24 Apr 2025, 09:48Careen Lawrence
Plumstead Community SDA Church Embraces Mission During Personal Ministries Day
Evangelism is central to the theme of the church’s mission, involving sharing the Gospel of Christ with people, one to another.
On Sabbath, 19 April 2025, Plumstead Community SDA held their Personal Ministries Day, inviting Pastor Kwadwo Kwarteng-Ampofo, Personal Ministries Director from the SEC, to deliver the sermon and facilitate an afternoon discussion on Personal Evangelism.
Chosen for Mission
The scripture reading for the sermon was taken from Matthew 28:18–20, which centres the purpose of evangelism. We have been mandated by Christ to “make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
The Children’s Story also focused on witnessing, through the story Being a Good Neighbour. A key takeaway was that we can witness through our actions, and sometimes, helping others—even in small ways—is a way to show others who God is. Tied in with Personal Ministries Day, the message was clear: we are to share God’s love with others by living like Jesus.
The focus of the sermon was on the church being chosen for mission. Looking through the lens to understand why and how the church was chosen gives insight into the calling placed on each individual’s life. Pastor Kwadwo shared that congregants must understand that we are all vessels moulded by God to bring water to those who are thirsty and in need—and that we must never lose sight of this.
He invited the church to reflect on what God has done for them, in order to help them carry out the Great Commission, urging that we all lean on God and seek His guidance in completing it.
Sharing that mission is central to the Christian faith, Pastor Kwadwo quoted Alan R. Tippett, saying the church has been sent out “to proclaim the gospel, to tell others about the redemption wrought for them on the cross, and when they are converted by the Holy Spirit, to incorporate them into the church.”
He added that mission is the heart of God, and if we do not have a heart for mission, we cannot truly have a heart for God.
Avoiding Maintenance Mentality
The church was introduced to the concept of maintenance mentality—holding on to trivial matters like how money is used or who sits where—and the futility of these distractions. Pastor Kwadwo warned that clinging to such things makes us lose focus on our true purpose: to make disciples. Congregants were heard to agree, with choruses of “mercy” ringing through.
We must also consider the church’s presence in the community. Pastor Kwadwo shared an anecdote from a church he served, where the local community had no idea what happened in the building each Sabbath. He recalled overhearing a couple speaking in French and striking up a conversation with them. They told him they thought parties were taking place weekly because they saw well-dressed people entering the building on Saturdays.
He posed the question: Are we sitting in buildings where the community doesn’t know what’s happening inside?
42 Years of Impact
Plumstead Community SDA has existed for 42 years. Pastor Kwadwo asked: What impact has the church had during that time? While Adventists are known for their commitment to the Sabbath, health principles, and prophetic insights, do others know what we do? He encouraged the church to remember that we are chosen for mission, and echoed the words of Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
He concluded his sermon by urging the church to carry the baton passed down from previous generations and ensure the Gospel of Christ continues to be shared.
Theology of Personal Evangelism from an Adventist Perspective
Opening the afternoon segment, Pastor Kwadwo shared that personal evangelism is the act of sharing the Gospel with others and is an “essential aspect of the Christian life, deeply rooted in the Bible”. Evangelism means nothing without Christ at its centre. Personal evangelism, he said, is something carried out by an individual, sharing the Gospel with those who are lost.
When the question “How do you serve Christ in your daily life?” was posed, a brother responded that we should be talking about Christ wherever we find ourselves.
Pastor Kwadwo then introduced five Greek words for evangelism, explaining how they relate to our personal mission:
Euangelizo – I preach the good news
Didasko – I teach or instruct
Kerysso – I proclaim
Martureo – I witness or die a martyr
Mathetes – disciples
Through these words, we saw that discipleship flows from evangelism, which should be a key focus for each believer.
Voices from the Congregation
Church members also shared their views on personal evangelism.
Sis Shadeen Durrant-Williams said it is “telling the good news of salvation to others so they can taste and see what being a Christian is like.”
Elder Alex added, “From what I have read and understood from the Bible - even to my own discomfort - I am to be sharing the Gospel of Christ with others.”
Living to Change the World
Pastor Kwadwo concluded the day by sharing that the greatest purpose of personal evangelism is to lead individuals to believe in Christ and live a Christian life. He reminded the church that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in transforming lives.
