People Are Asking

Pastor Bill

An informal chat with Pastor Bill

Sorry to be so blunt, but how come you go to church on Saturday and not on Sunday like all the other churches?

Oh, there are lots of reasons, but perhaps the most important is that it’s the day that Jesus Himself kept, and we want to follow His example.  It is a day He specifically created for us to rest and to worship Him.  Scriptures are clear that keeping His day holy is important and following the Bible’s teaching about the Sabbath (Saturday) is a commitment we believe honors God and helps us develop a deeper relationship with our Lord.

Couldn’t you do that on Sunday just as well?

We support and encourage the worship of God on any day of the week.  We celebrate anyone who wishes to gather in His name and build a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Throughout Scripture, however, God specifically asked His followers to set aside the Sabbath for Him.  He was so serious about it that He put in right in the middle of the Ten Commandments and asked us to “remember” to keep it holy.  That common theme of the worshipping of God on the Sabbath day is seen clearly throughout the entire Bible in both the Old and New Testaments.  We take that seriously here at The Edge.

Isn’t The Edge part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?

Yes, we are.  The Edge is one of many Adventist churches in the Metro area.  It seems to me that each offers their own unique church “personality” and ministries.  Here at The Edge, we’re a multi-cultural Christian family worshipping God with a contemporary music style and an openness to following Christ.

I’m thinking about coming to The Edge, but I’m not sure what to expect.  Is The Edge just for Seventh-day Adventists?

Going to a new place can be somewhat intimidating.  And no, it’s not just for Adventists.  We welcome anyone who is just curious or who wishes to know how to follow God.  We have lots of people who want to find out what having a relationship with Jesus is all about.  I believe you’d find The Edge to be a warm and accepting group of people who may be just like you.  You can wear whatever helps you feel comfortable.  You can participate as much or as little as you wish.  And we’re open to other people’s views, different walks in their own spiritual life, and don’t force people to do anything they don’t want to do.  In our Bible classes, people are free to share their own experiences and what they are wondering about without feeling intimidated.  I think you’d enjoy your time at The Edge.  Come and try us out.

So, what makes The Edge different?

We believe Adventists offer a unique addition to the Christian understanding about the future.  I’ve noticed that almost all church groups bring something special to the table and their offering often adds to our collective understanding about relating to the Living God.  Many other pastors from different faiths have blessed me, and they have taught me beautiful aspects of Bible truth.  You might say that Adventists have gathered many of those teachings from others and learned from such great leaders from the past – like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others.

What is unique about Adventists is what they’re saying about what Jesus is doing now in heaven, and what He has revealed to all of us through the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation.  These great Bible books can help all of us grasp what is happening in our world today.  Many have found Daniel and Revelation to be very difficult books to understand.  But when taken together and with other parts of the Bible included, it is amazing what you can find.

So, The Edge sees itself as a Christian group who understands through the Scriptures that Jesus’ return is near, and we can look forward to that great day when He will return for us all.

I’ve always been a little scared when people talk about the end of the world.  I’ve seen some pretty scary movies and have read some pretty sobering stuff from people that make me really nervous.  It’s something that’s in the back of my mind all the time.

Actually, people can get frightened by a quick reading of some parts of the Book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible).  But the very purpose of those prophetic books was to give help and assistance to the reader to know they will be just fine when they are in Christ Jesus.  We believe that we should look forward to the future with gladness and great joy.  We believe that when we read carefully what our Bibles have to say, and how we can be secure in Jesus, we can live our lives in peace and joy.  We want all to have that.