February 2015 The Latest Word by Downey Church

For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church

God’s Love

Being a Friend by Cary Fisher

o you remember a time when everyone seemed to know who lived next to them, and people understood what it meant to be a neighbor? While we live in the so-called social media generation, we are becoming less and less social, and it has its consequences. According to Livestrong. com, 35 percent of all men and 50 percent of all women experience moderate to extreme amounts of loneliness. People are becoming more isolated, feeling empty, alone and

unwanted. Loneliness negatively affects a person’s health and their brain function such as heart disease, memory loss, the way we learn and our decision making. Ultimately, it can lead someone to depression and even suicide. According to Psychology.about.com, loneliness may even be contagious. Research has found that a person close to someone experiencing loneliness has a 52 percent chance to also becoming

lonely themselves. During the month of February we will learn how to be a church that combats loneliness. For example, Valentine’s Day is coming up which can be a reminder for many of their loneliness. The Bible writes, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). continued on page 2

On Saturday, February 28th, we will take a group

out in Downey to make friends with our neighbors. We will be offering to pray

—Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai

INSIDE

Friendship Outreach ur theme for the month of February is “Being a Friend.” Too many people in our community are lonely. So we will be following our long standing tradition and trying to ‘build community.’

Could we with ink the ocean fill, were the whole sky of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretch’d from sky to sky.

with people. Or maybe someone will just want to talk and have someone listen to them. Another may just want a free hug. Stay tuned during February for more details about our new Friendship Outreach ministry. =

Transformed Stewards page 3 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Our Church Family page 7 Young Adult Ministry on page 8 Kid’s Page on page 9

THE LATEST WORD Being a Friend (cont. from page 1)

“

for all us to know that we have a whole community of friends at the Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church, and no one here

February’s Sermons

in Christ, we are bound together and we need each other.

For the month of February we are going to have a series on Friendship.

February 28 – The World in Need. Our final sermon of the series will remind us of our commission to be a friend to the world. Paul writes, “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ” (Philemon 1:6). Sharing our faith could not only change the life of the receiver but also the one who is sharing.

February 7 – You Loneliness may even are Never Alone. On this Sabbath, we be contagious are going to start off with a message that reminds us that God is always with us. We find such needs to feel isolated or great comfort to know this lonely. While lonelias Paul writes, “Don’t you ness may be contagious, I know that you yourselves believe friendship is also are God’s temple and that contagious. Let’s see if God’s Spirit dwells in your we can spread friendship midst?” (I Corinthians We understand that throughout our church. 3:16). a person needs to have And not just stop there, but three or four people that February 14 –Will maybe also we can find a they can confide in to help You Be Mine? This way to be good friends to battle the symptoms of Sabbath happens to be on the world around us. loneliness. My desire is Valentine’s Day, and the message is about God’s invitation. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). God is always knocking on the door of our hearts, and it is up to us to let him in.

”

February 21 – Let’s Be Friends. This sermon will focus on the importance for friendship. The Bible says, “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14). As brothers and sisters

See you when the church gathers. = The Latest Word V 27 N 02 BILL AUMACK

WE DID IT

First of all, we are never really alone because our God is always with us, and besides, God gave us something else to help know that we are never alone. God gave us the church. The church is a community of believers and by definition, a community is a gathering of people who have the same belief system. God’s plan for his children is to come together as the body of Christ, so we can be connected to each other to fulfill His purpose and to never be alone.

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

LAURA LUNA

paper distribution

CARY FISHER 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

February 2015 The Stewpot by Gordon Botting, DrPh, CHES, CFC

ehavioral scientists remind us that when one is feeling stressed or under pressure at work the best remedy is to take five deep breaths; stand up and take a five-minute break; refresh brain cells with a large glass of water; meditate on God’s goodness; or visualize a favorite place. I really like this last practical suggestion of imagining for a moment a place far away from the current challenge or crisis, such as sunset on a beach in Hawaii or being in a rowboat on a calm lake surrounded by tall majestic mountains. Occasionally, I reminisce about a vacation my wife and I took to Philadelphia, and in particular, the counties where the Amish live. Watching these people going about

Transformed Stewards their work and play in a calm and collected manner makes me envious when I feel frazzled. The blessings of having no cell phone ringing; no e-mail demanding attention; no radio or television breaking the silent moments of thought! Imagine each morning not needing to think about what you are going to wear or searching through your closet looking for that perfect outfit. In fact, it makes me wish there was an Adventist Amish commune that I could join. Then reality hits. Would the peace and tranquility I

Worship Schedule Feb. 7 Cary Fisher

Feb. 21 Cary Fisher

You Are Never Alone

Let’s Be Friends

Feb. 14 Cary Fisher

Feb. 28 Cary Fisher

Will You Be Mine?