He charged the church to live a life that will change the world.
Evangelism is central to the theme of the church’s mission, involving sharing the Gospel of Christ with people, one to another.
On Sabbath, 19 April 2025, Plumstead Community SDA held their Personal Ministries Day, inviting Pastor Kwadwo Kwarteng-Ampofo, Personal Ministries Director from the SEC, to deliver the sermon and facilitate an afternoon discussion on Personal Evangelism.
Chosen for Mission
The scripture reading for the sermon was taken from Matthew 28:18–20, which centres the purpose of evangelism. We have been mandated by Christ to “make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
The Children’s Story also focused on witnessing, through the story Being a Good Neighbour. A key takeaway was that we can witness through our actions, and sometimes, helping others—even in small ways—is a way to show others who God is. Tied in with Personal Ministries Day, the message was clear: we are to share God’s love with others by living like Jesus.
The focus of the sermon was on the church being chosen for mission. Looking through the lens to understand why and how the church was chosen gives insight into the calling placed on each individual’s life. Pastor Kwadwo shared that congregants must understand that we are all vessels moulded by God to bring water to those who are thirsty and in need—and that we must never lose sight of this.
He invited the church to reflect on what God has done for them, in order to help them carry out the Great Commission, urging that we all lean on God and seek His guidance in completing it.
Sharing that mission is central to the Christian faith, Pastor Kwadwo quoted Alan R. Tippett, saying the church has been sent out “to proclaim the gospel, to tell others about the redemption wrought for them on the cross, and when they are converted by the Holy Spirit, to incorporate them into the church.”
He added that mission is the heart of God, and if we do not have a heart for mission, we cannot truly have a heart for God.
Avoiding Maintenance Mentality
The church was introduced to the concept of maintenance mentality—holding on to trivial matters like how money is used or who sits where—and the futility of these distractions. Pastor Kwadwo warned that clinging to such things makes us lose focus on our true purpose: to make disciples. Congregants were heard to agree, with choruses of “mercy” ringing through.
We must also consider the church’s presence in the community. Pastor Kwadwo shared an anecdote from a church he served, where the local community had no idea what happened in the building each Sabbath. He recalled overhearing a couple speaking in French and striking up a conversation with them. They told him they thought parties were taking place weekly because they saw well-dressed people entering the building on Saturdays.
He posed the question: Are we sitting in buildings where the community doesn’t know what’s happening inside?
42 Years of Impact
Plumstead Community SDA has existed for 42 years. Pastor Kwadwo asked: What impact has the church had during that time? While Adventists are known for their commitment to the Sabbath, health principles, and prophetic insights, do others know what we do? He encouraged the church to remember that we are chosen for mission, and echoed the words of Isaiah: “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
He concluded his sermon by urging the church to carry the baton passed down from previous generations and ensure the Gospel of Christ continues to be shared.
Theology of Personal Evangelism from an Adventist Perspective
Opening the afternoon segment, Pastor Kwadwo shared that personal evangelism is the act of sharing the Gospel with others and is an “essential aspect of the Christian life, deeply rooted in the Bible”. Evangelism means nothing without Christ at its centre. Personal evangelism, he said, is something carried out by an individual, sharing the Gospel with those who are lost.
When the question “How do you serve Christ in your daily life?” was posed, a brother responded that we should be talking about Christ wherever we find ourselves.
Pastor Kwadwo then introduced five Greek words for evangelism, explaining how they relate to our personal mission:
Euangelizo – I preach the good news
Didasko – I teach or instruct
Kerysso – I proclaim
Martureo – I witness or die a martyr
Mathetes – disciples
Through these words, we saw that discipleship flows from evangelism, which should be a key focus for each believer.
Voices from the Congregation
Church members also shared their views on personal evangelism.
Sis Shadeen Durrant-Williams said it is “telling the good news of salvation to others so they can taste and see what being a Christian is like.”
Elder Alex added, “From what I have read and understood from the Bible - even to my own discomfort - I am to be sharing the Gospel of Christ with others.”
Living to Change the World
Pastor Kwadwo concluded the day by sharing that the greatest purpose of personal evangelism is to lead individuals to believe in Christ and live a Christian life. He reminded the church that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in transforming lives.
He charged the church to live a life that will change the world.
