Together in the last five years, we joined in prayer and ministry to reach western Washington with the distinctive, Christ-centered Seventh-day Adventist message of hope and wholeness. We desire to encourage all to become fully devoted disciples of Jesus.
We asked each ministry department, church and school to find action-oriented applications to nurture our community of faith. This became our ACTS acronym: Adventist Christian education, Coaching leaders, Total member involvement and Spiritual growth.
We find inspiration from the early church in Acts 2, where we see a solid model for ministry today:
- The church was together when the Holy Spirit fell on the early church — a true miracle (Acts 2:44). The diversity of believers represented different ideologies (from zealots to Roman government tax collectors) yet were united with the Holy Spirit’s blessing.
- The church earnestly prayed for God’s will as they proclaimed the gospel (Acts 2:42–43). The Bible doesn’t say they agreed on every topic. They simply grew together in their spiritual walk, and, as they did, the Holy Spirit fell, allowing each person to be totally involved with their unique spiritual gifts to share the gospel.
- The church continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship of praying and breaking bread (Acts 2:46). In the daily coaching of new believers, the apostles kept educating believers in Biblical approaches to life and ministry — both in small groups and at the temple.
Adventist church co-founder Ellen G. White writes: “What the Lord did for His people in that time, it is just as essential, and more so, that He do for His people today. All that the apostles did, every church member today is to do. And we are to work with as much more fervor, to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit in as much greater measure, as the increase of wickedness demands a more decided call to repentance” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 33).
We can, as a diverse family of faith in Washington Conference, continue to grow spiritually together and be totally involved in applying our spiritual gifts. Let’s continue to grow together in Jesus!
Doug Bing, Washington Conference president.
