Have you noticed that

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1 For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church A Mother s Love by Cary Fisher Have you noticed that we often compare the attributes of God by our own human characteristics? For example, we tell inspirational stories on how people were able to forgive others under impossible circumstances and use it as an illustration on God s forgiveness towards us. We might hear a story of a solder in war sacrificing his life for his friends, and discuss how it relates to Jesus dying on the cross for us. Now as we reflect on God s love, the greatest human example that we can find must be the love that a mother has for her child. Like God s love for us, a mother s love begins as she brings life into this world. We also understand God by the way a mother nurtures a child, and provides and protects for him or her all throughout the child s life. However, the most powerful attribute of a mother s love is that no matter what a child does, a mother will always loves that person. A mother s love is the closest form of an unconditional love that God has for us. The Bible says, Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (I Corinthians 13:7). God s unconditional love allows me to believe that no matter how far away that we may have left God, God is always near us. God will never give up on us and we know that He has saccontinued on page 2 Remember Your Mother Whoever you are, wherever you are, on Mother s Day, remember your mother. Without her and your father, you would only have been a dream and a hope, never a reality. No wonder God gave us the commandment: Honor your father and your mother... (Exodus 20:12, nrsv). God gave us life through them. Charles Ferrell Small Group Outreach Event The Outreach Event for our Small Groups will be May 2nd. We will be showing the movie God s Not Dead. This would be a wonderful opportunity to invite your adopt a friend that you have been praying for as well as other friends and family members. There will be some door prizes for the guests only. Doors open at 6pm. We will have a time of worship at 6:30pm. Then there will be some snacks as we get ready for the movie. Invite a friend or two and join us! = INSIDE Stewardship and Prayer page 3 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Our Church Family page 7 At the Starting Gate page 8 Kid s Page on page 9

2 THE LATEST WORD A Mother s Love... (cont. from page 1) 2 rificed everything for us. As Mother s day is coming up, we can thank our moms for many things, but the most wonderful gift that a mother can give us is by teaching us the character of God by the love she has for us. May s Sermon Calendar May 2nd - Mystery of God - As we continue on our Alive in Christ small groups series, today s message should remind us that God is always teaching us. God was teaching Paul a mystery that the Gospel is also for the Gentiles in Ephesians 3, and in a world that wants to divide and separate people from each other, God reminds us that the Gospel is for A mother s love begins as she brings life into this world. everyone and as Christians we need to be inclusive to the people around us. May 9th - Living in Unity - Paul writes to the people of Ephesus to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:4). We will spend this time talking about how the Holy Spirit can humble our hearts so unity can even be possible, and how important unity is to fulfill the purpose of the body of Christ. May 16th - Walking in Love - In Ephesians 5:2, Paul calls us to walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Do you walk with love for people, or is it a struggle? Hopefully, we can see through this study how to understand God s immense love for us, and that love propels us to treat others as God has treated us. May 21st- Armor of God - In the final sermon in our Alive in Christ series, we are reminded that we live in a spiritual warfare, and we desperately need God s protection. We are urged by Paul to seek God s protection daily as he writes in Ephesians 6:13, Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. May 30th- Celebration Sabbath - This special Sabbath celebrates the completion of our Alive in Christ small group series. At this time, each group shares their God stories that came from their six weeks of studying the book of Ephesians. See you when the church gathers. = WE DID IT The Latest Word V 27 N 05 BILL AUMACK responsible for this LINDA AUMACK copy editor ALEX AUMACK paper distribution CARY FISHER pastor address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA office: fax: downeychurch@gmail.com distributed monthly issue date: May 2015 copyright

