For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church Merry Christmas! This Christmas Season you can help spread the Good News of Jesus. So many people need to hear some Good News. Invite them to join us for A Sabbath Christmas on Christmas day, Dec. 25th. May God s blessing be on you and yours this Christmas Season.
THE LATEST WORD 2 A Christmas Sabbath by Pastor Mitch Christmas morning fell on Sabbath the first year we entered pastoral ministry. What do we do? Even though we were entering pastoral ministry, we were young in the faith as well as chronologically young. From our baptismal date to college graduation meant we were members of the Adventist Church for 6 years. We wanted to do everything right and set a good example for our church and especially our children. With three young children, it was our tradition to rise early on Christmas morning and begin the joyful process of opening presents. But, this Christmas morning was different, it was Sabbath. Should we rise extra early and let the kids open their gifts before attending Sabbath school? How about opening all the gifts on Friday night? Then we considered the theological questions like should we open presents at all on Sabbath? Or would the joy of gift giving on Sabbath disrupt our focus on the Lord? Even if our minds thought of skipping the Sabbath morning worship service which was out of the question since I was the pastor our hearts were eager to worship the Lord on Christmas Sabbath. During the week, the wife of the local head elder called to invite us to lunch on Christmas Sabbath and we gladly accepted. Since our pastoral assignment was in Central California, there would be no large family Christmas gatherings with grandma and grandpa and all the aunts and We wanted to do everything right and set a good example... for our children. uncles and cousins. They lived hundreds of miles to the south. Hence, we were glad to share part of Christmas Sabbath with our newly adopted church family. Following the luncheon, including a special Christmas dessert, we noticed secretive glances from our kids indicating their desire to speed up the process so they might return home to their treasure of presents. Our return glances communicated a bit more patience and a nudge to be thankful for good friends and hospitality. The gifts were opened on that Sabbath Christmas many years ago at just the right time. The children beamed with surprise as each gift revealed an unexpected delight. We took time to talk with our youngsters about the kindness of a family who opened their home to us on Christmas Sabbath. We agreed with one another that anticipating a gift a little bit longer adds to the surprise when it s opened. The most important learning came when we opened our Bibles for sundown worship and read the very story we celebrated that day the birth of our Lord. Celebrating Christmas on Sabbath day brought us to the conclusion there was no need to choose one over the other. Instead, we embraced the double blessing of both gifts and thanked God for his abundant love. Come for the double blessing of celebrating the birth of our Lord at the Christmas service on December 25. The service is entitled A Sabbath Christmas. A beautiful Christmas service is planned with lots of special music including continued on page 5 WE DID IT INSIDE What Did you Get? on page 3 Love is... Contagious on page 4 Ginny s Kitchen on page 5 What s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Become a Financial Scrooge on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid s Page on page 11 The Latest Word V 22 N 12 BILL AUMACK responsible for this LINDA AUMACK proof reading LETTY DURAN paper distribution MITCH WILLIAMS pastor address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA 90240 office: 562.869.6013 fax: 562.622.1691 downeychurch@gmail.com www.downeychurch.com distributed monthly issue date: Dec. 2010 copyright 1992-2010
December 2010 God, Webster & You by Linda Bewley Webster says that gift means something given... a notable capacity, talent or endowment... something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation (Webster s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary). God says There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV). What is the best gift you ve ever received? For the moment, I am speaking about something that was wrapped or at least something that could be touched or felt. One of the best and most memorable presents I ever received many years ago was quite small. It was given for my birthday, I believe. The gift consisted of two items. The first, a calendar with pictures of penguins. (At least one person reading this will understand that you know who you are, Linda A.!) The second item was a small book of crossword puzzles. I m guessing that s probably not what you expected me to write, so let me explain the reason the gifts were special. It s true, the cost involved was nominal and fit within that person s budget at the time. But the real reason they were so special to me was because the giver picked out two items which reflected that the giver knew me well and had put some effort into thinking about something that Worship Schedule December 4 Kevin Morris Pathfinder Induction December 11 Ethan Morales What is Wrong with My Generation? What Did You Get? December 18 Mitch Williams What is so Special about Christmas? December 25 Mitch Williams A Sabbath Christmas would please me. Let s think about some intangible gifts which we have all received. Wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing and prophecy. These are some of the spiritual gifts which are listed in Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians. Paul said these are a manifestation of the Spirit, not given to us for personal gain but given for the common good (verse 7). Paul tells us that each one of us is a part of the body of Christ and as such, we all serve in different capacities. He also says that God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (verse 18). We are all different and have varying Godgiven gifts. Why are our gifts different? I m sure there may be more than one reason, but one that occurs to me is that it is because the Giver knows each of us intimately, better than we know ourselves. He created us, so who better to determine how we are best to serve? He doesn t welcome us into his family and leave us without direction. He doesn t tell us to figure out how to make ourselves into something we re not. Nope. He gave us talents and gifts that he alone knows when, where, why and how to use. You know, one thing that Paul wrote always sticks out in my mind and is easily memorized. He says, find out what pleases the Lord (Ephesians 4:10). I am sure there are many ways to please God, just as I am sure that that verse can be applied to every area of our lives. But, I wonder, wouldn t it please God immensely to watch us discover the gifts he s given us and, better yet, use them for his honor? Just a thought. = 3
