Vacation Bible School. Army Chaplain Visits by Pastor Mitch. God s BIG Backyard. For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church

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For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church Army Chaplain Visits by Pastor Mitch Lt. Col. James Milburn has served our country as an Army Chaplain for the past 17 years.

He has served as a chaplain in such places as Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany caring for wounded solders from Iraq and other theatres of war.

1 For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church Army Chaplain Visits by Pastor Mitch Lt. Col. James Milburn has served our country as an Army Chaplain for the past 17 years. He and his wife Ruth, will be with us on July 5 and he will share some of his experiences. He has served as a chaplain in such places as Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany caring for wounded solders from Iraq and other theatres of war. The following is a brief description of Army Chaplains taken from the goarmy.com website. U.S. Army Chaplains serve both God and country by bringing their unique gifts with which they are endowed by God, to the Soldiers of our nation in the broad, challenging, diverse, and ever changing environment of the Army. Army Chaplains are our nation s Soldiers who minister to our nation s sons and daughters, and their families. Like any Soldier, they must endure the hardships, separations, and deprivations of those whom they serve. Qualified and sent by their religious bodies, trained by the U.S. Army, and led by the God that they serve, Army Chaplains are expected to exercise dynamic and influential spiritual leadership, without violating their faith or conscience. Army Chaplains are the soul and conscience of our nation s Army. On July 12, we continue our walk through the book of Romans with the continued on page 2 American Independence John Adams, who became America s second president, was so elated when the United States was about to celebrate independence from England that he wrote: It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore. God s BIG Backyard Vacation Bible School is coming! This year we will be in God s BIG Backyard: Where kids have a blast serving Jesus! Get ready for an outdoor adventure that starts in your own backyard and gets bigger each day as kids take the love of Jesus into their neighborhoods and communities! In God s BIG Backyard, kids will participate in the large-group excitement of Backyard Bash, experience God s Word, and explore and create fun-filled crafts, snacks and games. Each day we ll discover how much fun service can be. Your kids won t want to miss this adventure in God s BIG Backyard! Date: July Place: Downey Adventist Church Time: 6-8:30 pm Call the office at for more details. =

2 THE LATEST WORD Army Chaplain Visits (cont. from page 1) 2 message, The Law. This will be the seventh message in the series and is based on Romans 7. Many have the wrong notion about the purpose of the law. People may have done their best to keep it in order to escape punishment, but their best was never good enough. Slaves to the law, they had no security or genuine peace with God. But things changed when they realize the fullness of gospel including what God had done for them through Christ. At that point obedience became a response to love. It was transforming love empowered by God s Holy Spirit (George Knight, Walking with Paul through the Book of Romans, p. 173.) July 19 will be Kid s Sabbath. Our purpose as a family of God is to train our children in leadership skills. This is best accomplished when children are encouraged to take part in the Sabbath service that is fun and builds their self-confidence. All of the children are welcome to participate in the Kid s Sabbath according to their abilities and desires. Since most children are naturally shy, just inviting them to stand-up in front moves them along in the process of taking a more active part later as they gain confidence. It is my personal goal to At that point obedience became a response to love. assure that all the children who participate in the Kid s Sabbath will succeed. Give me a call at (562) and we ll plan to make your child a part of the service. It s time to fill the baptismal pool in preparation for those planning to be baptized on July 26. Each Sabbath morning, I m teaching a baptismal class and everyone is invited. Even those who may not plan to be baptized in July, but merely seek to better understand what baptism means are welcome to join the class. The class time is 9:30-10:30 a.m. each Sabbath in the Fellowship Hall. Also, since Vacation Bible School runs the week before, we ll be celebrating with all those involved with VBS and reviewing the week. A barbecue luncheon is planned continued on page 4 WE DID IT The Latest Word V 20 N 07 BILL AUMACK el jefe BILL AUMACK design LINDA AUMACK proof reading Becky and Terri distribution MITCH WILLIAMS pastor address mail to: (we like letters!) Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA office: fax: downeychurch@gmail.com distributed monthly issue date: July 2008 copyright

Webster, God and You by Linda Bewley Webster says that anxious means characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency: WORRIED.

