Pathfinder Day 2017 Booklet
Pathfinder Day 2017 Booklet
Pathfinder Day 2017 Booklet
www.gcyouthministries.org
Table of Contents What does
Pathfinders
mean to me
Gary Blanchard ►
GC Youth Director
Pathfinders in my opinion is the most successful discipleship initiative we have in the Seventh-day Adventist
What does Pathfinders mean to me.............. 3 Church! I cringe to think where we would be in regard to youth ministry without it! In fact, it has been so
influential that many Adventist employees were Pathfinders at one time in their lives! Where else can a young
Reformation 500 years ago and today......... 4 person experience Christ-centered fun in the outdoors and ongoing encouragement in regard to spiritual and
pragmatic growth.
Stand Out and Speak Up!..................................... 5
Pathfinders is also a safe place in an unsafe world for young people to interact with other young people,
The Pathfinder Club is............................................. 8 tempered by the wisdom and maturity of godly youth leaders. I got some of the best advice of my life from a
Pathfinder leader when I was 16. She said, “Gary stop being a trouble maker, your influence with the other kids
6 helpful tips to deepen the Bible study.... 9 is making it difficult for us. Why not use your influence to build up the club and lead your friend’s closer to
Jesus?”
Statistics..........................................................................10
I never forgot that advice (especially because it came from someone who had shown me time and time again
Pathfinder Day Service Suggestions.............12 that she loved and respected me), and although it has been many years I am still trying to follow her council and
lead young people to Jesus! I still have to work on the not being a trouble maker part though. So Pathfinders
New Pathfinder Curriculum...............................14 was very influential in my life and I wish the experience for all our Adventist youth.
Contact Us.....................................................................18
Gary Blanchard
GC Youth Directort
In this year, 2017, we remember an outstanding event that Luther turned to the Bible as the only reliable source of Activity to be done ahead of time: Stand Out and Speak Up!
changed the way religion had to be lived. 500 years ago instruction (as opposed to the teachings of the Church). It
Martin Luther, a German monk and Professor of Theology was his intense study of the Bible in its original Hebrew What you will need: colored paper, cut into small Pathfinder: Welcome everyone to Pathfinder
at the University of Wittenberg, sparked the Reformation and Greek that converted Luther from a scholastic to an strips inserted into each bulletin. Sabbath! If you are interested in being a Pathfinder
in 1517 by posting, at least according to tradition, his 95 evangelical theologian. or volunteering to serve in Pathfinder ministry please
theses on the door of the Church in Wittenberg, Germany. 1. Duct tape and scissors be sure to speak with our director in the church foyer
These 95 theses were a list of statements that expressed his The invention of the printing press in the middle of the 15th after the service today. Let’s bow our heads for prayer.
concerns about certain Church practices (in a special way century (by Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany) together with the 2. Depending on the size of your church, make two or
the sale of indulgences), but what concerned Luther the translation of the Bible into common languages of French, more large size crosses and cover them with duct-tape, Sermon
most was the Church doctrine. Italian, German, English, etc., meant that it was possible for with the glue side facing out.
those who could read to learn directly from the Bible without On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549
This reaction was called “The Protestant Reformation”, having to rely on a priest or other church officials. 3. Invite everyone to take out the strip of paper and write took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City.
notice that the word Protestant contains the word protest an act of kindness they’ve seen, done, or received Suddenly after just a few minutes in flight the plane
and that reformation contains the word reform—this was And here we have two big changes in the religious life of on it. (You can tell everyone to do this at the very ran into a flock of Canadian Geese some of which
an effort to protest some practices of the Catholic Church every believer. The Grace of God is freely given to anyone beginning of the service.) weighed 10 lbs. Many of them were consumed into
and to reform the Church. who believes in Jesus Christ. Everybody has access to the plane’s engine and to the horror of passengers
know Jesus by reading and studying the Bible, it is not 4. At an agreed-on time (maybe during the offering time) and pilots both engines were destroyed. If it were not
Faith Alone and Scripture Alone enough with what you can hear every week from the pulpit, have a Pathfinder walk around with the cross and have for the quick thinking and expertize of Captain Sully,
you should go to the Bible to have an encounter with Jesus people stick their acts of kindness strips of paper on it. Flight 1549, and her passengers would have met a
Martin Luther experienced a spiritual crisis. As much as he every day. tragic fate. But Captain Sully was called “for such a
tried to be “good” he realized that no matter how he tried 5. Take the crosses to the front of the church and place time as this.” In what is known today as the “Miracle
to stay away from sin, he still found himself having sinful Faith Alone... what a great discovery!!! May this be a them in a prominent place. on the Hudson,” He amazingly landed the plane safely
thoughts, no matter how hard he tried… he wasn‘t able. reality in your life, to be faithful to Jesus on this special on the river and all lives on board were saved.
