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

Midtown Herald

Church Newsletter of the Midtown Seventh-day Adventist Church

No. 26

August 2010

PASTOR'S COMMENTS

In an alarming number of churches today, God's people are being told what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear. They are being spoon-fed warm milk, and not challenged to digest solid spiritual food. Thankfully, this does not describe our Midtown church.

A watered-down teaching and preaching ministry may attract crowds (for a while), but it has no eternal impact. Even Jesus, by teaching the politically incorrect truth (but the truth nonetheless), lost some followers (see John 6:66). Nothing wrong with that! I've not been able to find any place in the Scriptures where God expresses the least bit of concern for enlarging the size of an audience as the goal of the church.

As members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we must be careful not to adapt our churches to fit the lost person, but rather guide our churches to follow God's design for what He intended the church to be. The church is a body of people called out from among the world for the distinct and unique purpose of glorifying their Savior and Lord. Nowhere in the Book of Acts or the Epistles do we see a church called to provide a subculture for unbelievers. The lost don't need to find at church a world that's like their world outside the church.

I've said for years, "Sermonettes are for Christianettes." If our churches give a little 10-15 minute sermon, we are not feeding the flock. Instead of teaching them, we are tantalizing them. Instead of stretching and challenging them, we are entertaining them.

My plea to you on behalf of our church: Our congregation needs you personally (each member) to study hard, pray hard, prepare well-balanced meals, and then open the Scriptures and teach others how to study the Word for themselves. This level of spiritual preparation requires a library of good study tools (the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy and a Strong's Concordance), and also the discipline to use them regularly.

When I look back over the past few decades, I find many solid voices of men who filled pulpits. Not wild-eyed, out of-balance fanatics, but intelligent, well-read, careful, and keen students of Holy Scripture. These pastors faithfully comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable. Most important, they spoke for God ... they stood for the truth, and they spent time poring over the books in their study and on their knees in prayer. Their entire lives were a benediction because they saw themselves as trustees of the divine revelation (the Advent Truth for these last days). That is my hope for you and for me.

Pastor Fry

CHURCH NEWS

We are still looking for a full time, godly Bible Worker for our church. Please keep this need in your prayers.

An anonymous donor has agreed to a generous matching grant of $25,000.00 for our Building Fund. It will be paid in increments of $5,000.00. As we bring in our "not anticipated" blessings, and it reaches $5,000.00, the donor will match it until it reaches the goal of $50,000.00.

Please pray for the leaders of our church as they provide the spiritual leadership of our church for this fiscal year of 2010/2011.

Please pray for Becca as she ministers at an orphanage in Africa.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Christian Service, page 139, says, "I have been instructed to encourage the conducting of cooking schools in all places where medical missionary work is being done. Every inducement to lead people to reform must be held out before them. Let as much light as possible shine upon them. Teach them to make every improvement that they can in the preparation of food, and encourage them to impart to others that which they learn."

In the past several months WBAJ Radio has provided instruction through various speakers regarding the effect of the food we eat on our physical and mental health. This has prepared the soil for Midtown Community Services to sponsor a healthy cooking school in the Irmo area. The cooking school will be held in the Quail Valley Plaza Shopping Center, Unit 11-A. The class begins on Monday, September 13 (6:30pm - 8:30pm) and continues every consecutive Monday night until November 1, 2010. Please call Rose Sheroian at 803-397-7285 to register. The class is free to participants and since space is limited to 30, you will want to call early to ensure your reservation. This is a wonderful witnessing tool to our friends and family who want to learn how to cook healthy foods. Please spread the word! Come and bring a friend!

Thank you for contributing to the food pantry. Please do not forget those who are in need of food. As the Lord blesses us, we are asked to bless others. ACTS will also accept monetary donations for food, and we thank you on behalf of the recipients for your generosity.

Please remember to pray for this ministry. It is our church's outreach to the community to share the love of Jesus and His desire for His children to live a healthy, faithful and righteous life in Him.