3 Webster, God and You by Linda Bewley Webster says that anxious means characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency: WORRIED... characterized by, resulting from, or cause anxiety: WORRYING (Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary). God says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6 NIV). Take a 230-unit condominium complex built in the 70s with approximately 1.5 parking spaces per unit, and you have plenty of parking for the families during that era. Fast forward to today, with approximately two drivers per unit, and you have a complex with chronic parking issues. That is where I live! Thus, when I want to have friends or family over, it becomes quite a chore to find parking for July 5 Lt. Col. James Milburn Independence Day July 12 Mitch Williams The Law Romans 7 Why Worry? everyone, as the visitor spots are taken by residents. Last night was one such occasion. I arrived home from church at about 1:30 p.m. thinking to grab at least one open space before my guests arrived at 6 p.m. Well, I could not have been more wrong, because there were no open visitor spaces. I prayed to God and asked that he would provide parking for my friends. After all, we were meeting for church business, so surely God would take care of the situation, wouldn t he? I also had a back up plan which involved shuttling people from the nearby Target store just in case. With those thoughts in mind, I told myself I would not worry about it. Unfortunately, I did not heed my own counsel. Every 15 minutes or so, all afternoon long, I would hop up and look outside to see if anyone had moved. Of course, no one had. It looked like no one was going anywhere! Worship Schedule July 19 Mitch Williams Kid s Sabbath July 26 Mitch Williams Baptism & VBS Celebration July 2008 Around 5:15 p.m., I called all my friends and told them to park at Target and call me for a ride. O ye of little faith! Guess what happened! At 5:45 p.m., a visitor spot right next to my unit became available, just as the first guest arrived. And she told me she found another one on the way in. Two down, one to go. And I wasn t worried, because I could tandem park two cars. However, that was still of little faith, because when the final car arrived, there were open spaces everywhere! God did take care of the problem-not all afternoon long when it was not necessary, but at just the right time! You know, I realize that most of life s difficulties are not as insignificant as finding parking. But there s a lesson here nonetheless. Often I pray about a situation and then, instead of waiting, I become anxious. I keep looking for God to answer according to my timing. In all situations, I need to remember that God is never late, and he s always concerned about that which affects us. It s a promise. Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern (Matthew 6:31-33). = 3

THE LATEST WORD 4 Before the Father by Linda Fernandez It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. George Washington, 1st U.S. President It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people.

As I thought about them, it occurred to me how their words would not only be ridiculed today; but in fact more likely cast aside as archaic and out of touch with today s world.

4 THE LATEST WORD 4 Before the Father by Linda Fernandez It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. George Washington, 1st U.S. President It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedoms. (Attributed to) Horace Greeley I came across the above statements some time ago. As I thought about them, it occurred to me how their words would not only be ridiculed today; but in fact more likely cast aside as archaic and out of touch with today s world. Yet we see the evidence every day, if we take the time to look or listen. I have been listening to some great professors lecturing on the Old and New Testaments. Listening to them reminded me of how many times the Hebrew people turned Appreciate Our Freedoms away from God. Often in their hardheartedness, only when life became unbearable did they repent and turn back to Him. After confessing their sins, what was one of the first things the leaders would do? They read the Law to the people, sometimes for hours on end. A quick word search on Crosswalk.com revealed a surprising number of such incidents. Let s look at these statements a little closer: do we see evidence of areas in the world where God s word is not only discouraged, but against the law? In many cases, are they not mostly dictatorships placing their people under extreme hardship? Would reading the Bible change the way their leaders treat the people? Perhaps, but the most interesting thing to me is how the Bible teaches the people in these areas and nations to respond to the cruelty and neglect which comes from their leaders. Take China for instance. From what I understand, official Christian churches are not allowed, but a house can be made suitable for services and worship. The people are so hungry for the Word of God that others risk their freedom and sometimes their lives in order to provide Bibles to them. One of our former members emigrated to the U.S. from Romania. He would tell us fascinating stories about how the Christians in his country would carry a small portion of the Bible hidden in their clothing until they memorized it and then pass it along to another in exchange for their portion. They had to meet in the forests for services. The punishments for just owning a Bible was very severe. This reality for some seems so foreign to those of us who live in a country where you will find more than one Bible in most homes, sometimes dust-covered by neglect, sometimes battered by constant use. Father: May we not only appreciate the many freedoms we enjoy but also remember those who have and continue to give their all so that others might have access to the peace and comfort in your Word. = Army Chaplain Visits (from page 2) following the service on July 26. No, we won t melt in the heat, since we ll be cool and comfortable eating in the Fellowship Hall. A sign-up sheet will be passed around at church inviting everyone to bring something to the barbecue. See you when the church gathers. = August 2 Bolsa Chica Beach 4 PM Food, Games, Fellowship Watch for more details

