June 2013 The Latest Word by Downey Church

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

The New Beginnings of June by Bill Aumack

une is a month that is often a month of new beginnings. As school ends, one season ends and the next season, summer, begins. With summer comes family vacations, trips to the beach, staycations at the local amusement parks and more. Sometimes graduations have occured signaling a new phase in our lives. We might be going to a new school in the future or we may be starting work and that phase of our lives.

This June brings us a new phase for our church. June 8th is when Pastor Cary Fisher and his family join us. We have been looking forward to this for quite some time. There will be a fellowship luncheon after the service where we have some time to visit and get to know the family a little better. Please watch for sign ups in the foyer. Here’s what Pastor Cary has to say about his message on June 8. “First of all, let me say that we can’t

wait to join the Downey family for our first worship with all of you! During this time, my message will simply be what it means to join a church family. As 1 John 3:1 writes, “behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...”, God has revealed His love by making all of us a part of His family. Joining God’s family is a sacred moment that provides opportunities to grow and share that love with each other and with continued on page 2

Introducing the Fisher Family

Pastor Cary, Dr. Roschelle, Johanna (8), Ella (5), and Grant (1 3/4) Fisher

astor Cary was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and raised in Montana. He has served in pastoral ministry for more than 12 years starting in Orlando, Fl and is currently finishing up at the Living Stones and Sunland-Tujunga Seventhday Adventist Churches. He went to Southwestern Adventist University for his undergraduate degree,

and received a masters in religion degree from La Sierra University. Roschelle graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School and now she works at Kaiser in Baldwin Park as a physician in internal medicine. Roschelle and Cary have been married for nine years and have been blessed with three precious children. =

Remember the Giver God wants us to enjoy the good gifts that he gives to us, provided that we don’t so focus on the gift that we forget the Giver. When the gift becomes more important than the Giver, you have idolatry; when the Giver is seen through the gift, you have worship. —Warren Wiersbe

INSIDE Perfectly Mysterious page 3 Witness While You Can page 4 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Just a Penny’s Worth on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid’s Page on page 11

THE LATEST WORD The New Beginnings of June (cont. from pg 1) Pastor Cary’s message, “Our Father” on June 15th. June 22 is the

part of Pathfindering. There are over 350 different honors available.

Every 5 years, June 15 is our the SeventhFather’s Day service. Joining God’s family is a day Adventist As we are sharing Church holds sacred moment that provides about joining the an International opportunities to grow and Camporee. Our family of God, It share that love with each only seems appropriPathfinders attended ate that we realize the last International other and with the world the role God has Camporee in around us . towards His family. 2009 with the We have an amazing White Memorial Father who guides us with Pathfinder and Adventure Club. There were 36,000 tremendous mercy and Clubs’ Investiture Service. Pathfinders from around love. Psalm 103:13 says, The purpose of the the world in attendance. “as a father has compasPathfinder and Adventurer The next International sion on his children, so the Clubs is to encourage the Camporee is scheduled LORD has compassion on youth to a closer walk for 2014. The theme is those who fear him.” As with the Lord. Insignia is “Forever Faithful” and we appreciate our earthly awarded during this serour Pathfinders are makfathers this weekend, let vice for honors earned and ing plans to be part of us remember our heavenly class levels completed. the Camporee held at one. Please join us for Honors are an important Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

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Communion is June 29. All of us look forward to this healing service and the new beginnings it provides. This is the service to invite those who haven’t attended for a while and those who feel unworthy. All of us are unworthy but what keeps us coming is that we have a Savior and He is Worthy. He invites us to come boldly to his thrown with our prayers. He is the one who established the Communion service and the One who for-

gives. This service offers all of us a new start. We start the month on the 1st with a visit from the San Gabriel Academy Chorale. Their uplifting melodies are reminiscent of the Book of Psalms— which is really a “book of songs” sung throughout the ages. The chorale’s music is a helpful guide that urges each of us to express our love of God and his love for us. See you when the church gathers. =

The Latest Word V 25 N 06 BILL AUMACK

WE DID IT

the world around us.” Be sure to join us on June 8 for Pastor Cary’s message “Joining His Family.”

