June 2010 Newsletter of the Columbia SC Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

Midtown Herald

Church Newsletter of the Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

No. 24

June 2010

PASTOR'S COMMENTS

Witnessing 101

Actions often speak louder than words. The following true story shows that this principle holds true in sharing the good news about God, too.

An army chaplain was crossing a battlefield one day when he saw a wounded soldier lying on the ground. Bending over him, the chaplain asked the soldier if he might read to him from the Bible.
"I am so thirsty," the wounded man replied. "I would much rather have a drink of water."
The chaplain hurried away, and shortly returned with a flask of water.
"Now could you put something under my head?" the soldier asked.
The chaplain rolled his light overcoat into a pillow. Carefully he lifted the soldier's head and placed the improvised pillow under it.
"I am so cold," the soldier told him. "If I could only have something over me."
The chaplain took off his coat and covered the man with it
Then the soldier said, "If there is a word in the Bible that makes one do for another all you have done for me, I want to hear it."

My friends, one of the most effective ways to reach people with the message of Jesus Christ today is through real and relevant acts of service. Honest, compassionate service can restore credibility to the crucial message we have to share. To tell the truth, we must SHOW the truth.

We, in our churches, talk about service, and everyone agrees that it ought to be important to us, but do we really know how to effectively meet the needs of our communities and reach lost people? Are we willing to step outside the safety net of our church pews and cross the street into real-life, real-world acts of service in order to share the truth of Jesus Christ? May the Lord help us to prayerfully live up to the high calling of our ministry here in the Midtown Church.

Pastor Fry

PROPHETIC COUNSEL

"We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the tune we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end." (DA 324)

CHURCH NEWS

Great News! Someone has donated funds to hire a Bible Worker for Midtown Church. This is a wonderful blessing and will surely facilitate the gospel work here in Columbia. Please pray that the Lord will send us just the right person to fill this position.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

"Every effort we make for Christ will be rewarded by Him; and every duty we perform in His name will minister to our own happiness." Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 19

"The pleasure of doing good to others imparts a glow to the feelings which flashes through the nerves, quickens the circulation of the blood and induces mental and physical health" Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 56

The quotes compliment our Sabbath School lessons for this past quarter, which were about health and healing and support the fact that service to others has a direct benefit on the body and mind. ACTS is a wonderful ministry that provides a channel through which we ourselves have received the happiness, mental and physical health that is promised when we serve others. Every donor, every volunteer as well as those we serve have been blessed by this ministry. Praise God for His blessings that come from serving others.

We have talked about sowing seeds for the Lord and were blessed this week when a dear soul came to the shop to bring donations. She is a WBAJ listener and heard a discussion on the station recently about ACTS. She located the shop and brought donations to support the Lord's work. This is a seed that through prayer will grow and bear fruit and by God's mercy, will someday join His last day church. How encouraging it was to talk with her. Please pray for this lady that she will listen and respond to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to her.

ACTS food pantry is in need of flour. We received a large donation of peanut butter, so jelly or preserves would also be something that would be useful. Several individuals have come to ACTS for food this month. If you know of anyone in need, ACTS is here to serve.

Don't forget to check out our new website at ACTShop.org.

Helen Koon

CHURCH BOARD ACTIVITY

Voted to place 500 doorknob hangers at homes around church.
Voted to buy a new range for the church kitchen.
Voted to send a letter to the Carolina Conf. requesting they support the Michigan Conference's response to the LaSierra teaching of evolution in their college classes.

MIDTOWN BIBLE SCHOOL

Dear Brothers and Sisters: We have had 3 new requests for lessons this month. One student has requested study in her home. Thanks to Mertis Butler for agreeing to study the lessons with this student. If any of you are willing to give the lessons to a student, please let me know. We will have a set of lessons for you and one for the student so that it is just a matter of reviewing the study and assisting with the short questionnaire at the end of the lesson. Please continue to pray for each student and the staff as we endeavor to bring God's word to those seeking souls.
Thank you.

Doris Sheriff

BUILDING FUND

Our Building Fund continues to grow. It now stands at $147,000. Let's continue to work towards our goal of $250,000.00 for a down payment We praise the Lord for His generous blessings.

Charlie Davis, Chairman

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Members who will be celebrating their birthdays soon:

July 9, Helen Koon
July 12, R.J. Sherman
July 20, Jenna Moresco
July 22, Trina Moresco
July 25, Vera Hill

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 are continuing our study on the book of Nehemiah, which is proving to be 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.

BITS OF WISDOM

"I am the Son of God," John 10:36. "As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us the power to obey. (RC 45).

Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing life is made up of little things. To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it

Mary Ann Fry

HEALTH BITES

Diet Protection Against Kidney Stones

When researchers examined data of about 240,000 people, those with diets higher in fruits and vegetables and lower in red meat, sweetened beverages and salt were 40% to 45% less likely to develop kidney stones than those with the poorest diets. To lower your risk for kidney stones: be sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes,... and whole grains... and avoid salt, sugar-sweetened beverages and red and processed meats. (Brigham and Woman's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.)

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.