The Emerging Church and The One Project? is a series of PowerPoint presentations asking the question if there is in fact a connection between the two. The purpose of the presentations are not to lambast those who want to lift Jesus up, but rather to allow leaders of the One Project to tell us in their own words (and the words of those promoting the project) what their goals and aspirations really are, and how these goals have been enacted in their past experiences. Presentation 1 of 10 is a summary of the Emerging Church as defined on Wikipedia. This is a summary of the 17 page article found there which is taken from many leading proponents of the Emerging Church here in America. Presentations 2 through 4 deal with Leonard Sweet, a leader in the Emerging Church movement and a professor at George Fox University, and many of the nearly 50 books he has authored which express his various viewpoints. Presentations 5 through 9 deal with the five main leaders of The One Project, four of which graduated with or started DMin degrees from George Fox University under the mentorship of Leonard Sweet. In each presentation an objective look is taken at material in print telling of each leaders work and ministry up to 2012. The question will naturally follow; is this the direction we should be leading our young people in the Adventist Church? Presentation 10 deals with the One Project gathering in Seattle, February of 2012, looking at the claims of the Project “Jesus. All” and comparing this to what really took place at the gathering. Yes, there was some good points made, and we need to lift Jesus up, but…. We also take a look at a little of the evidence suggesting The One Project is a response to GYC. For a fully interactive edition of all 10 presentations with video clips, contact: theemergingoneproject@gmail.com

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 

―Pastor Sam Leonor was raised in Central America where
his parents were part of developing health care missions.
Among others, he attended Southern College in TN, where
he earned a secondary education degree. He worked as a
youth pastor in Asheville, NC before attending Andrews
University where he earned a Master of Divinity. …‖
Sam has a passion for making church life meaningful. He
wants to see people attach themselves to communities of
faith that are healthy, growing and full of love. He believes
that, like the Apostle Paul, people can experience dramatic
personal change when they come in contact with the Gospel.
This happens when Jesus the Christ and His teachings are
lived out through the body of Christ. He is devoted to the
Adventist church and to exploring contemporary Biblical
spirituality. He enjoys ministry that focuses on faith that
engages culture deeply and emphasizes justice.‖
(http://www.lasierra.edu/index.php?id=555)
4

5. 5

6. 

―Sam Leonor loves his work as Pastor to the students
and faculty of La Sierra University. He is passionate
about spiritual awakening among young adults,
especially college students. He loves to see them bloom
into faith that is missional, growing and full of love.
His ministry is marked by a call to radical faith in
Jesus. He loves finding ways to engage culture deeply
for the sake of Jesus.‖
―His hobbies include making music, eating good food,
and having good conversations with family and
friends.‖ (http://the1project.org/board/sam.html)
6

7. 7

8. 

―Michael [Knecht], Tim [Gillespie], Roy [Ice] and Sam [Leonor] all
went to grad school together at a small University in southwest
Michigan [Andrews University]. They worked together on many
different projects, but music was a priority to all of them. Michael,
had been asked to organize the music for a community event
targeted toward teenagers. Michael played guitar, Tim sang and
Roy played the drums. The crowd went wild. The chemistry was
incredible and the musical relationship continued. There were folk
influences in the music, but the cohesiveness of the group soon
yielded an eclectic yet distinct style.‖
―The newly formed band added Sam as bass player and Jason, an
undergrad at the University, as another guitarist. They quickly
began booking gigs, however, had yet to decide on a name. The
first name settled on was ‗the electric fishermen,‘ which lasted
about as long as their first concert. They quickly changed their
name to ‗Big Face Grace‘ and it worked. The adventure had
begun. BFG has now toured Australia, Finland, much of North
America and parts of Canada.― cont.
8

9. 
―They have thrilled audiences that ranged in attendance
from 3 people to 11,000 and venues from barns to stadiums.
BFG music has been featured on MTV's Road Rules and
ABC's Making the Band. Their CDs sound great, but to
really experience BFG you must see, hear and live their live
show. Big Face Grace is currently spending the majority of
their time writing and recording for their long-awaited new
album. They are also involved in several preliminary film
negotiations. During this time, they will be playing a few
select national dates and various Southern California shows
ONLY. When the album is completed and released, BFG
plans to book a national promotional tour.‖
(http://www.esongs.net/biography.asp?ID=441)
9

10. 10

11. 