3 The Stewpot by Edward W. Fargusson, M.Div. Do you even pray? That question shocked me as a pastor, especially since my head elder was asking it very indignantly. The context was right after a board discussion regarding finances and the implication was clear: I was not relying enough on prayer to solve the financial problems of the church. At that time, we had just learned that the church finances were $230,000 over what we thought they were. No one had stolen any money and the church treasurer was not inept. It was a complicated scenario where we had just missed something. The result was an inaccurate accounting picture that accumulated over time. Part of the problem was the belief on the part of the members that God was going to bail out the church every time the people prayed. The elder told me that in the past they prayed and God answered. The problem was that God had not actually answered in the way that they thought, and now they re in trouble. They had prayed and kept on spending without paying close attention to how much money was really in the bank. Thankfully, with God s help and the faithfulness of church members, we were back on track in just eight months. And, in case you re wondering, that head elder and I remain good friends to this day. So how do prayer and stewardship intersect? How does faith play its role in church finance and stewardship? And how Worship Schedule May 2 Cary Fisher Mystery of God May 9 Cary Fisher Living in Unity Stewardship and Prayer May 16 Cary Fisher Walking in Love May 21 Cary Fisher Armor of God May 30 Cary Fisher Celebration Sabbath should stewardship impact our prayer life? Stewardship and Prayer So what is the role of prayer in stewardship? Begin with prayer. The essence of stewardship is caring for someone else s property. In the parable of the talents, or the parable of the good steward, Jesus illustrates the principle that we are simply caring for that which really belongs to God. So why should we not begin by asking God what He would have us do with His gifts? Prayer is our means to communicate with God and discover who He is and His will for us. Plan. While prayer is foundational in all we do, it is not all we do! Prayer is never a substitute for good stewardship and good planning. While we should pray before we plan, we should plan. This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Steps to Christ, p. 70. But this does not mean we can pray and then abdicate to God the results of our lack of planning. Jesus himself counsels us May 2015 to count the cost before beginning to build (see Luke 14:28-30). Planning should include calculating the cost of future repairs on a church building. Over time, the roof and carpet will wear out, the parking lot will need resurfacing, and the paint will fade and peel. Plan on it and begin setting aside money. It is not a lack of faith to plan, but it is lack of faith to plan without praying. Ministry takes money. As Jesus counseled, don t plan events without figuring out the cost. Have a budget and reserve raising money for the unexpected. Study. God gave us brains. Good stewardship requires us to use them. We should do our research, study His word, learn good financial principles, and get good advice. The goal is to learn what God wants us to do with His gifts. We should bathe our study in prayer so we can hear Him clearly. Act. Once we have prayed, planned, and studied, then we must apply what we have learned. Even this requires prayer because we must always move forward while listening. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in continued on page 4 3

4 THE LATEST WORD Stewardship and Prayer (cont.) 4 God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it. John Wesley Prayer requires more of the heart than the tongue. Adam Clarke it, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21, NKJV. Notice that God says we hear Him whenever you turn, and not while we are standing still; however, we must listen. Fail. I collect sayings and here are a few about failing: Failure is failure only if we fail to try again. Success is getting up one more time than you fall down. Walking is a series of interrupted falls. The programs and projects of the church are God s and not ours. Setbacks can and will occur, but don t give up. Prayerfully learn from them and move forward. Even if the failure was the result of human error, God does not stop working. If He did, there would be no redemption for fallen men. Expect Miracles. You might be tempted to think, as did my elder, that I don t believe in miracles, but I do! I just don t believe God s providence is an excuse for me not to do what He asks. Once our church needed a new carpet. We could not afford to re-carpet the entire building at once so we broke it into three parts. We raised enough to complete phase one. Just as we completed fundraising for phase two, God blessed a church member financially and he donated enough money to complete the entire project at once. I ve observed that when God provides for the church, He does not do direct deposit. Instead, He blesses people who are then able to share that blessing with His church. Another time we were planning for evangelism and an opportunity arose to put ads on primetime television on major channels in our town. However, it was going to cost $1,000 over our budget. Our committee prayed. We believed we should move forward. After our commitment to act, I received a call from one elderly church member who told me that she had been putting aside money to donate to another ministry, but that God had impressed her to give it all to our evangelism plan. She handed me $1,000 in cash. Stewardship of Prayer Do we need to exercise stewardship in our prayer life? Prayer is a part of the stewardship of my relationship to God. Just as I need to nurture my relationship with my wife, I must nurture my relationship to God. To nurture my relationship with my wife, communication is one key element. When we spend time together, we communicate. If we are on a date and I do not pay attention to her, it will not help our relationship. The way I nurture my relationship with God is similar. Prayer is the channel of communication with God. If I don t pray, my relationship to God will suffer in the same way that my relationship with my spouse will suffer if I don t communicate with her. So not only is prayer a part of stewardship, I must be a good steward of my prayer life to strengthen my spiritual life. Conclusion Prayer and planning are not incompatible, but rather integrated. Prayer is integral to my being a faithful steward. Prayer is communicating with God and that is what equips us to build our relationship with Him and to be faithful to Him. =

