July 2009 Newsletter

Midtown Herald

Church Newsletter of the Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

No. 13

July 2009

PASTOR'S COMMENTS

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love." (Colossians 2:2)

"Tell him, Timothy, please!" shouted Maura, pleading with her husband. "Tell the governor where the Scriptures are hidden and be free! I cannot bear to watch any more of this." Timothy and Maura, residents of the Roman province of Mauritania, had been married only a few short weeks before their arrest.

Maura had watched in horror as soldiers put out her husband's eyes with hot irons, trying to break his will. Now, hanging upside down with a weight around his neck on the orders of the Roman governor Arrianus, Timothy waited for his gag to be removed. The fear he initially felt at his arrest had been replaced with a sense of divine calm.

Instead of renouncing his faith and disclosing the location of his church's copies of the Scriptures, as the soldiers expected, Timothy scolded his young wife. "Do not let your love for me come before your love for Christ," he urged Maura, affirming his willingness and determination to die for his Savior. Seeing her husband's courage, Maura's own resolve was strengthened.

Arrianus, already in a rage at Timothy's refusal, set out to break Maura's newfound courage. He sentenced her to the harshest tortures of the Roman world. Yet she would not break. She refused to deny Christ.

After each had endured unspeakable suffering, Timothy and Maura were crucified, side by side.

My friends, Jesus did not entrust His ministry to independent believers - He established a spiritual family. He used words like "brother" and "sister" to convey the idea that he did not expect His disciples to be in this alone. Paul continued Christ's mission by instructing new believers to gather together in churches for fellowship and corporate worship. Christians need each other - especially in times of trial. When one believer falters, fellow believers rally in support and encouragement. This is why the New Testament regards the duty of living by example a necessity in the Christian faith. One person's example of faith and courage can inspire and unite others to follow suit Conversely, when one believer cracks under the pressure of persecution, it is easier for others to give in as well. History holds high the camaraderie of Christian community - especially during persecution.

"Why do churches have so many people on their membership roles who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion? Why do many churches find it difficult to motivate members to give, serve, pray, and share their faith? The answer is that members were allowed to join with no expectations placed on them. You get what you ask for." (S.S.T.Q. 9-26-2007)

A Storm is Brewing
The grass is still growing. The buds still leaf out into glorious, living green in the spring sunshine. White clouds still float by in the deep blue sky. Rivers still run to the sea. The sun still rises over the Atlantic in the East and sets over the Pacific in the West. Little animals still jump and play with the abandonment of joy. But a storm is brewing over the face of the earth, a storm ferocious in its demonic fury of intensity, rising out of the abyss of the bottomless pit, for the centers of power of mankind are in league with the one who in heaven sought to take Christ's place. "A storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture."
(Mar. 259)

Pastor Fry

PROPHETIC COUNSEL

"I then saw the glorious Redeemer, beautiful and lovely; that He left the realms of glory and came to this dark lonely world to give His precious life and die, the just for the unjust. He bore the cruel mocking and scourging, wore the plaited crown of thorns, while the burden of the sins of the whole world was upon Him. The angel asked, 'What for?' Oh, I saw and knew it was for us; for our sins He suffered all this, that by His precious blood He might redeem us unto God." (EW 39,40,49)

"Every day adds its sorrowful evidence that faith in the sure word of prophecy is decreasing, and that in its stead superstition and satanic witchery are captivating the minds of many." (PK 210)

"For the disheartened there is a sure remedy -- faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant He has made with those who love Him. And He will bestow upon His faithful servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands." (PK 164,165)

CHURCH NEWS

We welcome Bob Sitko as one of our Deacons, Renee Nicks as our Head Deaconess, and Helen Koon as Assistant Head Deaconess.

We wish Carey Suber well in his new church fellowship. We will miss him.

Baby Ken III
Baby Ken Zearfoss, III made his first appearance at church on July 4th. We welcome him into our fold. May Jesus bless him and his parents.

Discover Bible School
Our Bible Correspondence School has received eighty-five new requests for the Bible course. Please keep this mighty work for God in your prayers.

SENSIBLE LIVING

Survival Retreat
Herbs and wild edibles, for families and singles is being held September 11-13, 2009 at Camp Kinard in Leesville, SC. Learn how to identify and use wild herbs, preserve heirloom seed, build primitive shelter and fire, and strengthen the family. Call 1-800-837-3139 for details.

Susan Balcerzak, President

CHURCH BOARD ACTIVITY

Voted to recommend to the church that Renee Nicks be made Head Deaconess, Helen Koon to be Assistant Head Deaconess and Bob Srtko to be Deacon.

