What Is the Mission of the Dupont Park Church?

Monte Sahlin Senior Consultant Center for Creative Ministry

What is Christ’s mission? o  Luke 4:16-19

n  “good news to the poor” n  “freedom for prisoners” n  “recovery of sight for the blind” n  “release the oppressed”

o  Matthew 28:18-20 n  Primary verb: “make disciples” n  Helping verbs: “go … baptize … teach”

o  Do the two passages contradict each other?

Upper Anacostia as a Mission Field

o  Population of 103,794 o Who are these people? o Where do they live? o How do they make a living? o What are their needs? o What are their spiritual attitudes and

religious involvement?

Zip Codes 20019 and 20020

Dupont Park’s Mission Field

The Adventist Presence o  One Adventist per

623 people

o  U.S. – 1 per 305 o  World – 1 per 450

o  Ghana – 1 per 73 o  Fiji – 1 per 37 o  New Guinea – 1 per 23 o  Rwanda – 1 per 21 o  Jamaica – 1 per 14 o  Belize – 1 per 10

*Includes Adventists

Religious Profile of the District of Columbia

Unchurched27%

Orthodox1%

Catholic28%

Evangelical*14%

Other15%

Protestant19%

Average Church Attendance in the District of Columbia o  31.8% of the population attends

worship on a typical weekend o Church attendance declined 4% during

from 2000 through 2005

Source: American Church Research Project

The Challenge o What impact does your local church

have on the community? If your church were to close down, would anyone in the community notice?

o  Jan Paulsen, General Conference President

Public Awareness o Nine surveys over the past decade:

Random telephone interviews with the general public.

o Key Question: “Have you ever heard of or read about the Seventh-day Adventist Church?”

o  If they say Yes, follow-up question: “When you hear the name Seventh-day Adventist Church, what comes to mind?”

Summary of Public Surveys

Surveys in More than 1,000 Adventist Local Churches

o  The majority of our members do not live in the same community where the church is located.

o We drive in on Sabbaths and are absent the rest of the week.

o Are we seen as good neighbors?

How far do you live from your church?

Community Service by Adventist Churches

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Daycare/preschool

Substanceabuse

After-schoolprogram

Immigrantassistance

Healthscreening

Prisonministry

Clothingprogram

Foodpantry

Familyassistance

Adventistchurches Interfaithsample

Ellen White “I have been shown that in our labor … in

the large cities the work has not been as well organized or the methods of labor as efficient as in other churches that have not the great light we regard as so essential. Why is this? Because so many of our laborers have been those who love to preach, and a large share of the labor has been put forth in preaching.”

n  Letter 34, 1892

Ellen White o  “First meet the temporal needs of the

people, and relieve their physical wants and sufferings, and you will find an open avenue to the heart, where you may plant the good seed of virtue and religion.”

n  Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 4, page 227

o  “Preaching is a small part of the work to be done for the salvation of souls.”

n  Review & Herald, August 22, 1899

An Adventist Missional Paradigm

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’”

n  The Ministry of Healing, page 143

Measuring church growth o  Number of regularly participating adults

as percentage of book membership o  Number of regularly participating youth

as percentage of book membership o  Change in number of regularly

participating adults over the last five years

o  Percentage of adults involved in activities that strengthen faith (outside of worship)

Possible Predictors of Church Growth o Worship experiences o Congregational identity o  Evangelistic outreach activities o Community service o Christian education o Specifically related to church growth

Church growth measured as a higher percent of participating adults

o  Members excited about the future of the church

o  Church helps members deepen their relationship with God

o  Church sponsors a community service of employment counseling and/or job training

o  Church sponsors a community service of senior citizens feeding program

Church growth measured as a higher percent of participating youth

o  Church sponsors a community service of employment counseling and/or job training

o  Church helps members deepen their relationship with God

o  Church sponsors a community service of elderly, emergency or affordable housing

o  Church sponsors a community service of substance abuse program

Church growth measured as an increase in active members

o  Church is spiritually vital and alive o  Members excited about the future of the

church o  Special worship services are conducted for

the non-churched (“Friend Day” or “seeker service”)

o  Members believe the local church has potential for growth

o  Local church sponsors a community service of family counseling services

Church growth measured by involvement in spiritual growth

o  All church activities are coordinated to focus on church growth

o  Church helps members deepen their relationship with God

o  Congregation welcomes innovation & change

o  The local community is well-informed about church activities

Summary of Findings o  5 of 9 items are related to community

involvement o  “Church deepens relationship with

God” correlated in 3 out of 4 clusters o Atmosphere in the congregation,

intention to grow and Sabbath evangelism are also important

Source: Adventist Congregations Today, Chapter 2

A New [Old?] Paradigm for the Adventist Church

Spirituality Community involvement

Intention Atmosphere

Sabbath events for the non-churched

An Adventist Missional Paradigm

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’”

n  The Ministry of Healing, page 143

“Christ’s Method” Community assessment

Community visibility

Community service

Friendship Evangelism

Discipleship Program

The Mission of Christ o  The mission that

Christ has given us is to …

o  embody Christ; bring Christ to the people who need Him

o  change the quality of life

Teen Esteem drop-in center

Toledo Street Fair

Toledo Street Fair

Adventist youth built a neighborhood park in Pittsburgh

Bottom Line Question o Are we authentic people of hope who

bring with us a tangible sense of “the hope that is in Jesus,” a hope that can be tasted and touched.

o Does your congregation (or at least a core group) want to become that kind of people?

My Challenge to You o  Pray for the lost and suffering in

Upper Anacostia o  Pray for God to open doors o  Pray for the Holy Spirit to use your

imagination and show you want God wants you to do

o  Pray for the Mission Assessment that will be presented in the near future.

If you want to read more … o Mission in Metropolis o Understanding Your Community o One Minute Witness

www.adventsource.org (800) 328-0525