Midtown Herald

Church Newsletter of the Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

We have been warned that "the final movements will be rapid ones," that "perplexities scarcely dreamed of are before us," that "events of the future will soon come upon us with blinding force," that "a storm is coming, relentless in its fury," that "no one [should] feel that he is secure from the danger of being surprised," that we should be preparing for what is about "to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise," and that we should be able to "catch the steady tread of the events."

My friends, we do not need a college degree to understand what our Lord is saying in Matthew 24:14-"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." Millions of Christians are focused on getting their message out to "all the world." I commend the energy and personal sacrifice that hundreds of thousands are devoting to their denomination's mission programs. Those who resent their presence are killing many thousands of them annually. Since 1907 when the slogan was first coined, many denominations have focused on taking the "gospel to all the world in this generation."

On closer examination of our Lord's prediction, in Mt 24:14, we note that He said "THIS gospel." Even in the first 50 years after He returned to heaven, Paul said that he had to contend with "a DIFFERENT gospel." In the 2000 years since, any teenager can see that there are many gospels in the world, so many in direct contradiction to each other. What shall we make of all this?

Well, we must get back to what Jesus considered the "good news" to be. Remember, He was talking to His disciples before His crucifixion! Obviously, there was something about the gospel that must go to all the world before He returns that He had been teaching His disciples up to that moment.

We must join together the grace of pardon and the grace of power.

We must ever keep in view that the purpose of the gospel is not only forgiveness, but also restoration of everything spoiled by sin.

We must give special attention to the "everlasting gospel" that John the Revelator said would be timely and urgent in the end times: "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people" Rev. 14:6.

We must recognize that there is something very important about the "everlasting gospel" that has been forgotten or corrupted-that must be recovered in the last days.

The recovered "everlasting gospel" is not the limited gospel that so many good and dedicated Christians have been proclaiming.

The "everlasting gospel" is the complete gospel that is being recovered by those who are "saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come" Rev. 14:7.

Those proclaiming worldwide this "everlasting gospel" are identified in Rev. 14:12: "Here is the patience [endurance] of the saints, here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

By the Lord's grace, may you and I (along with all those we have been a witness to) be among this group. 

Pastor Fry

PROPHETIC COUNSEL

"The trial will not exceed the strength that shall be given us to bear it. Then let us take up our work just where we find it, believing that whatever may come, strength proportionate to the trial will be given" (SC 125).

"Often our trials are such that they seem almost unbearable, and without help from God they are indeed unbearable....But if we make Christ our dependence, we shall not sink under trial" (ML 184).

"At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith" (FLB 56).
"When trials and tribulations come to you know that they are sent in order that you may receive from the Lord of glory renewed strength and increased humility....In faith and with the hope that "maketh not ashamed," lay hold of the promises of God" (ML 185).

Pastor Fry

CHURCH NEWS

Midtown is Now a Church! Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy.

Conference Executive Secretary Gary Moyer came to our worship service on February 28 to organize us into a Church. In spite of the much-needed and welcome rain, we had a large number of members and visitors at our Inaugural Worship Service. We were especially happy to see our college students home for Spring Break, as this enabled the Beihl family to present special music as part of the service. Also as part of this special service, we made a covenant to accomplish the task of being everything God's word says our church should be. Our normal Fellowship Lunch followed. One hundred eleven were present.

Baptism

Heaven rejoiced with us as Narcissus Washington was baptized into the Columbia Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sabbath the 21st of February. Welcome to the fold, Narcissus. God bless you.

Additions to our Church by Letter Transfer

Gregory and Rose Sheroian and Helen Koon from the West Columbia Church and Susan Balcerzak from the First Church. We welcome you each with open arms.

On the Radio

Did you know that you can hear Pastor Fry's sermons one week delayed on WBAJ (890 AM), so that if you miss one of his sermons, or would like to hear it again, you can tune in to WBAJ and hear it. Pastor Fry can be heard on WBAJ every Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM.

Also, listen to the weekly Sabbath School program on Sabbath mornings at 8:00 to prepare for our own Sabbath School at 10. Pastor Doug Batchelor teaches the same lesson each Sabbath that we will be studying later that morning.

Membership and Attendance Reports

Attendance so far this year is averaging 47 people! Thanks to all of you for inviting your family members and friends to come and worship with you. We're also getting significant numbers of visiting travelers and other interested visitors, many of whom find us on the internet.  In fact, if you Google "SDA church Columbia SC", you'll find us at the top of the list of almost 16,000 entries returned! Our Google listing is complete with a map to our church, as well as a picture of our building. Thanks to the Lord for His help in getting our presence known to all who seek.

At our first Business Meeting as a church, Church Clerk Bob Sitko reported that during 2008, our membership grew from 27 to 48 members, for a 78 percent increase! He also reported that our average attendance during the year has increased from 25 to 34, or 35 percent! Praise the Lord for these phenomenal increases in membership and attendance!

Evangelism

Thanks to all who are helping distribute our doorknob hangers -- plastic bags imprinted with WBAJ information, and containing books and pamphlets as well as Discover Bible School enrollment cards. If you would like to distribute some of these hangers, please see Pastor Fry for materials and locations to be covered.

Prayer Request Cards

You'll notice that verbal Prayer Requests are being replaced by our new blue Prayer Request cards. If you have any prayer requests to bring to the Lord during Worship Service, and again at our midweek Prayer Meeting, please fill out one of the Prayer Request cards and give them to one of our Deacons at the start of the service.

Bob Sitko

CHURCH BOARD ACTIVITY

Board Meeting

At our Church Board meeting on February 3, the members discussed our financial condition, especially our building fund, checking account, and SURF account.

