“I’ve Been Waiting for a While”
A Pastor, China
Since the 1990s, we have had some religious freedom and now have a few church buildings. One Seventh-day Adventist church is located near a large factory of an import-export business. The business owner is a friend of an Adventist church member, and the two women often talk together. One day the subject of faith came up, and the Adventist shared her belief in God, the Bible, and what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist.
The businesswoman was impressed and told her friend, “You have a good church. Your doctrines can really help people. Would you be willing to talk to my employees?” The Adventist considered the invitation but felt intimidated. All of the employees are nonbelievers, even atheists, she thought.
After some time, her friend brought it up again. “Hey, I’ve been waiting for a while. Why didn’t you send someone?” The church member realized that this was an opportunity, and she let the Adventist pastor know.
When he arrived at the factory, the owner invited the department heads to a meeting. The pastor spoke about Jesus and His teachings. “This is a good message and can help our employees have better, more positive lives,” the department heads told him. “Why don’t you come and speak to our employees?”
A date was arranged, and the pastor returned. About sixty employees came to the voluntary meeting, and the presentation was well received. The pastor accepted the invitation to give presentations to the employees every two weeks. After six presentations, the pastor invited the employees to accept Jesus as their Savior, and 30 responded with a Yes.
At Christmastime, the Adventist church organized a big event for all 200 employees of the factory. The factory owner also invited other nearby companies to join them. When the other business owners came, they told the woman that they noticed her employees had changed. “After your employees believed in God, they seem very nice. We also want to encourage our employees to do the same.” Now the Adventist pastor is meeting with the employees every Sunday evening. Additionally, the businesswoman owns other factories and plans to start a similar program at the other locations.
Following the Christmas event, the businesswoman came to the Adventist church and attended the Communion service. Her friend warmly welcomed her and encouraged her to continue coming. She plans to be baptized soon, along with 30 of her employees.
Adult Sabbath School Lesson L4Q22015 Inside Story
