“Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.”
The Bonners Ferry Seventh-day Adventist church was first organized in the late 1800s but disbanded when key leaders moved away. In the 1930s the church was revived when an evangelistic series was presented in Copeland and Pleasant Valley. The small congregation moved into a building in downtown Bonners Ferry, but repeated flooding led them to move the building up on the south hill in the 1950s. Off and on during the time downtown, the church hosted a small school. By the 1970s the church had outgrown its space so a member gave them a parcel of land north of 3-mile. Lots of volunteer labor and donated materials turned into the A-frame church we meet in today. In the 1990s the church organized a small school in the basement and then in 2002, the congregation built the school we have today.
Our congregation consists of around 180 members plus some additional spouses and children who are not yet baptized and several friends and visitors who regularly join us for worship. We have a community thrift store, an eight-grade elementary school, and a radio station.
Our goal is to connect with people more deeply so that they may be drawn to Jesus and the beautiful message of the Bible taught by the Seventh-day Adventist church. We will do this by sharing the wonderful message of God’s love (John 3:16) in the context of the Three Angel’s Message (Revelation 14:6-12) both locally and into all the world.
As Bonners Ferry Adventist Church journeys in this direction, it is re-positioning itself for a bold future. To facilitate its strategic planning efforts Bonners Ferry Adventist Church seeks to Reset, Redefine, and Realign its vision for the entire congregation.
Reset. We believe that we are divinely called to lives of service in Christ, the one who came to serve (Matt 28:20). Our role as spiritual leaders, educators, and lay people is to first love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Matt 22:38). We are also called by God, as a faith community, to “unity of purpose” in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-21), and as individuals, we are commissioned to reflect Christ’s love to all of humanity (Matt 22:39). We must also conduct ourselves with the utmost sense of urgency as we see the day of Christ’s return approaching (Rev 10:24). When we choose to embrace Jesus’ Great Commission to reach the lost, we surrender to the Holy Spirit, our lives are transformed, the world is blessed, and God is glorified.
Redefine. In active preparation for Jesus Christ’s imminent return, Bonners Ferry Adventist church entered a 40 Days of Prayer initiative. Leaders and members then came to a visioning summit where they prayed and examined the current ministries, systems and initiatives of the church asking for God’s guidance for the future. From this group and other leaders in the church, a Dream Team was formed to redefine our vision statement, mission statement, core values, and goals. After completing this process what emerged was a revised and formalized strategic plan.
Realign. The SWOT analysis identified several areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The strategic plan is focused on goal areas, priorities, and initiatives now necessary to accomplish what God has called us to do. Our church family is committed to doing its part to amplify Christ’s fame, strengthen lives, and restore communities so that everyone can know the love of Christ.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for al, that those who live should no longer life for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
Mission | Vision | Motto |
We exist to share the good news of Jesus’ love within the context of the Three Angels' Messages (Revelation 14) with Boundary County and the world. | We will allow Jesus to work through us. | In Service To Others |
Core ValuesWe individually and corporately commit to these core values: Core ActionsWe individually and corporately commit to these core actions: Our Future As God continues to bless our church, it is inevitable that new members, leaders, and teams with innovative ministry ideas to reach and serve others in our community will begin to surface, form, grow, and thrive. It is imperative that we have a clear roadmap for the future to ensure that we are ready to achieve our collective goals, priorities, and initiatives, as well as the opportunities that God will bring our way in the future. We must continually encourage Christ-centered creativity, empower Bible-based personal ministries, and reward calculated risk-taking for the benefit of seeking and saving lost men, women, boys, and girls. As our leaders and church family internalize Bonners Ferry Adventist Church’s vision and share in the work, the more effective we will be in reaching and ministering to people. Strategic Goal AreasWe are called to participate in the Great Commission of leading people to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Bonners Ferry Adventist Church leaders and members have prayerfully worked together to identify seven primary strategic goal areas, under which, we can, by God’s grace and through His Holy Spirit, fulfill the Great Commission in Boundary County and beyond.
Our desire is to also be totally open to and fully surrendered to God’s miraculous leading as we work alongside Him to grow His kingdom. Therefore, we anticipate His leading us to other significant special initiatives and projects as we journey with Him and follow the leading of His Holy Spirit. Hurdle: We will move forward with goals that are aimed at our target. Index: We will chart our course, track our progress, and hold each other accountable. Time: We will identify dates by which a goal will be achieved and track our level of accomplishment. Example of a SMART goal: Communicating church Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Core Actions | Strategic priority 1.0Any successful spiritual enterprise begins and continues its journey by communicating its mission, vision, core values, and core actions to all its participants and members on a regular and repeated basis.
Discipleship and Church Revitalization | strategic initiative 2.0Our goal is to have a spiritually and relationally healthy church family involved in personal spiritual growth, discipling others, and gospel mission.
Community Engagement & Evangelism | Strategic initiative 3.0Our goal is to personally, and collectively, work, minister, and serve alongside God to grow His kingdom through community engagement and evangelism in Boundary County and beyond!
Health and wellness | Strategic initiative 4.0We seek to leverage our collective knowledge and passion for health to minister to people with felt needs and open up avenues for sharing the gospel with them. Our goal is to have regular and repeated interactions with people to minister to their felt needs and to teach them how to live better in every aspect of their health—physical, mental, relational, and spiritual.
Advancing Adventist Education | strategic initiate 5.0Our goal is to do everything possible to ensure Cornerstone Christian School will not only thrive but be recognized as a leader among private schools in our county and state. Initiative 5.1 — To establish a yearly teacher appreciation week on the first of every May, beginning May 1 - 5, 2023.
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513353 Highway 95
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805-5864
9:30am: Bible Study
10:45am: Worship Service
12:30pm: Potluck