Church Growth & Adventist Mission Department - SEC

18/03/2026

I know that it is a bit long for just casual reading, but I am still sharing it because it is one of the most important thing is to foster healthy church life in order to be able to do mission:

Some theological approaches for identifying a healthy local church community

1. Faithful Gospel Doctrine

A healthy evangelical church:
• Clearly teaches salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• Treats the Bible as the final authority for faith, doctrine, and life (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
• Teaches the whole counsel of God — not only comforting truths but also repentance, holiness, judgment, and obedience (Acts 20:27).
• Centres sermons on Christ and the gospel, not personality, politics, or self-help.
Warning sign: sermons are motivational but rarely mention sin, repentance, the cross, or Christ’s atonement.

2. Christ-like Leadership

Healthy churches have leaders who:
• Meet the biblical qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 / Titus 1.
• Lead as servants, not as unquestionable authority (Mark 10:42–45).
• Are plural in leadership (shared eldership, accountability).
• Are transparent, approachable, and humble.
• Equip others for ministry instead of controlling everything (Ephesians 4:11–12).
Warning sign: unchallengeable authority, secrecy, fear culture.

3. Authentic Community & Love

A healthy church is marked by:
• Genuine relationships across age, race, and economic lines.
• Hospitality, generosity, and care for the hurting (Acts 2:42–47).
• Members who know each other beyond Sunday attendance.
• A culture of grace — people can confess sin without shame.
Warning sign: isolation, cliques, or a “Sabbath-only” faith.

4. Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Healthy churches:
• Intentionally make disciples, not just converts (Matthew 28:19–20).
• Teach believers how to:
o Read Scripture
o Pray
o Share their faith
o Fight sin
o Live obediently
• Expect spiritual growth over time.
Warning sign: people attend for years but remain spiritually immature.

5. Biblical Worship:

• God-centered, not performance-centred.
• Focused on truth, reverence, joy, and awe.
• Includes prayer, Scripture, confession, preaching, communion, singing.
Warning sign: emotional manipulation or entertainment replacing reverence.

6. Evangelism & Mission

A healthy church:
• Proclaims the gospel locally and globally.
• Equips members to share Christ naturally.
• Cares about the lost, the poor, the marginalised.
• Sends and supports missionaries.
Warning sign: inward-focused, little concern for outsiders. Our usual programs vs. the needs of the people around us.

7. Loving Church Discipline

Biblical churches practice:
• Gentle correction when members persist in sin (Matthew 18:15–17).
• Restoration, not punishment.
• Accountability grounded in love.
Warning sign: no boundaries or, conversely, harsh authoritarian control.

8. Prayer Dependence

Healthy churches:
• Pray corporately and privately.
• Depend on God, not strategy alone.
• Expect God to act.
Warning sign: prayer is perfunctory or absent.

9. Spiritual Fruit

Over time you see:
• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
• Marriages healed, addictions broken, faith strengthened, people transformed.
Summary Test
A healthy church community: Loves Christ deeply, teaches truth faithfully, lives in authentic community, makes disciples intentionally, and reaches the world sacrificially.

https://spiritual-gift.org/

My personal motto: Humility, Humanity, Humour

The Spiritual Gifts Survey is a discovery tool designed to provide you (based on your scaled responses) with a personalised result highlighting your top 3 gifts.

09/03/2026

A wonderful Sabbath with The Ark Church Plant in Witham.

31/12/2025

30/12/2025

Ephesians 2:14-16

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups (Judean and Gentiles) one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

In Ephesians two, when Judean and Gentile, Jew and Gentile, if you like, come together in Christ, that is the sign of that new creation that Ephesians 1:10, Heaven and Earth are to come together. What will this look like? Well, at the moment, it looks like people from radically different, incompatible ethnic groups are coming together in a single family, and that when that happens, this is the new temple where God dwells by the Spirit. The trouble is that ever since the Reformation in the 16th century, where we all wanted to have the Bible in our own language and liturgy in our own language, the church is divided up into different ethnic groups, and we didn't even notice so that now we have black churches, white churches, Chinese churches, this that the other and we don't think that matters. Paul would be absolutely horrified. This, to me, is foundational for what's going on. (N.T. Wright)

13/09/2025

A video, not too long, is very much worth watching.
Let us pray for revival.

He was only 13 when he began praying for a revival in Wales. For 10 years, Evan Roberts cried out to God day and night, believing that heaven would one day t...

08/09/2025

We had a great meeting at the weekend in Edinburgh with Church Planters throughout the BUC, called ACTS BUC, Module 4.
I cannot describe the whole experience in a few short sentences, but I hope the participant will share their thought. Let me share a few photos:

30/07/2025

THE ORDINARY PEOPLE ARE THE PEOPLE OF GRACE.

