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I'm Thankful.

11/1/2019

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​I’m thankful.

I’m thankful for the honor and privilege of being your Gladstone Park pastor. To be able to journey with you and see your relationships with Jesus deepen, the risks you take in reaching others for Him, experiencing the major events of your lives together, and in seeing the warmth and Christian love present in our church through you is such a tremendous blessing. 

I’m thankful for your support of Emily and me and the kids. Your graciousness and encouragement in my children’s growth, and seeing you doing the same for young parents is a huge blessing as well. Thank you. 

I’m thankful that you have caught the vision of “Connecting with Jesus, Connecting with people, Connecting people with Jesus.” I see how you make that a reality in your lives. I’m thankful for the excitement you have expressed in our focus in “Growing Together,” an initiative where we are wanting to see all generations served well and serving well. Thank you that a young adult guest said “this feels like family,” when they come to visit on Sabbath. 

There is so much for us to give thanks for. Let us remember in this season to count our blessings, and give thanks to the God from whom all blessings flow. Let’s especially be thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. That God provided to us the Lamb, the Covenant Son, and the Savior in Jesus.

Over the next month I am challenging myself to express one thing I am thankful for each day on social media or to others. I invite you to do the same. Let’s keep our church warm with Jesus’ love as the days get colder!

God bless!

Pastor Nate Hellman
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Harvest

9/26/2019

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Fall is here!
Or Autumn. Depending on how you were raised. Children are in school, and the leaves are changing and falling. Apples, apple cider, pumpkins, and pumpkin spice everything are prevalent everywhere we go. This is the time of year which is also sometimes called “harvest,” because we reap the crops we grew over the spring and summer. For some reason people always have an abundance of squash and zucchini. Right?


We believe God has a great harvest that all will be facing soon. “And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." (Rev 14:15, ESV) The symbolism of a harvest is used to talk about that day when Jesus comes to take His people of faith with Him to Heaven. What a day that will be! Better than the greatest of fall feasts, and sweeter than spiced cider! I want to be there, do you?


God wants each of us to be a part of His harvest, but He also wants us to “labor” for His “plentiful” harvest. (Matt. 9:37-38) I believe wholeheartedly that God is challenging us to connect with others and lead them to Jesus. This is the vision and mission He has given us (see below). Therefore as I challenge myself, I challenge you church family: to reach out and befriend one person this month, and bring them to church or a church event. Let’s be mindful of the harvest, and the awesome privilege of partnering with Jesus in the saving of souls.

Blessings!

Pastor Nate
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The Privilege of Praise

6/17/2019

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Sitting at the stop light, I was waiting for the light to turn green. My knee was bouncing as it does when I’m a bit anxious or restless, and this time, it was because I was running a bit late for my appointment. The person next to me also seemed to be gripping their wheel in anticipation. In short time, the cross traffic was stopped, and there was nobody in either of the left turn lanes. I knew it was almost go-time.

The light switched from red to green. I released the clutch as I pressed down on the accelerator. The RPM’s went up and... I didn’t move an inch. The vehicle next to me drove away in unrealized victory, and the car behind me gave a tap on the horn. The problem? I wasn’t engaged. The stick-shift was in neutral. Sheepishly, I let the RPM’s come down and I drove away.

Sadly, I have experienced worship services much like this. But it didn’t have to do with the service itself. It had to do with me. Everyone around me is praising God in song, and I’m stuck in neutral. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a personal problem. I allow the concerns of my obligations, or my criticisms of style, or the materials in my hands, or my wandering thoughts to keep me in neutral.

God wants to draw us into the privilege of praise. He wants us to experience the blessing of being engaged in worshipping Him in song.

Interestingly, there is a passage which indicates that the presence of God is manifest in the intentional act of our worship.

“But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3 (NKJV)

Some scholars also translate it this way “You are holy, inhabiting the praises of Israel.”

God is present in a special way when we praise Him!

If you could experience God in a powerful way, would you want that experience? If you could do something to engage God in worship, would you want to?

I have noticed that when I put all of my concerns and anything vying for my attention away, and intentionally will myself to engage in worship (regardless of “style”) I experience a blessing. I don’t think this blessing has to do with my vocal chords, or hitting the right notes, or with the instruments being played, or whether I’m standing or sitting. I believe it has to do with being engaged in giving my creator praise. Have you ever experienced that blessing?