With Love From the Kitchen of Sheri Fayard Spicy Coleslaw Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing July 2008 Coleslaw Ingredients 3 medium carrots - peeled & finely chopped 6 cups shredded green cabbage 1 red

5 With Love From the Kitchen of Sheri Fayard Spicy Coleslaw Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing July 2008 Coleslaw Ingredients 3 medium carrots - peeled & finely chopped 6 cups shredded green cabbage 1 red bell pepper cut into matchstick strips 1 red onion, thinly sliced Dressing Ingredients 3/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro 1/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp ground cumin 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce 1/2 cup olive oil Cook carrots in medium saucepan in lightly salted water until tender crisp - about 2 mins. Cool and set aside. Add cabbage, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and carrots. Whisk dressing together and add to cabbage, etc. Season with salt/pepper to taste. = 5 Enjoy Your Freedom Because many Americans have never known other circumstances, it s easy to take our liberties for granted. The Israelites knew firsthand the oppression of slavery. Yet when God finally led them out of Egypt, they had problems adjusting to their newfound freedom. Fearful and rebellious, the Israelites grumbled against their leaders, Moses and Aaron, saying they would ve been better off as slaves in Egypt. Our freedom as Christians cost Jesus his life. But we, too, often find it easier to fall back into sinful habits. In Galatians 5:1, Paul offers this encouragement: For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (NRSV). We re no longer bound by sin and death. That independence is worth celebrating every day! =

6 Downey Adventist Church Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :07 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship James Milburn AM C.S. 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 8:06 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams 13 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice AM C.S. 8:03 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams Kid s Sabbath 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice AM C.S. 7:59 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams Baptism Vacation Bible School - 6pm to 8:30pm 12:30 BBQ Visit C.S. - Community Service S.S. - Sabbath School 7 pm Women s Prayer Group

