On the Ground with the One Project – Report 2


William and Noelene Johnsson, flanked by Nalissa Maberly (left), chaplain and part of the spiritual care services team at Sydney Adventist Hospital, and Kara Dale, associate pastor of the Sunnyside church in Portland, Oregon
I got here early, and had a long conversation with a man who’d driven up from Oregon with his wife. He told me how he’s concerned about the effect unfriendly Adventist churches have on those who attend, especially the young people. He told me that he has a good feeling about the spirit in the room.
I just discovered I’m sitting at the same table as William and Noelene Johnsson! Bill is one of the presenters; he’ll be speaking on “The Meaning of the Death of Jesus.”
A woman who used to attend my church — but who left with her husband to help with a church plant — just tapped me on the shoulder and greeted me. I asked her, “Is this your first One Project?” “My fourth,” she said. I asked, “Why do you keep coming back?” She replied, “Because each time I get more excited about Jesus, and I feel more encouraged about our church.”
Yes I am the guy from Oregon, Maylan my 1st “devine encounter”. The grand ballroom at the westin was empty except for the worship team warming up. I could feel the Holy Spirits presence so strong I was just blown away! When Maylan told me he played the bass guitar I liked him right away. Yes the praise team and the sound system were more than I could ever have expected. We sat a table with a conferance president his lovely wife and two sons who were pastors. A young couple..the wife a new adventist. A family doctor from Germany. The speakers were a wide range mostly young. A couple female pastors, a philosophy professor, a young black prophetic high energy wild woman of God…I am starting to get my groove back!!! I can’t describe what it was like to be in a room with over 1,000 other adventist christions from all over the world who were of one mind …putting Jesus first in your life and your church. I love it when I know I am in the right place at the right time!