Ephesus, March 2013 by Ephesus SDA Church

EPHESUS Preview Issue [March 2013]

God & The Kingdom

In This Issue Kingdom Builders

Pastor Pooler

Singles’ Day: What did YOU think?

Married Lovers’ Retreat

Rachel Paschal

Responsible Fatherhood/Church Anniversary

Engaged!: Stephanie O’Neal and Shaun Mathis

Wedding of Oren and Antrinette Brown

10 People, 12 Weeks, 1 Goal: BMORe

Tiffiney Miles

“It Takes Teamwork to Make a Dream Work”

Tiffiney Miles

In Loving Memory

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Come Worship With Us!

Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church 7709 Wilson Boulevard Columbia, SC 29203 803.786.2800 Service Times Sabbath Morning Praise and Worship Sabbath School Divine Worship Service AYS Wednesday Night Prayer and Bible Connection 3

8:00am 9:15am 11:00am One hour before sunset 7:00pm

world and lose his soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

PASTOR POOLER SHEDS LIGHT ON THE INSPIRATION OF THIS YEAR’S THEME

he question has been asked, “What is behind the theme of Kingdom Builders?” As it is stated even on those banners in the sanctuary, in Luke 17:21, it is so important for us to recognize that the Kingdom of God is the essential point of the New Testament gospel. When Jesus Christ began His ministry, He was trying to desperately establish the Kingdom of God. The disciples were very deceived in thinking that it was a literal kingdom that would come, and a palace had to be established, but Jesus had to rectify His disciples [in] that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual one and is located in you, meaning that God can use us, transform us into viable parts of Kingdom Builders. The reality is that this Kingdom that God is speaking about is a spiritual one, and the challenge for us is to get a mindset change and to recognize that we are to be used for His glory.

I believe that Ephesus is at a great point , [an] historical moment. It is not by happenstance or chance that we are placed here together as pastoral family and church members. These are the last days , and I believe more than anything that Christ is right now establishing His Kingdom, and if we don’t recognize and realize how important this is, we’re going to miss out on the Kingdom, just like some of the disciples did, because we’re trying to build a literal one like Judas, being caught up in the worldly agendas, and thinking that it’s all about the pursuit of how we look in the world rather than how God sees and perceives us. If we get caught up, we will be just like Judas and sell our souls for thirty coins and miss out on the whole adventure. We’ll make an investment here in the ground like Judas did, and we’ll have a nice edifice, but we’ll lose our soul; and the Bible makes it very clear, “What profits a man to gain the 4

It is not just the Kingdom Building that we’re trying to do and perceive in the sense of building a greater edifice here at the church, or acquiring new grounds or new buildings alone. I believe that’s important and something we should pursue in glorifying God, but if we don’t have the mindset, what good will all that be? Just like Judas, not having the mindset, but having the land and having the means to purchase the land means absolutely nothing if you don’t have Christ and Him at your center and your core. So I believe it is, in these last days, that Jesus is very soon to come, and we as believers need to be about our Father’s business. It is my grand desire that everyone, at church and outside the church, become Kingdom Builders by going to work and shopping and wherever it is that you spend your time, that everyone can see the Kingdom that is within you...if people can see the Kingdom within us as Christ sees the Kingdom within us, that shows us that we have value, and that value is that we are in the ministry of reconciliation. We are showing the world and proving to the world that Christ has not only died, but risen, and He has died for our sins, and this is really the essence of the Gospel. I think a lot of people are scared about these last days that we’re going through. In a trepidatious way, people are fearful of the

outcome of the economy [and] to what’s happening around them, and they just really don’t know; they are in absence, and the Bible makes it very clear that we should not be in absence. We know things and have insight because we are Biblebelievers. We should not be afraid. The only way we should be afraid is when we lack. Ignorance is the basis for fear. If we don’t spend time in God’s word, if we don’t ask Him to really show us who we are, Psalms 139 tells us, “Lord, search my heart.” That really is a transparent way of viewing it. If we are the Kingdom of God, we got to spend time building ourselves up mentally, physically, spiritually, financially; and those are all not in succinct order, those are all number one. Mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, we’ve got to be fit. In these times, God has invested so much in us, it would be a shame for us to simply bury our means and not invest them at this point. This is the point where the Bible says “Cry aloud and spare not; lift up thy voice as a trumpet.” These are the times that we’re living in.

