Keeping the Marriage Burning!

Transcription

1 AFC WASHINGTON, DC NEWS JANUARY-MARCH 2009 Apostolic Faith Church 1325 Branch Avenue, SE Washington, DC Our motto: Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3) Keeping the Marriage Burning! Reverend Eugene Segres Admonishes Married Couples By Sister Jennifer Nettey On February 7, 2009, the Washington DC church sponsored a marriage retreat for couples. The venue for the event was the Embassy suites Hotels in Baltimore International Airport. Thirty-eight people attended of which eleven were from the Brooklyn, New York Church. The theme for the retreat was How to Glorify God and Keep the Fire Burning in Your Marriage. The evening commenced with a reception in the beautifully decorated event hall. It was a grand time as the couples meet and greet dining on a wonderful array of fresh fruits and cheeses. The photographer for the evening, Bro. Dial Keju was busy taking pictures of all the beautifully attired attendees. The evening continued with prayer followed by a welcome of the guests and the Guest Speaker, Rev. Eugene Segres and his lovely wife from the Brooklyn church. After which the couples dined on salmon, beef wellington, roasted chicken and a wide variety of salads, vegetables and cakes. After dinner and a brief introduction of the speaker, it was time for the more serious business of the evening. Rev. Segres shared some personal testimony about his 45 years of marriage and how the Lord is leading him to work in the area of marriage. In dealing with the theme How to Glorify God and Keep the Fire Burning in Your Marriage he took his text from 1Cor. 7:1-16, 1Thes 4:3, 4 and Heb.13:4. He admonished the attendees to know firstly, that they are not their own but are boughtwith a price, the precious blood of Jesus. Therefore, they should endeavor to glorify God in their bodies by living holy, sanctified lives. Secondly, God instituted marriage. In addition, he stressed that it is honorable and intimacy is crucial if we are to keep the fire burning. Couples were encouraged to keep an open line of communication with their mates and to recognize that physical relation is a very vital part of communicating with their spouses. Next, it was time for a little Q and A. The panelists were Rev. Josephine McElveen, Rev Eugene

2 JANUARY-MARCH 2009 Rev. Segres shared some personal testimony about his 45 years of marriage and how the Lord is leading him to work in the area of marriage. In dealing with the theme, How to Glorify God and Keep the Fire Burning in Your Marriage, he took his text from I Corinthian 7:1-16, I Thessalonians 4:3-4 and Hebrews 13:4. Washington, DC s Annual Couple Retreat (continue from page 1) Segres, Bro Etim Etim and Bro Ebenezer Nettey. There were numerous questions, some submitted by the attendees. The panel attempted to answer as many of the questions as possible with participation from the audience. Despite their best efforts, it was not possible to deal with all the questions posed. After the question and answer session, Rev. Eugene Segres led the couples in a vow renewal ceremony. Sis.Linda McElveen distributed beautifully made certificates of completion of the marriage session to all the couples. She also led the fun activity, The Newly Wed Game. Some of the couples took advantage of the opportunity to stay over night in the hotel s king size suites. We had a grand time and we will see you at the next couples retreat, God bless you!

3 Culture Day and Black History Month 2009 Many Faces, Many Cultures JANARY-MARCH 2009 By Sister Ruth Oni The program opened with African praise choruses led by Sister Udeme Etim and Negro Spirituals led by Sister Rose Coleman. An orchestra selection was followed by a prayer of dedication which was given in three languages: English and both a Ghanaian and a Nigerian dialect were represented. In acknowledgement of our first African American President, Sister Linda McElveen hosted a brief Jeopardy trivia game entitled Recognition of Our 44th President, Barack Obama and the participation was strong and lively! The next part of the program focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with a summary given by Ruth Oni. We then had presentations by three students who have attended HBCU s and they had the opportunity to share their schools background and their personal academic experiences. Brother Ifiok Ekanem (Class of 2007, Information Technology Science) represented Bowie State University; Howard University was represented by Brother Bode Ekundayo a current Pharmaceutical Science student and Morgan State University was represented by Sister Monique McElveen, student of Media Communications. Sister Monique also provided a pictorial slideshow of the campuses and some historical shots. She also surprised us by including a download from Howard University School of Business Associate Professor of Information Systems and Decision Sciences and our own well-loved Assistant Pastor, Brother Ayo Mobolurin. Final comments and a closing prayer were given by Pastor Josephine McElveen.