Helen Koon

CHURCH BOARD ACTIVITY

Voted Gregory and Rose Sheroian as Lay Advisory Delegates to attend the Lay Advisory Retreat in January. If any church member has questions they would like the Sheroians to take to the Conference Brethren please mention it to them.

MIDTOWN BIBLE SCHOOL

Our Discover Bible Study Outreach endeavors took a new turn this month as two or our Midtown Church members used our Bible Study lesson materials to evangelize a non-Christian Chinese speaking couple. Barry and Renee met the foreign couple at a local Chinese restaurant. They were able to devise a means to effectively communicate the Bible Study content, despite their inability to speak a single word of Chinese! They contacted Amazing Facts for a Chinese translation of the Discover Bible lessons and acquired a copy of the True-False answer sheet key, in order to grade the Chinese couple's responses. Once a week Barry and Renee visit the restaurant to exchange answer sheets for a new Bible lesson booklet. God is so good! He doesn't seek those with an "ability", but rather, he seeks those with a "willingness" to be his hands, feet and mouth to accomplish His kingdom's work here on earth.

Please pray for Brother Barry and Sister Renee as they continue to extend their hearts and resources to reach this precious couple for Jesus.

Karen Covington

BUILDING FUND

Our Building Fund continues to grow. It now stands at $158,000. Let's continue to work towards our goal of $250,000.00 for a down payment We praise the Lord for His generous blessings.

Also we need to be working towards our $25,000.00 matching grant The grant will be given in increments of $5,000.00. In other words, as the Lord gives us $5,000.00 towards the goal we will be given $5,000.00 more by our anonymous donor. Isn't God good?

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS

Members who will be celebrating their birthdays soon:

August 30, Ronelin Zearfoss
September 18, Debbie Biehl
September 18, Damon Moresco
September 21, Leslie (Palmer) Haines
September 23, Gary Biehl
September 28, Thomas Biehl
September 29, James Middleton

We wish each of these dear members a Happy Birthday.

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 studying 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.

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

This Is Today

Today is here. Lord help me start with a smile and resolve to be agreeable. Help me not to criticize. And help me refuse to waste Your valuable time.

Lord, today has one thing in which I know I am equal with others — time. All of us draw the same salary in seconds, minutes, and hours.

Today Lord, help me not to waste Your time because the minutes I wasted yesterday are as lost as a vanishing thought

Mary Ann Fry

HEALTH BITES

Better Chickpeas

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are low in calories and highly nutritious (a one-half cup of serving packs 5 g of fiber and 6 g of protein). New finding: Dark chickpeas (black, red, brown and green) have up to 31 times more dietary fibers than paler varieties (beige, cream, or yellow). To benefit: Try darker chickpeas, often found at stores that sell ingredients for Indian cuisine. Add to salads, soups and stews. Or make hummus (puree chickpeas with garlic paste, tabini, lemon juice and olive oil).

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a twenty-first century stress syndrome that seems to be largely unrecognized by the medical establishment The purpose of your adrenal glands is to help your body cope with stress and survive. These glands command powerful hormones to extend their influence throughout your body and your life and have important effects on the way you think and feel. The hormones secreted by your adrenals influence all the major physiological processes in your body.

Your body does its best to compensate for under-functioning adrenal glands, but it does so at a price. Adrenal fatigue is all too often the cause of patients' run down feeling and inability to keep up with life's daily demands. People with Adrenal fatigue often look and act relatively normal, yet they are not well.

Adrenal fatigue, in all its mild and severe forms, is usually caused by some form of stress. It occurs when the amount of stress overextends the capacity of the body (mediated by the adrenals) to compensate and have adequate time to recover from that stress or the combined stresses. Once this capacity to cope and recover is exceeded, some form of adrenal fatigue occurs. However, complete recovery is very possible through changes in lifestyle, diet, and following an Adrenal Recovery Program.

For additional information see Adrenal Fatigue by James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., PhD.

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.