keys to adventist community services

36 Pages·2010·0.14 MB·English

KEYS TO ADVENTIST
COMMUNITY
SERVICES
Introduction

God has called every Seventh-day Adventist Church be a transforming agent in its
community, following the methods of Jesus to bring help and hope through ministries of
compassion in His name (see Luke 4:16-21; Ministry of Healing, p. 143). Adventist
Community Services (ACS) is the descriptive label for a wide range of public services
provided by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is also the name of the denomination’s
community action agency that operates at the church level. (See chapter 2 for explanation
of the difference between ACS and ADRA.)

Even though problems such as poverty, disease, disaster, and other social
problems are multiplying around the world, there is a positive side to this challenge.
These ever-present problems present unlimited opportunities for God’s people to
experience the joy of service in providing compassionate care that alleviates and prevents
suffering. This opens doors to reach people with the hope of Jesus Christ in the midst of
their struggles.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church at the highest level has renewed its
commitment to community services and redoubled its efforts to support and encourage
this important ministry. The 2001 World Survey of church members revealed, among
other things, that only 29% of our members are involved in their community. Findings
from the World Survey are reflected in the Adventist church’s “Tell the World Initiative,”
which has seven areas of emphasis: spiritual growth, community involvement, personal
witness, city outreach, church planting, evangelistic programming, and media ministry.
Goals have been set for each area of emphasis. One of the goals is to raise our
community involvement to 40% by the year 2010. We invite you to join us in meeting
that goal—and, in the years that follow, to continually increase the ranks of God’s mighty
community services army.

This Adventist Community Services leaflet is a tool for creating an organized
response to the needs in your community. It is intended for an international audience.
The church in North America has its own extensive handbook— Ministries of
Compassion, published by AdventSource—from which this leaflet has been adapted.
(We use the term “ministries of compassion” to refer to any kind of helping ministry).
The ACS leaflet is intended for guidance on the fundamentals of starting or growing
community services ministries and is not a policy book. While it replaces Lay Activities
Leaflet No. 10 (1976) it does not replace any policy documents or manuals produced by
any division, union, or local conference. Some of the ACS leaflet’s contents may need to
be adapted to suit the policies and procedures of the country or Seventh-day Adventist
divisions where it is used. The principles of organization described herein are time-tested,
so they should be considered a strong basis for establishing an effective Adventist
Community Services program and ministry; however, the local situation must prevail.

Chapters 1 through 4 and chapter 6 are foundational for any type of program.
Chapter 5 discusses specific ministry areas.

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We affirm those individuals and churches, large or small, who are already
involved in the community. It is our prayer that this tool will help you think through how
your church can be more involved in the community; bringing hope and healing to people
in the name of Jesus.

General Conference Sabbath School & Personal Ministries Department/
Adventist Community Services International

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 ………. Why Adventist Ministries of Compassion?

Chapter 2 ………. The Mission of Adventist Community Services

Chapter 3 ………. Organization

Chapter 4 ………. Starting a Community Services Program

Chapter 5 ………. Special Programs

Chapter 6 ………. Witnessing through Community Services

Resources

Appendix
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Chapter 1 – Why Adventist Ministries of Compassion

On Sabbath morning, during Sabbath School and church, skate boarders can often
be seen riding past the main doors of the Central Coast Community Church (CCCC) in
Wyong, NSW, Australia. The church meets in a community youth center facility, next to
a skate board park. The CCCC members were excited about moving in to the center as
the skate boarders were part of the group the church wanted to reach. CCCC is committed
to being a church that holistically serves its community.

For several years, CCCC church members have provided breakfast five days a
week at the local public elementary school in conjunction with Sanitarium Health Food
Company. This school has many students from needy families. Eventually, the church
was asked to provide an Adventist chaplain for this public school.

Pastor Wayne Krause and his members believe that the local church should be the
place where people with all types of challenges in their lives are made welcome, and feel
loved and forgiven. Starting with three individuals, this church now has an attendance of
more than two hundred. CCCC members believe that working in the community is just as
important as working within the local church. All CCCC members sign a covenant of
commitment to their church after attending a membership class. Part of that covenant is
that they will be involved in a ministry in the community. Church leadership encourages
people to join other organizations in the community rather than set up all of them
themselves.