―With performance opportunities trickling in, the group
needed to determine their precise purpose. ‗We knew it had
to be more than just entertainment,‘ Ice says. Recent studies
had revealed teenagers' difficulty understanding God's
grace, and they felt convicted to bridge the gap. Helping
young people understand the nature of grace became the
message of their music. With that also came a new band
name: Big Face Grace. …‖
―Following [AU] graduation, their prominence grew and so
did controversy. Acceptance from the Adventist church was
not immediate, and many in the Midwest were unreceptive
to the concept of being both contemporary and Christian.
Big Face Grace was aware, and, rather than avoid the
tension, made it their secondary goal to provoke discussion
of whether God allowed for such a blend. Ice remembers
staying focused on their purpose. ‗I thought, ―My job is not
to create controversy, it's to create Christians.‖‘‖ (cont.)
11

12. 


―After signing a record deal with True Tunes Rhythm
House, the time commitment and travel increased. They
went all over the United States and Canada, including
several appearances at Spirit West Coast, and did two
separate three-week tours in Australia. Following a twoweek tour in Finland, one entertainment reviewer wrote that
after watching Bon Jovi perform two days earlier, Big Face
Grace was a better show.‖
―Several of their songs reached the top ten of the Christian
music charts, including one number one hit. One of their
songs reached the charts after their producer made it into, of
all things, a dance remix. BFG was unaware of the song's
success until they saw it in a Christian music magazine.‖
―[Roy] Ice's time as the talented drummer of Big Face Grace
will always bring a smile to his face, and a moment of pride.
‗My proudest moments aren't the hits or a song solo or a
place we performed,‘ Ice remarks, ‗I'm most proud of the
fact that we generated discussion. I feel like we made a
difference.‘― (http://www.puc.edu/faculty-staff/progress/archives-old/june-2010) 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15

16. 16

17. 

―The Student Association of La Sierra University (SALSU) hosted a
benefit music festival on campus in early March that raised more than
$2,800 for a struggling Adventist school in Malawi, Africa. … The La
Sierra music festival featured five stages with multiple performers at
each stage. Each of the more than 250 attendees of the concert
donated $5 in order to get into each stage or $10 to attend for all
festival access. Volunteer students roamed the event carrying buckets
in which people could make additional donations. These buckets
raised $966.71.‖
―The festival featured a reunion performance by Big Face Grace, a
Christian music group formed at Andrews University in the 1990s.
Sam Leonor, La Sierra University campus pastor and a member of Big
Face Grace at Andrews, was joined by the rest BFG‘s members for the
La Sierra event. Four of the group are now active pastors involved in
college/youth/young adult ministries. … Other performers included
Nick Zork, Gian Caballero, Cartero, Iguana Stu, Miracle Dolls, The
Transfats, Off Track, Sal and Isela, Vedda, Who is Chuy Vega,
Winston and the Telescreen, Aaron Roche, Aaron Beaumont, Deirdre
Raymond and Soul of the River. All of the students and performers
volunteered their time and energy.‖ (http://www.lasierra.edu/index.php?id=1604)
17

18. ―The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord
has shown me would take place just before the close of probation.
Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting,
with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will
become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right
decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.‖
―The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a
bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his
ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere,
elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have
the worship of God blended with music than to use musical
instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me
would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for this time
needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A bedlam
of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright
might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din
and noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirit's
working.‖ (cont.)
18

