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It has been well said that a Christianity that does not begin with the individual does not begin, but a Christianity that ends with the individual ends. This statement underscores the importance of every new believer being incorporated into the body of believers. As with witnessing and evangelism, it is also true that incorporation cannot be left to certain individuals in the fellowship. Incorporation is the responsibility of the entire church.

Read Colossians 1:28-29. What specific goal did Paul place before his new converts? 

The Christian’s maturity, growing into the fullness of Christ (Eph. 3:19), is the proper goal of the local congregation. Working for the maturity of new converts is just as important as working to get them to accept Christ and to join His church. In fact, the church’s work of incorporation will help ensure that their evangelistic efforts will not become a waste of time. Usually, before any witnessing and evangelism project gets under way, there is a time of preparing the church. This is a time when we focus on transportation, child care, greeters, prayer teams, and visitation teams. The apostle Paul would have us focus on incorporation as another important part of church preparation. Consider the following question:

Which is more important to ask, and why: How can new believers get involved in church life and its programs? How can the church enter the lives of new believers and help them mature? Are both these concepts related and, if so, how so?  

Often we see the work of follow-up and incorporation as the work of the one who has led the person to Jesus Christ. We only have to realize how impossible it would have been for the apostle Paul to nurture all who believed through his ministry in order to see that this is not the biblical way. Follow-up is not just the work of one or two designated leaders, it is the work of the whole church.

Too often we lament the fact that new people come in the front door and leave by the back door soon after. This is a tragedy of eternal consequence.

Think about new members in your local church. How can you—not the pastor, the elder, but you—get involved in helping them become solidly grounded in the church community and its teachings?

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STORY

“I don’t like the word ‘corporate’ in the title of our Sabbath school lesson about witnessing,” Beth complained.

“Why not?” Her husband Matt rubbed his chin.

“Because it makes it sound like evangelism is big business.”

“And you think that evangelism is little business?”

“No, not really. I just don’t think that God expects us to run our church and even our evangelism programs like a business.”

“What’s the alternative?”

“Each person witnessing for himself, or herself. You know. Grow where you’re planted. Let your little light shine. One-on-one evangelism. Friendship evangelism. Whatever you want to call it.”

“But how would we ever have the Pathfinder Club? Or the community services ministry? Or an almost new church to worship in? or a church school? Could those things happen without a cooperative effort by the members?”

Beth conceded that her husband was right, that big projects require a lot of people working together. But something in her pulled away from the idea of  projects designed and managed by her church. What does Beth need? How would you help her understand “corporate evangelism” from a fellow member’s perspective?

[Thought Questions for Corporate Evangelism and Witnessing May 15, 2012]

1. Work enough for all. Do people attend your church who are otherwise respectable and devoted members but seem to have no interest whatsoever in supporting any church-wide projects? Is there anything your church who can do about uninvolved members? Do some people have good reasons for staying in the background? As fellow members, what should our attitude be towards such members? How long should a new member belong to your church before they are given an invitation to be involved in the church? Is it possible for a church not  to have any evangelism-oriented work to do? Discuss.

2. Knowing what’s going on. In North America about half of all Adventist church members seldom if ever attend church. In some other Christian denominations the proportion of members who attend church regularly is less than 10 percent. Do you think more would be involved with the church if they knew what was going on? How should we tell them? The Bible says, “two are better than one,” Ecclesiastes 4:9. How many good friends do you have in your local church? Do you enjoy doing church-related work with your friends?

3. Planning Together. Does the pastor do most of the planning and directing in your church? Is that good or bad? Or does it depend…if so, on what? What part do you play in the planning process?  What part would you like to play? Have you ever tried to set up a big program without any support from the members? Imagine that you work at the church’s headquarters. How would you garner support in planning and carrying out programs for all churches? If we as members were more excited than we are about the Second Coming, would we be more eager to suggest, plan, and become involved in local church programs?

4. Goal ownership. Do you know what your church’s goals and objectives are? Do you feel that you “own” your church’s goals? What does that mean? How long should local church goals exist? How often should they be discussed? What role should members have in setting church goals? What happens in an active church once goals have been set? What about a lethargical church? What happens to their goals? Why?