THE LATEST WORD Before the Father by Linda Fernandez Love is... Contagious 4 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 I hope this is evidence loving Christianity is contagious in our church. Our small group study series this session is on becoming Contagious Christians. So far, I have found the information provocative and enlightening. I was amazed to find out how many people are not sure who Jesus is. At the same time, I am encouraged to see that there are so many ways to share Christ with others in our everyday lives. Gone (hopefully) are the days of force-feeding others with the truth, followed by a good strong shot of guilt. After viewing the video and reading materials one week on living our faith, I witnessed a wonderful example of sharing our love for one another right in our own church parking lot. It was a beautiful scene. As I walked to my car after church to share some items with another member, a friend came over to me with the offer of some scrubs she thought I might be able to use in my new job. The lady I had shared with was on her way to share some food items will another family. Someone else offered a ride home to a woman and her children. Normally, I would be too busy rushing around checking off my to-do list to notice these small kindnesses, but the things we had recently been reminded of made me more aware somehow. Of course, these things did happen in our church parking lot, so it may not seem that surprising, but we recently held our Fall Party where we invite our friends to join us for a time of fun, food and fellowship. As I spoke to several people I don t see often and told them how happy I was to see them, they cheerfully remarked, I come every year, I wouldn t miss it. I thought about that later; what made our party one they wouldn t miss? Was it just that they felt welcomed? Was it the silly games we play? It could be the great food we have in abundance, but I would imagine you could find that at any party. I would like to think it is because we are not hesitant to show them that Christians can have fun and be friendly while serving our God. During the welcome portion of our church, I enjoy getting up and shaking hands with my friends and welcoming visitors. Every week it seems there are more and more visitors. So many of us get wrapped up in our welcoming, they have started putting a time limit on our sharing time in order to get on with the order of the service. During the singing part of our worship, the entire church becomes one in adoration and exaltation of our Lord. I hope this is evidence that loving Christianity is contagious in our church. Let s pray: Father, may our love for You be reflected in our love for others. =
From Ginny s Kitchen December 2010 Christmas Pecan & Date Pie Ingredients: One favorite deep pie shell. Pie Filling Ingredients: 1 cup whole pecans ½ cup fresh Medjool dates, pitted & chopped 1 cup dark Agave (purchased at Trader Joe s) 1 Tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon butter flavoring 2 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 3 or 4 large eggs 4 Tablespoons cornstarch 1. Roast the pecans at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes on a baking sheet. 2. After roasting the pecans at 400, reduce oven-heat to 325 degrees 3. Place dates and pecans over the bottom crust. 4. Combine, Agave, molasses, butter flavoring, vanilla, salt together. Use a mixer to blend together and then add cornstarch and eggs and blend again, on medium speed. 5. Pour mixture into prepared crust carefully. Stir lightly and nuts will come to the top of pie. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes. To check it is is done, place a knife in the middle to see if pie is setting-up. Be careful not to burn crust edges. 6. Cool. *Optional: serve with whipped cream Note from Ginny: If you want to make this eggfree. Use ¾ cup of water that has been brought to a boil with 1/3 cup flax seeds. I did mine in the microwave for 3 minutes. Be sure you cool the flax mixture before adding it, in place of the eggs. If you make this egg-free, I recommend you do this part first, so it can cool. = A Christmas Sabbath (from page 2) the Pathfinders who will sing a seasonal hymn. A drama is prepared that will provide a children s view of the birth of our Savior. Following the service, stop by the refreshment table in the foyer for a seasonal treat. To make our Christmas Sabbath service complete everyone will receive a gift. Christmas services are one of the most popular in our country so be sure to invite neighbors and friends to join us. Mark your calendars to present at the Pathfinder Induction service on December 4. After more than 20 years of hibernation, the Lord has revived the Downey Pathfinder Club. The induction service is a dedication for all our Pathfinders to the Lord. Please be aware that your presence is essential for a successful Pathfinder Club. They need our prayers, good wishes and our financial help. I m looking forward to this service for my friend Pastor Kevin Morris will lead the induction. Pastor Morris is a product of the Downey Church and recalls the life-changing impact Pathfinders had on him. Be sure to invite families with kids to this service. The answer is always yes to any of our youngsters who want to serve the Lord. On December 11, Ethan Morales has asked to share a message with his church family called What Is Wrong with My Generation? Ethan has thought about his generation and is concerned with what he sees. He not only identifies some of the problems but offers convincing solutions. My heart is filled with hope and pride anytime one of our young people stands up to speak to his generation from the pulpit. Please keep Ethan in your prayers that God will speak through him to us and to his generation the hope that is in Jesus. What is so special about Christmas? is the title of the message December 18. At this time of year, the whole world will focus on one event -- Christmas. Everything will become secondary for one 24-hour period while we celebrate Christmas. It is amazing to me that an event that happened over 2000 years ago can still cause traffic jams. continued on page 10 5