19. ―Those participating in the supposed revival receive impressions
which lead them adrift. They cannot tell what they formerly knew
regarding Bible principles. No encouragement should be given to this
kind of worship. The same kind of influence came in after the passing
of the time in 1844. The same kind of representations were made. Men
became excited, and were worked by a power thought to be the power
of God.... ‖
―I will not go into all the painful history; it is too much. But last
January [1900] the Lord showed me that erroneous theories and
methods would be brought into our camp meetings, and that the
history of the past would be repeated. I felt greatly distressed. I was
instructed to say that at these demonstrations demons in the form of
men are present, working with all the ingenuity that Satan can employ
to make the truth disgusting to sensible people; that the enemy was
trying to arrange matters so that the camp meetings, which have been
the means of bringing the truth of the third angel's message before
multitudes, should lose their force and influence. …‖(cont.)
19

20. ―The Holy Spirit has nothing to do with such a confusion of noise and
multitude of sounds as passed before me last January. Satan works
amid the din and confusion of such music, which, properly
conducted, would be a praise and glory to God. He makes its effect like
the poison sting of the serpent.‖
―Those things which have been in the past will be in the future. Satan
will make music a snare by the way in which it is conducted. God calls
upon His people, who have the light before them in the Word and in
the Testimonies, to read and consider, and to take heed. Clear and
definite instruction has been given in order that all may understand.
But the itching desire to originate something new results in strange
doctrines, and largely destroys the influence of those who would be a
power for good if they held firm the beginning of their confidence in
the truth the Lord had given them.” (Ellen G. White to S. N. Haskell, Letter
132, 1900; in Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 36-39)
20

21. 21

22. 


―Our evening speaker this year for young adults, Sam
Leonor, serves as chaplain at La Sierra University and
pastors the first service of the University Church. His
ministry focuses on faith that deeply engages culture, is
driven by a desire to love as Jesus did and emphasizes
justice. …‖
―Alex Bryan, a graduate of Southern College and Andrews
University, is pastor of the New Community Church in
Roswell, Georgia. Alex is a regular contributor to the
Adventist Review, and has co-authored a book entitled, The
Ride of Your Life.‖
Titles: ―Why it‘s ok to watch movies: Learning the lost art of
Discernment ― ―Learning from Legalists: Why the law will
always matter‖ ―Learning from Liberals: Why the edges
must be explored‖ ―Jesus was a Moderate: Reclaiming the
progressive middle‖ ―Starting Riots for Jesus: What the
committed life really looks like‖ (http://www.carolinasda.org/site_data/
663/assets/0007/4106/CMProgram06.pdf)
22

23. 23

24. 

―Sam was raised in Central America where his parents were
part of developing church and health care missions. He has
degrees from Southern Adventist University, Andrews
University, and is a doctoral candidate at George Fox
University.‖ (http://the1project.org/board/sam.html)
―He graduated from Southwestern Adventist University and the
Seventh-day Adventist Seminary at Andrews University. He is
currently a doctoral candidate at George Fox University, an
interdenominational Evangelical institution.‖ (http://www.atoday.org/article
/1302/news/july-headlines/god-encounters-2012-conference-for-young-adults-will-feature-sam-leonor)
24

25. 25

26. 
―Second, I would like to thank all my brothers and sisters in
my George Fox University‗s Leadership in the Emerging
Culture, Future Studies doctoral cohort. Our
conversations, debates and differences helped form my
ideas and guided me along the process. In particular I
would like to thank Mark McNees, Timothy Gillespie, Sam
Leonor and Kevin Bates for helping me process my thoughts
and being a sounding board for what must have been seen
as crazy thoughts. You are all friends for life. … Fourth, big
props go out to Leonard Sweet and Loren Kerns for helping
me redesign my thoughts and to process what I know with
what they know.‖ (http://johncokeefe.com/John%20C%20OKeefe%20%20Creatives.pdf)
26

27. 27

28. 