7 The Stewpot by A. G. Kromminga, D. Min. The brochure from the Federal Trade Commission was subtitled, Fighting Back Against Identity Theft and indicated that all postal customers should take certain positive steps to keep ID thieves from stealing their ID and ultimately their worldly goods. The Challenge Within the Church Yet there is another type of theft going on in the church that many members seem unaware of that is stealing a positive, joyous experience and character from them. What is it, you ask? Perhaps Stephen B. McSwain in his book, The Giving Myths, captured the answer in these words: One of the paradoxical things Jesus said - and there are many - pertains to giving: If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. (Matt 16:25). This is just the opposite of what our culture teaches. Advertisers lure us into believing what could be described as the myth of getting - a cultural myth that happiness, security, and contentment are found in the sum total of your material assets and personal accomplishments. (p.12) McSwain goes on to say that the experience of giving ourselves to Jesus is the giving of our time, body temple, talents, and material holdings back to Jesus in tithes and offerings. This involves a total life commitment and often is inhibited by ego or self, or even by some myths about giving. But what does the Bible say about giving? The Fight Against Characater Theft! Perhaps we need to explore what the Bible says about giving so that we can better relate to Jesus in our personal lives. Following are some positive steps that may be taken to help our personal experience. Make Giving a Personal, Heart Experience To the Corinthians Paul wrote, I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians... This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Cor. 9:2,12 NIV. Ed Reid put it this way, God doesn t need the money! He wants our hearts.... Cheerful offerings are a response of love, not a demand or an expectation.... May I suggest two solid reasons for cheerful giving? They are our response to the great love of God and the thrill of seeing the work of God go forward. ( Have You Got an Attitude? The life you ve always wanted will be found in one way only - in giving. (McSwain, Ibid, p. 23) This is the experience that the Corinthians had found, and it can be ours, too! If the majority of the religious leaders today were experiencing the blessed life in giving, their churches would be observing in them a thorough transformation of their own characters, preaching and lifestyle. Many would enthusiastically follow their example. (McSwain, Ibid, p. 31) July 2008 Discover What This Heart Experience Involves In his book, Generous Giving, Ron Blue says, To prepare yourself for generous giving, you need to find out what God says about money. (p. 56) In other words, we need to learn, to study what God s Word says about money and giving. This can be achieved through many ways - seminars, printed literature, etc. Blue goes on to point out that money is a tool to be used the way God wants us to, a test -financially, practically, and spiritually, and a testimony as to what we believe about God and His Word. (Ibid. pp ) The proper place and use of money in our lives can be a blessing to us personally as we learn to budget money for our personal use as well as for gifts to advance God s cause. Dispel Some of the Myths About Giving There are many misunderstandings about what scripture says about money, its possession, use, and the benefits of giving liberally to God. McSwain, in his book The Giving Myths, deals with what he calls seven myths of giving. They are: 1. Give and You ll Get Rich 2. I Can t Afford to Give 3. Equal and Fair Share Giving is Enough 4. The Standard of Giving is Tithe 5. Get Them Involved and They Will Give continued on page 10 7

8 8 THE LATEST WORD

9 July 2008 this month July Birthdays Ana Torres-1 Ewan McMahan-4 Adam Godoy-7 Pilar Centeno, Sr.-7 Bonnie Iversen-8 Lileth McMahan-10 Lucille Martinez-11 Eduardo Castilla-14 Alfie Macias-18 Susie Munguia-21 Wayne Lewis-21 Karen Garcia-23 Catherine Garcia-23 Mary Heckmann-27 Ethan Morales-30 If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in. When you go on vacation this summer, collect bulletins from the churches you visit and bring them back. Give them to Bill A. when you get back. They will be posted on the bulletin board and we can see who went where over the summer. It will be fun. Piano Lessons Chris Martin is available for piano lessons. Call (714) for more information. Upcoming Events Wednesdays - 10 a.m. Community Service Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women s Prayer Group Fridays - 6:30 p.m. Band Practice Adventure Club is on Summer Break No Church Board in July July 4 - Independence Day - Office Closed Coming Soon The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month. July Vacation Bible School Aug 2 - Beach Party Sept All Nations Day 9

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About Our Church Family Congratulations to the Adventurers who were honored on June 14 for completing their honors. Keep up the good work! We are proud of you.

She is going back to be closer to her family. God bless you Veronique. We ll miss you. Stewpot (from page 7) 6. Your Charity is Your Private Matter 7.

television thing, either. These material moguls have been around for a long time. (Ibid, pp. 47, 48) Paul spoke of them in 2 Corinthians 2:17.