Luther found a way out of this problem when he read again day, and on every day of your life. 6. Leave it there for a few weeks to remind everyone
in Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith”. Luther about how easy it is to be kind. I tell you this story because this world is like Flight
understood this to mean that those who’ll go to heaven Your friend in Jesus, 1549. It is heading for destruction! Notice what The
(the just) will get there by faith alone—not by doing good 7. Explain that each Pathfinder is called to be a servant Bible says in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord
works. In other words, God‘s grace is something freely of God and a friend to man. And one way to do this is will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens
given to human beings, not something we can earn. Jonatan Tejel through these acts of kindness. will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
Bible study
The Pathfinder Club is extremely important to the meaningful relationships, cultural discernment, reverse
mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. mentoring, vocational discipleship and most importantly
Especially today more than ever before because many facilitating a connection with Jesus.
millennials are leaving the Church. “Training and saving young people is one of the most
Jonatan Tejel
GC Associate Youth Director
Studies prove that evangelism is most effective amongst important missions of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Pathfinder Youth Director
kids. According to a Barna group study, 43 percent of Scientists tell us that children’s’ brain patterns are formed
Americans accept Jesus Christ as their Savior by the by the time they reach twelve years of age. This means
age of 13. 64 percent or two out of three born-again that during their early, formative years it is crucial that
Christians made the commitment to Christ by age 18. they be taught good habits. Centuries ago the Scriptures
The Pathfinder Club is a department of the Seventh- recorded, “Bring up a child in the way he should go,
day Adventist church that attends to the cultural, social, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs I am a pastors kid. I grew up in a home where studying perhaps two or three chapters, or perhaps just one
religious, health and educational needs of children and 22:6) This is more than a cliché--it is now a proven fact.” the Bible was a common thing to do. Every Friday paragraph at a time. After reading, ask yourself
teens between the ages of 10 to 15-years-old. In many —Pathfinder Online (when my father was at home and not traveling) we what does this passage mean. Then reread it. I
cases, teens continue to participate in Pathfinders until The Pathfinder Club helps youth leaders to help their met in our home around table to study together... it can tell you that when God shows you something
the age of 18. young people find their identity in Christ. It creates was intense and special... I learned how to discover the new, something that you did not find before, the
sustainable, consistent, and meaningful activities for beautiful mesages you can find in the Bible. satisfaction will be undescribable.
Barna research states five primary reasons millennials
young people, not in the streets, or in gangs, but in the On those days, my father was the one digging deep in a. Joshua 1:8
stay connected to their local Church.
church. To find out how you can organize a Pathfinder the Bible and he was walking me through the process... b. Hebrews 4:12
They are the following: Club at youth church visit: http://gcyouthministries.org/ Bible Study today is not only my fathers passion... it is c. Job 23:12
5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to the Church: Ministries/Pathfinders. mine too. 4. Choose a good Bible and try to go to the
1. Make room for meaningful relationships. I’m a pastor now, and thanks to my fathers’ influence I original as much as possible. There are many
retain the love of getting my Bible, reading the texts and websites and applications that you can use to find
2. Teach cultural discernment.
“meditate on it day and night” (Psalm 1:2). the meaning of a word in the original. KJV and
3. Make reverse mentoring a priority. NKJV are good translations of the Bible you can
Let me share with you some tips that will help you to
4. Embrace the potency of vocational discipleship. Sources: deepen your Bible study. Remember that this list of tips use.
5. Facilitate connection with Jesus. https://www.nae.net/when-americans-become-christians/ is not complete, we can make it bigger, but at least it is a 5. Put the text in the context. It’s important to study
https://www.barna.com/research/evangelism-is-most-effective- start. Bible passages and stories within their context.
The Pathfinder Club meets all five of these criteria for
among-kids/ Taking verses out of context leads to all kinds of
staying connected to the Church. As a result, in regions 1. Begin always with honest prayer.
https://www.barna.com/research/5-reasons-millennials-stay- error and misunderstanding.
where the Pathfinder enrollment is growing there is a. Psalm 119:18
connected-to-church/ 6. Team Up With a Friend. It’s amazing how
also an increase in baptism amongst young people. For b. John 16:13-15
example, in South America and in Africa the pathfinder http://www.pathfindersonline.org/resources/21-club/119-philosophy- different things stand out to different people even
enrollment is much higher than in areas such as North- and-objectives 2. Have a notebook (you can use a tablet or when they read the same passage. Find a friend to
America. http://www.pathfindersonline.org/resources/21-club/119-philosophy- computer too) to take notes of what you read. study the Bible with, and share with one another
and-objectives 3. Don’t rush it. It is not a 100 meters race but a what you’ve learned and how it’s shaping your
Many Adventist youth are slowly losing their identify in
marathon. Read slowly through one chapter, or view and love for God.
Christ. Because the Church is not meeting their needs for
CLASS FRIEND CLASS COMPANION CLASS EXPLORER CLASS RANGER CLASS VOYAGER CLASS GUIDE
Bible Discovery I Bible Discovery II Bible Discovery III Bible Discovery IV Bible Discovery V Bible Discovery VI
JESUS COLLECTION
CLASS FRIEND CLASS COMPANION CLASS EXPLORER CLASS RANGER CLASS VOYAGER CLASS GUIDE
His Life My Savior His Miracles Method of Mission His Teachings In Prophecy
Jessica Sophia
Oliver Boswell
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generalconferenceyouth@gmail.com
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