―Anticipate change. Proactive leadership in Google
Culture with Len Sweet.‖
―The Leadership in Emerging Culture Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
tracks explore the character and shape of effective Christian
leadership in the emerging culture. The … program with Dr.
Leonard (Len) Sweet prepares an advance guard of Jesus
semioticians, leaders adept at seeing signs of Jesus' work in the
world. These followers of Jesus are not afraid of the future but are
excited about its possibilities and promises, while aware of its
perils and pitfalls.‖
―The approach is an ancient-future one of MRI
(Missional, Relational, Incarnational) discipleship, using an EPIC
(Experiential, Participatory, Image-Rich, Connective) interface.
Students explore how to transition the church from its current
default of APC (Attractional, Propositional, Colonial) to MRI, and
play with a variety of EPIC interfaces.‖ (cont.)
28

29. 

Advances
―Students participate in three face-to-face 'advance' experiences in
Portland, OR, Oxford, UK, and Orcas Island, WA. They meet for a
research course, visit in-person with their advisor, and join
Leonard Sweet for a number of learning sessions. Learn more....‖
Online and Hybrid
―The delivery system for the track utilizes a hybrid delivery
model. Students participate in several conferences, receive
personal mentoring from Dr. Sweet and select faculty advisors,
engage in ongoing online interactivity with cohort members and
professors, and engage in reading, reflection, research, and
writing. Students meet weekly with Len Sweet for synchronous
chats in SpotOn3D at an island online learning community called
'Mag Mell'.‖ (http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-sfs/index.html)
29

30. 30

31. 31

32. 


―In the course of this book‘s retrieval of memory, many
people have helped me find ‗the overgrown path, the secret
staircase, the ancient sewer.‘ Mike Oliver and Chris Eriksen,
my graduate assistants at Drew, have thrashed through
many thorny thickets in pursuit of ‗secret staircases.‘ …‖
―Thanks to two of my doctoral cohorts at George Fox
University, I was able to determine what wood-felling
would give better sight of the trees, and what paths through
the woods we need not cut for ourselves. … My colleague
and friend Loren Kerns kept my focus on beauty, the
‗forgotten transcendental,‘ and helped me to see beauty‘s
relation to the truth of goodness and the goodness of truth.‘
…‖
―Thanks also to my students: … (LEC 7) Kevin Bates, Karen
Claassen, Libby Boatwright, Carla Dyment, Matt Dyment,
Tim Gillespie, Sam Leonor, …‖ (http://www.scribd.com/doc/13828591/9/
My-characters-all-sound-the-same-because-I-never-listen-%E2%80%9D2)
32

33. ―The Christian church is falling apart and in desperate
need of a revival. According to Professor Sweet and
bestselling author Viola, what is lacking is a
groundbreaking revelation of Christ that boggles the
mind and enraptures the heart. … The authors urge
churches to focus on the man who embodies the entire
religion. To do so, readers must learn the subtle
distinction between following Christ and realizing Christ
already lives within them. Some may find this message
controversial, even pantheistic.‖ (http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Manifesto-RestoringSupremacy-Sovereignty/dp/1596443855/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322412894&sr=1-1)
33

34. 

―There are good reasons to be concerned about
contemporary Christianity. But must the answer always be ‗a
fresh alternative -- a third way‘ (pg. xiii)? In the case of Jesus
Manifesto, authors Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola construct
a ‗third way‘ that bears little resemblance to the ‗narrow
road‘ (Matt. 7:13-14) which Jesus Himself preached.‖
―[T]he authors begin with a series of sweeping, but
predictable, generalizations about the grim state of affairs:
‗The world likes Jesus; they just don't like the church. But
increasingly, the church likes the church, yet it doesn't like
Jesus‘ (pg. xvi), … This kind of ‗bash the church‘ rhetoric is
at the heart of the postmodern, post-evangelical
movement, and propels much of what Sweet and Viola
unpack. Apparently, for many "emergent"
Christians, problems with the church are a license to
reconfigure the gospel. And, ultimately, Jesus Manifesto
seems determined to do just that.‖ (cont.)
34

35. 

