Inside Story for Friday 11th of September 2026

By Office of Adventist Mission

Copenhagen wasn’t the kind of place where people went looking for faith. In fact, Rob and Bethany knew that moving to one of the most secular cities in Europe meant facing a different kind of mission field—one where success would be measured by relationships, not numbers.

They arrived in 2024, stepping into a city where polished systems and comfortable lifestyles seemed to leave little room—or need—for God. But Rob and Bethany hadn’t come to preach sermons on street corners. They came to build friendships.

Years earlier, the couple had served in a traditional church before going to seminary. There, God began to stir something new in their hearts.

“We realized we wanted to rub shoulders with people outside our Adventist bubble,” Rob recalled. “We wanted friends we could introduce to Jesus.”

Their first foray into church planting was in Squamish, British Columbia.

It was unfamiliar and stretching—unlike anything they’d done before. But through this experience they learned to befriend people of very different beliefs and worldviews. They discovered they could be confident in representing their faith while connecting with others in meaningful ways.

Four years later, when the opportunity came to plant a church in a cross-cultural setting, they felt ready. Now in Copenhagen, they approach ministry through a relational framework. Rob adapted a simple acronym—BLESS—that encompasses their friendship-focused approach.

B stands for Begin with Prayer. “You start by pursuing a friendship with Jesus,” Rob explained, “and asking Him to guide you toward others.”

L means Listen. “You don’t talk first. You learn. You listen to their lives, their needs, and where God is already working.”

E is for Eat. “There’s no better way to connect than to share a meal. It builds trust.”

S stands for Serve. “Serving people in small ways opens doors.”

And the final S—Share—comes last for a reason. “When someone is

ready and God opens doors, share what Jesus has done in our lives.”

Rob and Bethany weren’t starting with a building or a program.

They were starting with prayer—and a table big enough for neighbors.

Reaching hearts for Jesus in the Post-Christian Window is one of our church’s greatest mission challenges. To learn more, visit GMsda.org/refocus. Read the rest of this mission story next week.

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-11-inside-story-bless-you-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-11-inside-story-bless-you-part-1

Daily Lesson for Friday 11th of September 2026
Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “A Liberal Church,” Pages 335–345, in The Acts of the Apostles.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“Those whose hearts are filled with the love of Christ, will follow the example of Him who for our sake became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich. Money, time, influence—all the gifts they have received from God’s hand, they will value only as a means of advancing the work of the gospel. Thus it was in the early church; and when in the church of today it is seen that by the power of the Spirit the members have taken their affections from the things of the world, and that they are willing to make sacrifices in order that their fellow men may hear the gospel, the truths proclaimed will have a powerful influence upon the hearers.”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 71.

“The Lord does not need our offerings. We cannot enrich Him by our gifts. Says the psalmist: ‘All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.’ Yet God permits us to show our appreciation of His mercies by self-sacrificing efforts to extend the same to others. This is the only way in which it is possible for us to manifest our gratitude and love to God. He has provided no other.”—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, Pages 18, 19.

“How great was the gift of God to man, and how like our God to make it! With a liberality that can never be exceeded he gave, that he might save the rebellious sons of men and bring them to see his purpose and discern his love. Will you, by your gifts and offerings, show that you think nothing too good for Him who ‘gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’?”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 15, 1900.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/26c-11-further-thought-stewardship-and-mission/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=26c-11-further-thought-stewardship-and-mission