Need to break sterotypes about SDA. Can you help me?

JustAFollower said:

I attended a SDA service before, but wasn't comfortaable to the worship since I came from a charismatic backgroud.

The service I attened was full of old ppl who sing hymes with a piano. The pastor just kinda read through his sermon in a mono-tone voice. I did not feel any youth and fire for God during the service. Is such observation common for SDA churchs?

I talked to someone about the SDA. She told me that the only issue that she has with SDA is that the church emphasizes too much on regulations (i.e no meat, must keep Sabbath, female must dress in certain way during service etc..) and old testments. Those laws are good, but too much emphasize may easily distract believers from the love of Jesus. She knows many SDA personlly and many of them are living a double life since they feel like they are just living to keep laws and regulation, not for the love of Jesus. Is her observation true?


Hope some SDA can let some insight. Thanks!

Love in Christ,

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I'm not SDA but I would like to comment on your post. I've attended several of services in my local SA and the average age there was much older. Primarily 55 and up (retirement age) with some school age children. I attributed this to the fact that most middle age people are working class people and it is much harder for a working class person to observe the sabbath in the way the SDA church teaches.

I enjoyed the older hymns and prefer them over the newer Christian music that is played in most mainstream Christian churches today. I also liked the fact that they teach the old testament as well as the new. These new testament only churches that are so popular today are a disgrace to the gospel IMO. There was absolutely no mistaking their love for Jesus.

The truth is that there professed believers in every denomination who are living double lives. It's natural to expect that the more stringent a church doctrine is the more members within it's congregation will fall into this catagory.

A proper understanding of how the law and grace work together and go hand and hand is what's needed. Extreme beliefs in both directions are being taught.

A. Some of the services are like that. Some are not. We are a world church, so in some places, they are quite lively. In others, they are more reserved. It really depends on the congregation.

However, there are some forms of music which might not be appropriate for worship in any case. This is debated back and forth in the church, as it is in most churches.

B. Some areas will likewise have older populations. Again, depends on the area. In Mexico for instance the majority of the church is young, with most pastors 30 or below. In some places, the congregations are much older.

As a national trend, among all churches, there is also the fact that the age group from 29-31 or so is the least likely to be in church, according to Barna's statistics. A lot of this is a generational issue. The 70's were a time of throwing off authority. many of the baby-boomers never went to church, so their kids didn't either.

Moreover, in the Adventist church it might be fair to say that there was a greater emphasis on externals from around 1930-1970's. This actually happened in several churches due to shifting doctrinal trends, as a response to liberal theology etc. In the case of Adventists, coming as it did at the same time as throwing off of authority in the 70's some congregations were effected by this a lot.

Then again, one of my churches that I pastor has lots of kids. One doesn't, and one has middle of the road. Just depends.

Moreover, since we have a boarding school system some of the youth might be at academy or college when you go.

C,. Yes we teach the old and new testament, both are Scripture. Adventists have at times leaned toward legalism ,but the official teachings are not such. And at times folks even go the other way, as with any church.

JustAFollower said:

I attended a SDA service before, but wasn't comfortaable to the worship since I came from a charismatic backgroud.

The service I attened was full of old ppl who sing hymes with a piano. The pastor just kinda read through his sermon in a mono-tone voice. I did not feel any youth and fire for God during the service. Is such observation common for SDA churchs?

I talked to someone about the SDA. She told me that the only issue that she has with SDA is that the church emphasizes too much on regulations (i.e no meat, must keep Sabbath, female must dress in certain way during service etc..) and old testments. Those laws are good, but too much emphasize may easily distract believers from the love of Jesus. She knows many SDA personlly and many of them are living a double life since they feel like they are just living to keep laws and regulation, not for the love of Jesus. Is her observation true?


Hope some SDA can let some insight. Thanks!

Love in Christ,

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Without knowing the Church or the people in the Church you are talking about it is very hard to really make any judgement about them and can only say what I see where I am.

I am one of the young people in our local church, too bad that I am over 50 now, never mind you are only as young as you feel.

I suppose for a real young person coming into our Church at home they could well feel the same way as you did when you went to the SDA Church you described.

That certainly is a problem and one the Church must face up to and try and resolve.

That does not mean we should drop our standards to try and get young people into the Church just for the sake of beefing up the numbers.

Thanks for your thoughts on this issue.

i worship to quiet riot. I praise GOD all the time and worship HIM in my bathroom so dont let people tell you where to GO. Go where your heart leads you. Take care

JonathanSDA living word said:

i worship to quiet riot. I praise GOD all the time and worship HIM in my bathroom so dont let people tell you where to GO. Go where your heart leads you. Take care

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Most of the people that gather together to worship also find comfort in being with each other.

It is not just a matter of keeping to ones self and doing your own thing. It is about our Creator, Redeemer and sharing that good news with each other.