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Visit www.downeychurch.org C.S. - Community Service S.S. - Sabbath School Downey Adventist Church 1 2 3 4 4:43 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Kevin Morris Pathfinder Induction 10 AM C.S. 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4:44 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Ethan Morales 12 9:00 Pathfinders 7 pm Church Board Meeting 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice 3:00 Pathfinders 13 14 15 16 17 18 4:46 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 4:49 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams Christmas Service 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 4:53 pm sunset 6:00 pm Agape Feast 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams Day of Prayer
Stewpot by Gordon Botting, DrPH, CHES In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote his most beloved seasonal novel, A Christmas Carol. It is a tale full of contrasting characters from Ebenezer Scrooge, the grouchy old miser who cared for no one except himself and lived only to fill his coffers with more money, to the destitute family of his clerk Bob Cratchit, who worked long hours under inhumane conditions to provide for his family. But it is also a story whose central theme is about redemption and the true meaning of Christmas. The turning point of this narrative comes when the spirit of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, visits Scrooge on Christmas Eve. He informs Scrooge that his only hope of deliverance is learning that he should help his fellow human beings, and to aid him in grasping this, three ghosts will visit him in a dream the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Become a Financial Scrooge These three phantom characters not only have something to say about the poverty, want, and ignorance of nineteenth-century society that Dickens was trying to portray, but they also have a message for us as we enter the festive season of 2010. I don t believe Charles Dickens would mind my changing the portrayal of his ghostlike characters concerned with social agendas into financial spirits that haunt our current Christmas spending. In fact, I think he would probably agree because in real life he understood and experienced extreme poverty when, as a young man, he was forced to work in a shoe-blacking warehouse to support the family while his father was in debtors prison. Christmas Past The Financial Ghost of Christmas Past appears in the mailboxes of the majority of Americans a few weeks after all the excitement and joy of the Christmas season has gone. It comes in plain envelopes containing unexciting, but exorbitant credit-card and chargecard statements. Unfortunately, this financial spirit often hangs around until well after the Fourth of July celebrations, and sometimes it even joins a second companion as they overlap into the following year s Christmas splurge. To top it all off, this Financial Ghost of Christmas Past aggravates an already encumbered monetary situation by continuing to add to the family s financial burden with high interest rates and other charges. It is estimated that one out of five households will continue to live with the ghoulish reminder of their holiday financial indulgence many months into the New Year. Christmas Present One of the problems with the Financial Ghost of Christmas Present is that it demands we give and give some more. Often this includes people to whom we would not normally give anything, such as fellow employees with whom we seldom socialize and to neighbors and acquaintances whom we barely know. This major role of gift giving is a relatively new practice as part of the Christmas season. For centuries in most countries, individuals exchanged gifts on New Year s Day and left Christ s celebrated birthday as a noncommercial religious holiday. continued on page 8 December 2010 The Financial Ghost of Christmas Past appears... in plain envelopes containing unexciting, but exorbitant credit and charge card statements. To appease the Financial Ghost of Christmas Present, the best thing one can do is to stay within an already established Christmas budget. 7
THE LATEST WORD Financial Scrooge (cont. from page 7) 8 They observed the 25th of December as a day for providing food for the impoverished and disadvantaged, and in some instances a day for giving special gifts to pastors and missionaries. To appease the Financial Ghost of Christmas Present, the best thing one can do is to stay within an already established Christmas budget. This may necessitate that you become creative and use a little ingenuity. One idea is to make up gift certificates on the computer that can be redeemed by family and friends during the next twelve months examples might be fresh produce from your garden in July or a homemade meal for close friends. Another idea might be to give a couple in your neighborhood who is struggling with three pre-school youngsters, coupons good for several nights of babysitting. Another way to appease this Financial Ghost of Christmas Present is to think like Santa make a list, check it twice and stick to it. Instead of getting another gift for your youngster s stocking or an extra gadget for your spouse stop the commercialism and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas: snuggle by an open fire and read a favorite yuletide story to your children, or take a trip around your neighborhood and receive pleasure from the Christmas lights and decorations while sipping hot chocolate with neighbors you seldom see. Trust yourself that you have purchased the very best gifts for each member of your family, and if you have to add one more gift, let it be a personal note to a friend, fellow employee, boss or loved one telling that person how much you appreciate having him or her in your life. Christmas Yet to Come Although you may not like being somewhat similar to Mr. Scrooge when it comes to Christmas shopping, it will be the best present you can give to yourself and your family. Listed below are some tips from the Financial Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come to assist you in being debt free next December. 