―Along the way, the authors teeter between sublimity and
absurdity. On the one hand, Sweet and Viola do a terrific job
pulling everything back to Christ, showing how Scripture and
biblical history center around the Son of God and all our causes
and convictions should be subordinate to Him. Their language is
exultant, their praise effusive. But the closer we examine the
Christ they acclaim, the less He seems like the biblical one.‖
―The ‗hard sayings‘ of Christ about hell, damnation, and judgment
are nowhere to be found in this book (unless intimated toward
religious elites). As such, the Jesus of Jesus Manifesto is the friend
of sinners NOT the ‗judge of the living and the dead‘ (Acts 10:42).
The Jesus of Jesus Manifesto comes to bring unity NOT ‗division‘
(Lk. 12:49-57). The Jesus of Jesus Manifesto carries an olive branch
NOT a ‗sword‘ (Matt. 10:34). The Jesus of Jesus Manifesto ushers
souls to heaven NOT ‗eternal punishment‘ (Matthew 25:32,46).‖
(cont.)
35

36. 

―It is this ecumenical evasiveness that spoils Jesus Manifesto.
The Bible teaches that the Good Shepherd will one day
return with ‗the armies of heaven... to strike the nations‘
(Rev. 19: 11-16), that the cross of Christ ‗offends‘ people
(Gal. 5:11) and its message is ‗foolishness to those who are
perishing‘ (I Cor. 1:18). Sadly, it is this ‗offense‘ that Sweet
and Viola jettison in favor of uncritical inclusion.‖
―One of the ways Jesus Manifesto attempts this is by
downplaying ‗doctrine.‘ The authors write, ‗The apostles'
message throughout Acts is not the plan of salvation. It's not
a theology or a set of doctrines either. It is a person – Christ‘
(pg. 12), and ‗According to Scripture, Jesus Christ (and not a
doctrine about Him) is the truth‘ (pg. 80).‖ (cont.)
36

37. 

―Can theology get in the way of relationship with Christ?
Absolutely! Is Jesus more than a doctrinal system? Of course! But
the assumption that a doctrine or ‗theological system‘ ALWAYS
impedes a relationship with Christ is untenable. On the
contrary, good theology fires a right relationship with Jesus. In
fact, how does one even ‗grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ‘ (II Pet. 3:18) without embracing a
series of biblical prepositions about Him?‖
―Scripture is filled with exhortations about believing correctly. In
fact, it was those same apostles (the ones who [supposedly] did
not preach ‗a theology or a set of doctrines‘) who cautioned
against ‗false Christ‘s (II Cor. 11:3,4; 13-15) and admonished about
a time when men ‗will not endure sound doctrine‘ (II Tim. 4:3).
The apostle Peter warned about ‗false teachers‘ who ‗secretly
introduce destructive heresies‘ (II Pet. 2:1).‖(http://www.amazon.com/
Jesus-Manifesto-Restoring-Supremacy-Sovereignty/ product-reviews/0849946018/
ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_two?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwo Star&showViewpoints=0)
37

38. 38

39. 39

40. 

―Adventists Against Prop 8″ is an initiative by a small group of
Adventist pastors, teachers and students in California who
decided, out of their commitment to the historic Adventist
principle of the separation of church and state, to voice their
concerns about (1) the Seventh-day Adventist Church State
Council‘s public support of California Proposition 8 and (2) the
imposition of a fundamentally religious definition of marriage
that this Proposition represents.‖
―We are:






Daneen Akers: Reviews Editor, Spectrum Blog; Master of Arts in English
student, San Francisco State University; Freelance Writer
Ryan Bell: Pastor, Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church
Alexander Carpenter: Instructor of Visual Arts, Pacific Union College;
Editor, Spectrum Blog
Stephen Eyer: Adjunct Professor of Film & Visual Art, Pacific Union
College; Filmmaker
Julius Nam: Associate Professor of Religion, Loma Linda University
School of Religion
Jared Wright: Master of Divinity student, La Sierra University School of
Religion.‖ (cont.)
40