Central Coast Community Church has three members who were involved in
witchcraft, and at least one former prostitute. Members of a heavy metal band found
Christ there. Heroin addicts are attending church. They have a Sabbath School class that
is a smoking class. It started by accident with people who felt accepted at their church
even though they smoked. Since the community youth center where the church meets is a
public area, where smoking is not allowed, the smokers would gather in an outside
gazebo to smoke. Someone noticed this and started a Sabbath School class there.

Pastor Krause has what he calls his office at a Gloria Jeans coffee shop in Borders
Bookstore in the local shopping mall in Australia. He spends quite a bit of time there,
doing counseling, Bible studies, and running a small group. The people who run the
coffee shop take appointments for him, and he has already been asked to conduct three
weddings for the staff. One person from Borders has attended CCCC and the owner of
the coffee shop has jokingly said he will put a cross on one of the tables so people know
Pastor Wayne is there. . . .

Called to Holistic Ministry

Those who wait for Christ to return have been given a special purpose on earth. “I
have sent them into the world,” Christ declared as He prayed in the garden before His
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crucifixion (John 17:18). And as He ascended into heaven, He directed His followers to
“go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The imperative verb in this text is “make disciples.” The other three verbs—”go,”
“baptize,” and “teach” are all helping verbs; elements in the key process of making
disciples. The fundamental mission of the church is to find, persuade, and encourage men
and women, boys and girls to be followers of Christ—doers of the word and not just
hearers (James 1:22). To make disciples it is necessary first to go “to the ends of the
earth” (Acts 1:8), and establish a ministry of presence with “every nation, tribe, people
and language” (Revelation 7:9). Even before winning a hearing with any people group,
Christ’s servants can begin to demonstrate His compassion. Adventists work to “first
meet the temporal needs” and “then find an open avenue to the heart” where they can
“plant the good seeds of virtue and religion” (Ellen White in Testimonies for the Church,
Volume 4, page 227). The display of compassion for the hurting, the poor, and the
unjustly treated is testimony to the truth about God. Throughout scripture God unfailingly
urges compassion for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. (Deuteronomy 14:29,
James 1:27) “Our God is full of compassion,” exults Psalm 116. “He rises to show you
compassion,” exclaims the prophet Isaiah, because “the Lord is a God of justice” (Isaiah
30:18).

Jesus focused His ministry on the needs of people. In Luke 4:17-19 He makes His
first public statement of what His life and ministry are all about. Verse 17 records that
“he found the place,”so this was not an accidental selection. Verses 18-19 claim divine
anointing of His work, and state several purposes or goals: “to preach good news to the
poor…to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to
release the oppressed . . .”

Often we “spiritualize” this text, declaring that the poverty is spiritual, not
economic; that the prisoner and oppressed are under religious oppression, not physical
bondage, etc. That is not an honest presentation of the text. The original language is very
clear. Christ is speaking of real low-income people, real incarcerated criminals, real
victims of disease and social injustice. He is reading from Isaiah 61, and it is clearly a
passage referring to God’s intention to establish a Kingdom for His people in which there
will be no more poverty, injustice, violence, disease, unhappiness, and despair. However,
the economically poor are not the only ones who have needs that God’s people can
address. All populations—poor, middle class, and rich—should be served by Adventist
Community Services.

Acts of social concern testify to the very core truth of salvation. “This is how we
know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our
lives” for others, asserts the New Testament. If a believer sees someone in need “but has
no pity on him, how can the love of God be in” that believer? Christ’s love must not be
portrayed only “with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth” (I John 3:16-18).

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Demonstrations of compassion for the disadvantaged and downtrodden are a
tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence (Isa 61:1-4). They provide the “look and
feel” of Christ’s message, just as surely as preaching, teaching, and various print and
electronic media provide the content. The Adventist Church should be known as a place
where those in crisis will find comfort, and those without hope will find a “Blessed
Hope.”