The World in Need

envy be worth the hassle of harnessing a horse and buggy? Would I be satisfied with continually wearing black and white or having to walk to the front gate to answer my telephone? For

the majority of us, the Amish lifestyle is not going to happen. We will continue to live in our modern world with its striving to get ahead, it’s passion for materialism, and it’s blatant greediness and selfishness. But that doesn’t mean we have to conform to the expectations of our modern society. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) This message was not for the first century only but for the 21st century as well. A young pastor in Manhattan, New York, is facing this burnt-out lifestyle with the gospel’s transforming power. He

writes, “This is definitely more than theory for me. I pastor a network of congregations in some of the most godless neighborhoods in America, and in spite of the odds, sprouts from the seeds of the gospel have broken through the secular concrete of Manhattan. We have Wall Street Traders steering their careers away from greed into radical generosity. We have people in the fashion industry who get behind the veneer of beauty with restorative and creative projects for victims of sex trafficking and battered women. We have families living in proximity and sharing resources and valuing community above convenience as they live as the people of God. We have media executives working on new stories and programming that highlight the good, the true, and the beautiful. We have artists creating out of a renewed imagination, offering compelling works of hope in a culture of cynicism. The list goes on.” 1 You and I can change our lives by not conforming to what is expected by the world around us and in the process reduce the tensions and pressure of our modern way of life by being a transformed steward. Here are a few samples: continued on page 4

THE LATEST WORD Transformed Stewards (cont. from page 3) Housing

“All who will conform their lives to the plain requirements of God’s Word will inherit eternal life.” — Ellen White SM, Book 1, p. 174

House sizes have mushroomed over the last fifty years from approximately 1,000 square feet to over 2,500 square feet. This extra square footage means more privacy, utility, and lots of room for family and company. However, conforming to this new standard of living does mean we pay the price for that bigger house by needing to work longer hours to make the monthly mortgage payments as well as the consequences of additional cleaning and higher electrical and gas bills. 2

E-mail

“God made time, but man made haste.” — Irish Proverb

In 2009, there were 247 billion emails sent around the world. That’s over 3,000 per second. Over 60 % of these e-mails are to private customers and nearly 40 % to public businesses. The typical corporate user will send and receive approximately 170 messages every 24 hours and spend a third of his or her work time writing, reading and responding to this e-mail monster. Large business organizations of over 1,000 employees can spend $1.8 million annually on technical problems, such as spam, and lose another $160,000 on virus attacks. Add an additional 59 % of the population

checking emails from their beds; 53 % while in the bathroom; 37 % while driving; and more than a tithe (12 %) in church. In two years from now, that is expected to double. Then there’s all the social networking services such as Twitters, Facebook, and MySpace, just to name a few. We can conform to the pressure of the Internet world, or we can be transformed by adopting sensible margins such as checking e-mail at the beginning and at the end of the day, writing succinct replies, not being irritated when the other person fails to reply in a timely manner and taking a Sabbath rest from e-mails. If all else fails, do what a Stanford Law professor did: simply declare e-mail bankruptcy.2

Commutes Today, we have the option of living and working in two different locations. Unlike the 19th century when your work surrounded you — the farm you grow up on and worked from dawn to dusk — now you may commute to your place of employment up to three hours away. The national average is just over 50 miles round trip. With approximately a third of our nation commuting (130

million), “over twelve millennia of time [is] lost every day. With the current unemployment rate at 9%, many families and individuals have no choice but to make those one to three-hour trips to work every day.” 2 You may be able to transform your hectic pace with some flextime. Under certain circumstances, you can work four ten-hour days instead of five eight -hour days. You can also ask about working from home, which often means less interruptions and more productive work. 2

Finances With the average family or individual having approximately 14 credit cards, it’s no wonder the credit card companies and banks are enjoying a whopping profit of $18 billion (2007) in late fees and other penalties. You could cut up your credit cards, but with rental cars, airlines, and other services refusing cash it seems plastic is here to stay. Instead, transform your plastic by reducing the number to no more than two cards and sign up for automatic payment. Or if paying by mail, return a full payment right away to avoid late fees and penalties. Never having a balance or paying a fee makes continued on page 5

February 2015 Taste & Inspiration Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells Ingredients • 12.0 ounces jumbo pasta shells • 1.25 cups mozzarella cheese shredded. Reserve 1/4 cup

• 8.0 ounces spaghetti sauce jarred or homemade • 1.0 to taste fresh basil chopped, for garnish

Directions

• 2.0 lbs ricotta cheese

1. In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until al dente.

• 4.0 large eggs lightly beaten

2. Drain and cool immediately with cold water.

• 1.0 teaspoons black pepper

3. Drain and place open side down on paper towels.

• 1.0 teaspoons garlic powder

4. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the spaghetti sauce.