soon to come, so that’s really the basis for the Kingdom Builders. I hope that this will be electrifying to the Body of Christ. We are still in that Body-Building mode, but we’re also Kingdom Builders. We’ve got to reach out and stop the pettiness of

Kingdom of God, and that’s people. People are important to the Kingdom of God. Without people, there is no Kingdom. ...God says, “I don't necessarily need you, but I want you here. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel all the more valuable. That makes me wake up with a sense of purpose. That makes me know that I have a purpose here, that I must be connected to God, who is my Source. I’ve got to get involved with the various factions of the ministry, and how the Holy Spirit is trying to bring me from being absent and putting me front and center and using me. I like to say to everybody if God can use me, He can use anybody. Some people come to me and ask me all the time, “Hey, how do

“I believe that Ephesus is at a great point, [an] historical moment. It is not by happenstance or chance that we are placed here together as pastoral family and church members.”

The surface of my preaching, the direction of my preaching, is only going to intensify as the years keep going because I know that with every year comes a closer day to seeing Christ return. I believe in my heart of hearts that Jesus is

Christianity where we fight one another and look for position, to be validated, and look for pats on the back to know that we’re valued. We got to look beyond that now and get beyond the devil’s schemes and really see what’s important to the 5

Cont. on page 6

you see that in the Scriptures? How did you preach that message from the Scriptures?” Let me be first and foremost to say that it’s not I, but it’s the Christ and the Holy Spirit that is within me, and everyone has that ability. I would just ask that everyone would fall in love with the word of God, because of word of God is, essentially, who Jesus is. As we get closer and closer to the end time, I just want you, as believers, to not just believe that “Hey, Ephesus is going to be built up because Pastor

Pooler and his family are here,”...but that if we don’t all chip in, the Kingdom dies here, and we lose out on so much of the advantages of what God could have done. ...I give this charge to everyone: study your Word, fall in love with the Word, ask the Holy Sprit, “Lord, teach me to read the word of God. Not like people I’ve seen or heard or [through] preachers, but Lord, give me a personal revelation and build up the Kingdom within me”

“[Audrey] did pretty good! Basically, everybody got problems. No one’s problem is bigger than the next person’s. But if we pray and give our problems to God, everything will be alright.”—Dalton Sease

Above: Audrey Blake, guest speaker for Singles’ Day

Singles’ Day: What did YOU think? “The message that Sister Blake brought to us was a fantastic message...I think she helped a lot of people because a lot of us are carrying baggage that we should let go. And she was speaking from experience because she said that she had a lot of baggage herself. The Lord came to her and told her to let it go, she did, and her life was changed. That’s what God does.”—Elder Robert Scott 7

Married Lovers’ Retreat By Rachel Paschal

“W

e are going t o make this a pilgrimage,” says Michael Thomas member of the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist church in Columbia, SC. Mike and his wife Patty joined about 200 couples at the South Atlantic Conference’s Married Lovers’ Retreat in Savannah, Georgia February 15-17, 2013.. Beginning Friday evening, the couples took part in a rousing devotion. After devotion, couples had an opportunity to mingle and get acquainted with each other. Each couple was given a personalized program and welcome letter. Each couple was also given a booklet of Marriage Tips and Lessons to live by. Over the course of the long weekend, couples attended four seminars: Friday Evening: "The Cornerstone of Your Home is Jesus You Can Do It - He Can Help" Sabbath Morning: "The Foundation of Your Home is the Bible - When in Doubt - Do the Book", "Because the People in Your Home are Imperfect, When you Mess up, Fess Up" Sabbath Afternoon: "The Purpose of Your Home is Intimacy It's Not Good to Be Alone"

(Above) Dr. David Ferguson leads a workshop for the South Atlantic Conferences’ Married Lovers’ Retreat. (Above Right) Micahel and Patty Thomas share a laugh during a discussion session. (Below Right) A packed house of about 215 couples attend the Friday evening session, “The Cornerstone of Your Home is Jesus - You Can Do it He Can Help.”