God has given very specific commands to His people to stand up for social
justice. “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among
you, help him.… Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear God, so that your
countryman may continue to live among you. You must not…sell him food at profit”
(Leviticus 25:35-37). The prophets repeatedly warn in God’s name, “woe to those who
make unjust laws…to deprive the poor of their rights and rob my oppressed people of
justice, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless” (Isaiah 10:1-2).

In fact, the Bible connects the Christian obligation to work for social justice to
Sabbath keeping. Isaiah 58 is a chapter that Ellen White urges Adventists to read
regularly. It is addressed to people who are devout believers who, God says, “are eager to
know my ways” (verse 2), who fast and pray (verse 3). But God condemns them for
“breaking the Sabbath” (verse 13) because they exploit workers, quarrel and seek their
own selfish advantage. God says that the kind of worship He demands is “to loose the
chains of injustice…to set the oppressed free…to share your food with the hungry and to
provide the poor with shelter,” (verses 6-7) and promises that “if you spend yourselves on
behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the
darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (verse 10).

Social Action in the End Time

Christ places special emphasis on social concern as a mark of His people in the
end time. In Matthew 24-25 we find Christ’s most extensive teaching about His second
coming. At the beginning of the passage, the disciples want to know, “when…and what
will be the sign of your coming?” (verse 3) Jesus takes several steps and many verses
throughout the two chapters to answer this question, beginning with “Watch out that no
one deceives you” (verse 4).

Christ speaks a little of signs of the end, but uses many more words to teach us
how to wait for His return. In chapter 25, He uses the parable of the ten bridesmaids to
teach us to be careful not to become spiritually weary and lax while we are waiting for
Him, and then uses the parable of the talents to teach us that as we wait we are expected
to use our abilities and resources in continuing His ministry.

Christ brings His teaching to a climax by giving us a picture of the great, final
judgment. In it He portrays God as deciding who to save on the basis of whether or not
His followers fed the hungry, housed the homeless, cared for the poor, treated the sick,
and visited the prisoner. Those who are lost are quoted as saying that they ignored the
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problems of poverty, justice and hunger because they did not see God as involved in
these issues. God condemns them by saying, “whatever you did not do for one of the least
of these, you did not do for me” (verse 45). Truly social justice and the ministry of
compassion is an important part of Adventist eschatology.

Why is social action so important to Adventists who believe that Christ will come
soon to rescue us from the problems in society? Because it is a living witness to our soon-
returning Lord. When we take a stand for justice, compassion, and healing, we
demonstrate the values of the coming Kingdom.

Social Action and Adventist Heritage

So what is the origin of the common myth that Seventh-day Adventists don’t get
involved in social action? So long as Ellen White was alive, she constantly emphasized
the balanced, holistic mission of God’s remnant church. (See her books Ministry of
Healing, Christian Service, and Welfare Ministry.) It’s interesting that Bible Readings
for the Home has a section entitled, “Our Duty to the Poor.” There you will find a
doctrinal study on social concern that was taught as a regular part of the baptismal
preparation of all converts up until the 1920’s. It appears that Adventism has lost this
important part of its original teachings through the years, but that does not make it any
less a part of historic Seventh-day Adventist faith.

The interest of many younger Seventh-day Adventists in social action, the
growing ministry of ACS and ADRA, and new proposals for inner city projects and
homeless ministries are all a solid part of the Seventh-day Adventist heritage. They are an
important part of what the Bible teaches, and thus an important part of what it means to
be Adventist.

The Ministry of the Laity

The mission of Christ is equally the responsibility of every person who believes
on Him. “To each one…is given” some ability, and therefore some responsibility, to
minister in Christ’s name (1 Corinthians 12:7).

The Holy Spirit provides “gifts” that enable believers to engage in “service” (1
Corinthians 12:4-5). To “each” believer “gifts” have been given “to prepare God’s people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:7-12).
Many examples of spiritual gifts are given in the New Testament: teaching, evangelism,
etc. One mentioned in Romans 12:8 is the gift of “showing mercy.” The Greek word used
here is also translated “compassion” elsewhere. (See Matthew 18:33, Mark 5:19 and
Jude 22.) God calls the laity to be ministers of compassion just as surely as He calls
prophets and preachers.

