Membership Growth—We can do better than the typical North American 2 percent church growth. That must change dramatically if we are to make headway in the mission God has given us. Together with our local conferences, churches, pastors and members we plan to begin a new cycle of regular evangelism in whatever form it takes to reach the people God has placed right here at our own domestic doorstep. The principles we have learned in our Global Mission endeavors, we must adapt here at home. Our goal should be to reach everyone in the Northwest with the Adventist message by the year 2011.
Academic Growth—As good as our Northwest Adventist schools are, we have room for growth, especially in helping our students grapple with their own faith issues. We have established a Northwest commission on student growth that will address how Adventist faith and learning can be combined with increased enrollment to enhance positive outcomes for our children. The future of our church and its mission depends on how well our kids own and live out the Adventist message.
Spiritual Growth—Of course, it all starts with our own hearts and lives, with Jesus living at the core. We must each personally embrace a plan to keep us on track spiritually, grounded in the Word of God and other inspired writings. Thanks to a generous Northwest donor, we are producing a revitalized edition of The Desire of Ages. While it preserves Ellen G. White’s profound words, the old King James Bible references are being replaced with the updated, contemporary beauty of the New King James version. We think you will find your life changed by discovering this book “again, for the first time.” In addition, we plan to mail a special clergy edition to thousands of Northwest ministers of other denominations. This classic book will renew our focus on Jesus and point us back to His Word where we can fall in love with Him all over again or perhaps for the very first time.