• 1.0 cups Parmesan cheese grated

• 1.0 tablespoons dried parsley

5. Reserve the 1/4 cup of Mozzarella.

Pilar & Phillip 6. Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. 7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 8. Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan. 9. Pour the rest of sauce

over the stuffed shells. 10. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. 11. During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top. 12. Bake 5 more minutes. 13. Garnish with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy! =

Transformed Stewards (cont. from page 4) you a banker “deadbeat,” but it’s a far cry from the average family’s $1200 giveaway in annual interest. 2

Stewardship Too many Christians operate on the principle of paying all their bills and THEN returning an honest tithe. However, you and I live in a fast-pace world where most of us have too

many bills and not enough money at the end of the month. Let’s transform our priorities; return to God his tithe FIRST, and it will surprise you how the rest of the finances work out. Test God. Instead of the same $1 we placed in the plate since 1950 or 1990, how about giving God a cost of living raise of $5 per week in our freewill offerings? =

References: 1. Jon Tyson, Breaking the Mold, Leadership magazine, Spring 2011, p. 50. 2. Concepts from Richard A.; Swenson, M D, In Search of Balance, 2010, p. 142, 143, 146 &147

Downey Adventist Church Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

5:29 pm sunset

7 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

9 am Pathfinders

2 pm Pathfinders 4 pm Bible Study

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

14 9:30 am S.S.

5:35 pm sunset

10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary 7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Band Practice

4 pm Bible Study

21 9:30 am S.S.

5:42 pm sunset

10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

12:30 pm Luncheon

2 pm Pathfinders 4 pm Bible Study

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

28 9:30 am S.S.

5:48 pm sunset

10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary 7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Church Board

7 pm Band Practice

4 pm Bible Study

Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

February 2015

Upcoming Events Feb. Birthdays David Martinez – 2 Issac Diaz – 5 Akeem Meade – 7 Jasmine Huinquez – 9 Irene Garcia – 11 Victoria Zamora – 11 Sheila Bathgate – 13 Maggie Zamora – 15 Ellis Perry – 19 Teresa Miranda – 22 Donna Morgan – 24 Letty Duran – 29 Susie Duran – 29

Wednesday - 7 p.m. Wed. Fellowship Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Feb 7 - Pathfinder Convocation @ The White Feb. 7 - Pathfinders @ 2pm Feb. 8 - Pathfinders @ 9am Feb. 19 - Church Board @ 7pm Feb. 21 - Fellowship Luncheon @ 12:30pm Feb. 21 - Pathfinders @ 2pm Feb. 28 - Friendship Outreach

If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in.

The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month.

Coming Soon Be sure to keep up with the latest news by signing up for the Wednesday email. You can sign up here www.downeychurch.org/Signups.html or send us an email at DowneyChurch at gmail dot com and we’ll add you.

March 21 - Youth Sabbath April 4 - Easter Sabbath April 11 - Small Groups Begin April 19 - Pathfinder Fair

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family Christina Haddad completed her school work for her Psychology degree. Congratulations! She’s going to start working on her Masters degree now. We are always looking for students who are getting good grades or other

recognition. If you know someone, please contact us so we can celebrate with them.

newsletter. =

If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the

Thank you to everyone who has been saving Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated. For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =

Commandment #11

uring the 17th century, an archbishop traveling through Scotland met theologian Samuel Rutherford but kept his identity secret. Rutherford invited the man to stay with him. When Mrs. Rutherford gathered the servants on Saturday to prepare for worship the next day, the guest joined in and was asked a basic question: “How many commandments are there?” When the guest replied “11,” Mrs. Rutherford said, “What a shame it is for you, a man with gray hairs, in a Christian country, not

to know how many commandments there are!” The next morning, Rev. Rutherford went out in the woods to pray and heard his guest doing likewise. When he discovered the archbishop’s identity, Rutherford invited him to preach that morning. The archbishop’s topic? The 11th commandment, based on Jesus’ words in John 13:34 — “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” (ESV). =

alling all Young Adults! We are going to be starting a Young Adult Ministry. There are quite a few collegiate age and young adults at church. So we are going to be starting a ministry for this demographic. If you are in this demographic, hopefully you’ve already been contacted. But if somehow we missed

you, please talk to Bill Aumack or Pastor Cary. We want to make sure we include everyone. We will be planning some get-togethers and working on a time for Bible Study / Sabbath School class. Come on out and join us! =

February 2015

Ponder This... = “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” —Thomas Merton = “Do something wonderful; people may imitate it.” ―Albert Schweitzer = “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” —J.R.R. Tolkien

Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240

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