The Church Courier, February 2009

The Church Courier V O L U M E

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I S S U E

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Everyone can serve

Evangelistic meetings starting Friday, Feb. 27th @ 7PM With Elder Lester Pratt More info on page 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Parson to Person

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Youth News

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Getting to Know

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Church @ Work

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Look for opportunities to serve; don’t wait to be asked! Remember: You can serve without being a part of an official” ministry. We all can: • extend the word of welcome, whether or not we are official greeters; • be listening, caring friends, whether or not we are official lay counselors; • be ready to give reason for the hope that is in us, whether or not we are on the evangelism team; • be enthusiastic participants and ready to give a hand, whether or not we are on the planning or cleanup committees

F E B R U A R Y

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True Love Grows Through sunshine, rain, Through smiles and tears, Through sickness, health, And passing years, True love still grows More firm and sure, More deep and strong, More sweet and pure. —Peggy Ferrell, Prayers and Poems

Have you ever thought about the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus? How they went out of their way to humiliate Him before His death? To them Jesus was simply another condemned prisoner who they were free to abuse as much as they pleased, and did they! Jesus gave His head to be crowned with thorns....He gave His face to be spit upon....He gave His beard to be plucked out...He gave his back to be lashed....He gave His side to be speared....He gave His hands and feet to be spiked...He gave His blood. All of this for all of us!! And isn't it sad that the world is still full of people today who are like those soldiers of old---they laugh at the thought of a Saviour and make jokes of Him. What can you do with people like that? All you can do is simply "forgive them, for they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34) Never give up on those who mock Jesus! They are the very ones who need Him most! When you share your faith, the Holy Spirit can begin a work in their hearts! That "work" may take some time, but the Spirit of God can work miracles! Are you praying for a miracle to happen to someone you know? What about inviting them to our evangelistic series that begins Friday night, Feb. 27? Yours for allowing the miracles to continue, Pastor and Sharon Webb

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The Church Courier

High Speed on Fun That was what we got at the Pinewood Derby Competition on Sabbath, January 24, an activity from the Pathfinders Club. There were more than 50 cars, so many shapes, everyone very unique. Skunks, Ice-cream sandwich, chilly pepper, you name it. Here are some of the stories on how some pieces of wood became a Pinewood Derby Car: # 46 Martha Getlinger : “I had a dream of a little red-haired girl in a pink convertible. A fast girl! So when I wake up, I told Stan and the rest is history!” #30 Jim Litardo: “My son Daniel and I learned about the race through Pathfinders. I found a design that looked as a Nascar race car. I also used the time to bond with my son”. # 54 Lennie Schiefer: “I sent a block of wood to NY so my father could make a derby car that would beat my husband. My dad owns an auto body shop and asked what color I wanted. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I said blue or purple, so he made it metallic to change colors and now its both, blue and purple.” It was a great activity, and a great number of people showed up. Our winner this year was Mrs. Marie Schaffer with #29. Her white car was very fast. Mrs. Schaffer told us that Mr. Bill Curtis created that beauty for her. He definitely did a wonderful job. Pathfinders used this opportunity to sell snacks and collect money for their Oshkosh trip. Keep them on your prayers so they can collect the money they need. To see more pictures go to www.nprsda.org/photogallery. Got pictures? Mr. Curtis & Mrs. Schaffer Send them to us!(Juan or Omayra Rivera) Vol. 10 Issue 2

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PAAL Jr. Bowling League We have started our first Jr. Bowling League for 2nd-6th graders. Come and support our leagues!!!

Youth Events  Saturday 7th, Pathfinder Sabbath, guest speaker Jake Hecht  Saturday 14th @ 5pm, School Vespers  Saturday 14th, right after the School Vespers we are having “The Next Big Thing” Talent Show. If you would like to show your talent, sign up in the Church Foyer. Also the 8th graders are having a haystack dinner; fundraiser donations of $5 would be appreciated. All proceeds will go toward the 8th grade trip to St. Augustine.