5. Join a team. They may not call it that, but doesn’t your church have dozens of teams working around the year? What if your music were set up without teamwork?  Or the Sabbath school? Or what about Community Services? Doesn’t it make your heart beat with pride to see helping and sharing functions shared by members? What about that evangelistic campaign you’re planning to conduct  with local members only? How many teams have you as a member? Throw out the word, “team.” Can you still find ways to work with others and make friends?

6. Do your share. Does this lesson read like a recruitment brochure? Shouldn’t it? In the history of the world, is it time for every member to sign up and dedicate his or her time and energy to the work of the church? How strong was the urge in the early Christian church to learn, to do, to go, to help others? What can we do today to strengthen our Christian urges along those lines? Is it possible for church members to push themselves too hard and try to do too much church work? Have you seen that happen? What would God like to see in His church on earth?

7. Corporate unity. How much unity do we need in our church? What do you think about the need to “dumb it down?” If everything is presented so simply that a third-grader could understand, would that contribute to corporate unity? Or would it be better to raise expectations to our highest level? Is unity without Christ worth anything? Is unity for its own sake any better? Did Jesus always create an aura of unity wherever he went? What are the characteristics of divine unity that can make our churches stronger witnesses of God’s love?

8. Being realistic. If your church runs a community outreach program that fails, is that the fault of the planners? If you’ve never run a Vacation Bible School before, and you expect 100 youngsters to show up, how can you know if you are being realistic? What can you do to increase the possibility of your attendance goals being reached? If the majority of active members doubt that a project voted by the church board is realistic, will it fail? Why or why not?

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When a unified church is focused upon the evangelistic task at hand, the Lord will bless their combined efforts. A careful study of the Bible will reveal how much of the New Testament was written to show Christians how to live and work together in harmony. “One another” passages are scattered thickly throughout its pages. We are commanded to love one another (John 15:12), forgive one another (Eph. 4:32), pray for one another (James 5:16), to mention just a few. Besides the “one another” passages, there are many scriptures that relate to the corporate church, the work that it does, and the corresponding growth.

Read Ephesians 4:15-16. How does working together contribute to growth and edification of the church?

Paul tells us that it is God’s will that we grow into Jesus Christ. This shows that we are all on a spiritual journey, and, to a degree, it is our own spiritual journey. However, the text explains that each individual’s growth will affect the growth of the body both numerically and spiritually.

As believers grow up into Christ, something happens that is wonderful, even supernatural. They are “joined and knit together” through their personal contributions to the church as a whole. Optimum effectiveness of any church is achieved when every part does its share. According to Acts 1:12–14, what did the early believers do while they waited in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit? The answer should tell us a lot about what corporate worship meant. Indeed, it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit had come upon the early believers that they were ready for the task of fulfilling the gospel commission. This group, numbering about a hundred and twenty, were united in prayer and continued in prayer. No doubt it was Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit that united them and constantly brought them together for prayer as they waited for the power that would enable them to do the Lord’s bidding. We, as a church, should be doing the same.

As you think about your local church, ask yourself this question: How much time and effort does your church, as a corporate whole, spend in outreaching, witnessing, and evangelism in contrast to how much time it spends over internal issues, everything from liturgy, worship format, music, etc? Discuss the answer on Sabbath.

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Have you ever been part of a team? Maybe it wasn’t a sports team; maybe it wasn’t even called a ‘team.’ Maybe it was just a group of people all working towards the same goal. I can’t say I was ever part of a sports team, but I was a member of my high school band.

We came to school an hour early almost every day for early rehearsal and spent several weeks in the summer learning the basics of marching and playing our instruments at the same time. Most of my high school friends were in the band, because the band had over 200 members.

Between my freshman year and my senior year we became a really good band – so good that during my senior year, we were invited to march in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day. You may not be aware (I wasn’t) but being invited is really the easy part. The bands that end up marching in that parade have raised their own money to get there. That’s the hard part! And our band wasn’t small! So, even in 1976, plane tickets and hotel rooms for that many band members, plus chaperones, involved a substantial amount of money.

We were frantic to go, so we started trying to figure out how to raise that kind of money. It became very clear, very quickly, that a bake sale or two was not going to cut it. We came up with a really big plan – we would set a world record of continuous band performance and individual band members would get pledges for the minutes they played.

Oh, sure, we still had the bake sales, the car washes, the garage sales, but all year long we planned and worked toward that world record.

