Pioneer Women’s Ministries engages women in Christ-centered discipleship, fellowship and service to glorify God through prayerfully planned activities and events. We are inviting you to participate in a survey that will help plan these activities and events this year. We would be delighted to hear from you either by completing the online survey or by phone by calling Lyn McCarty at 269-208-3377.
Chasing Hope
From an Empty Tomb
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Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
“Chasing Hope: From an Empty Tomb”
- “The Instinct of Hope”
Is there another world for this frail dust
To warm with life and be itself again?
Something about me daily speaks there must,
And why should instinct nourish hopes in vain?
'Tis nature's prophesy that such will be,
And everything seems struggling to explain
The close sealed volume of its mystery.
Time wandering onward keeps its usual pace
As seeming anxious of eternity,
To meet that calm and find a resting place.
E'en the small violet feels a future power
And waits each year renewing blooms to bring,
And surely man is no inferior flower
To die unworthy of a second spring?
—John Clare (1793-1864)
- The Narrative of Hope
- Matthew 28:1-10
- Desire of Ages: “The earth trembles at his approach, the hosts of darkness flee, and as he rolls away the stone, heaven seems to come down to the earth. The soldiers see him removing the stone as he would a pebble, and hear him cry, Son of God, come forth; Thy Father calls Thee. They see Jesus come forth from the grave, and hear Him proclaim over the rent sepulcher, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.’ As He comes forth in majesty and glory, the angel host bow low in adoration before the Redeemer, and welcome Him with songs of praise.” (780)
- The Promise of Hope
- 1 Peter 1:1-3
- 1 Corinthians 15:13-19
- Earnest Becker: “The soberest conclusion that we could make about what has been taking place on the planet for about three billion years is that it is being turned into a vast pit of fertilizer.” (The Denial of Death 283/in Lewis Smede’s How Can It Be All Right When Everything Is All Wrong? 132)
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 The Message: “What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.”
- Lewis Smedes: “We may as well be very candid: Christian hope is fixed on the last square of our date book. Hope bets that the last square is not that closed closet commonly called a coffin, but a front door into a new world where everything is right, right in all its dimensions. There will be an intermission, of course, between my arrival at my own private last square and the arrival of the new world. But I will not feel as if I need to wait for it to come. In fact, when I find myself in the new earth, I will feel as if I got there at the moment I left the last square of my calendar. It may be light years away, but in the new dimension it will seem like tomorrow.” (How Can It Be All Right, When Everything Is All Wrong? 124)
- Rubem A. Alves: “Hope is hearing the melody of the future. Faith is to dance to it.”
“And the future starts now!”
It's a fresh new year, and it's time for a fresh new Grow Groups season! Grow Groups are Pioneer's small groups that incorporate 5 S's: Shared interest, Spiritual touchpoint, Service project, Social event, Semester-based. That's it, in a nutshell! Grow Groups are for EVERYONE—all welcome to join.
Leaders, if you are passionate about something and want to use that to foster community and lead others to Jesus, we can probably help you turn that passion into a Grow Group! Let us know as soon as possible because the deadline to sign up to lead a group is January 21. For more information please email growgroups@pmchurch.org or visit pmchurch.org/grow to sign up.
Dates to Keep in Mind:
- Digital Group Leader Registration Deadline: January 21
- Leader Orientation (via Zoom): February 1, 7:00 PM
- Spring Grow Groups Meet: February 7 – May 1
It is almost time for you to receive your Year-end Contribution Statement. Pioneer knows that you have had an unusual year and wants to make it easy for you to receive your Year-end Contribution Statement. This time around, you will receive your Contribution Statement easily and conveniently via email. If you have not recently updated your contact details, please email clerk@pmchurch.org with your current email address to ensure that you receive your statement. Thank you!
"Military life can be a lonely life away from family on deployment," notes James North, Pioneer's Servicepersons Coordinator. "Military families may have a difficult time in a foreign country even though they are together," he continues. "I spent 358 days (I marked each day on a self-created calendar) in Viet Nam away from my wife and 3 toddler daughters. My access to some of the following material was vital."
SDA military persons may receive complimentary subscriptions to Adventist Review, the Adult Bible Study Guide (Sabbath School), and For God and Country and the choice of 2 journals from Guide, Liberty, Message, Our Little Friend, Primary Treasure, Signs of the Times, and Vibrant Life.
A 2021 order form and instructions are found on page 28 of the current issue of For God and Country and I will post a copy of the form in next week's bulletin. If you have military Adventist family members we invite you to send this information to them.