SDA churches

[davidjrevill]

Hello

My wife an i are considering going to a SDA church here in the uk. could someone tell me what we can expect in regards to prayer meetings, study and worship.

is it a softly softly, gentle persuasion or full on you must do this that and the other?

what are the people like

is there a dress code ( I have heard this)

we have tried to email a local paster over the last few weeks but had no response, trying to give the benefit of the doubt but i'm beginning to lose heart and thing God doesnt want us to go.

All the best and take Care

david revill

 

[woobadooba]

Hello

My wife an i are considering going to a SDA church here in the uk. could someone tell me what we can expect in regards to prayer meetings, study and worship.

is it a softly softly, gentle persuasion or full on you must do this that and the other?

what are the people like

is there a dress code ( I have heard this)

we have tried to email a local paster over the last few weeks but had no response, trying to give the benefit of the doubt but i'm beginning to lose heart and thing God doesnt want us to go.

All the best and take Care

david revill

David,

just go to your local SDA church and don't merely think about what you can get out of it, but focus on what you can contribute to it.

Hence the road to a blessing...

 

[TrustAndObey]

Some Pastors rarely check their e-mail unfortunately.

I tried e-mailing with some Seventh-day Baptist pastors and I only got a few responses, and they were very vague even then.

Your best bet is to call M-F and talk with them directly.

Tell them you're concerned about what the service will be like, etc. They'll probably invite you up to the church for a tour and give you some literature on what we believe.

It's definitely worth your time and effort!

God bless,
~Lainie

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi David,

I fully understand why you might have some missgivings since you have recieved no response to your e-mails.

There are a couple of ways that I may me able to help you. First, if you would care to share information about where in the UK the church is located, and the name of the local pastor if you have it, I may be able to, shall we say, expidite a response from the local pastor. Second, I would be most happy to share some answers to the questions that you have ask, as well as providing you with links where you could actually see a live Seventh-day Adventist church service live on a Sabbath. I will come back with the links, and other information.

I don't know how much you may, or may not know, about our Sabbath services, but they begin with a Bible study hour for adults as well as seperate Bible classes for children and young people divided by age groups, followed by a regular church worship service with a sermon. As for prayer meetings and other weekly services, they may vary from church to church

I will get back to you after while with further information. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me at anytime. I look fordward to hearing from you.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi David,

What to expect from your Seventh-day Adventist neighbor.​

It's 9:00 Saturday morning and your neighbors have just come out of their front door dressed as though they're going to a symphony concert. But two of them are carrying Bibles! Chances are your neighbors are Seventh-day Adventists on their way to Sabbath morning worship services at their church. That means you're in for a very special relationship, a friendship marked by kindness, openness, and honesty--one that could well enrich your life.

You will find your Adventist friends committed to some very specific beliefs about God and about God's relationships with people. They will be genuinely concerned about the needs of others and interested in bettering your community. If you observe them at their workplace, within their families, and at their church, they will be busily involved in many activities.

Watch your neighbors closely, and you'll probably notice (at least) the following:

• Their love for God supersedes everything else in their lives
• They worship on Saturday instead of Friday or Sunday
• No beer cans or wine bottles dot their trash
• They value their health
• They appear upbeat and friendly
• They work hard to make the community look great
• They want to hear what makes you and your family happy

You will soon discover that your neighbors genuinely like you and accept you as you are. They share their friendship across the back fence, in the marketplace, and at the bus stop. You'll see smiles that come from a depth of peace--in the midst of chaos. That's right, chaos. Your Adventist neighbors are just like you. They experience the same stresses and disasters that strike everyone else in the neighborhood. Yet you'll notice a difference in how they respond to the challenges. They have a deep inner peace that allows them to look the enemy in the eye and smile. They are looking far beyond today's troubles to the certainties of the future. Because they already know the outcome, they are comfortable with final victory!

Peace, strong inner contentment, is a personal trait of committed Seventh-day Adventists. Many Allied pilots saw that peace in the lives of the Adventist Fiji Islanders who rescued them from the jungles during World War II. Residents of Florida, Iran, the Philippines, Somalia, and thousands of other places have seen that peace. It showed up in the lives of Adventist aid workers who helped them dig out and start over after earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods and other disasters.

Your neighborhood will see this peace in the lives of your Adventist friends, even when the well runs dry, a tree falls on the house, or the car is stolen from the parking lot. No, this peace is not a cavalier, Oh, whatever! attitude. It is the intense peace that comes from knowing God and that whatever happens here in this world is as nothing when compared to the joys of living forever in heaven with God.

Sadness? Yes, that's an Adventist emotion, but they believe God's love comforts the sorrowing.
Pain? Yes, Adventists experience pain. Their healthy lifestyle does allow them to live longer than others--as studies done on Adventists in the United States have shown. But Adventists still break limbs, contract cancer, fall off their bikes, and lose loved ones. Yet pain, even at its worst, is always accompanied by the healing love of God.

Anger? Yes. Even anger shows up in the lives of Adventists. Remember, they're normal people trying to live with God on a chaotic earth! But God is good enough to bring the calming power of His love into each angry situation. Even there the result is peace.

