Illinois

In just four short weeks, the lives of 19 people were turned upside down. They were baptized as a result of a prophecy seminar organized by the brand new Adventist church in Naperville. These new members doubled the church's membership, making a total of 41 members. The Naperville Seventh-Day Adventist Church was officially started in April 2006 with a small group of 19 members (seven of the 19 are youth) for the purpose of reaching out and being a light to the community of Naperville.

In a report at a meeting of pastors several weeks later, Michelle Catarama explained how the group had contacted Hiram Rester, an ordained minister working on an advanced degree at Andrews University, to preach for their series. Rester had been highly recommended, and Catarama told how hard the group worked before, during, and after the meetings. "We didn’t know what to do in every situation, but found help just a phone call away."

In her report, Catarama displayed photos of the candidates who were actively following in their Bibles during the seminar as well as their baptism pictures. The group continued with a Bible marking class after the prophecy seminary was completed. "They are so very excited about what they have learned," she continued. "They each have thanked us over and over again for bringing the truth to Naperville."

Many visitors expressed their interest in studying the Word of God and indicated they were not interested in “entertainment.” They also shared their excitement about the amount of information and instruction they received during the seminar.

You can be sure there were many interesting stories about each candidate’s search for truth. One such story involved three generations in one family who lived together in Naperville. The youngest, Cathy Nettleton, had searched for truth for some time. When the flier announcing the meetings arrived in her mailbox, she decided she must go. She invited her mother, Alice Nettleton, and her grandmother, Louise Nettleton, to attend with her.

Getting home late from the meetings each evening was tiring for 97-year-old Louise "Grandma" Nettleton, so after the first few meetings Grandma stayed home. Cathy and her mother were so excited about what they learned; they shared every detail with Grandma. The last week of the meetings Grandma insisted she should attend. She made her decision to be baptized by immersion, as did her daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Portable baptistries are a little more difficult to get into, but that didn’t deter Grandma. With some help, she climbed the stairs to the top and stepped down into the baptistry.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jared Passley travels a lot as a truck driver. When he couldn’t attend the meetings, he took his lessons on the road. "I couldn’t do anything else," he stated. "Truth is truth," and he, too, was baptized.

Kristine Spaletto's and George Prada III's decision for baptism included a wedding with their new church family. In just five days, a wedding was held—complete with a three-tiered cake, flowers, bridal gown, and a fully-decorated church. The new members, including 97-year-old Grandma, joined in to put together a first-class wedding. The couple was overwhelmed with gratitude for their new church family.

"We’ve been involved in all kinds of projects," continued Catarama at the pastors' meeting. "This experience, by far, has been the most gratifying. We have been blessed beyond anything we could ever imagine. We are more committed now, than ever before, that the work of the church will go forward when lay people get involved. It is not the responsibility of pastors to do the work. They must empower and support laymen, training them and guiding them each step of the way."

If there are those seeking a new venue to attend church, they would find the charming, little church a blessed place on Sabbath. The new church meets in the Naperville Women’s Club's historic building, and church members invite everyone to respond to the call to minister and to "Touch Every 1 for Jesus."

Rachel Terwillegar, Illinois Conference assistant to the president for communication