1. Develop a Budget. Sit down with your spouse and figure out what your family can afford to pay for gifts and other Christmas items without accumulating any creditcard and charge-card debt. To be able to accomplish this, you will need to start a Christmas savings account in January. Make it a line item in your budget and regularly contribute a fixed amount of money. Your goal should be to purchase all of your Christmas gifts, tree ornaments, a nice Christmas dinner, and other seasonal items out of the money you have set aside in this account. Creating this line item in your budget is the single most important step an individual or a family can do to control their holiday spending. 2. Make a List. At this family conference, write down every person you want to include on your Christmas list. Then put a pad and pen on the side of the refrigerator and add other names as they come to mind, so no one is forgotten. For family members, relatives and special friends, you will purchase a gift, but for some neighbors and acquaintances, the best gift would be a simple card with a family picture or a plateful of homemade cookies. 3. Have a limit. You will need to keep two limits in perspective. The first is how much you should spend on each individual, particularly each member of your family. The second is how many presents you will purchase for each individual, especially your children or grandchildren. Some have taken the biblical example of the Magi, who brought only three gifts to Jesus, as the limit of number of gifts they should give to each child in their home. 4. Develop a Strategy. Like the real estate slogan that says, Location, location, location, you need to be a year-round Christmas planner with the slogan, Listen, listen, listen. As your spouse, children or friends casually make comments such as, I wish I had this tool, or that s exactly what I need to complete my kitchen set, or if I could only upgrade my computer, write down what it is they desire and use this list, particularly as these items may come up on sale. Purchasing your next season s gifts throughout the year puts you ahead of the traditional last-minute rush and lets your loved ones know you are thinking of them all year, not only at Christmas time. Another strategy is to have 80 percent of your Christmas shopping completed by the end of November. One way to accomplish this is after continued on page 10
December 2010 December Birthdays Brenda Guillen 2 Yesenia Molina 8 Ray Fernandez 10 Johnny Macias,III 12 Alonso Ortega 16 Eduardo Lozano 17 Lourdes Centeno 17 Eddie Rivas 18 THIS MONTH If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in. Upcoming Events 2nd & 4th Saturdays - 3:00 p.m. Pathfinders 2nd Sunday - 10 a.m. Community Service Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women s Prayer Group Fridays - 6:30 p.m. Band Practice Dec 4 - Pathfinder Induction Dec 4 - Deadline for Christmas Food and Toy Drive Dec 25 - Christmas Program Dec 31 - Agape Feast & Communion 6pm The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month. Coming Soon Jan. 1 - Day of Prayer Feb. - Small Group Series Apr. 24 - Easter 9
THE LATEST WORD The Latest About Our Church Family Congratulations to Ricky Gonzalez. He recently graduated from the Fire Academy. Congrats! Congratulations to Francis Mendez and Sammy Ramirez. They were baptized on Celebration Sabbath on Nov. 20. Be sure to welcome them to the family. you, Erik. Congratulations to Erik Concha. He was awarded for his millitary service by Lee Baca. We re proud of If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the newsletter. = Thank you to everyone who has been saving Campbell Soup Labels for education and Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated. On the Campbell Soup labels, all that is really needed is the UPC (the bar code). You don t have to save the entire label, just the UPC bar code. For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! = Financial Scrooge (from page 8) you have enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and a wonderful day with your family and friends; relax that evening in your living room with the local newspaper. Take out that bulky sales section and begin matching up the items on sale with the individuals on your special Christmas list. Remember, these sales inserts are not only your ticket to a happier holiday but also the key to saving you money and finishing your shopping earlier. No More Bah, Humbug! As you struggle through this festive season and then determine to plan better for next year s Christmas spending and giving, may your money management no longer be Bah, Humbug! but in the famous prayer of Tiny Tim, may yours be God bless us financially, every one! = A Christmas Sabbath (from page 5) That is the power of God. Christmas is the centerpiece of our history. Even our calendar is dated from the reference point of Jesus Christ. God split history with the event of Christmas. Everything is either A.D. or B.C. What is so special about Christmas? Come and bring a friend to hear the compelling answer to that question. See you when the church gathers. = 10
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December 2010 Ponder This... = Christmas began in the heart of God. It is complete only when it is in the heart of man. Anonymous = To see his star is good, but to see his face is better. Dwight L. Moody = The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. C. S. Lewis Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240 DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested 12