July/August 2015

+

BEAUTHENTICPastor Marquis D. Johns keeps it real presenting doctrine in contemporary fashion

BACK2BASICS WITH MICHELLE WILLIAMS

GC ISSUE

JULY/AUGUST 2015CONTENTS

BACK2BASICSMAG.COMTWITTER @BACK2BASICSMAG

FACEBOOK.COM/BACK2BASICSMAGvolume 4 | number 2

B2B Tip:Be Authentic.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

When we invite Jesus into the midst of our messes, our lives can then become lives of authenticity in which the whole family desires a growing relationship with God’s and to live in God’s purpose.

In this issue, we get back to basics with Pastor Marquis D. Johns and recording artist and songwriter, Michelle Williams. Believing that you are enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic. When we don’t have that, we shape-shift and turn into chameleons; we hustle for worthiness we already possess.

God wants us to be authentic. He wants us to be free. Don’t let your struggle become your identity. I’ve come to understand that our authenticity (or lack thereof) is made evident by the fruit that our life is bearing. What fruit are you bearing?

@back2basicsmag

PublisherBrittany N. Winkfield

ContributorsAkande Davis, Elizabeth Jones

B2B Logo: Advent Analog Media LLC

Web DevelopmentMarcus Winkfield

Advisory BoardTracy Augustin, Philip Baptiste, John Boston, Ramona Davis, Dean Dennis, Juanita Farmer,

Kymone Hinds, Marisa Jackson, Timothy Olaore, Donald Rolle, Terri Roston, Michele Solomon,

Jennifer Stone, Samuel Thomas

Editorial and Advertising Inquiries303-351-8180, info@back2basicsmag.com

Information is correct at press time. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official company policy. Copyright © 2015. All rights

reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission is prohibited. Back2Basics Magazine is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit in the United

States of America.

www.back2basicsmag.com #b2bmagTo inform and inspire young people in their walk with Christ

4 | www.back2basicsmag.com

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Marquis D. Johns grew up in the streets. He dropped out of high school, sold and did drugs, and did a stint in jail. A love for learning and reading also led him to write poetry, lyrics and eventually landed him a record deal. Despite some early success in the music industry, Johns eventually returned to life on the streets, though his love for reading and learning stayed

with him. It led him to learn about and explore many different religions, including Christianity, which he initially rejected. However, in 2002, the Holy Spirit spoke God’s call on his life through a friend. After accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior, Johns committed himself to literature evangelism and Bible work. He attended and graduated from the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism, and began working in several evangelistic series. He eventually fully accepted his call to ministry, and graduated from Oakwood University in 2011. Currently he serves as the associate pastor of the Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, and in his “spare time” is an active member of the North American Division’s Young Adult Advisory (NAD YAL) Committee, which is why we thought it would be a good idea to see how he gets "back to basics."

An experience early in Johns’ ministry helped him realize his unique ability to minister to young adults. He was working as a Bible teacher and chaplain at the Miracle Meadows School for At-Risk Youth. A 16-year-old boy that he was trying to “reach” abruptly ended one of their conversations by letting Johns know that he (the boy) couldn’t see anything worthwhile in himself, and walked out of the room. Johns realized, to his shock, that he had become the type of person who couldn’t reach the boy he had been at 16. This inspired in him a deep desire to become a more authentic person, and to use his life experiences to connect with the young people he was working with. “God calls everyone because of what they bring to the table,” Johns says. He firmly believes that God uses things that are unique in our backgrounds so that we can reach His people.

This belief and experience informs Johns’ passion for evangelism and young adult ministry. In constant demand as a speaker for evangelistic series and revivals, he tries to present doctrine in a contemporary fashion to make the gospel more appealing to young adults. Why? Because he is convinced that if our young adults are engaged, educated, equipped and empowered they can finish the work of spreading the gospel.

God calls everyone because of what they bring to the table

with Marquis D. Johns

words by Brittany Winkfield photos by Elizabeth Jones

www.back2basicsmag.com | 5

LISTEN TO FULL INTERVIEW ON THE B2B APP

You can hear the passion in his voice when he speaks about his faith in the ability of our young adults. "Of course I have faith in the Millennials," he says. Johns believes that generational gaps are closing, with the difference between generations being closer to five years, than the standard 20. There is a group of young people, he says, whose needs we have yet to identify. In the next few years, these young people

