For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church
Seeking the Best
Here We Go Again by Cary Fisher
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new year has come again, and it is the time that many will make resolutions with the hope that they will become a better person. During this time of year, many are going to make claims to lose weight, to exercise more, to give up some habit, to be more involved in church, etc. However, after years of making these same claims and failing, a person might doubt the possibility of ever changing. I think a lot of us have given up trying to
improve ourselves thinking that we are just prisoners of our biological make-up or so programmed by the way we are brought up that we can never truly change. Jesus was once asked why His disciples do not fast when the Pharisees do. I bring up this biblical reference because a New Year’s resolution is basically a type of fasting. It is saying that I am going to stop doing what is natural for me even if it keeps me from God or being
the best person I can be, and as I fast from this natural behavior, I hope that I will change. The Pharisees were making a resolution to not eat in order to be closer to God. However, Jesus responds to that question by saying, “no one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse (Matthew 9:16). Then Jesus continues to say, “neither do people pour new wine into old continued on page 2
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—Fred Rogers
INSIDE
Taste of Health Cooking and Health Seminar unday, January 31st from 4 to 6 P.M. we will host the Taste of Health Cooking and Health Seminar in the fellowship hall. There will be a hands on cooking demonstration and a health seminar on the benefits of vegetarianism. Dinner is also
I believe that appreciation is a holy thing — that when we look for what’s best in a person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does all the time. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something sacred.
Pathfinder Induction Pics page 3
included. There is a $6 fee for the wonderful event. Invite a few friends and join us for this informative and fun event. Watch for more details at church in January. =
Hate vs Love page 4 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Our Church Family page 7 Agape Communion page 8 Kid’s Page on page 9
THE LATEST WORD Here We Go Again (cont. from page 1)
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On January 9th the message is Changing It Up #1. The Bible calls for us to be a new creation as Paul wrote, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”(II Corinthians 5:17). As the New Year has come, we are reminded of changes that we need to make. In reality, it is only when Christ is in our lives that real change can ever occur.
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January 16th is Changing it Up #2. This Sabbath’s message will be a follow up from last week. To make a real change in our lives, it is often said that we need to have will power. What we really need is less of our will, and that happens when we learn to surrender everyday and allow Jesus to be the one that is directing our path. Bill Aumack will speak on January 23rd. The message is When Should I Pray? There are times when it is easy to pray, and some other times when it’s not so easy. James gives us some great continued on page 3 The Latest Word V 28 N 01
WE DID IT
wineskins. If they do, the is here” (2 Corinthians being the same old person skins will burst; the wine 5:17.) Actually, we do that we have always been. will run out and the wineneed to give up. We need What we need is to metaskins will be ruined. No, to stop trying to change phorically pour new wine they pour new wine into ourselves, and allow God which is the Holy Spirit new wineskins, and into something new both are preserved” which is Christ turn(Matthew 9:17). ing us into a new Jesus is giving us an creation. This means incredible insight. it is not impossible to we need to spend The Pharisees canless time trying to change so don’t give up change our behavnot change anything about themselves ior and more time or their relationship trying to let Christ with God if they are change our heart, going to try to add and He will make the Holy Spirit which is to do the changing. Many the changes that need to be something new to edify of us are doing just as the made. themselves which is some- Pharisees were doing, trything old. ing to change our behavior Sermons for by our will power, when However, it is not it is impossible to do. We January impossible to change so can fool ourselves and don’t give up. Paul wrote, The message on Jan. others for awhile that we “if anyone is in Christ, the 2nd is How Much Do You have changed, but eventunew creation has come: Need? Bill Aumack will ally, we will go back to The old has gone, the new share a message having access to God’s power. Is that a constant? Or does it vary? Duet. 33:25 says “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” What does that mean for us?
BILL AUMACK
responsible for this
LINDA AUMACK copy editor
ALEX AUMACK paper distribution
CARY FISHER pastor
address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA 90240 office: 562.869.6013
downeychurch@gmail.com www.downeychurch.com
distributed monthly issue date: Jan. 2016 copyright 1992-2015
January 2016 Here We Go Again
Pathfinder Induction Pictures
advice of what to pray for and when to pray. On the last Sabbath, January 30th, the message is The Owner’s Manuel. God has given us instruction to live a better and healthier life. As we prepare for our Taste of Health Cooking and Health Seminar, we are going to have a message that remind us about the spiritual values of healthy living.
Edwin transfers the leadership to Tomas
See you when the church gathers. =
Our new inductees to the club The Pathfinder song
Worship Schedule Jan. 2 Bill Aumack
Jan. 16 Cary Fisher
How Much Do You Need?
Changing It Up #2
Jan. 9 Cary Fisher
Jan. 23 Bill Aumack
Changing it Up #1
When Should I Pray?
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THE LATEST WORD Hate vs. Love Great beauty, great strength and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all. —Benjamin Franklin
He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day. —E.M. Bounds
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ivil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. compared hate to “an unchecked cancer,” saying it “corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity.” Unfortunately, the destructive force of hatred is often evident in nations, communities, families and even churches.
love pulls a quilt over the bickering.” The image of a comfy quilt symbolizes the soothing impact that loving words and actions can have on enemies as well as friends.
