Southwestern Sabbath School Offers Fresh Ideas

Southwestern Spiritual Life and Development invites all students to Sabbath School, Saturdays at 10 a.m. It’s currently located in Wharton Auditorium.

This week’s speaker is Arthur Schwarz, associate professor of biology. His topic is “Promised to be Persecuted.” Praise team will be led by Princess Demiar, freshmen at Southwestern. Special music will be by Reuben Hall, freshman violinist. Afterwards there will be waffles for breakfast.

There are several new features to the program, including The Lighthouse Project.

“The Lighthouse Project is an opportunity for students to slow down, study God’s word and listen to God’s voice,” said Russ Laughlin, vice president for spiritual development.

The program is an extension of Sabbath school. It begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Pechero Hall board room. Participants need to sign up in the Spiritual Life and Development Office. They should also bring their Bible and a pen to the meeting. Retired theologian and guest speaker Jon Dybdahl will lead out.

“This is an opportunity to do more than talk about God,” says Austen Powell, freshmen theology major and Sabbath school coordinator. “It’s a about talking to God and listening for Him to speak to you.”

This year, the Southwestern Sabbath school will have a membership book. Students sign in when they come on Saturday mornings. If they can’t make it to Sabbath school, it gives Spiritual Life and Development the chance to check in on them to make sure they are doing all right.

“I want Sabbath school to be a more than just a ministry, but also a type of family,” says Powell. “I want to make everything real. The guest book will be our way to keep up with our ‘family members.’”

Another new feature to the Sabbath school program is a service dedicated to prayer and “the concentric circle of concern.” This will take place on Sept. 29.

“I read a book called The Concentric Circle of Concern: Seven Stages for Making Disciples, by W. Oscar Thompson Junior,” said Powell. “Many people think of ministry as simply knocking on doors to tell others about God. This book throws this whole thing aside.”

Lessons from this book will be implemented in the Sabbath school. There will be printouts that people can fill out. The meeting will function, in a sense, like a workshop. People will write a person’s name down along with that person’s needs.

“For instance, if your sister announced that she doesn’t believe in God, you could pray: “God put me in a circumstance to use me to draw her close to God. Basically pray for a divine appointment,” said Powell.

More information on this program will be provided during Sabbath school.

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