41. 
―Lawrence T. Geraty, President Emeritus, La Sierra University
Tim Mitchell, Senior Pastor, Pacific Union College Church
Chris Blake, Associate Professor of English and Communication, Union College
Deborah Silva, Professor of Speech Communication, Walla Walla University
Fritz Guy, Research Professor of Theology, La Sierra University
Michelle Rai, Chair, Communication Dept., Pacific Union College
Alger Keough, Executive Pastor, Azure Hills SDA Church, Grand Terrace, CA
Gary Chartier, Associate Professor of Law and Business Ethics, La Sierra University
David Larson, Professor of Religion, Loma Linda University
Jeff Gang, Pastor, Crosswalk Seventh-day Adventist Church, Redlands, CA
Charles Scriven, President, Kettering College of Medical Arts
Maury Jackson, Associate Pastor, Lancaster (CA) Seventh-day Adventist Church
Aubyn Fulton, Professor of Psychology, Pacific Union College
Michael McMillan, Pastor, Victoria SDA Church, San Bernardino, CA
Sam Leonor, Chaplain, La Sierra University
Milbert Mariano, Chair of Visual Arts Dept., Pacific Union College
Richard Lee, Associate Pastor, San Diego Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church
David Oceguera, Pastor, Brawley & El Centro (CA) Seventh-day Adventist Church
John R. Jones, Professor of New Testament and World Religions, La Sierra Univ.
Steve Leddy, Lead Pastor, 24-Seven Ministry Center, Seattle, WA‖
(http://adventistsagainstprop8.wordpress.com/about/)
41

42. 
―United States District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker overturned
Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010 in the case Perry v.
Schwarzenegger, ruling that it violated both the Due Process and
Equal Protection clauses of the United States Constitution. Walker
issued an injunction against enforcing Proposition 8 and a stay to
determine suspension of his ruling pending appeal. The Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals continued the stay, keeping Walker's ruling on hold
pending appeal. On February 7, 2012, in a 2–1 decision, a Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals panel affirmed Walker's decision declaring
the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.‖
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8)

“9th Circuit: Prop 8 is Unconstitutional: The Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals‘ invalidation of 2008′s Proposition 8 is a just, moral, and
righteous decision. This is a decision that all Seventh-day Adventists
who are committed to religious liberty and the gospel of Jesus Christ
can celebrate. It points out unjust and immoral discrimination by its
right name. It sets the nation further in the trajectory of recognizing
full equality of gays and lesbians in all areas of life. This decision
affirms the truth that the moral arc of the universe indeed bends
toward justice.‖ (http://adventistsagainstprop8.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/9th-circuit-prop-8-isunconstitutional/)
42

43. 43

44. 

―When I came to La Sierra, it was about a month before the elections. In
discussing politics, … they were talking about one thing: Proposition 8. It
quickly became evident that LSU has several voices willing to engage the
theological question, and also willing to push for ethical action on behalf
of others. While Gregory King, the dean of the School of Religion at
Southern, endorsed ―Adventists for Proposition 8,‖ several faculty
members (including Fritz Guy, John R. Jones and Sam Leonor) at La
Sierra endorsed ―Adventist Against Prop 8.‖ And while none of these
names officially represent their institutions of employment, the fact
remains that this demonstrates that the religious and academic leaders at
LSU have a different vision for how the Seventh-day Adventist church
should relate to LGBTs in their community than those leaders at SAU.‖
―But it isn‘t just politics. David Ferguson, Fritz Guy and David Larson
edited the book Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist
Perspectives, in which both John Jones and Fritz Guy argued that the
church should not look on all forms of homosexuality as sinful, but
should affirm and embrace same-sex couples. … La Sierra University has
an atmosphere that allows students to explore questions because the
faculty are themselves engaged in dialogue.‖ (Matt Burdette, ―Student Series: Homosexuality
and the Adventist Campus - La Sierra,” http://spectrummagazine.org/ blog/2009/03/15/student-series-homosexuality-andadventist-campus-la-sierra)
44