4 JANUARY-MARCH 2009 Month of Prayer Nightly prayer meetings By Brother Bode Ekundayo February 2009 was celebrated not only by couples who came together to refine the meaning of successful marriage, but the entire church family also came together nightly for prayer meetings during the month of prayer. The unique prayer sessions was concluded with songs of praise and sharing of some personal testimonies. Bro. Bode was there to report testimonies of answered prayers. Bro. Victor Arotimi who was critically ill earlier in the month testified to the healing power in the Blood of Jesus. Sister Ayo Temple also thanked God for His healing touch. She had been having problems with her knees which had made her unable to drive; she was even told by her doctor that she might need a knee replacement surgery. However, God honored her mustard of faith as she came to church on the last prayer night. In a miraculous way, God touched her knees and she was able to kneel at the altar of prayer throughout the one-hour duration of the prayer session. Sister Dallas was grateful to God for ministering to her in wonderful ways and speaking to her as a friend would. The wife of our Youth Leader, Sister Linda McElveen could not contain herself for the joy the Lord had put in her soul! In a miraculous way, God protected her sister from being laid off at work and gave her a promotion instead. God honored her mustard of faith as she came to church on the last prayer night...in a miraculous way, God touched her knees and she was able to kneel at the alter of pryaer... Our brethren at the outreach mission in Reston, Virginia were not left out of the February showers of blessings as Bro Oludare Owolabi, one of the Reston Outreach Team, testified about how the power of God prevented a certain young man from committing suicide after losing his job. God used a tract on Encouragement which was handed to him in one of the street meetings to speak to his heart. We also saw God working wonders in the life of our pastor s husband during the third prayer week. Truly, we can say with the songwriter, it is really surprising what the Lord can do! We hope to keep on in the spirit of prayer even after this prayer month because we are convinced that our mountains can be moved if unceasingly we pray. Prayer meeting scenes. Church family and friends came together nightly during the month of prayer to pray for one another and those in need.

5 JANARY-MARCH 2009 Senior Saints Appreciation Day Honoring our senior saints By Sister Aquanette Daniel Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? Job 12:12 January 25, 2009 we had a celebration to honor the Seasoned Saints of our congregation. The Lord has blessed us with men and women of faith who have given years of faithful, sacrificial service and who deserve a word of thanks. The Seasoned Saints are an invaluable treasure to the church. The celebration began with a catered luncheon held in the lower sanctuary. The room was decorated by our Women s Fellowship with beautiful red and white decorations to include red roses on each table. The Seasoned Saints, the Pastor and their guests were escorted to the dinner tables by a group of our youth who were very happy to take part in this celebration. After everyone was seated, our youth leader Bro. Demetrius McElveen led the prayer as he blessed the luncheon. The Youth acting as waiters and waitresses were eager to serve the senior saints. Each Senior had one sever, who was very attentive to all their needs from the beginning to the end of the luncheon. Following the luncheon, a program held in our main sanctuary to continue the celebration. Sis. Carrie Keju, the Mistress of Ceremony, gave a wonderful welcome to the congregation and guests. As she announced each Seasoned Saint they were escorted to the front row, accompanied by a standing ovation. As the program moved forward, we were led in prayer by Bro. Victor Arotimi. After the prayer, we were favored with a selection entitled I Will Travel All the Way to Calvary, by Seasoned Saint Sis. Lillian Burnette. After which, there was time allotted for family members, church family and our Pastor Rev. Josephine McElveen. guests to give remarks to and about the honorees. All of the remarks were expressions of thanks. Following the remarks was a selection dedicated to the honorees given by Bro. Dial Keju entitled Rock of Ages. An exhortation came from Bro. Ebenezer Nettey with closing remarks from While we recognize the invaluable roles that our Seniors make to our church family, we also realize the responsibility that we have to carry the gospel forward. We have been given wonderful examples of commitment, endurance, and spiritual growth by our Seasoned Saints.