“If we know and experience the grace of God, it will communicate through our lives to other people, and we will exercise grace to others.
The Church History suggests it's never quite so simple. Although I have to say, one of the things about Church History is that we tend to focus on events for which there is good documentation, ... But actually, the real work of grace through the Church is going on under the radar, and it was in the first century. This was the reason people became Christians in the second and third centuries, when the Romans were trying to stamp it out, because ordinary people were being people of grace, out there on the street with their neighbours. Much of that never got written up, but the movement spread because people said, ‘Why are you behaving like that? Why are you being kind to these people who are just trying to persecute you?’ And the answer is, ‘We're following this man called Jesus. And this is how he taught us to live.’”
N. T. Wright

15/07/2025

THE FUTURE OF THE TRANS EUROPEAN DIVISION – INTERVIEW WITH DR DANIEL DUDA

Keywords

Leadership development, European culture, Young people engagement, Cultural diversity, Secularism, Faith transmission, Social justice, Institutional credibility, Servant leadership, Community belonging, Theological depth, Grace-filled community, Future-facing, Digital engagement, Mission relevance.

The discussion focused on the Trans-European Division's (TED) priorities for the next five years. Key points included engaging with European culture, developing new leaders, and involving younger generations, women, and immigrant communities. Challenges identified were secularism, demographic decline, and cultural diversity. Emphasis was placed on relevance through addressing social justice, the environment, and building trust. Leadership lessons highlighted the importance of social connections and servant leadership. The vision for 2030 envisions a theologically deep, grace-filled, inclusive, and digitally engaged community.

Action Items

Develop strategies to engage with the European culture and address the changing environment.
Implement initiatives to promote unity in diversity and a sense of co-belonging within the Adventist community.
Address the key challenges facing churches in Europe, such as secularism, demographic changes, and the need for cultural relevance.
Explore ways to make the Adventist message more relevant and appealing to younger generations.
Implement a Leadership Development Program that emphasizes Servant Leadership and learning from diverse perspectives.
Develop a vision and action plan for a theologically deep, grace-filled, and digitally engaged Adventist community in Europe.

Outline

Future Priorities for the Trans-European Division

Vanessa initiates the discussion by asking about the top three priorities for the next five years.
Dr Daniel Duda, the re-elected President of TED, emphasizes the need to engage with European culture, develop new leaders, and listen to young people. The importance of unity in diversity is highlighted, moving beyond co-existence to co-belonging.
Vanessa appreciates the concept of "core belonging" and its relevance to fulfilling the mission.

Challenges for Churches in Europe

Patricia asks about the key challenges churches in Europe might face in the coming years.
Dr Duda identifies increasing secularism, post-modernism, and a post-Christian culture as significant challenges. Demographic decline and aging membership are serious problems. The need to engage young people intentionally is crucial for their presence in the Local Churches.

Engaging with Cultural Diversity and Faith Transmission

Dr Duda discusses the positive aspects of cultural diversity and its appeal to different types of people. The importance of engaging with topics like social justice, the environment, and climate change is essential. Building trust, transparency, and institutional credibility is crucial. To coach and involve young people in recognizing their value and contributing to the church is key.

Leadership Lessons and Servant Leadership

Patricia asks about a lesson that has shaped Dr Duda's leadership style.
Dr Duda shares a lesson from a health study in Alameda County about the importance of social connections. The concept of "better to eat chocolate with friends than broccoli alone" is used to illustrate the value of social connections. Dr Duda emphasizes the importance of servant leadership in bringing people together despite differences.

Belonging and Community in Diversity

Vanessa connects the concept of belonging and diversity to the previous discussion.
Dr Duda discusses the tendency of immigrant populations to exist in separation and the need to move beyond co-existence to co-belonging. The strength of family and community in being together is necessary.
Vanessa agrees and emphasizes the importance of loving our community.

Vision for the Future

Vanessa asks about Dr Duda's vision for the next five years.
Dr Duda envisions a church that is theologically deep yet grace-filled, engaging with its heritage while moving beyond it. The church should be radically inclusive, culturally reconciled, relationally healthy, and missionally active. The importance of being future-facing and digitally engaged is emphasized.

Final Thoughts and Working Together in the Future

Vanessa and Dr Duda discuss the importance of facing the future and being agents of hope.
Vanessa appreciates the value of community and belonging in everything that has been said.
Dr Duda looks forward to working together with everyone in the next five years.
The meeting concludes with mutual appreciation and anticipation for future partnership.

09/07/2025

A lovely Sabbath (5th July 2025) in Canterbury. Fewer than usual, but beautiful people, enthusiastic about the mission, a dynamic and growing Community.

30/06/2025

A wonderful Sabbath in the King's Lynn Group, which will soon become a company. Glory to God.