Church Pioneers I Honor

Atividades Espirituais

Requirements

1. Know the names of five founders of the World Seventh-day Adventist Church and tell something about the missionary life of each of them.

   Answer: Five pioneers who helped found the Adventist Church: 1) Ellen White, who received messages from God and wrote many books to help the church; 2) James White, Ellen's husband, who started magazines and helped organize the church; 3) Joseph Bates, a former ship captain who taught about the Sabbath; 4) John Andrews, the first missionary sent to another country (Switzerland); 5) John Loughborough, a preacher who traveled around preaching and telling the story of the church. — These pioneers worked very hard, with faith, to start and spread the Adventist Church around the world.

2. Learn the story of at least two reformers.

   Answer: Two very important reformers: 1) Martin Luther, a monk in Germany who studied the Bible and taught that we are saved by faith in Jesus, not by money nor by works; he preached the 95 theses and helped people read the Bible in their own language; 2) John Calvin, in Switzerland, who also studied and taught the Bible and wrote books explaining that we should obey and trust in God alone. — The reformers helped the church go back to following the Bible and trusting in Jesus alone for salvation.

3. Learn an old Christian hymn and know how to sing it by heart.

   Answer: How to do it with an adult: 1) Choose an old and beautiful hymn (for example 'A Mighty Fortress', 'How Great Thou Art' or another from the hymnal); 2) Listen to the song a few times and read the lyrics along; 3) Learn one verse at a time, repeating until you memorize it; 4) Sing a little bit every day; 5) At the end, sing the whole hymn by heart for your family or for the club. — Singing old hymns brings us closer to God and keeps beautiful messages of faith in our memory.

4. Memorize Revelation 14:12.

   Answer: Revelation 14:12 says: 'Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.' It means that God's people have patience and faithfulness: they obey God's commandments and trust in Jesus. — This verse shows that being faithful means keeping God's commandments and trusting in Jesus.

5. Know the following information about Ellen White:
   • At what age she received her first vision;
   • What health problem she had in childhood that influenced her whole life;
   • Her husband's name;
   • How many children she had;
   • How many years she lived.

   Answer: About Ellen White: 1) Age of her first vision: 17 years old; 2) Health problem in childhood: she was badly hurt in the face when a girl threw a rock at her, and that left her sick and weak for the rest of her life; 3) Husband's name: James White; 4) Children: she had 4 children (all boys); 5) How many years she lived: 87 years (she was born in 1827 and died in 1915). — Even with poor health, Ellen White trusted in God and helped the Adventist Church a lot throughout her whole life.