Sunday Morning: "The Priority of Your Home is About God's Glory - It's Not About You" "The Witness of Your Home is Contagious - So Pursue Love" Dr. David and Teresa Ferguson, presenters for this years retreat, stressed Doing The Book (Living God's Word). Each couple was asked to do the Book (Bible) by experiencing various Bible verses in their marriage. For example: ‘Bear one another’s burdens,’ ‘Love your 8

neighbor as yourself,’ ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath,’ ect... Couples were asked to think about what God is getting out of our marriage and is the Glory of God present in our marriage. Couples were asked to get vulnerable with each other and trust God with the results. The presenters stressed the importance of Yoking up with God and allowing Him to teach us how to love and treat each other. Instead of

allowing our anger and unforgiveness to destroy our marriages (Do The Book) 2 Corinthians 10:5 - â&#x20AC;&#x153;Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.â&#x20AC;? Husbands and wives were challenged with exercises to strengthen their relationship. Exercises included (1) Spouses sharing with each other areas in the marriage where they know they need to improve and make commitments to do so, (2) Spouses sharing with each other a vulnerable situation and the other spouse expressing empathy, 9

Cont. on page 10

Sam and Rachel Paschal, Family Life Leaders at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church, take a night time carriage ride through Savannah, GA at the Married Lovers’ Retreat. When commenting on the workshops and the information presented to the couples, Rachel noted that, “It was like a light bulb went off. . .Do the Book!”

acceptance and concern, (3) Spouses sharing an experience with each other that brought them joy and the spouses rejoiced over each others’ happiness. (4) Spouses praying with each other concerning their marriage. The Married Lovers’ Retreat was more than workshops. Saturday afternoon allowed down time to relax at the hotel or enjoy a walk along the Savannah River. And Saturday night included romantic carriage

rides through downtown Savannah and a fun filled round of Love and Marriage Game and Talent Show. Before leaving, husbands and wives took part in a marriage vow renewal ceremony, officiated by South Atlantic Conference president, Elder William Winston and his wife. Mark your calendars now for the 2014 Married Lovers Retreat to be held in Greenville, NC. 10

Dr. and Mrs. Wintley Phipps will be the presenters for the retreat next year.

Responsible Fatherhood A workshop presented by a guest presenter will look at the challenges men are facing in the world as they seek to parent their kids, and the vital role fatherhood plays in the success of the next generation.

March 9, 2013 Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church

102 Anniversary Looking Back...Reaching Forward March 13, 15, and 16, 2013 Guest Speakers Friday, March 15th Memorial Service: 7:00pm

Saturday, March 16th Divine Worship: 11:00am

Pastor Victor Bartley

Pastor Calvin Preston

from the West End Seventh-day Adventist Church

Engaged!

n Saturday, February 9th, Shaun Mathis surprised his now fiancé, Stephanie O’Neal with a marriage proposal during the Ephesus Stephanie recounts the event: “When the pastor called me down to do the transfer [of membership reading],...I’m thinking, ‘Okay didn’t think about that! ...And then I heard the music playing, I was still kind of like in disbelief. Then I saw his family walking th friends, and that’s when I started crying.” The couple plans to get married in April of 2014. 12

s church service. y, this is weird.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But I hrough the door and my 13

Photographs by Nicholas Blocker (Around the Block Photography))

(Above) Newly Married Oren and Antrinette Brown are surrounded by the some of the ladies of the bridal party. From Left: Marsha Fields, Esther Munoz, Quaneta McDaniel, Shay Torres, LaQuanna Lowe, and Taneisha Wells. (Right) Oren and Antrinette Brown pose for pictures after the ceremony. (Below) Tynaisia Ealey, Jonae Finnie, Taliah Ealey, Sanaih Atchinson, and Dominique Atchinson

A Wedding Ceremony Uniting Oren & Antrinette Brown Sunday February 24, 2013 15

study is completed, measurements will be taken again in order to show how adopting a healthier lifestyle has been beneficial.