Jesus says to the woman of Samaria, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” - John 4:23

Oh man. God is seekinga people who are worshipping Him in spirit and truth. And it seems, that when we seek God as He seeks us, we experience Him in a powerful way.

Worshipping in Spirit has to do with engagement. Engaging God with all of our beings. It has to do with allowing His Holy Spirit to move us into worshipping Him.

Worshipping in Truth has to do with His truth, His word, being the guide in our lives. It has to do with worshipping Him as He is revealed to be in His word.

Spirit and truth. Paul brings this out in two different areas as well.

Worship in Spirit:
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart...” - Ephesians 5:18-19

Worship in Truth:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” - Colossians 3:16

Paul, Jesus, and the rest of scripture seem to encourage us in the privilege of praise.

​What would our experience be like if we all engaged in worship, and took intentional steps to keep ourselves out of “neutral?”

Have you experienced a blessing when engaged in worship through song? Let me know by commenting below!


​- Pastor Nate





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Member Survey

6/14/2019

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As a member of the Growing Young Team, and as your Pastor, I'm asking you to complete The Fuller Youth Institute's Online Assessment. This assessment tool is based on the book, Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church.Before completing, please keep in mind the following:
  • It is designed to be completed in 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Your responses will be incorporated into a larger report, and will remain confidential.
  1. Take the assessment as soon as possible.
Below is a link to complete the assessment for our congregation.Thank you so much for participating. Please let me know if you have any questions.Sincerely,
Pastor Nate HellmanYour unique assessment link:

http://www.oursurvey.church/GladstoneParkSeventh-dayAdventistChurchGladstone
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Sabbatical Letter

6/11/2019

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Sermon Rehash: A Culture of Connection

9/4/2018

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Here are the notes for the message I shared on 9/1/18. The message starts with the video below:
Before I was an actual Christian, I was in a dark place. I filled my mind with angry music, smoked a pack of cigarettes every day, and would drink alcohol and smoke pot regularly. I was without purpose, and all of my relationships were shallow.

I remember meeting pastor Dan George and pastor Luke Porter for the first time. My mom invited me to meet the pastors of the Hood View church and I was bracing myself to be judged. But I wasn’t. They showed genuine interest in me and my life. They didn’t bat an eye at my vices, but showed me Jesus in their speech and actions. They showed me agape love.

I started attending, but I didn’t look very Adventist. I didn’t have dressy clothes. For me casual church was every day. But the people of the church, though somewhat dressy themselves and definitely composed of many professionals, didn’t bat an eye at my appearance, or my social awkwardness having not been a part of a church community ever. They showed me agape love. The church had a culture of connection.

This was a season of life where God became very real to me. Partially through personal spiritual experiences in prayer and worship, partially through voracious personal Bible study. and partially through this community showing me Jesus through their lives.

This community loved me to the baptismal waters at the Clackamas river. They didn’t just love me to those waters, they loved me through them. They showed me genuine interest. Agape love. They had a culture of connection.

Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. And where there is agape love, there is human connection. People loving other people in spite of their struggles, pains, and vices. People loving other people even when it’s inconvenient. People loving people even when they don’t have to.

And if we are honest with ourselves, with the depths of our hearts, this is what we desire. To be loved. To find connection. To be able to let our guards down, and share the real person we are with others, and trust that we won’t be hurt, judged, condemned, or alienated.

I recall hearing a story which made me cringe. The son of a member was visiting the church for the first time in a long while. He was a prodigal. He was a lot like me when I first came to the church. Before the church service he was in the corner of the parking lot smoking a cigarette. The problem was, there was an unspoken rule in that church culture. There, you see the church had a culture of correctness. You do not smoke in the church parking lot. But he was visiting. How could he know? Somehow he should have known.

The head deacon and one of the elders saw him and made their way across the parking lot with something in hand. As the man was minding his own business, they approached, greeting him with these words “You do not smoke in the church parking lot.” Following that warm welcome, the head deacon produced a spray bottle from the kitchen, and promptly extinguished the man’s cigarette triumphantly. The church was shocked to hear that the man wasn’t coming in for the church service, and drove away.