10 THE LATEST WORD The Latest About Our Church Family Congratulations to the Adventurers who were honored on June 14 for completing their honors. Keep up the good work! We are proud of you. If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the newsletter. = 10 We sadly bid farewell to Veronique Daures as she heads back to France. She is going back to be closer to her family. God bless you Veronique. We ll miss you. Stewpot (from page 7) 6. Your Charity is Your Private Matter 7. Test God Through Your Giving McSwain speaks of the Give and You ll Get Rich myth as the most insidious of all myths about giving and it is primarily promoted by a certain strain of Christian and television thing, either. These material moguls have been around for a long time. (Ibid, pp. 47, 48) Paul spoke of them in 2 Corinthians 2:17. The emphasis in the Bible is on God making provisions for all of our needs and upon our responding to the law of the universe - that of giving. Then, If there are those who give in order to get rich, there are those at the other extreme who will not give because they feel that if they give, they won t have enough..... But for those who invest what they are given in worthwhile kingdom causes and in those who have need, God will find a way to give it back to them. As they keep giving it away, God will keep giving it back. This is the secret to abundant and meaningful living. (McSwain, Ibid, pp. 75, 83). Then, as we experience the real joy of giving in our lives, it will become a natural thing for us to share this same experience with our families, with other church members, and with friends. = Do YOU Know Him? Name: Mark Pond Birthday: Nov 12 Born: Indiana Fav Color: Blue Fav Food: Abondigas Soup Fav Sport: Golf, Baseball and NASCAR Fav Activity: Fishing Occupation: Delivery Driver Other Info: - Mark has been attending Downey for 4 years - He has two sons, Kyle and Josh - He loves his Small Group, fellowship, Bible study and his church family

11 July 2008 How Can I Help? by Linda Fernandez Supporting Our Troops As we listen to the daily or nightly news, we hear more and more about our troops, both here at home and those serving in other countries. Some are in constant extreme danger, others provide much needed support in getting supplies to them or are preparing for their own tours of duty. I have heard many people say, I wish there was something I could do. Well, thanks to one soldier and his family taking the initiative, we can find many ways in which to help those who so valiantly continue to fight for our freedom and to allow others many of the freedoms we enjoy. One such organization is anysoldier.com. What a great idea started out by an Army Infantry Soldier serving in Kirkuk, Iraq. Sergeant Brian Horn wanted to do something for his soldiers who didn t get any mail. He came up with the idea of people sending boxes directed to Any Soldier and he would distribute them to the troops. Any Soldier began in 2003 and by 2004 the requests had become so overwhelming that it soon included any member of the Armed Services. They give suggestions on what to send, where to send, and how to send your packages. There are mailing guidelines and restrictions, so be sure to read all through the website to make sure your gift goes where it was intended. Brian s mom received many requests from people unable to get out and about in order to pick up the recommended items, so she designed a pre-packaged care package you can order at TreatAnySoldier.com. According to many statistics, the U.S is by far the most generous in free-will giving and donations. We are more likely to volunteer. Many of us sponsor a child in poor, destitute countries; why not sponsor members serving in our military. One of the great things about this organization is that you don t have to worry about your soldier leaving to another post or coming home and missing your box as the boxes are directed to Any Soldier they will be forwarded to those still there who do not receive mail. If you would like to find out more about this great service to our military community, check out their website at = 11 We are looking for someone to help maintain our Church History. This would mainly consist of getting prints of the digital pics of events, some simple labeling and putting them into albums. It doesn t have to be super fancy and ornate like some scrap books are these days. Please contact the church at or downeychurch@gmail.com if you d be interested or would like to learn more. Thanks!

July 2008 Ponder This... = Freedom fails when people decide that it is their right to take and not to give. Stanley Maxwell = The faces of children are proof enough of God.

12 July 2008 Ponder This... = Freedom fails when people decide that it is their right to take and not to give. Stanley Maxwell = The faces of children are proof enough of God. = The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace. Mother Teresa = Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. George Washington Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA I N S I D E Why Worry on page 3 Appreciating our Freedom on page 4 Sheri s Kitchen on page 5 What s happening? see pages 6 & 9 The Fight Against Character Theft! on page 7 Kid s Page on page 8 Our Church Family page 10 Support Our Troops on page 11 DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Downey, Calif. Permit no. 439

When the Seventh-day. Join us on Sept. 26 for our Missions and. Go Ye Therefore. Missions and International Sabbath INSIDE.

When the Seventh-day. Join us on Sept. 26 for our Missions and. Go Ye Therefore. Missions and International Sabbath INSIDE. For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church Go Ye Therefore by Cary Fisher When the Seventh-day Adventist Church came into its existence, the movement had a clear mission plan. Early