We talked to the Guinness Book of World Record people and found out all the rules and regulations and how carefully the records had to be kept and what kinds of documentation we needed. We set the date for the weekend after school would be out, and we started getting pledges. We found a venue (a local shopping mall) where we hoped to get lots of folks to come out and watch, and we started getting sponsors and advertising. One of the radio stations in town agreed to come out and do live broadcasts. We called it “The Ram Band-A-Rama” and it actually became a big deal.

Now, in case you don’t know, (we didn’t) the world record for continuous band performance, in 1976, was around 48 hours. And the challenger for the record had to beat the existing record by five hours. So, we had to play, as a band, for 53 hours. Everyone who started had to finish, and individuals could take a five minute break every hour or a 15 minute break every three hours.

I’m pretty sure that not one of us had any real concept of how long 53 hours was. Oh sure, we knew how it looked on paper – two nights, one full day and parts of two other days, but we didn’t have an inkling of what it was going to mean to not just stay awake, but to play musical instruments and actual songs, for that amount of time. We were in for a huge surprise.

Our kick-off that first morning was impressive. Not all 200 band members volunteered to be part of our “band-a-thon,” but we had at least 100 band members involved. We made quite a bit of noise in that mall and got lots of attention. One of the former mayors of the city came and directed, people stood around and watched and clapped along. We played loud and well. The people who came to watch us put money in a big bass drum we’d put out for that purpose. We were really having a great time. The first day was easy. The first night wasn’t that bad either; the adrenaline still carried us along.

But there was a point, about 2 or 3 in the morning, where we started to fade. Part of the problem was, nobody had really thought about nourishment. Water became a real issue because this was a long time before anybody ever thought of putting water in bottles and selling it. And, as far as food went, we had all packed a few sandwiches and whatever else and that was it.

By about 9 that second morning, we were on the verge of a complete crash, until one wonderful lady (no idea who she was) walked through the mall and thought to herself, These children need food! She went home and cooked huge pots of beans and made who knows how many tortillas and came back and fed us real food. It was amazing how much that helped.

That whole second day, while people were in the mall, we did okay. We didn’t sound all that great any more, but we were still playing. As the mall closed that second evening, though, and everybody except the band and the parents who were there to help left, the exhaustion really hit us hard. Not only that, butsome band members had blisters on their fingers, some folks’ lips were bleeding, we still hadn’t really gotten enough or the right kind of nutrition, and we hadn’t used our 5/15 minute breaks wisely earlier, so they were worse than no break at all. By midnight of the second night, I’m not sure any of us thought we would make it till morning. But we kept playing and encouraging each other. We sounded awful, but we wouldn’t stop. No one wanted to let his or her band members (team mates) down. On that second night it wasn’t about any single person in the group. We were a unit, and we would make it or not – together.

And we did make it! We played just over 53 hours. When our band director came in that third morning and was there with us at the big finish, it was a really amazing moment. The last piece the band played was “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. I still tear up every time I hear it.

Now don’t go looking through any old Guinness Books of World records because, even though we broke the world record, some other (much smaller) band broke our record before the next book was published. Oh well. Too bad it was before the day of the commemorative T-shirt. We would have at least gotten that.

But here’s the real kicker. Our band was invited to go to the 1977 Rose Bowl Parade. Those of us who graduated in 1976, didn’t get to go. A whole bunch of incoming freshman, who hadn’t been part of the band while we were doing all the things that got us invited, got to go in our places. I didn’t occur to us not to help because we weren’t going to go. We were part of the team, the band. Even if we couldn’t go to Pasadena, we did our best to get the rest of the team there.