5 Taste & Inspiration May 2015 Fannie Farmer s Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients Directions 4.0 medium potatoes peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick salt to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). 2. Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole. fresh ground pepper to taste 3.0 tablespoons flour 4.0 tablespoons butter 1.5 cups milk 3. Cover the bottom of the casserole with a single layer of potatoes. 4. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, flour and a few dots of butter. 5. Repeat until all of the potato slices are used. 6. Pour milk over the potato slices until the top is almost covered. 7. Dot with the remaining butter. 8. Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are soft. Enjoy! = Pilar & Phillip Sign up for the Wednesday newletter on our webpage at If you are having problems, just us at downeychurch@ gmail.com and we will add you to the list. Advice for Grads The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. Ralph Waldo Emerson You can also sign up to get notice when this newsletter is available on the web. Saving paper is also good for our pocket and the earth. 5

6 Downey Adventist Church Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Visit S.S. Sabbath School C.S. Community Service 7:37 pm sunset 7 pm Band Practice 1 2 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary Alive in Christ #3 2 pm Pathfinders 6:30 pm God s Not Dead 9 am Pathfinders :42 pm sunset 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary Alive in Christ # pm Wed. Fellowship 7 pm Band Practice :47 pm sunset 4 pm Bible Study 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary Alive in Christ #5 7 pm Wed. Fellowship 7 pm Band Practice :53 pm sunset 2 pm Pathfinders 4 pm Bible Study 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary Alive in Christ #6 7 pm Wed. Fellowship 7 pm Church Board 7 pm Band Practice 4 pm Bible Study :57 pm sunset 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary Celebration Sabbath 31 7 pm Wed. Fellowship 7 pm Band Practice 4 pm Bible Study

7 May 2015 Upcoming Events May Birthdays Chris Martin 1 Dudley Meade 1 Victor Zamora 4 Linda Aumack 6 Michael Fernandez 6 Kaye Navarro 10 Grace Huinquez 10 Byron Molina Jr. 11 Bill Aumack 17 Ray Munguia 18 Frank Duran 23 Mimi Gonzalez 26 Michael Parras 27 Alex Aumack 28 Phillip Mondragon - 28 If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in. Wednesday - 7 p.m. Wed. Fellowship Friday - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Saturday - 4:00 p.m. Bible Study May 2 - 2pm May 3 - 9am May 9 - Mother s Day Sabbath May 12 - Fellowship 12:30pm May pm May 25 - Memorial Day - Office Closed May 30 - Celebration Sabbath The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month. Be sure to keep up with the latest news by signing up for the Wednesday . You can sign up here or send us an at DowneyChurch at gmail dot com and we ll add you. July VBS Coming Soon 7

8 THE LATEST WORD The Latest About Our Church Family Congratulations to Anita Dominqu and Grasiela Elva Lopez. They were baptized on April 11th. Be sure to welcome them to the family. Graduates Needed. If you know someone who is graduating from Kindergarten, 8th grade, High School, or College - please let us know. We d love to recognize them and celebrate with them. newsletter. = If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the Thank you to everyone who has been saving Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated. Help us find everyone who is graduating this year! For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! = 8 Memorial Day Is it enough to think today Of all our brave, then put away The thought until a year has sped? Is this full honor for our dead? Is it enough to sing a song And deck a grave; and all year long Forget the brave who died that we Might keep our great land proud and free? Full service needs a greater toll, That we who live give heart and soul To keep the land they died to save, And be ourselves, in turn, the brave! Annette Wynne = At the Starting Gate There s a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch once said. Graduation is not the end; it s the beginning. The same is true of baptism. Both events are often approached as an end point reached with relief: Well, at least that s done! With the degree or salvation in hand, some people feel no further need for education or spiritual growth. Just remember: You re at the starting gate, not the finish line. Well-wishers encourage new grads, Don t stop now; you re on a roll. Even greater things are ahead! And Hebrews 12:1 (NRSV) urges the baptized, Run with perseverance the race that is set before [you]. While a diploma bears the seal of the graduate s school, Christians themselves are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30) and the cross of Christ. To take full advantage of each, we must continue learning and growing. =

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10 May 2015 Ponder This... = For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair. Anne Morrow Lindbergh = Why shall I wait for someone else? Why don t I raise my voice? Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, age 17 = If at first you don t succeed, do it like your mother told you. Author unknown Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested 10