Praise, an intense eagerness to thank God for all He is doing in our lives, is another visible trait of Seventh-day Adventists. If you stop by your neighbors' home at breakfast time, you'll probably find someone praying and reading a thought for the day from a book or the Bible while the others eat their meal. Evenings often include a time of thankfulness to God for a good day, Bible reading, and prayer. Many Friday and Wednesday nights your neighbors will participate in Bible study classes, public lectures on religion, or special activities for youth and children at their church. Saturday morning the whole family will join other church members for Sabbath School and a corporate worship service. Don't be surprised if your neighbors invite you to join them at one or more of these activities.

Sabbath school is like Sunday school. It is a one-hour time praising God through music, prayers, mission stories, and small group Bible study. During the time there are separate classes for children grouped according to their ages and for adults with varied interests and understanding of the Bible. Music and fellowship are central to each Sabbath school program. You will find Sabbath school to be a good time with each other and with God.

The corporate worship service, or church, is a more formal time of worship and praise. During this hour you will hear a practical, Bible-based sermon designed to help you see God more clearly and to provide you with strength to live as a Christian during the week. Church also includes worship music, public and personal prayers. During the prayer time, worship leaders will give you an opportunity to share your personal needs or requests so these can be included in the congregational prayer.

Seventh-day Adventist worship styles differ greatly. Some congregations conduct public worship very formally, often singing hymns and anthems accompanied by a pipe organ and piano. Worship in some other congregations is much more laid-back and features praise music led by guitars or even a small band. Ask your neighbors to describe how their congregation worships so you'll know what to expect when you accept their invitation to join them. Whatever the worship style, all Adventist congregations are worshiping the same eternal God who gives us cause for praise!

Purpose, a deep commitment to accomplishing specific goals, is also a personal trait of Seventh-day Adventists. We are not here just to get up, go to work, and come home. We have accepted the challenge of Christ and so function as ambassadors of the Creator. Our purpose is to represent God so clearly that you will find His love irresistible!

You'll see that purpose when your Adventist friend talks about his son who is going abroad as a student missionary to help build a church. You'll see it on the many evenings your neighbors go to church rather than stay home and watch TV. You'll see it in their visible commitment to healthful living, to protecting life, to caring for the earth, and to building friendships with their neighbors. Adventists are a purposeful group of people, busy following a lifelong mission. That mission comes from the words of Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19, 20 NIV).

Adventists believe that Jesus Christ is coming soon to take all of His followers home to an eternal heaven. Because Jesus has asked His followers to go and teach, Adventists purposefully share the good news of Christ with everyone they can find--especially their neighbors!

Peace, praise, and purpose. All of these result in a unique power for living, an internal energy that comes from having yielded to Christ. You will see this as a power that flows from God through your Adventist neighbor to you. That is our greatest hope as Adventists.
We also hope that you will see in us the power, purpose, and peace that God offers to each human being. Even more, we hope you will find these to be so attractive that you will choose to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Won't you join us in this lifetime adventure called Christianity?

Copyright © 2007, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists ®​

_______________________________________________ ​

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi once again David,

Here is a link for Sacramento Centeral Seventh-day Adventist Church home page: www.saccenteral.org. Here is the link that should take you directly to live streaming of Sabbath services: http://www.saccentral.org/main/livestreaming.aspx

There is a note telling you to click it at 9:30 am on Saturday, however I have found it is usualy 9:40 am before it will connect. You won't miss anything when you click it on at 9:40 am PDST.

You can also go to the home page during the week and find a great deal of information. There is also a "contact us" link where you can ask questions of any kind and get a personal response. You may also speak with the pastoral staff.

If you have any questions, or need help in any way, please feel free to contact me at anytime. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your friend and brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[davidjrevill]

Hello,

sorry for the delay.

many thanks to you all for you replies.

i have since spoken with a local pastor on the phone, i dont think he was expecting the call :0)

Heather and i have yet to go (family suddenly appearing and a local flood over the last couple of weeks or so here in the uk)

Our plan is to go on Saturday.

thanks for the links

Heather and I have been watching Pastor batchelor and listening to his Bible live archives. we have also watched Walter Veith.

I am slightly concerned with all the comments of the SDA being a cult, Now there may be somethings i have yet to learn about SDA beliefs. I am aware of the reverence for Ellen White, this i will give to the lord when it arises and seek his will. Although which denomination doesnt have someone? i.e wesley, luther, calvin etc.

what i have seen and heard so far has been uplifting and without a shadow of a doubt my wife and have been blessed so much studying with the likes of the previously mentioned.

Heather is on fire almost for her desire to draw closer to the Lord. I have never seen her like this.

we are throwing out her rock music either tonight or tomorrow night. we observe the sabbath (something i have always believed) and we study and pray each day.

all this has come about through watching and listening to Adventist.

now Heather was bought up in a Methodist family. When i frst came to the Lord i went to a little chapel. the lay preaching was awful. how these denominations can say that SDA is a cult and then deny CHrist at the centre of their sermon is beyond me.

when Heather tried to leave the Methodists there was almost bloodshed. as hit was her "duty" to play the organ (this from her own family) and that we wouldnt get the truth anywhere else? (cultic?)

So no one and no organisation is infallible in my opinion but as far as i can see the SDA presently is a church with the truth and scripture based.

The Lords will be done and not my own in this and all things

God bless

David