The good news is that when Jesus comes again, nobody who wants to go with Him will have to stay here. Let’s not forget that we’re the team whose job it is to make sure that nobody misses out on Heaven. It’s just after midnight on that last night before He comes. We’re all exhausted, but He’ll be here soon. Let’s hang on to each other so nobody gives up.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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[Teaching Plan for "Corporate Evangelism and Witnessing" May 14, 2012]

1. Have a volunteer read 2 Timothy 2:2.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. Why is it important that the truth of Christ be shared with those who will share it with still others?
1) If they don’t share, does that mean they are unfaithful?
C. Personal Application: How much training and discipling did you receive in the church? Who did you look to for training?
D. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “It’s the pastors, elders, and teacher’s job to train the members through discipling. But the pastor and elders are more focused on sermons and board meetings that on the job training and how to seminars. And the teachers just want to talk, not do on the job training.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. How important is it to be supported in your efforts? Do others feel appreciative when you support them? Why is the buddy system supported strongly in the Scriptures?
C. Personal Application: When doing a job or task, do you prefer to work alone or with someone? Why? Share. Does that apply to church work as well, or is that different?
D. Case Study: One of your friends states, “I don’t like to work with others because I can’t depend on them. I’ve been let down too many times by people who say they will do something or show up at a certain time, and they don’t do what they said they would, or they don’t show up. Usually they give me some lame excuse. I’d rather get it done by myself. How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 4:14-16.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. How does working together contribute to the growth and building up of the church?
C. Personal Application: If parts of the body aren’t working, does that affect the effectiveness of the whole body? How is love affected?.
D. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Does your church spend more time on music, worship, church business, and social activities than it does on outreach, witnessing, and evangelism?” How do you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Colossians 1:27-29.

A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
B. Why is warning and teaching used in the same sentence? Have we focused more on teaching and not enough on warning people of the danger of not being sanctified through Christ in us?
C. Personal Application: How do we teach every man in all wisdom to present them perfect in Christ Jesus?
D. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Note: “Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.” MH p. 149)

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It is logical to think that there were times when each of the disciples would have shared their faith on a one-to-one basis, but for the most part we see them in a shared ministry with fellow disciples and being supported by other believers. There is something special about working on an overall plan and receiving support and encouragement from others on the team.

The Bible provides us with a blueprint for effective witnessing and evangelism, and it should not surprise us that, even today, when God raises up someone for a significant responsibility, He inspires a team to gather around the leader.

Read Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–19, and Luke 6:12–16. What simple lesson can we learn from these lists?

Without question, the early believers worked together in groups. It makes a lot of sense. Besides each one having specific gifts and talents that others don’t, there’s also protection in numbers. There’s a sense of accountability: others are watching you, others can help guide you, others can help protect you from wandering into directions that tragically might lead you astray. A solid team of faithful brothers and sisters, each one looking out for the other, yet all with the common goal of soul-winning, presents the ideal way of doing outreach.

Read Philippians 1:5–18. What is there in Paul’s commendations to the believers at Philippi that indicates they were engaged in corporate witnessing and evangelism?  

At the beginning of his letter to the Philippians, Paul speaks of their fellowship (partnership, NIV) in the gospel (vs. 5). They had defended and confirmed the gospel (vs. 7) and had spoken the word of God without fear (vs. 14). He also shares his joy because Christ is continually preached (vss. 15–18). Remember, Paul is writing to the church, not to individuals. Of course, it would have been individuals who preached Christ, but the fact that Paul commends the church reveals that this evangelistic preaching was a corporate strategy.

Eager to witness, have you ever found yourself tempted in ways that being in a group could have protected you from? Why is it important to cultivate an attitude of humility and accountability if you are going to work with others in a group?

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Sometimes in our efforts to express the importance of conversion, or “being saved” we underestimate the role of the church. While we all understand that being joined to the church does not save us, it is or should be instrumental in us maintaining the saving relationship with Jesus. We are social creatures and we need the interaction with our community of believers as part of the “maintenance program” of salvation.

To give an example: I studied for a PhD, a degree that is supposed to demonstrate that I am capable of thinking through original ideas and doing individual research. Much of my study was based on research done quietly, often in the middle of the night. But an important part of my research program was to meet with the team and to interact with them in workshops, and seminars, sharing my ideas and in turn absorbing and understanding their ideas. While individual work was important, the shared experiences served as an opportunity to test and grow our experiences together. I owe a lot to the team.

Likewise, a church does much to aid the “salvation process”. When we associate together we contribute to one another’s salvation. Yes I know we are saved by grace, but grace and the community of believers together make for a winning combination.

I have had occasion recently to study some of the early church work in the Pacific Islands. The stories of the struggling church in these remote areas gives a picture of the difficulty of maintaining one’s faith when fellow believers are few. The missionaries would stay for a short while, open a little school and do some missionary work, converting one or two, then move on. Sometimes years would pass before another missionary would come into the area, only to find that the one or two who were converted had lost their faith. It took many years before there were sufficient members to support one another in their faith, and to become an effective witness in their area.