45. 
―In July 2010, five simple Jesus followers (Alex Bryan, Japhet De
Oliveira, Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie and Terry Swenson) got together
… in Denver. … After two days of prayer, fasting, communion and
reflection we looked across the room at each other and acknowledged
again that Jesus was number one. …‖ (Japhet De Oliveira, ―The One Project: Our
Purpose and Mission,‖ http://the1project.org/ assets/documents/the-one-project.pdf)


―Look, it happened one day in Denver, that we got together, broke
and hurting people—people that a lot of people looked at and said;
Oh their great, their fine, life is good. But we are hurting and burnt
out, and dreaming dreams that we don‘t want to think about
anymore, because you just want to put them in a box and hide them
cause it hurts to treasure them anymore. And we came together as
friends and we really just wanted to escape for a while. …‖
―And I was so broken and hungry, that I said guys, we‘ve got to open
up. … And then it happened. And we said, It happened. And we
walked away and said can it get bigger? Can the circle expand? Could
it be that we could tear down the walls? I don‘t want to fight the
battle anymore! I‘m through! I am tired of seeing members and
beautiful people, leaders like you, who crash and burn and die. I‘m
tired of seeing honey but it turns to ashes in my mouth. It‘s about
Jesus. If people want to march over here, ‗well, we‘re the church,‘
okay fine, but I‘m going to follow Jesus.‖ (Terry Swenson, ―Jesus in our Experience,‖ talk
given Feb. 8, 2011, Atlanta One Project; http://the1project.org/media/listen.html)
45

46. 46

47. 47

48. 


―GODencounters, a series of weekend young adult ‗tune-ups‘ marks a
decade of ministry since the initiative began when two Seventh-day
Adventist pastors wanted to spruce up a ministry to young adults at a
camp meeting. Pastor A. Allan Martin, along with Jeff Gang, founded
GODencounters a decade ago in an effort to enhance ministry to young
adults who attend Seventh-day Adventist churches.‖
―In 2001, pastors A. Allan Martin and Jeff Gang found themselves in
charge of the young adult break-out groups at Florida Camp Meeting and
wondered what they could do to reach beyond the paltry attendance.
Most of the attendees were in their 40s and simply wanted airconditioning while waiting for their kids to be let out of Sabbath School.
Martin and Gang met with local young adults to pray and seek out what
could be done with the opportunity to better reach younger generations.‖
―That spawned the next year what has now become GODencounters, a
weekend series of spiritual gatherings designed for young
adults, challenging them to have a 24/7 encounter with Jesus. The series
addresses young adult themes such as relationships, worship and
service, drawing life lessons from successful biblical characters who
encountered challenges similar to those often faced by those out of high
school through pre-parenthood.‖ (http://news.adventist.org/en/archive/articles/2012/03/09/godencountersmarks-decade-of-young-adult-ministry)
48

49. 


―We knew we didn‘t want to perpetuate a faltering program.
We wanted to deepen the devotion of new generations to Jesus
through worship, so in preparation we spent almost a year
gathering with a group of young adults and pastors, praying
and dreaming what it might look like. …‖
―That‘s how GODencounters was born; now it is an
international movement with thousands of young adults
involved in spiritual gatherings, private faith practices, and
affirming communities in real time and online.‖
―The name itself really presents the core of what we‘ve been
trying to do over this past decade: helping young adults
encounter God. … So GODencounters is not simply a
program, or events you attend, or a religious fad you buy
into; it‘s about heart-hunger—new generations seeking out
God to discover who he really is.‖ (http://ignitionblog.wordpress.com
/2012/09/05/godencounters-still-strong-after-a-decade/)
49

50. 
―When we first started GODencounters, a couple of young
adults who owned an interior design business wanted to
contribute their skills to the events. So they asked
permission to transform a couple of classrooms into prayer
rooms, where young adults could express their prayers in
creative and multisensory ways. It‘s been amazing to
witness the enthusiasm of young adults with design skills to
be involved, and over the years many attendees have
expressed that some of their most memorable encounters
with God have come in these sacred spaces.‖ (http://ignitionblog.
wordpress.com /2012/09/05/godencounters-still-strong-after-a-decade/)
50