Plus, it’s tough to share the gospel without showing love, which social reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton called “the ‘open sesame’ to every soul.” =
The obvious — though not always easy — antidote to hatred is love. As The Message translation of Proverbs 10:12 states, “Hatred starts fights, but
This is the Day
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n your new calendar, be sure to mark important dates such as National Drinking
Straw Day (January 3), National Artichoke Hearts Day (March 16) and National Crouton Day (May 13). Those pseudo-holidays are now catalogued as part of the National Day Calendar, a venture by a North Dakota businessman. For a fee starting at $1,500, anyone can register a national day or even give one as a gift. Special-interest
groups are discovering that national days are great for marketing. Throughout the Bible, God instructs people to set aside special days for rest and remembrance. Yet to him, every day is holy — even if it lacks a holiday, pseudo or otherwise. “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). =
January 2016 Taste & Inspiration Simple Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients • 8 medium potatoes thinly sliced • 1 large onions chopped • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 to taste salt and pepper to taste • 2 cups milk hot • 1 cups part-skim cheddar cheese shredded
Directions 1. Spray a 13”x9” baking dish with nonstick coating. 2. Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes over the bottom of the dish, sprinkle
Pilar & Phillip with 1/2 of the onion and top with 1/2 of the flour. 3. Repeat the layers then arrange the remaining potatoes over the top. 4. Pour the hot milk over everything and sprinkle with the cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350F or until the potatoes are tender. Enjoy! =
Remember to bring your non-perishable food items for Downey PTA Helps. This will help families in need right here in our own community. Thanks!
Small Groups will be starting in February for our Agape Small Group Study. Watch for sign ups in the foyer to join a small group. If you would like to host please talk to Pastor or Bill. Thanks!
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Downey Adventist Church Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1 4:54 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School
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9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack
No Pathfinders
7 pm Agape Communion No Pathfinders
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8 4:59 pm sunset
9 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary
7 pm Wed. Fellowship
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7 pm Band Practice
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1 pm Downey Outreach Team
15 5:05 pm sunset
16 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary
7 pm Band Practice
7 pm Wed. Fellowship
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2 pm Pathfinders
22 5:12 pm sunset
23 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack
12:30 pm Luncheon 7 pm Wed. Fellowship
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7 pm Church Board
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7 pm Band Practice
29 5:19 pm sunset
30 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary
Taste of Health 4 PM 31
7 pm Wed. Fellowship
7 pm Band Practice
January 2016
Upcoming Events January Birthdays Janeth Cuyuch-Perez – 1 Virginia Hinojosa – 4 Irela Molina – 4 Sergio Garcia – 9 Isabel Molina – 13 Becky Duran – 18 Elissa Luna – 19 Esteban Torres – 21 Alejandro Zamora – 22 Richard Orozco – 22 Cary Fisher – 27 Lourdes Ortega – 30 Sara Rivas – 31
Wednesday - 7 p.m. Wed. Fellowship Friday - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Jan. 1 - Agape Communion 7pm Jan. 2 - Pathfinders @ 2pm Jan. 3 - Pathfinders @ 9am Jan. 9 - Fellowship Luncheon @ 12:30pm Jan. 16 - Pathfinders @ 2pm Jan. 21 - Church board 7pm Jan. 31 - Taste of Health Cooking and Health Seminar 4 to 6 pm
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.
Feb 6 - Small Groups Begin Feb 27 - Talent Show March 19 - Celebration Sabbath March 26 - Easter Sabbath
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THE LATEST WORD The Latest About
Our Church Family Congratulations to Tony and Raquel Luna. They are new grandparents thanks to Brian and Vanessa. Everyone is reportedly doing fine.
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 Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated.
Congratulations to Lourdes CentenoOrtega on her retirement. Be sure to wish her well!
For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =
Agape Communion
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oin us on Friday, January 1st at 7 pm in the Fellowship Hall for a special Agape Communion Service. This special com-
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munion service is a wonderful way to kick off the year. =
T
he New Year is a time for starting over. Sometimes we make resolutions to help us improve various areas of our lives. While we each might have different things to work on in our lives, one thing we have in common is our church family. If you are interested in being involved in ministry please come talk to Pastor or another ministry leader. We are always looking for help. From children’s Sabbath School,
to Pathfinders, to music ministry, to maintenance around the church, there’s no end of opportunities to serve. You may have an idea for a ministry that we haven’t even started yet. We believe that God gifts his followers for service. So start using the gifts he has generously given you in 2016. Call the office or Pastor Cary today! =
January 2016
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January 2016
Ponder This... = “Holiness is not something we do or attain; it is the communication of the divine life, the inbreathing of the divine nature, the power of the divine presence resting on us.” —Andrew Murray = “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” —Martin Luther King Jr.
Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240
DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested
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