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A healthy, Spirit-driven congregation does not wait passively for people to come
to the church and its activities, but proactively reaches out to the surrounding community
and the wider world. It works intentionally, as Christ did, to mingle with people…show
sympathy to them, and minister to their needs. (Ellen White in Ministry of Healing, page
143.) It provides a range of services that meet the expressed needs of persons in the
community. Adventist service projects that are church-sponsored and community-based
portray an authentic, Spirit-guided ministry of compassion. Even though they do much
good, private projects conducted by individuals do not fully reflect God’s intentions. The
process of building teamwork is so fundamental in developing Adventist Community
Services activities.

Welcome to Our Church!

The Adventist Church is increasingly multicultural, and very often the residents
in the neighborhoods where a local church reaches out are of a different generation or sub
cultural background than the majority of those who make up the congregation. Since
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the remnant people of God are made up of “every
nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev. 7:9), any congregation that wants to reach out
must be willing to welcome into its midst men, women, and children of quite different
cultural experiences than their own.

Intellectual consent to this idea and the actual practice of hospitality are two
separate steps in this process. A healthy, growing local church will practice real, tangible
hospitality that can be felt by newcomers from a variety of backgrounds. The lay leaders
in the congregation will be “given to hospitality” (1 Timothy 3:2). Intentional efforts will
be made to educate church members, change prejudiced attitudes, and create conditions
under which all can be made to feel truly welcome.

Be Visible and Active in the Community

Adventist Community Services works to foster a strong public awareness of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church as a caring, Christ-centered resource in the community. A
growing, healthy Adventist congregation works to make itself visible in the community
and known as an asset to the neighborhood. ACS programs and personnel are key tools in
this effort.

If a Seventh-day Adventist group really wants to effectively serve in Christ’s
name, it must begin with a careful effort to hear and understand the perceived needs of
those it wishes to serve. Attempts to “force feed” the public on topics about which it has
little or no interest will only widen the gap, rather than bridge it. Needs assessment can be
carried out with a wide variety of tools: analysis of demographic and other available
information, telephone and door-to-door surveys, interviews or meetings with community
leaders, focus group research, etc. (more on needs assessment in chapter 4).

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Visibility requires the use of publicity through an active communication
representative, an advertising program, and placement of the denomination’s media
ministries and publications in the local context. But more than that, after a needs
assessment has been done, the local church should invest in at least one solid, needed
“good neighbor” activity that it provides consistently and visibly in the local community.
In this way it is perceived as making a contribution to the community beyond its religious
self-interests and becomes the subject of positive word-of-mouth communication among
the general public.

We must urge Seventh-day Adventists to be actively involved in public, moral
issues as a Christian witness. It is a good thing for the members of Adventist
congregation to be seen as citizens who make a constructive contribution to their
neighborhood. A healthy, growing congregation will want to be known for more than
being simply “a nice church.” It will stand for something consistent with Adventist
theology and standards. It will work to educate its members concerning the moral issues
they face in the world today and urge them to register and vote, write letters to legislators,
and take other appropriate steps to engage in a vigorous witness for the right, even when
it is not popular. Seventh-day Adventists have historically placed as much emphasis on
the collective witness of standing together on such issues as alcohol, slavery, and
religious liberty, as they have on the individual witness of church members who do not
use foul language, steal, or commit adultery. Each is an essential element in the total
witness of the Adventist mission and message. The activist church is not inconsistent
with the evangelistic church.

Which Kind of Church Is Your Church?

Robert Linthicum,1 one of the great leaders of urban/community-based ministry,
states that there are three kinds of churches:

1. The church in the city (community)
• This refers to location.
• Members are not from the community.
• There is little or no involvement in the community.

2. The church to the city (community)
• This church has a sense of responsibility to do something for the community.
• It decides unilaterally what the community needs—without doing a needs
assessment to diagnose their needs.
• It then invites the community to participate in programs in which the
community might have no interest.

3. The church with the city (community)

1 Robert C. Linthicum, Empowering the Poor: Community Organizing Among the City’s ‘Rag, Tag, and
Bobtail.’ (Monrovia, CA: MARC Publications, 1991), pp. 21-30.

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