51. 51

52. 
―Encounters Café was invented because our first GODencounters
planning group recognized that the ‗real‘ meeting for young
adults often occurs after the program, in the parking lot or at some
local restaurant; so we decided to create a place—a café-styled
space—for fellowship and conversations to occur informally.
Encounters Café creates a casual, comfortable place where young
adults are invited to chat, enjoy refreshments, and relax.
Inevitably many of the conversations have turned from small talk
to discussions about life and God.‖ (http://ignitionblog.wordpress.com/
2012/09/05/godencounters-still-strong-after-a-decade/)

―Encounters cafe offers young adults a casual, relaxed spot to
enjoy refreshment, worship, and informal conversations with
GOD and each other. As part of GODencounters gatherings
happening across the nation, look for an encounters cafe to open
up near you. … Music, poetry, art, and comedy are familiar
staples to the encounters cafe, offering an array of creative
expressions of worship.‖ (http://ignitionblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/
encounters-cafe/)
52

53. 53

54. 54

55. 55

56. 56

57. 

―The 2012 gathering is schedule for August 30 through
September 1 in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. Organizers
announced yesterday that Pastor Sam Leonor, chaplain at La
Sierra University, the Seventh-day Adventist institution in
Riverside, California, will be the primary speaker this year.‖
―Leonor ‗is passionate about spiritual awakening among
young adults, especially college students,‘ a news release
states. ‗He loves to see them bloom into faith that is
missional, growing and full of love. He devotes much of his
ministry to exploring contemporary Biblical spirituality in
the context of community.‘ He ‗loves his work‘ and calls
young adults to ‗radical faith that engages culture deeply
and emphasizes justice.‘‖ (http://www.atoday.org/article/1302/news/julyheadlines/god-encounters-2012-conference-for-young-adults-will-feature-sam-leonor)
57

58. 58

59. 59

60. 60

61. 


“Created by NAD Adventist. Enjoy this musical montage of the 2012
GODencounters Conference: Be Present. Often distracted by our
regrets of the past and worries of the future, we too often fail to be
where we are right now. ‗Be Present‘ is a call to enjoy GOD today.
Dwell in His presence in the moment. See what He is doing right
now, leaving the future and the past in His hands. GODencounters is
a movement of next generations pursuing a 24/7 experience of…‖
―We are a holy movement among new generations who are
wholeheartedly seeking a 24/7 experience of GOD, recklessly living
for His renown. Daring to deepen intimacy with
GOD, GODencounters gives focus to seven discipleship themes where
practices of the Christian faith are emphasized. Our desire is to: live
lives of Worship; be agents of present Gospel; Gracefully express
compassion; Pray without ceasing; embrace Sabbath as soul CPR;
Morph into His likeness; celebrate in Jubilee.‖
―Through holy gatherings and personal devotion, GODencounters is
living out this seven-precept discipleship curriculum. In cyberspace
and real time, young adults are returning to the heart of
GOD, growing a movement of GODfollowers; pursuing
GODencountered lives, 24/7.‖ (http://vimeo.com/channels/godencounters/page:1)
61

62. 62

63. 

―The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a
great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up
the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging
in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place
what would result? The principles of truth that God in His
wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our
religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have
sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as
error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new
order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy
would be introduced.
The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a
wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course would be lightly
regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be
allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders
would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed
they would place their dependence on human power, which,
without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the
sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure. ―
(Battle Creek Letters, pp. 79-81)
63

64. ―The things you have described as taking place in
Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place
just before the close of probation. Every uncouth
thing will be demonstrated. There will be
shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The
senses of rational beings will become so confused
that they cannot be trusted to make right
decisions. And this is called the moving of the
Holy Spirit.‖ (Ellen G. White to S. N. Haskell, Letter 132, 1900;
in Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 36-39)
64