April/May 2010 Newsletter of the Columbia SC Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

Midtown Herald

Church Newsletter of the Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

No. 22

April 2010

PASTOR'S COMMENTS

We are coming down to the wire. The final, dramatic developments of the Great Controversy are upon us. Soon Jesus will appear in power and great glory in the heavens, surrounded by all the holy angels. We must be ready! Whatever happened to the idea of sacred honor, unvarnished nobility, and unwavering allegiance to the King? What has happened to the quake-in-my-boots fear of God, the lay-it-all-on-the-line commitment to the cause of Christ, and the die-if-I-must attitude toward defending truth and the Bible? Where did the radical abandon to seek and save the lost disappear to, or the once glorious idea of martyrdom? Or how about the burning need to stand against evil, to break the jaws of the wicked in order to ransom the oppressed, the orphaned, the widowed, and the enslaved? Where is the holy boldness, the courage, and the daring needed to birth the truth of Christ into this God-forsaking culture? What happened to the once noble idea of preaching with both authority and conviction? Where has the vanguard, the mighty men and women, the fiercely loyal regiment of King Jesus vanished to?-It's bravado meets brains; its mighty fist meets poet like heart... it is historical living ripped straight from the pages of Scripture and made incarnate in the lives of the disciples of Jesus in this twenty first century.

The Spirit of Prophecy adds its voice to a similar call. "Now is the time for God's people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few-this will be our test At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason." (5T 136)

May we be a generation that gathers warmth from the coldness of others and be real. When we pray for real problems, we will receive real answers. When we are willing to admit that sin is real slavery, then we will experience real deliverance, and people will see that we worship a real Savior. Let the discouragement of others be our encouragement Let our generation be the generation that forces Christendom and the world to ask the question, "What happened to the half-hearted Christian? Where did the I'm-afraid-to-bless-my-food-in-public student go? Some sacrifices might look impossible to bear, but we should remember that it is not our calling to calculate the costs. All we have to worry about is keeping our eyes fixed on the shining face of our loving Savior. When will the world ever find authentic Christianity?

Pastor Fry

PROPHETIC COUNSEL

"Be joyful in God. Christ is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Look toward the light. Accustom yourselves to speak the
praise of God. Make others happy. This is your first work. It will strengthen the best traits of character. Throw the windows of the soul wide open heavenward and let the sunshine of Christ's righteousness in. Morning, noon, and night your hearts may be filled with the bright rays of heaven's light." (HP 275)

"As men should lift up their eyes to the hills of God, and behold the wonderful works of His hands, they could learn precious lessons of divine truth. Christ's teaching would be repeated to them in the things of nature. So it is with all who go into the fields with Christ in their hearts. They will feel themselves surrounded with a holy influence. The things of nature take up the parables of our Lord, and repeat His counsels. By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest." (DA 291)

CHURCH NEWS

Great news! Carl Hatcher was baptized April 3. Please welcome Carl into our church family. God bless you Carl.

More great news! Wanda Amick has been transferred into our church family. Please give her a big welcome.

Then a new Sabbath School teacher, Ed Moresco, has been added to our teacher list and will be teaching the regular adult class on the first Sabbath of each month.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

"To the soul weary of a life of sin, but knowing not where to find relief, present the compassionate Saviour. Take him by
the hand, lift him up, speak to him words of courage and hope. Help him to grasp the hand of the Saviour."

The Ministry of Healing, p. 168, Christian Service, p. 190

The Lord has provided a place where some have come searching for such relief. Many have come to ACTS where they have been ministered to and prayed with. Others have left with the free literature available in the reading area of the shop. Seeds are being sown for the kingdom of heaven.

Hearing the sermon last Sabbath about friendship evangelism, I thought about the many individuals with whom we have made friends at ACTS, where we would otherwise not have known them. A dear 89 year old lady who comes for fellowship while she shops, has ministered to us by bringing her homemade cookies and received fellowship and encouragement while we listen and talk with her. Another lady whose husband has cancer came asking that we pray with her for her husband's healing. We ministered to the needs of a family who has lost all their earthly goods by fire this week and we ask that you pray for this family, that they would be comforted.

Prayers are offered up to the Lord every morning and evening as the shop opens and closes and during the day for our customers and volunteers. We invite you to pray also for the volunteers who minister to these children of God each day. We also ask that you complete the survey that was provided in last months' newsletter so we know your interest in ACTS. God has provided a wonderful way for everyone to practice friendship evangelism. There are those who are weary and are looking for someone to bring them to their Savior. Do you hear Him calling you? If you do, won't you answer His call to volunteer where you could make a difference in the lives of others?

Helen Koon

CHURCH BOARD ACTIVITY

Susan Balcerzak has been added to our Church Board as a Member At Large. We will be greatly benefited by her business experience.

Ed Moresco has been elected to serve as one of our Sabbath School teachers.

MIDTOWN BIBLE SCHOOL

The Discover Bible School had two graduates in April. We will be presenting Diplomas on May 1st. We thank God for these faithful students and ask that you continue to pray for them. We would like to get applications for the school delivered to the neighborhood around the church. Perhaps we could deliver door-hanging bags like we did in a larger area last year. Please pray about this.

Doris Sheriff

BUILDING FUND

Our Building Fund continues to grow. It now stands at $140,000. Let's continue to work towards our goal of $250,000.00 for a down payment.

Charlie Davis, Chairman

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Members who will be celebrating their birthdays soon:

May 2, Jacob Pawlowski
May 6, Eugene McPherson
May 10, Gareth Fome
May 10, Steffan Moresco
May 17, Doris Sheriff

MIDWEEK AT MIDTOWN

The time of our Prayer Meeting is Tuesday at 6:30 PM. If you haven't yet stopped in, it's never too late. We welcome all members and visitors to join with us and participate in the Bible Study. We have just begun a new study on the book of Nehemiah which should prove very interesting. Our goal is to learn more about how to live for Christ in this world, which will deepen our conviction that the coming of our Lord is near.

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 Tuesday evening at the Maple St. Methodist Church (Corner of Maple St. and Preston St.) where we meet in the sanctuary.

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

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.

We have now had two Fellowship Lunches at our new location and they have been very nice. Some have chosen to eat in the upstairs "mezzanine" and some have chosen to eat in the porch "cafe", while others chose to eat in the main dining room. We have all had a nice time visiting as we ate.

BITS OF WISDOM

The future depends on what we do in the present.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

If everything seems to be going well, you obviously over-looked something.

Mary Ann Fry

HEALTH BITES

Better Indoor Air

Levels of ozone, dropped about 33% faster in airtight chambers containing three common household plants (snake plant, spider plant and devil's ivy) than they did in chambers without plants. Indoor sources of ozone, which can cause such health problems as impaired lung function, include laser printers, ultraviolet lights and even some electrostatic air purification systems. Theory: A detoxification process is triggered when plant leaves absorb pollutants. (Pennsylvania State University)

VESPERS

Friday Night Vespers

Each Friday, at 6:30 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 Maple St. Methodist Church, located at the comer of Maple St. and Preston St. in Columbia, SC, Sabbath (Saturday) Morning at 10:00 AM for Sabbath School and 11:15 AM for the Worship Hour. Please come and join us for fellowship and worship.