10 people 12 weeks 1 goal

BMORe By Tiffiney Miles

his year, the Health Ministries of the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church wants to help others reclaim their health so that they can glorify God through their bodies. One of the ways that Health Ministries is educating the church about the importance of health is through the BMORe study. BMORe, which stands for Multicenter Obesity Reduction, is sponsored by the USC Cancer Prevention & Control Program and lead by Katherine Shavo, the Intervention Coordinator for the study. Mrs. Shavo explains more about this project: “We are looking to see if a diet high in flavonoid foods, with physical activity and meditation, will reduce markers of inflammation inside people.” Yolanda Robinson, leader of Health Ministries, also goes into further explanation about BMORe: “The BMORe is a healthy-living program that is promoting prayer and claiming God’s promises and having a more peace-

ful state of mind. The study can be done to see that it can contribute to people to be more at peace and less stressed.” Ten members from the Ephesus church have volunteered to participate in this study. Before the sessions began, the participants attended a clinical in which height, weight, and blood pressure were taken, and after the 12-week

Participants meet every Tuesday for the sessions. Each participant was also asked to bring a supporter every week, someone who would not only provide encouragement but to hold him or her accountable for doing weekly assignments. Each session is broken up into different segments: exercise, education, meditation, and cooking. Participants get active in the 10-30 minute Exercise segment which involves strength training and cardio. In the Education segment, Mrs. Shavo teaches the class about several health topics, such as how to read labels and how to set realistic health goals. For the Meditation segment, the participants are asked to share a Scripture or any inspirational message. The participants also do a Body Scan exercise to help release

Health Ministries leader Yolanda Robinson, right, is in the USC Cancer Prevention & Control Program kitchen making a black bean hummus. 16

Katherine Shavo (left), Intervention Coordinator of the BMORe study, demonstrates at the USC Cancer Prevention & Control Program kitchen how tofu can be cooked in several ways.

stress and anxiety. The last segment is Cooking, and the participants learn how to cook healthy meals from the kitchen. After each session, participants are given homework assignments to apply what was learned. The goal at the end of the BMORe study is for participants to adapt a healthier lifestyle that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

13.1 miles, and women are asked to train every week in preparation. The women who are participating are split up into different teams, and the teams meet once a week to train, and each team member is also asked to train at least two other

Not only is Health Ministries involving church members in a health study, but they are also involving women in the church to become active through the Divas HalfMarathon in North Myrtle Beach on April 28, 2013. The marathon is 17

days out of the week. There are currently about ten women from Ephesus who are raining for the half -marathon. When it comes to future events, Health Ministries is also looking forward to restarting the exercise classes after the BMORe study is completed. The ministry is also wants to work with local churches to have a walk or marathon within the community. Ephesus members can also look forward to hearing a health emphasis at the beginning of every month from a Health Ministries committee member.

“It Takes Teamwork to Make a Dream Work”

or the month of February, the Adventist Youth Society (AYS) Department placed its emphasis on knowing the importance of African American history and culture. With February’s theme called “It Takes Teamwork to Make a Dream Work,” AYS leader Natasha Jones explains the main purpose of the February AYS programs. “From the Black Youth Convocation to The Great Campmeeting, our aim was ‘Edutainment’: to try and get everybody involved and entertained but educated [and] looking back at the past.” The first AYS program in February “Black History: A Thing of the Past,” took the Ephesus church members on a journey into African American history by watching a short video clip of prominent African Americans and their historical impact. “if we didn’t have those people to build that foundation, then we wouldn't have our first black president. It’s 2013 but we’re still having first blacks. If nothing else, that’s a good enough reason to still be looking at black history,”

says Natasha. Involving the youth into the AYS programs is of high importance for the AY council. “What I have been hearing from the young people is that they just want to be considered in the programming,” Natasha states, “so what we try to do is to look at things that are considered fun.” For one AYS program, church members were divided into different groups and were asked to create a portrait that depicted different families from the Bible by using only shapes. The children were asked to explain the portrait while other groups guessed at which Bible family was represented. For March, the AYS Department will be collaborating with other ministries to provide programs geared towards every age. “In March, we have our Centennial coming up, so Music Ministries is going to be doing a concert one weekend.,“ Natasha says. “We are also coupling up with Singles’ Ministries and planning a talent show at the end of the month, which will be Youth Day also. “ AYS is also plan18

Ephesus church members participating in a musica

ning a program that will look into women’s history. The AYS Department is very excited about its upcoming events and is hoping that more families will come out and participate in future programs.

al skit called “The Great Campmeeting,” one of the programs tied into February’s AYS theme “It Takes Teamwork to Make a Dream Work”.

Upcoming AYS Events March 23rd th March 30 May 2013

Tri-State Youth Federation Youth Day Mid-Week Youth of Prayer 19

In Loving Memory

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was 21

Every department, Every ministry, Every member, has a story for Christ. Share it with us.