Bad Weather Didn’t Keep Them Away

Bad Weather Didn’t Keep Them Away

Pastor Scott Manly, preaching Keys to Revelation

In March and April of this year (2023), the Frederic Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Wisconsin, held a Revelation Seminar titled Keys to Revelation, with speaker and pastor Scott Manly. The series spanned a full, 6-weeks and it was a blessing to see the Lord at work.

Opening night, we were challenged with a storm forecasted to bring 4-8 inches of snow! By the time of the meeting there was only an inch of very wet slush. Yet, even with the threat of this snow storm, which started earlier in the day, we were delighted to see some 28 visitors show up at the church!

A couple weeks later, the topic was the Law of God. The weather forecast again threatened to keep people from attending, and we prayed for God’s blessings, that He wouldn’t let the weather keep them away. At the meeting that night we had a few people who, the night before, had told Pastor Manly that they were going to a concert that night. When asked about being at the meeting, they shared that the concert was cancelled due to the weather forecast. So the Lord used the weather to bring people to the meeting rather than allow it to keep people away! The snow didn’t start that night until the meeting concluded!

A beautiful part leading up to the meetings is that more than a dozen people were already attending the church who weren’t members yet – neighbors, friends, school children and their parents – the church just opened their school in the fall. Many of these individuals were very hungry for this message and commented that seeing the full picture made so much sense. This illustrates Pastor Manly’s claim that the best interests for evangelism are those that are already part of the church family. Social integration is as important, if not more so, than the message itself in seeing people make decisions to follow Jesus.

One of the mothers of a student at the school is joining the church by profession of faith soon, and even some of the youth who chose to sit in on the adult meetings made decisions for baptism.

During the adult meetings, some church members ran a Vacation Bible School program for the younger kids using the It Is Written Buried Treasure Box. There were more than 10 children in attendance during the series.

By the end of the series, we had about 15 regular attendees, and around 25 others that we are continuing to connect with. Several visitors brought friends and family, and asked how to share this message with friends who weren’t interested in coming to the church. The Lord is truly working in our midst.

A few of the comments about the meetings:

“This is the highlight of my day. I look forward to this every day.”

“A non-pushy way to learn more about Jesus and prophecy.

“Pastor Manly speaks with boldness and truth that makes understanding of prophecy understandable and life changing.”

“Pastor Manly does an amazing job presenting Biblical keys to understanding Revelation and any truth-seeker needs to attend this seminar.”

“This seminar has strengthened my faith.”

We look forward to how God will continue to work in the lives of these individuals as well as what He will do in our territory. We pray that God brings more people interested in growing in relationship with Him.

Scott Manly, pastor of the Frederic Seventh-Day Adventist Church