How could this story have been different, if their’s was a culture of connection? Perhaps they would have seen the man across the parking lot, and be overcome with an urge to go show him love. Perhaps they would have crossed the parking lot with smiles and gratitude that God sent them someone with whom they could share his son. Perhaps they would have approached him and introduced themselves, welcoming the man to church. Perhaps they wouldn’t have even bat an eye at the cigarette, perhaps they wouldn’t have mentioned it at all. Perhaps the man would have been surprised at their acceptance of him, and joined them at services that day. Perhaps he would have heard the gospel. Perhaps through the message and through the love he experienced his heart would have been melted and become open to the Holy Spirit. Perhaps he would now know Jesus because of their unselfish, unconditional love.

Agape love. This is the sort of love Jesus  spoke of when he said:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:34-35

Jesus makes it clear that the Christian community has a culture of connection. It is one that loves one another well. And that this is the mark of a true disciple.

People often say that the opposite of love is hate. The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s indifference. I heard a quote regarding Christian life which challenged me recently: "We are not called to tolerate people. We are called to love people." 

Again, this love is experienced and practiced through human connection. 

"Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother. But we can never come into possession of this spirit by trying to love others. What is needed is the love of Christ in the heart. When self is merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within—when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart and is revealed in the countenance."
~ Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons pg. 384

What is needed, is the love of Christ in the heart. Does God love us? He is love. Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!  What an amazing thought, to think that God saw our sinful condition and recklessly, unselfishly, unconditionally, came to us in human form, in Jesus. He showed us his love and proved his love through taking our place on the cross. In Him, by faith, we have grace, righteousness, forgiveness, and peace!

And he wants us to reciprocate that love in the church.

See in Acts 2 how the early church was a place of Agape love. 


"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." - Acts 2:42-47

Agape love was their lifestyle. And it was contagious! Notice the culture here. Not only were they connecting with Jesus, they were connecting with people, and connecting people with Jesus. They were centered around the gospel and love. If the gospel was their bread, love was the butter.

I remember during the season of my early Christian journey, I received an invitation by a man named Len Berlein. Len was a part of a ministry called Caleb corps, which founded the ministry to the homeless in O’Bryant square, downtown Portland.I joined Len one day and was able to see that the church was truly the body of Christ. They were his hands and feet, serving people even though they didn’t have to. I wanted to be like that.

A culture of connection is contagious.

Natural Church Development programming brings out the biblical and practical principles of a healthy, growing, church. They have this to say regarding Loving Relationships:

“Loving Relationships are the heart of a healthy, growing church. Practical demonstration of love builds authentic Christian community and brings people into God’s Kingdom.

Unfeigned, practical love has a divinely generated magnetic power far more effective than evangelistic programs which depend almost entirely on verbal communication. People do not want to hear us talk about love, they want to experience how Christian love really works.”

And that is our challenge. To live out love.

When people visit our church, do they meet you and find a culture of correction, or a culture of connection? Some of us feel connected to one another, but I fear that some of us are not. There are people who are not attending church, who feel disconnected. Do you know who they are? What can you do about it?

The Fuller institute has produced a book called “Growing Young,” which looks at biblical principles and the practical principles found in churches who are growing with young people. There are 6 principles of these growing churches (which we could look at another time), but one stands out to me. For todays young people, warm is the new cool. Warm is the new cool. And this should be obvious. People appreciate cultures of connection. Where genuinely loving relationships are present. To foster connection, we need to be good listeners, and ask good questions. We need to care about others, and back up that care with connection. And this connection needs to be ongoing.

In other words, a culture of continual connection is contagious.


How will you allow God to use you to connect with others?

Questions for consideration:
1- What are some practical ways in which you have experienced agape love?
2- How can we connect with people in this busy and technologically advanced age?
3- What are some practical ideas on how can the church stay connected with one another? How can we keep from disconnecting from people?
4- What is one thing you will do this week to connect with someone you haven’t in a while?
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    Pastor Nate Hellman has a passion for Jesus and His Mission, and for family. In his free time he enjoys the outdoors, drawing, study, writing, disc golf, home improvement, and especially spending time with his wife Emily and their 4 children.

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