NPR SDA Christian School Marimba Band! On December 16th, the NPR SDA Christian School Marimba Band went to the Tampa Airport to play. The kids had a good experience there and there was a pretty good crowd that seem to enjoyed also while waiting for their flights. One lady was in tears because she was touched by their music, she said her father has died and he used to play the Marimba. One thing the kids were really excited about was that a VP Marketing for the New York Yankees came up to them and said that they should play at one of the games. The glory be to God! Page 4

The Church Courier

PIXIE PIN-UPS DO YOU KNOW ME? If you think you know this church member, submit your guess to us, either by phone or email. You can submit your baby pix by email or directly to us. Photos can be black and white or color and will be promptly returned. For more information please contact us. January baby was: Ed Cowan Clue: “He lives in a “big house” and has a twin.” Ed Cowan lives in “La Casa Grande”, he has a twin sister. Our winners were: Martha Getlinger and Barbara Stricker.

Clue: “I don’t like beans but for some reason people think I should.”

Thanks for participating!

Think about it…  In a world where people

are looking everywhere for signs of God, where have you found God? What have you done about it? And who will you tell?”  “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it’s what you are expected to give — which is everything.”  Give of your hands to serve, and your hearts to love. Vol. 10 Issue 2

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HOW TO BE FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES: BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES AND TIPS by Gary D. Grimes

1. Make the Bible your financial guide. 2. Accept the fact that God owns everything. Psalms 50:10-12. 3. Accept the fact that your nature is sinful, selfish and self-centered. Isaiah 1:6; Jeremiah 17:9. 4. One way God combats our natural selfishness is through the tithing truth. Deuteronomy 14:22; Malachi 3:8-11. 5. Why isn’t the tithing truth strongly mentioned in the NT? Because like the Sabbath truth, the tithing truth was not an issue at the time of Christ. Most Jews kept the Sabbath and most Jews returned tithe. Jesus did mention the tithing truth in Matthew 23:23. 6. Keep track of your finances. I Corinthians 14:40. “Let all things be done decently and in order.” Your Personal Spending Plan (Budget) has two parts: Income and Expenses. List all Income and list all Expenses. Income must equal Expenses. Live within your means! Live simply! 7. Shun debt. Romans 13:8. “Owe no one anything. . . .” 8. Work! Proverbs 6: 6-11. Follow the 4th Commandment. Exodus 20:9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” 9. Don’t co-sign! Period! Co-signing is debt. Proverbs 6:1-5. Be content with what God has given you. Hebrews 13:5. “. . . Be content with such things as you have.” 10. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24. I Timothy 6:10. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. . .” The evil is not “money,” but the “. . . love of money.” 11. Deposit your heart and money in heaven. Matthew 6:19-21. 12. Don’t worry, God will take care of you. Matthew 6:25-34.

“Invest in what gives you eternal dividends.” Quote from a Church billboard @ Tarpon Springs, FL Page 6

The Church Courier

This month you will get to know a little better one of our newest members. This couple is transferring their membership from the Clearwater Church to our Church.

Dr. Manuel & Mrs. Kay Reyes

Q: How did you get to know about SDA? A: The Holy Spirit lead me to the Church. I believed in God’s Sabbath. Q: What is your favorite Bible story? Why? A: The story of Jonah, because my daily life is like him. As human nature sometimes I don’t want to do the mission, but God said: Kay I’ll help you! Q: Talents that you would like to share with your church family: A: Singing, play harmonica, children story, vegetarian/Asia unsaturated cooking, how to grow beans sprouts, crafts. Q: What are your hobbies? A: Bowling (Kay is playing in this year church bowling league and she plays very well), play piano, crafts. Q: Tell us about your family. A: I have been married for 33 years to a wonderful Christian man. (Mr. Manuel Reyes, he is a Family Physician). I have two beautiful adult children. I have a daughter married and she has a 3 year old boy and a 1 year old girl. Q: Tell us anything that you would like our church family to know about you. A: Just to know that I am your Christian sister. Q: What do you like the most about the NPR Church? A: It has been very friendly and it seems like the church is working together as a family. Thank you so much for letting us get to know you a little better. Welcome again Reyes family. God bless you! Vol. 10 Issue 2