Plans for a Nurture Ministry are being formulated by board members Barry Nicks, Bob Garner, and Mary Ann Fry. Pastor Fry spoke about partnering new members with a mentor to answer questions about our faith. He also thanked those who are helping with transportation needs for visitors. He asked us to continue sending cards and letters to missing members to let them know that we miss them.

Motions were passed to:
Accept Narcissus into membership, with the approval of the members.
Order additional Sabbath School Quarterlies for future quarters.
Cover the cost of all materials needed for Bob Garner to construct a portable piano and bench platform.
Bill the cost of printing weekly bulletins and other materials directly to the church.

The board also discussed, and will put into practice, a full Fellowship Lunch on the 2nd Sabbath of each month, and an abbreviated Fellowship Lunch, consisting of soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, on the 4* Sabbath of each month.
The need for additional hymnals was discussed. (An anonymous donor has since provided ten additional hymnals). 

Bob Sitko

A NOTE FROM OUR TREASURER

Building Fund

Our goal of $100,000.00, for a down payment, is slowly gaining ground. We have approximately $60,000.00 so far. Keep praying and working towards our goal so we will be able to purchase our own much-needed church building.

Fund Raisins

Thanks to all who are donating to our Church Building Fund by purchasing boxes of our delicious and nutrition Fund Raisins. We now have regular or Vanilla yogurt covered varieties. So far, we've received over $65 in our donation jar for these Fund Raisins. 

Mary Grace McPherson

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Members who will be celebrating their birthdays soon:

Bob Sitko On March 4 
Josh Baynard on March 25
Gladys James on March 26

MIDWEEK AT MIDTOWN

Attendance at our Midweek at Midtown Prayer and Bible Study hour continues to remain high. If you haven't yet stopped in, it's never too late. We welcome all members and visitors to join our group and participate in the Bible Study. We also pray for the needs recorded on our Prayer Request cards from our Worship Service. Stop by any Wednesday evening at 6 PM here at the Capital Senior Center. 

Bob Sitko

FELLOWSHIP LUNCHES

Come join us for good food and fellowship every second and fourth Sabbath after the Worship Hour. It is a great time to get to know each other.   Starting in March our first Fellowship Meal (second Sabbath) will be a regular meal and the second of the month (the fourth Sabbath) will be a soup, sandwich, light salads and dessert Fellowship Meal. (Vegetarian dishes, please.) We will continue this for awhile to see how it works out.

BITS OF WISDOM

Subject: A Good Reminder

Good morning. I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box. It wilt be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it or remove it Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult Me in prayer to be sure it is the proper resolution. Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact Me, I am only a prayer away.

Faith can get us through anything, but nothing can get us through the death of faith! 

Mary Ann Fry

HEALTH BITES

Just How harmful are Oils and Fats?

Saturated, Polyunsaturated and Hydrogenated Fats are all, essentially synthetic food substances. The Freedom of Health Publications inform us that following a natural vegetarian diet eliminates the need of adding any extracted oils. Our liver produces all the cholesterol the body needs to function well. Excess levels occur when dietary cholesterol is added. The disposition of this excess cholesterol along the walls of our arteries causes cardiac disease which is more prevalent each year in younger and younger age groups! Prior to the 1920s all oils were pressed fresh on a daily basis without the use of heat. Today, oils are heated and chemically pressed, or extracted with the use of solvents (hexane) that have to be evaporated out of the oil at enormously high temperatures. Additional chemicals are used to remove the free fatty acids, bleach and deodorize the processed oil. Next, antioxidants like BHA, BHT and propyl gallate are required which in turn create toxic peroxides needed to change cis-fatty acids into trans-fatty acids and polymers (which are never found in natural occurring oils). Hydrogenated oils form the most toxic substances which rob the body's nutrients. None of these oils can be properly assimilated in the blood stream. Polyunsaturated oils (which deplete Vitamin E), are no improvement For over the past 30 years of their use, the rate of cardiac mortality, has not decreased and the incidence of gastric cancer has increased Artificial creamers use the fats which are the highest boosters of cholesterol. More shocking, is the fact that all infant formulas use these harmful oils, as they are the cheapest edible fats to manufacture. In conclusion, ask yourself, is the use of these heated oils (which cannot be digested), worth the penalty of their accelerating your aging and damaging your chromosomes? 

Karen Covington

TIP OF THE MONTH

Do you dislike plucking the stems from strawberries? Insert a plastic straw in the non-stem end and gently push it towards the stem until the stem pops off.

VESPERS

Friday Night Video Vespers

Each Friday, at 6 PM, you can watch an inspirational sermon from one of our church's great speakers, such as Dwight Nelson, Steve Wohlberg, C.D. Brooks, or others. The program lasts about an hour, and is a great way to start the Sabbath. These video programs are held in various members' homes in the downtown Columbia area, so check our website, MidtownChurch.net to see who is currently hosting them and the location.

Bob Sitko

Church Location

Midtown Church meets at the Capital Senior Center on Park Circle, behind Maxcy Gregg Park, Sabbath (Saturday) Morning at 10 AM for Sabbath School and 11:15 AM for the Worship Hour. Please come and join us for fellowship and worship.

Discover Bible School

We thank each of you for your support of Midtown's Discover Bible School.  Because of you, we have 22 people who have requested lessons.

We have found that the Application Card holders, placed in businesses, are an effective method for reaching students. If you know of any business that will give us permission to place the holders, please give their name to us if you cannot place it yourself.

Please continue to pray for the school and the students.

Doris Sheriff, Coordinator

All photos by     ©2001-2012, Columbia Midtown SDA Church, 701 Gervais St. #150-301, Columbia SC 29201