will be voting and shaping the face of our nation and the world. We haven’t even given that generation a name yet, he says. Johns’ concern is whether the generations that are currently in leadership will provide the leadership opportunities for Millennials and the generations following them to reach their peers with the gospel. As part of his work with the NAD YAL Committee, Johns has been privileged to see firsthand and work with the results of a study that the Barna Group did recently on Adventist young adults, that warns that we are in danger of losing our young adults. How does Johns, who is no longer a Millennial, stay current with young adults? With that love for reading that has stayed with him through his life. "I refresh myself by reading constantly so that I can stay current on evangelism topics and on maintaining relationships with young adults." He is generally reading several devotionals at the same time, and he lets God weave them together to share His message. Johns also believes that we should have a consistent, ongoing conversation with Jesus throughout the day. "Ellen White says that we may not always be able to be in the position of prayer, but our thoughts and desires can always be upward," he said. He also told us "Our devotional life should never have a benediction." Reading, his passion for evangelism and young adults, and his life motto "memento mori" (remember you must die) keeps Marquis Johns on a constant quest to get back to the basics with Christ.

Our devotional life should

never have a benediction

6 | www.back2basicsmag.com

10 years ago, I was on the last tour of Destiny’s Child, so young, spunky, just excited

about life and the future and the possibilities and I still am actually, I just have more wisdom now. I been doing this 18 years and I look at so many people that have come and gone, who’s dreams have been shattered and I just see God’s hand working in my life just daily, letting me know that I’m on the right path.

I want people to keep persevering, keep pushing, keep striving. I might not have done everything right or perfect, but I thank God that He is giving me the chance to do it all over. Embracing the arts, being able to do Broadway and taking the stage with a million people in Nigeria to hanging with people like Stevie Wonder. It’s not even all about those things, but this is just stuff that as a little girl I would think, oh my goodness, I just want to sit at an awards show let alone be nominated, let alone performing, so I always tell people really dream big and just consult God. My favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:6

“IN ALL THY WAYS, ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.”Go to God about it and if it’s in your spirit, if it’s in your heart, God placed it there. Now go to God about how we (you and God) are going to make this work. Ask Him, “what do you want me to do?” I was just praying that prayer today. I know I’m in my journey but I’m like, OK God, what exactly do you want me to be doing right now? Because I always want to make sure I’m in alignment. I always want to make sure that, with all of the cool opportunities that come my way, what I do is going to be a chance to shine for God. I’m really going to try to be more intentional with those opportunities.

If I drew a relationship with God, just doing the basics, I would first make sure I don’t do anything crazy. When I wake up in the morning, it’s time with God. I actually deleted Twitter and Instagram off my phone a few weeks ago; I was like OK, this is getting in the way of things. It got me back into the place where, that’s not the first thing I look at in the morning anymore. If I’m on my phone in the morning, it’s because I’m looking at the daily devotional that I subscribed to or looking at the bible verse of the day. I’m in my Word and I’m praying because to me that’s back to the basics. That’s setting the tone and the foundation for my day and then throughout the day I’m saying little prayers and singing worship songs that direct my spirit, so to me it’s an all-day thing.

LISTEN TO FULL INTERVIEW ON THE B2B APP

ChurchApplied: In Motion is produced by Pacific Union Conference Church Support Services • www.churchsupportservices.org

Once Upon a Time…Everyone has a story! What’s yours?

You have something no one else has—your

story! We all have stories, but each one is

different. From birth onward we encounter a

mix of people, circumstances and challenges

that makes our stories unique.

Discover how God is turning Adventist church members

into salt and light!

Download and watch them on your mobile devices.Share them at church, at school, and in small groups. www.vimeo.com/channels/storiesoffaith

Videos

www.back2basicsmag.com | 7

INFO@BACK2BASICSMAG.COM

BACK2BASICS MAGAZINE GROWS IN INTEREST AND

READERSHIP EVERY MONTH WITH A

CURRENT REACH OF 2,500 SUBSCRIBERS!

ChurchApplied: In Motion is produced by Pacific Union Conference Church Support Services • www.churchsupportservices.org

Once Upon a Time…Everyone has a story! What’s yours?

You have something no one else has—your

story! We all have stories, but each one is

different. From birth onward we encounter a

mix of people, circumstances and challenges

that makes our stories unique.

Discover how God is turning Adventist church members

into salt and light!

Download and watch them on your mobile devices.Share them at church, at school, and in small groups. www.vimeo.com/channels/storiesoffaith

Videos

ADVERTISEHERE

CONTACT US NOW

Download the mobile app and Subscribe today!

Free#b2bmag

A Christian lifestyle magazine to inform and inspire young people in their walk with Christ.