Churches in themselves are not perfect – how can they be when they are made up of people like me. But they are God’s instrument for maintaining our faith and we need to ensure that we value the church experience, and more importantly, contribute to it. The book of Acts provides ample evidence of the important role that the community of believers plays in the lives of individual members in a growing church.

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Often, when it comes to the planning of witnessing and evangelism goals and strategies, only a very few people are involved. Then when plans have been decided, those few people set about the task of trying to get others involved in the implementation stages. It is much better to get a larger group involved right from the start. This is why the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual states that a chief concern of the church board is the work of planning and fostering evangelism in all of its phases.

What do Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:40 tell us about the need to plan? What does this verse suggest may be the results of a lack of, or inadequate, planning?

There are a number of mistakes that churches can make when considering their involvement in witnessing and evangelism. They can set goals but then neglect to introduce strategies necessary to reaching them; they can try to work on some strategies without setting any firm goals; or they can attempt either of the above without considering a process of evaluation. Goals and plans go hand in hand, but goals always come first so that plans that enable the goals to be reached can be laid. Furthermore, it is the process of evaluation that helps keep the church on track and measures progress toward its goals.

Every church should be aware of the concept of goal ownership. Those who set goals and are involved in strategic planning are typically the ones who buy into the whole direction and process. It is important, therefore, that as many people as possible have some input into all phases of the planning in order that they, too, have a sense of ownership. If this does not happen, then, most likely, the long-term plans will become the property of a select few who will struggle to fulfill those plans. In this case, success is unlikely.

Read Psalm 37. What assurance can we gain from this text in relation to the success of our witnessing and evangelism activities (as well as a host of other things)? What principles and promises can we take from this passage?

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Most people in the church are busy; others, for various reasons, do comparatively little. Either way, people are often not aware of what their church as a whole is planning or working toward; consequently, they don’t see how that in which they may be involved is contributing to the church’s overall goals.

Read Ecclesiastes 4:9–12. What do Solomon’s words tell us about working together? How might these words be helpful to you in other settings?  

These verses describe the benefits of mutual help, support, and care, whatever the situation. What is true for two or three people is also true for the local church. For the blessings described in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 to be realized, each person must be aware of the activities of the others. If one person is not aware of what the others are doing or planning, how can they know what support is needed, and when? If we consider these points with our local church’s witnessing and evangelism in mind, we see again that if most members are unaware of what their church is involved in, they are not able to give support and assistance when needed. Sadly, because of a lack of support, those who are on the frontline of witnessing and evangelism sometimes feel that no one cares about this vital ministry when it is simply the case that others just don’t know what is going on.

The following verses record people performing special support tasks. Write down how you think these activities contributed to the overall mission of spreading the gospel. Acts 16:14-15, 33-34.  

What may at first seem to have nothing to do with the church’s witnessing and evangelism strategies will, upon further consideration, be revealed as vital to the whole process. Those who provide food and lodging for the visiting evangelist play as vital a part as those who welcome the public to the program. Many church members will volunteer to support when they are aware of the program and what is needed and when they are assured that their contribution is an integral part of the whole church program. In this context, it is important to let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.

Take a few moments to reflect upon your church’s evangelism and witnessing activities. Are you aware of the corporate church goals and strategies? Do you know what stage the church is in this year’s program? How could you become more involved in your church’s attempts to fulfill the gospel commission?

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Read for This Week’s Study:

Eccles. 4:9–12; Psalm 37; Phil. 1:5–18; Eph. 4:15-16; Col. 1:28-29.

Memory Text:

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, NKJV).

Key Thought:

The dissemination of the truth of God is not confined to ministers. The truth is to be scattered by all who claim to be disciples of Christ.

As we have seen, it is important that all believers recognize their God-given potential. Scripture gives many examples where believers used their gifts while working with appointed leaders in an evangelistic team ministry.

In Acts 13:13, Luke’s reference to “Paul and his party” suggests that the apostle Paul was the recognized leader of a missionary group that included Barnabas (vs. 1). Luke tells us that sometimes the missionary work of Paul and Barnabas showed that they worked together (Acts 13:50, 14:1).