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Dealing with rebuke Samuel Brengle, noted for his sense of holiness, felt the heat of caustic criticism. Instead of rushing to defend himself, he replied, “From my heart I thank you for your rebuke. I think I deserved it. Will you, my friend, remember me in prayer?” When another critic attacked his spiritual life, Brengle replied, “I thank you for your criticism of my life. It set me to self-examination and heart-searching and prayer, which always lead me to a deeper sense of my utter dependence on Jesus for holiness of heart, and into sweeter fellowship with him.” —C. W. Hall in Samuel Logan Brengle

Mushroom Fondue (Vegan) Recipe This vegan mushroom fondue has a cheesy flavor and is perfect for parties, as an appetizer or for a romantic vegan fondue for two. Mushroom fondue is rich, flavorful and creamy. Serve your vegan fondue with such dippers as French bread, bagels, or fresh vegetables. Ingredients:  2 tbsp margarine + 2 tbsp 1/2 onion, minced  1tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp miso  1 vegetarian bouillon cube or 1 tbsp dry veggie broth mix  2 cups mushrooms, sliced 3 cloves garlic  2 cups soy milk 1/4 cup flour  1/2 tsp celery salt 1 tbsp soy sauce Preparation: Sautee garlic, onions and mushrooms in 3 tbsp margarine until soft. In separate saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and simmer until mixture thickens. If your mixture does not thicken, add more flour and mix well. Allow to cool. Add mushrooms, garlic and onion mix to the soy milk mix and process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Reheat the blended mix, stirring occasionally, and allow to cool slightly before transferring to fondue pot. Some dipper suggestions: whole mushrooms, broccoli, bread, cooked and halved baby potatoes, tofu, Tofurkey sausage slices.

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The Church Courier

Prescribed by the Great Physician

WARNING: Side affects may include freedom from guilt, reduced tension, increased joy, spontaneous laughter, love for your fellow human, eternal life, and an urge to tell other's the good news. Vol. 10 Issue 2

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We wanted to thank all the members that send articles to us and support us with ideas and participating. Thanks also for the donations made to the Courier. God bless you! The Editors

Mexico Youth Mission Trip Want to go and help? Contact Mark Schiefer or our Church office for more info.

We still have a couple of spaces left in our School Yearbook Advertisement pages. You can use the space to congratulate a special student or to advertise your business. For more info please contact Omayra Rivera, Leann Hecht, or Martha Getlinger.

Come and join us on Friday, February 27th @ 7:15PM with Elder Lester Pratt. Meetings will be only on weekends (Fri, Sat. and Sun. nights through the first weekend in April) Child care for infants and children thru age 8 provided. Please be praying for the series and for those you need to invite. Page 10

The Church Courier

From the Editors During this month of February a lot of people celebrate Love and Friendship. Chocolates, cards, flowers, and other gifts are bought to let that special person know that he or she is loved. I don’t remember myself buying anything special for Jesus. No flowers or a card, not even a hand made gift. If we are going to celebrate Love and Friendship why not make or buy something for Jesus? After all we are able to

celebrate because of His mercy and forgiveness. Better yet! We don’t have to buy anything, the only thing He wants from us is our hearts. Let’s celebrate Love and Friendship with Jesus. Let’s share His love and friendship with others. I’m sure that’s a gift He would like. Alex Ortiz

This newsletter is p u b l i s h e d monthly by the NPR SDA Church. If you have any comments to make about the newsletter, wish to make a donation, or wish to submit an article, please send it to the church or to us.

Contact Us Alexander Ortiz 727-365-2892

Omayra Rivera 727-372-0052 [email protected]

NPR Seventh-day Adventist Church 6424 Trouble Creek Road New Port Richey, FL 34653 727-848-4567  www.nprsda.org/newsletter

Vol. 10 Issue 2

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NPR Seventh–day Adventist Church 6424 Trouble Creek Road New Port Richey, FL 34653