Dan Serns
Dan Serns, MA, is president of the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and is located in Clovis, California, United States.
Articles by Dan Serns
Pastoral visitation made easier
November 2022
I once saw a comic strip in which the first frame showed a pastor visiting with someone in their home but thinking, I really should be working on my sermon. In the second frame, the same pastor, now preparing his sermon, kept musing,…
Change your church culture with baby steps
June/July 2022
Dan: Celebrating changed lives
During our church worship service, I always had a Celebrating Changed Lives feature. In it, I interviewed those joining the church that month through baptism, profession of faith,…
Want better church board meetings?
November 2017
What if your church board meeting was your favorite meeting each month? What if you could hardly wait until the leaders of your local church gathered to share what God has been doing the last month and to pray and plan together for the next…
“Our church is financially broke”
June 2016
Every church goes through lean times financially. Four years ago it was our turn.1 Our church treasurer came to me with the bad news. “Pastor, as you know, we have been falling behind on our bills each month for several years. Our church…
Ordination: The neglected dimension
February 2015
Bring the mission to your Sabbath service
December 2009
For a long time in the history of our church, Sabbath School programs had a world mission emphasis. Fortunately, many of our churches still have this in some form. We have also had another emphasis, variedly called home missionary, lay activities,…
When you move to a new district: Pointers to a positive ministry
April 2009
Moving to a new district every so often is not a strange phenomenon to Adventist pastors. Such moves involve both challenges and blessings. While pastors find it difficult to leave behind church family, friends, and familiar surroundings,…
Three steps to stronger soul winning
December 2004
Most Seventh-day Adventist churches recognize that they should be "soul-winning" churches. They want to see people added to the church through baptism, but either they get distracted from their mission or they aren't…
Three steps to setting healthy relationship boundaries. Or: How far from the cliff?
September 2006
Centuries ago a king was interviewing potential carriage drivers for his special carriage. His question to each candidate was: “If you were driving me in my carriage on a mountain road, how close could you come to…
Why not try a week of prayer and fasting in your district?
June 2007
Our church was planning an aggressive year of evangelism, and I knew we needed God’s wisdom and guidance more than ever before. I asked our first elder to lead out in a week of prayer and fasting. He looked at me…