08:25.07\00:08:27.64
not every time but
the majority of time.
00:08:27.67\00:08:29.80
So it's really--
00:08:29.84\00:08:31.21
you have to give
in order to receive
00:08:31.24\00:08:32.94
and if we have
closed hands the gospel says
00:08:32.97\00:08:35.08
we're not gonna grow,
we're not gonna receive.
00:08:35.11\00:08:37.68
And when a leader say to me
well, we are gonna fill up our
00:08:37.71\00:08:40.55
existing churches first
00:08:40.58\00:08:41.92
I say how is that been
working for you, you know.
00:08:41.95\00:08:44.39
So, now tell me
how has this focus
00:08:44.42\00:08:48.42
on community ministry
touch some people's lives?
00:08:48.46\00:08:51.23
Can you give me an example?
00:08:51.26\00:08:52.59
Sure, absolutely.
00:08:52.63\00:08:54.20
There's so many but for me
00:08:54.23\00:08:56.43
it's all about
living a mission lifestyle
00:08:56.46\00:08:58.30
and so I cannot
only talk to other people
00:08:58.33\00:09:01.27
about using their
gifts but I have to use mine.
00:09:01.30\00:09:04.11
And so one of the things
that God given me is a passion
00:09:04.14\00:09:07.34
for exercise and sports
00:09:07.38\00:09:10.25
and so I actually
teach a cycling class
00:09:10.28\00:09:12.11
through a local gym where I live
00:09:12.15\00:09:14.05
and many young men
got connected with him,
00:09:14.08\00:09:17.09
connected with others in
the church and the community
00:09:17.12\00:09:20.12
and that man had been through
00:09:20.16\00:09:21.89
some pretty
crazy stuff in his life
00:09:21.92\00:09:24.03
but as a result of
forming friendships,
00:09:24.06\00:09:25.86
getting involve for discipleship
00:09:25.89\00:09:27.60
and everything else
00:09:27.63\00:09:28.96
he eventually gave
his heart to Christ
00:09:29.00\00:09:30.33
and was baptized.
00:09:30.37\00:09:31.70
Before he was
baptized he told me,
00:09:31.73\00:09:34.04
I don't know how to
swim and I said that's okay.
00:09:34.07\00:09:36.91
You know, it's just
gonna be waist-deep water
00:09:36.94\00:09:38.44
we had done it in a
pool at someone's house
00:09:38.47\00:09:40.78
and when I baptized
him he went under the water
00:09:40.81\00:09:44.05
and he came out of my
grasp swim to the deep in
00:09:44.08\00:09:47.82
then he popped
up and looked at me
00:09:47.85\00:09:49.38
and said forger.
00:09:49.42\00:09:50.75
So there's a
great party going on
00:09:51.65\00:09:53.79
when people give
their hearts to the Lord.
00:09:53.82\00:09:55.56
There's another lady
00:09:55.59\00:09:57.23
we really emphasized
belonging before believing
00:09:57.26\00:10:00.50
and so when it comes
00:10:00.53\00:10:01.86
to the proclamation of the Bible
00:10:01.90\00:10:03.40
you have to be a
committed Seventh-day Adventist
00:10:03.43\00:10:05.27
and a member if
you're gonna be teaching
00:10:05.30\00:10:06.77
small groups working with kids
00:10:06.80\00:10:08.80
but other ministries
people can get involved.
00:10:08.84\00:10:10.91
And so we had a lady
who's a professional lady,
00:10:10.94\00:10:13.38
our current church
plants in an affluent area
00:10:13.41\00:10:15.78
and she's a
director of communication
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.85
for a national company.
00:10:17.88\00:10:19.38
She got
involved with the church,
00:10:19.41\00:10:20.82
she came to our
orientation for new members
00:10:20.85\00:10:23.52
and things we do
00:10:23.55\00:10:24.89
and I said there's two
ways to join the church
00:10:24.92\00:10:26.89
either baptism or
profession of faith
00:10:26.92\00:10:30.89
which means you
already been baptized.
00:10:30.93\00:10:32.26
And so she checked
profession of faith
00:10:32.29\00:10:33.80
and I said tell me,
tell me about your baptism.
00:10:33.83\00:10:35.76
She said, I don't remember
it. I was six months old.
00:10:35.80\00:10:38.60
She was baptized as an infant
00:10:38.63\00:10:41.24
but she was so
committed to our church
00:10:41.27\00:10:44.07
into the vision that
she was all in on it.
00:10:44.11\00:10:46.57
So she had to be studied with
00:10:46.61\00:10:48.71
and one of our
leaders we study with her
00:10:48.74\00:10:50.38
and help her
understand our doctrines
00:10:50.41\00:10:51.85
and be committed to our message.
00:10:51.88\00:10:53.65
Church planting is
not about moving away
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.08
from the message
that we've been given
00:10:55.12\00:10:56.58
as a
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:10:56.62\00:10:58.12
but it illustrates
how people get involved,
00:10:58.15\00:11:00.29
they feel
comfortable, they're connected
00:11:00.32\00:11:02.22
and then our doctrinal prophetic
00:11:02.26\00:11:04.16
understandings
part of that growth
00:11:04.19\00:11:05.89
and part of that experience.
00:11:05.93\00:11:07.63
So as we see
increasing secularism
00:11:07.66\00:11:10.93
where we see people don't have
a background in Christianity
00:11:10.97\00:11:14.07
this becomes
increasingly important.
00:11:14.10\00:11:15.57
Absolutely.
00:11:15.60\00:11:16.94
Another quick example of how
00:11:16.97\00:11:18.31
it's important
in a secular context
00:11:18.34\00:11:20.58
I want to show people
00:11:20.61\00:11:22.48
and I want them to
change in their understanding
00:11:22.51\00:11:25.35
of thinking of
churches a worship service
00:11:25.38\00:11:27.88
to thinking of-- to
thinking of service as worship.
00:11:27.92\00:11:31.32
And so it's quite common that
00:11:31.35\00:11:32.92
we cancel our
worship service on Sabbath
00:11:32.95\00:11:35.76
and then we go
into the community
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.36
to worship through service.
00:11:37.39\00:11:39.33
And so we developed partnerships
00:11:39.36\00:11:41.20
and practical
service days in our area code
00:11:41.23\00:11:43.80
that we live in
and that's a key way
00:11:43.83\00:11:45.77
that we invite our
neighbors to come with us
00:11:45.80\00:11:47.84
and to serve
along alongside of us.
00:11:47.87\00:11:50.57
Anthony, thank you so
much for sharing with us.
00:11:50.61\00:11:52.51
It is an honor. Thank you.
00:11:52.54\00:11:53.88
And after this break
more stories more missions.
00:11:53.91\00:11:56.54