Sometimes it is difficult for someone to become involved in local church witnessing and evangelism because leaders are not constantly looking for gifted people to incorporate into that work.

Last week we looked at the contributions of individual members in relation to the church’s witnessing and evangelism. This week we will look at some aspects of the church’s corporate strategies and how individuals can become involved.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 19.

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While we would not deny the importance of Bible knowledge and the proven procedures of witnessing and evangelism, we must be careful not to neglect an emphasis on personal spiritual preparation. The essential ingredient in personal spiritual growth is, of course, the Holy Spirit, and to experience the Holy Spirit’s power for evangelism we must give Him access to our lives.

As Christians begin to serve their God, they become more aware of personal spiritual needs. As they then request, and receive, a greater indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they are empowered for a continuing ministry.

The key is a daily surrendering of our will to God, a daily willingness to die to self, a daily keeping of the grace of Christ before us, a daily remembrance of what we have been given in Christ and what He asks of us in response to that gift.In regard to winning souls, Ellen G. White wrote this challenging statement: “Your success will not depend so much upon your knowledge and accomplishments, as upon your ability to find your way to the heart.”—Gospel Workers, p. 193. What important point is she making there? After all, how often do we see people turn away from the powerful and convincing evidence for our message? So often doctrine itself—no matter how biblical, logical, uplifting, and sensible—will not impact a person with a closed heart. How, then, do we reach the heart? In this context, how much more important is it to live out what we profess rather than just profess it?  

Discussion Questions:

   “One truth received into the heart will make room for still another truth.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 449. In what sequence should the truths we hold be presented in order to be most effective in our outreach? Why should Christ’s substitutionary death always be at the forefront of all that we teach?  

   Ponder the following statement as you consider the ways in which you can share your personal experience with others: “The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 415, 416. The question is, How do we in a daily and practical way “manifest His glory”? How often in the past 24 hours have you manifested God’s glory in your life? What kind of witness for your faith does your lifestyle reveal? How can your local church as a whole “manifest His glory”?

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Fwachi stood silent, unsure what to say. She had come home from Zambia Adventist University planning to tell her mother that she had been baptized. Now what should she say?

Fwachi had grown up in a Christian home. Her sister invited her to visit the Adventist church, but Mother refused to let her go. However, when Fwachi finished high school, she wanted to study at Zambia Adventist University. Her sister agreed to pay her school fees, so her mother allowed her to go. “Just don’t join the church,” Mother warned.

At school Fwachi enjoyed her Bible classes and was drawn closer to Christ. During the Week of Prayer Fwachi rededicated her life to Christ, but for months she resisted the invitation to be baptized.

The next year during the Week of Prayer, Fwachi decided to follow Christ, even if it angered her mother. She waited to tell her mother until her school break. Then her mother greeted her by saying, “I hear you’re attending the Adventist church; I hope you haven’t been baptized!”

“I do enjoy going to the Adventist church,” Fwachi stammered, lost for words. Maybe it’s best to wait to tell Mother of my decision, she thought. As Sabbath drew near, Fwachi made an excuse to visit her cousin in town, where she could attend church. Her vacation ended, and Fwachi hadn’t told her mother that she was an Adventist.

Then Fwachi’s sister died. Fwachi was devastated; her faith was shaken. So many people were praying for her, she thought. How could God let my sister die? She found comfort in the songs of faith that her sister often sang. As she sang the precious songs, she no longer felt forsaken. Still, she faced the question of who would pay her school fees.

She told her mother of her baptism, expecting her mother to be angry. Instead her mother nodded. She even agreed to help pay Fwachi’s tuition. Although Fwachi works at school, it still isn’t enough to pay her fees. She trusts God will provide the rest.

One day Mother called Fwachi to tell her she’d visited the church. She hasn’t attended again, but Fwachi feels this was one small step of faith. “There will be other steps,” Fwachi says. I pray that God will use me to draw my mother to Him again.”

Zambia Adventist University is one of hundreds of Adventist schools around the world that receive help from the mission offerings. These schools make a difference in the lives of their students and the communities they serve. Thank you for giving to mission so that others can meet the Savior who loves them.

Fwachi Mtonga lives in Zambia, Africa.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
Find more stories like this at AdventistMission.org

email: info@adventistmission.org

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