Voted to recommend Carey Suber's transfer of membership to the West Columbia Church.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

"When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man his work. The whole family of God are included in the responsibility of using their Lord's goods. Every individual, from the lowest and most obscure to the greatest and most exalted, is a moral agent endowed with abilities for which he is accountable to God." (Christian Service page 13)

The Lord calls each one of us to support His work with the goods He has entrusted us with. Each of us can do something to make the Adventist Community Thrift Store (ACTS) a reality. The thrift store will provide funding for ministries that help those in need. Many in our church family have donated items and our storage facility is filling up; however, we need much more to be able to open and fill a store. We want to be ready when the Lord provides a building. He may be waiting on us, because we know His timing is perfect! If you have items to donate, please contact Rose Sheroian at 755-1441.

Please pray that the Lord would move in a mighty way on the hearts of those with whom Doris Sheriff has been working to secure a donation of a building in the Garner's Ferry Road area of Columbia. She has been talking with individuals from the company that owns the building and has not received a "no" answer, which is positive! This building is located in a high traffic area, close to K-Mart and McDonalds and has plenty of parking.

We are also trying to build up a food pantry for those in need. A basket is available each Sabbath for non-perishable food items. Please remember others and give as the Lord blesses you.

Adventist roots run deep in community services work. For over 100 years the Adventist church provided food and clothing to those in need at a time when no other agencies existed to provide help. For several years now many of our churches have provided assistance through other agencies but it is our prayer that the community will come to know the Lord through Seventh Day Adventists as we provide for those in need in the Columbia area. We will be seeking the support of all the Adventist churches in the area and will be working over the next few months to contact pastors and community service leaders in each church to partner with the Midtown Church in this endeavor. Please pray for this important work.

Helen Koon

BUILDING FUND

The Lord has done it! We have reached our matching grant. Praise the Lord for His goodness. We greatly thank our anonymous donor for the $10,000.00 matching grant. Our Building Fund continues to grow. It now stands at nearly $95,000. Let's continue to work towards the halfway point in our goal of $250,000.00 for a down payment.

Old gold, necklaces, rings, earrings, diamonds, old coin collections, anything of value that we can turn into building blocks for a representative church building would be appreciated.

Charlie Davis, Chairman

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Members who will be celebrating their birthdays soon:

Karen Covington, August 11
Marion Marple, August 14
Renee Nicks, August 17
Pat Stephen, August 19
Ronelin Zearfoss, August 30

MIDWEEK AT MIDTOWN

Please notice!!! The new time of our Prayer Meeting is now 7:00 PM instead of 6:00 PM. We hope this makes it easier for those who are having trouble getting there at the earlier time. 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. Our new study is Face-To-Face With Jesus. Our goal is to learn more about our dear Savior.

We also pray for our church, and other requests, as well as the needs recorded on our Prayer Request cards from our Worship Service. Stop by any Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm. here at the Capital Senior Center.

We are told in Steps To Christ that, "Those who are really seeking communion with God will be seen in the prayer meeting" (SC 98).

Bob Sitko

FELLOWSHIP LUNCHES

On the second Sabbath of each month, we have a Full Lunch, and on the fourth Sabbath of each month, we have a Light Lunch consisting of salads, soups, sandwiches and desserts. Please come and enjoy the fellowship of eating together and getting to know others better.

BITS OF WISDOM

Success depends on backbone not wishbone.

To keep growing spiritually we need to do the following: 1) Eat 2) Breathe 3) Exercise. Eat the Word, breathe by praying and exercise through witnessing. If we are not sharing the language of God, we lose it. Share what you do have, and God will give you more truth!

"But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good, we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent." (MB 100,101)

Mary Ann Fry

HEALTH BITES

Those who have diabetes experience a broad range of concurrent problems that seem to come with the disease. One of those is diabetic neuropathy, most commonly manifesting itself in impaired nerve function in the legs and feet. In a study of adult-onset diabetic patients (average age 64) who were suffering from neuropathy in their extremities, the patients were placed on a total vegetarian diet which contained no more than 15% fat. Amazingly, eighty percent had a complete resolution of neuropathic pain, with the added bonus of losing excess weight. Triglycerides were lowered 23 percent and cholesterol dropped 15% after only two weeks into the diet! Half the patients were able to reduce the amount of insulin they were taking. In a follow-up study, those who maintained the new way of eating remained free of neuropathy. And their feet could more easily do what they were made to do — walk, without pain!

(Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 1994)

VESPERS

Friday Night Video Vespers

Each Friday, at 7 PM, you can watch an inspirational sermon from one of our church's great speakers, such as Dwight Nelson, Steve Wohlberg, Dr. Walter Veith, or others. The program lasts about an hour, and is a great way to start the Sabbath. Check our website, MidtownChurch.net. These video programs are held at Doug Leonhardt's home in the downtown Columbia area.

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.