Well for what it's worth, "Follower", you have hit the nail on the head man. Our churches are largely boring as hell.

Read back into history of SDA's and you will find it was not so once. Preachers with courage and daring frequented our pulpits, now all we get are "whimps of the word". Trying to please everybody, scared of upsetting the administration, just plain boring.

Where are the great preachers who stired their congregations into radical discipleship? They are gone in the pages of history and we are bleeding to death because of it.

JustAFollower said:

I attended a SDA service before, but wasn't comfortaable to the worship since I came from a charismatic backgroud.

The service I attened was full of old ppl who sing hymes with a piano. The pastor just kinda read through his sermon in a mono-tone voice. I did not feel any youth and fire for God during the service. Is such observation common for SDA churchs?

I talked to someone about the SDA. She told me that the only issue that she has with SDA is that the church emphasizes too much on regulations (i.e no meat, must keep Sabbath, female must dress in certain way during service etc..) and old testments. Those laws are good, but too much emphasize may easily distract believers from the love of Jesus. She knows many SDA personlly and many of them are living a double life since they feel like they are just living to keep laws and regulation, not for the love of Jesus. Is her observation true?


Hope some SDA can let some insight. Thanks!

Love in Christ,

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The church I go to during school term is all young ppl (coz Im studying at an adventist university)... When I come home at my church... sometimes theres young ppl and sometimes there is more older ppl...

I think one of theh reasons for that is that many adventist kids since they are in High school or whatever go away from their homes to some seventh day adventist school... Many go to boarding schools... So this could be the reason for a population that seems more of elerly.

Also I visited many sda chuches in my life, they were all diff... some were full of young ppl and some werent

Im a 20 yr old sda

JustAFollower said:

I attended a SDA service before, but wasn't comfortable to the worship since I came from a charismatic backgroud.

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I know how you feel, but heres a plausible answere. It can go both ways, what do i mean? The question can plausibly be raised by other church members, Why doesn't he worship openly like us? Could it be that he is not saved? Maybe he has a demon of religion in him. I say this because one of my good friends invited me to her church one Sunday years ago. The fact that i did not worship like her was futile, she told me to get up and praise openly, and i reponded no (i was very shy at the time). She immediately told me that i had a "demon" of religion in me, nothing could be more offensive. I see her point though, because now i love to worship openly, (though i still shy away at times). Plus i do attend a church were we do praise and worship openly, only difference is that no one accuse you of being possed by religious demons LOL.

The service I attened was full of old ppl who sing hymes with a piano. The pastor just kinda read through his sermon in a mono-tone voice. I did not feel any youth and fire for God during the service. Is such observation common for SDA churchs?

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I know, this is my problem with the Traditional S.D.A Churches, it's counterclockwise with them, they will tell you that the fact that you do worship openly could be one of two things. Either your just feeling emotions and believe it to be the Holy Spirit and/or you can be demonly influenced.

I talked to someone about the SDA. She told me that the only issue that she has with SDA is that the church emphasizes too much on regulations (i.e no meat, must keep Sabbath, female must dress in certain way during service etc..) and old testments. Those laws are good, but too much emphasize may easily distract believers from the love of Jesus. She knows many SDA personlly and many of them are living a double life since they feel like they are just living to keep laws and regulation, not for the love of Jesus. Is her observation true?

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The reason is, because many of them attach Salvation to observing the letter in the strictest form. And the Law is sprirtual. Thus there observence of it becomes a salvation issue. If i'm not preforming to well G-d my father is going to shun me, he is up there waiting to snatch my salvation at any time. Further more Ellen White herself said in her writings that no sanctified tongue would ever say that they are saved. She condemned people for proclaiming that they are saved, it is the biggest reason why i do not believe every word that proceeded out of the mouth of Ellen White, but every word that proceeds out of G-d's mouth which is life.

Blessings.

As a 25 year old Seventh Day Adventist, I can tell you a few things about young adults in churches. I believe you find what you are looking for. Of course, there are congregations that have older people, and congregations that have more families. The trick is finding the group of people you can worship Christ and be comfortable.

Often geographical/regional differences can produce older/younger congregations across all denominations.

Blessings!

AS an Adventist this use to disturbe me as well, But as I came closer to Jesus I gained a new understanding. First To live according the Gods Law ( old and new restament) is a beautiful thing when its lived through a relationship with Jesus and not just as a set of rules. Second worship is just that. Worship to a loving and compassionate God. We go to church not to be entertained but to lift up praises and thanksgivingies to our Heavenly Father. One comment above was to follow our heart, but the bible says our heart is continually evil so God in His wsord has given a guide as to how to worship Him. When we live for God and let Christ live in us we will have a right spirit of worship in us. Do not follow or let others bring you down but follow God as he leads you.