Do people know that Your Church Exists?

Do people know that Your Church Exists?

This weekend was amazing! The LIFE DISCIPLESHIP training event launched a new initiative that has the potential to change the way that "we do church" each week. Evangelism, can become a lifestyle, instead of just something "we do" or an even we attend. I believe the Holy Spirit is moving "The Present Generation" to revolutionize the way we do church and to restore the full ministry of the laity, so that the Latter Rain can come, and we can go home to be with Jesus. Things are happening in God's Church and among God's people, that it is actually exciting to be a Christian, a Protestant, and a Seventh-day Adventist today. I'm excited, not about the signs of the times in the world, in the form of earthquakes, tsunamis, etc., but instead I'm overly excited about the signs taking place with God's Church among God's people. God's people are "drawing together" and a "revival and passion for lost people outside the church" is taking place! That is something to shout "Hallelujah" and "Amen" for! ....

Have you ever asked yourself whether people in your community, your neighborhood, your school, your family, your friends know that the Seventh-day Adventist Church exists?

Chances are maybe you haven't, but I have. It's easy to generalize and create an unrealistic picture of the world without having any facts available. Studies reveal, however, that the truth is very hard from most of our perceptions. In the past four decades, (1970s to 2000s), the Seventh-day Adventist Church has conducted a survey (approximately 1500 random individuals each time) to find out who many people know that the Seventh-day Adventist Church exists, and to find out if they have accurate knowledge about the church. The first question is, "Have you ever heard or read about the Seventh-day Adventist Church?" The studies are alarming. Since the 1970s, awareness of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has generally decreased from 65%, to 70% in the 1986, to 53% in the 1994, to 56% in the 2003. What people know or think they know about the Seventh-day Adventist Church is also appalling. 28% of those who have heard the name Seventh-day Adventist responded,  

"Nothing specific comes to mind. I just know that I have heard about them. I'm sorry I'm not much help" or they know only "It's a religion." 

 There has been a marked increased in the number of people who mis-identify the Adventist Church with the Ladder Day Saints (LDS) church or some other religion. In the most recent survey (2003), it is the the third most frequent response. These surveys have revealed that 

"Less than one fifth of the general public (17%) know that Adventists observe Saturday as the Sabbath, or promote a vegetarian diet, or some other accurate fact about the Church. Distressingly, 'The public is more apt to think of Adventists as a sect or cult than as a Christian, Christ centered denomination."1 

I ask you the question again, "Do People know that Your Church exists?" ... The sad truth is that "overall, the general public has very little knowledge about the Adventist Church."2 

The purpose of raising this question and issue is not to complain or criticize, for that is never the stlye of Our Lord and Savior Jesus. Instead, this stark reality brings us to the place where we must put ourselves into the solution to help fix this problem. If people in general don't know anything about the Seventh-day Adventist Church, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit back and pretend like the whole world knows about Seventh-day Adventists and believe that the world is getting ready to persecute a denomination that most people in North America have never heard about? ... What should we do? What should you do? What should I do? Both Matthew 28:19-20 and Ministry of Healing page 143 give us a blueprint for becoming involved with our communities. 

^"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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Here we find the command to "Go" and have a ministry of presence or visible outreach and humanitarian work in our communities. We must discover what are the needs of our communities and fulfill them in the name of Jesus.

Ellen White also admonishes us to go and "mingle" with people, "desiring their good", "show sympathy for them", and "minister to their needs".  This is what is called, pre-evangelism or needs oriented evangelism.

"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour 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."Ministry of Healing, page 143, by Ellen G. White.

In other words, we must mingle or interact with our communities. We must do so as one who desires the good of those that we interact with, by being "a good neighbor in the community, supportive of community progress and betterment."3 To minister to their needs means to "be involved in practical demonstrations of compassion or humanitarian work in the community,"4 Finally, to minster to their needs is a command for "understanding and responding to the needs the community."

So what can you do today? Get involved in your community. Get involved in a community project that isn't necessarily associated with your church. Maybe a health fair, a school fair, a college fair, MADD, DARE, etc. Build friendships and relationships with your community. Then when the time is right, share with others the Bible message that you believe in. Go on, help break the silence today!

~ Pastor Sal Garcia

1. Understanding Your Community, Version 2, by Monte Sahlin, 2004, page 1-2. 

2. Ibid, page 3.

3. Ibid, iii.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.