“This is my first time in a Seventh-day Adventist church,” David said. We had arrived early at one of the churches in Ireland, and a handful of members were present, busily setting up the AV equipment and getting ready for the start of Sabbath School. That’s when this Irish man came through the door, and we invited him to sit with us. “I’ve tried several churches and have been researching a bit about the Adventist Church on the Internet,” he said. “I thought I would come this morning and try it.” As he began asking questions, it was obvious that he had been researching various denominations and doing a lot of thinking.
Our conversation was cut short as the praise team began to lead out in several songs. This was followed by a thought for the day and a prayer. People then began to divide into groups for the Sabbath School lesson discussion.
“Is that it?” David asked. He thought the service was over and people were getting up to leave. The church he grew up in is known for its short services. We explained that people were now going to discuss a Bible lesson they had studied during the week.
We were grateful that this church had a beginner’s class, and we invited David to join us in that class. This gave him an opportunity to ask more questions. Another Irish man reassured David that he, too, had had many questions prior to attending the Adventist church. I sent up a silent prayer of thanks that the members of this class were being so receptive to David.
Classes finished, we returned to the seats we had occupied before as the praise team led in more singing. Although nothing was announced, I knew this was the break between Sabbath School and the worship service, so I got up to stretch my legs. David remained in the church with Graham.
The worship service began without any obvious transition from Sabbath School. Shortly before the sermon, I could see David growing restless. He quietly whispered to Graham, “I’m getting desperate for a cigarette. How much longer is this going to go on?” Graham replied that this would be a good time to pop out. “I’ll come right back,” David said. “Is it okay if I leave my backpack with you?”
We invited David to stay for the fellowship meal and introduced him to some other church members. Over lunch, he asked more questions and told us more of his background. As a child, he did not like the church his mother attended and began to worship with another group of Christians, enjoying their studies of the Bible. However, the priest of his mother’s church pressured her to prevent David from associating with these Christians, so he was forced to return to her church. When he was older, he again stopped attending his mother’s church and continued his search.
Please pray for David. We don’t know whether he will return to the Adventist church, but this experience really got us thinking about how we ‘do’ church. How sensitive are we to seekers who visit? Are our services designed with newcomers in mind? Do people have an opportunity to ask questions? David obviously had some burning questions, and we were grateful for the chance to interact with him. However, did the lengthy service put him off from coming again? Only God knows. His Spirit has obviously been at work in David’s heart, and we trust Him to continue to lead and guide David in his spiritual journey.
