Developing, Planting, and Multiplying an Adventist House Church Using Principles of Missiology in

227 Pages·2017·3.24 MB·English

by  W Milton Adams

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W Milton Adams
Andrews University
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Adams, W Milton, "Developing, Planting, and Multiplying an Adventist House Church Using Principles of
Missiology in the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists" (2009). Dissertation Projects DMin. 2.
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ABSTRACT
DEVELOPING, PLANTING, AND MULTIPLYING AN ADVENTIST
HOUSE CHURCH USING PRINCIPLES OF MISSIOLOGY IN THE
FLORIDA CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
by
W. Milton Adams
Adviser: Kurt Johnson
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Dissertation
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Title: DEVELOPING, PLANTING, AND MULTIPLYING AN ADVENTIST HOUSE
CHURCH USING PRINCIPLES OF MISSIOLOGY IN THE FLORIDA
CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
Name of researcher: W. Milton Adams
Name and degree of faculty adviser: Kurt Johnson, D.Min.
Date Completed: October 2009
Problem
Church attendance is steadily declining throughout North America. Nevertheless,
people are still seeking God, but it is occurring outside the church walls. The same trend
is occurring in Florida where church attendance is below the national average. In response
to this trend this project was to establish an Adventists house church within the Florida
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to assess a house church model’s front-line
missionary viability.
Method
Following pre-launch work, one house church was launched in the North West
Orlando area with two families (four adults and five small children). The project was
evaluated for health, using Natural Church Development, and for effectiveness of front-
line missionary viability.
Results
Following ten months of work the following were observed: (1) average
attendance was twenty-nine people (seventeen adults and twelve children); (2) thirty
percent of adult attendance were unchurched people; (3) sixty-five percent of unchurched
people returned a second time; (4) eight Adventist adults were trained to launch their own
house church in a new location; (5) six baptisms were celebrated; (6) tithe and offerings
totaled, $47,469.79 ($31,512.31 and $15,957.48 respectively); (7) two new house church
locations were launched; (8) total attendance, since inception, averages for each of the
three locations was twenty people, totaling a weekly Simple Church attendance of sixty
people; (9) the Florida Conference received 100 percent of tithe; (10) no financial support
(i.e., pastor’s salary) was received from the Florida Conference; and (11) approximately
90 percent of local offerings were used to help unchurched people and occasional
emergency needs among house church participants.
Conclusions
House churches, specifically Simple Church, operate out of a decentralized, grass-
roots paradigm that is faithful to the Seventh-day Adventist mission. This paradigm
intentionally recaptures the New Testament and early Adventist roots by eliminating the
professional clergy/lay person distinction. This elimination, in and of itself, naturally
empowers lay-people to become Adventist front-line missionaries. Lay people realize that
if they do not become missionaries, there are no professional clergy or Bible workers to
whom they can shift their missionary responsibility. This awareness both calls and invites
lay people to step up to the plate and once again take ownership of the unique message
God has invited Seventh-day Adventists to share with the world–beginning with their
unchurched neighbors.
Future Development
The nature of this project carries with it ongoing development, change, and
modifications. This project was officially completed March 31, 2009. Descriptions and
explanations contained within this document are subject to change as the development of
the Simple Church Network, which was the outcome of this project, continues to expand.
Please contact the author by visiting http://www.SimpleChurchAtHome.com for update
information on items found within this project dissertation.
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
DEVELOPING, PLANTING, AND MULTIPLYING AN ADVENTIST
HOUSE CHURCH USING PRINCIPLES OF MISSIOLOGY IN THE
FLORIDA CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
A Dissertation
Presented In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry
by
W. Milton Adams
October 2009
© Copyright by W. Milton Adams 2009
All Rights Reserved
DEVELOPING, PLANTING, AND MULTIPLYING AN ADVENTIST
HOUSE CHURCH USING PRINCIPLES OF MISSIOLOGY IN THE
FLORIDA CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
A dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Ministry
by
W. Milton Adams
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:
_________________________________ _________________________________
Adviser, Director of D.Min. Program
Kurt Johnson Skip Bell
_________________________________ _________________________________
Adviser, Dean, SDA Theological Seminary
Donald C. James J. H. Denis Fortin
_________________________________ _________________________________
Russell Burrll Date approved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................. ix
Chapter
I. PROJECT INTRODUCTION .............................. 1
Introduction ......................................... 2
Background to the Problem ............................. 2
Constantine’s Contribution .......................... 4
Adventist’s Contribution ............................ 7
Adventist Roots ................................ 8
Spiritual Development, Aggressive Service .......... 12
Statement of the Problem ............................... 15
Specific to North America ........................... 15
Specific to Adventism in North America ................ 16
Specific to Florida ................................. 18
Justification ......................................... 19
Methodology ........................................ 21
Definition of Terms ................................... 22
Limitations .......................................... 25
Personal Limitations ............................... 25
Limitations ....................................... 25
Summary ........................................... 26
II. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS .............................. 27
A Theology of Missions ................................ 27
God: The Inventor of Mission ........................ 28
Jesus: The Illustration of Community .................. 30
Church: The Expression of Community ................ 31
Holy Spirit: The Empowerer of Community ............. 34
Adventists: A Missional Community................... 36
“Greet the Church That Meets In His/Her Home” ............ 41
Jesus’ Use of Homes ............................... 44
Oikos–Ekklesia Connection .......................... 45
Romans 16 .................................... 45
iii