Description

What kind of community is our church located in? This may be a surprising question for you. Seventh-day Adventists move a lot more often than the general population. An Adventist pastor averages only a few years in each assignment and research has shown that Adventist members tend to be highly mobile. (Dudley, et al.) As a result, most Adventists do not put down very deep roots in a community. This is consistent with a faith that affirms that “this world is not our home” and looks forward to “a city whose builder and maker is God.” Yet it also means that you may not pay much attention to where they live. You may not understand the local culture, and you may not realize the extent to which you are seen as an “outsider,” all of which is counterproductive to effectively pursuing the mission of the Church.