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

HATZUKO AISPURO 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

June 2013 The Word & You by Linda Bewley

od’s word says, “How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!” (Psalm 92.5 NIV)

When God closes one door, he opens another. Have you ever heard that phrase? Or how about this one: Cleanliness is next to godliness. There are lots of phrases used in our society that, if you did not know better, you might think

Perfectly Mysterious they are in the Bible. Of course, these two are not. I’m always curious how things came into existence. How and why did all these phrases come to be part of our every-day language? So I decided to seek help from the Internet and found quite a number of websites which reveal the etymology of words and phrases. I could spend a lot of time reading these!

Worship Schedule June 1 SGA Chorale June 8 Pastor Cary

Joining His Family

June 15 Pastor Cary Our Father Father’s Day

June 22 Bill Aumack

Adventurer & Pathfinder Investiture

June 29 Pastor Cary Communion

For the moment, though, I looked up “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” One website tells me that this phrase, slightly altered, first appeared in English in the writings of Francis Bacon and that two centuries later, John Wesley used it when he wrote, “Slovenliness is no part of religion. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.” (www.phrases.org.uk)

of Jonah. The fact that he survived being swallowed by a huge fish pretty much takes the cake when it comes to the mysterious.

There’s another common phrase that we use as well: “God works in mysterious ways.” While that phrase itself is not in the Bible, isn’t it true that God does work in mysterious ways? I would say there are plenty of examples in the Bible which would tell us that it is true. For example, how about the time God chose to have ravens feed the prophet, Elijah? Or the time God gave instructions to have Naaman wash himself seven times in the Jordan to be cleansed of leprosy? And then there’s the story

tell a story (or ten!) which have astonished, amazed or mystified us when it comes to the way God works. These experiences help develop our faith and our ability to trust in God. And while we may be mystified at the way God works, we are able to trust him, because we know that he is perfect in all his ways. =

We could stop with the stories in the Bible and be convinced that God does work in mysterious ways. But let’s go one step further. What about our own lives? I’m almost sure each one of us could

THE LATEST WORD Before the Father by Linda Fernandez

Witness While You Can

Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things... let this be know to all the worlds. Isaiah 12:5

We need to be conscious and sensitive to the beliefs of others, we must not allow fear to keep us from sharing the Good News of the Gospel

or many of us, it is very easy to share our God stories with others. It just seems so natural in our day to day lives to share how we see God intervening in them. But more and more, we are becoming aware that the freedom we have taken for granted for so long may not be afforded us much longer. Every day it seems we read or hear in the news that Christians are being restricted in where and how we can share our faith. There are reports of students at school no longer being able to have a Bible Study at recess. High ranking officers in the military report they are being instructed to keep their faith under wraps. When will it get to the point when a military chaplain can no longer tell a young recruit disappointed by life that there is hope beyond what he can see in this world? I hear reports of people in the workplace being chastised about sharing their faith. I work in a small office with most of our employees working out in the field. One of our young men decided to join the military so we had a little farewell/good luck party for him. The office had a camouflage designed cake made up and I gave him

a small military Bible. It contained all the different hymns and oaths for each branch of service as well as scripture. It was just instinct, I think, which caused me to give it to him, but I thought perhaps in a larger company I may not have had to freedom to give that type of gift. He

wrote me a very nice thank you note, saying he already loved it. Where my husband works, he if often challenged about his beliefs and lifestyle choices, not so much in a critical way for the young men there seem to look up to him, but more as a curiosity. It seems they are amazed by his abil-

ity to maintain discipline regardless of temptation. (He would be the first to say this is not necessarily true, but for them it must seem so). In our workplaces and other places we gather together, we must always be aware of any opportunity to share about how our Lord takes a personal interest in our lives. While we need to be conscious and sensitive to the beliefs of others, we must not allow fear to keep us from sharing the Good News of the Gospel. When I started to research religious intolerance, the first 10 or 15 hits all focused on the intolerance of Christianity. I found that odd, considering how many are still suffering and even being martyred for their faith in Christ today. Let’s Pray: Father: Give us the courage to stand firm as we share of your good works. =

June 2013 Taste & Inspiration Ecuadorian Potato-Cheese Patties

roverbs 9:11 says “For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life” Part of the wisdom God gives us that will add years to our life is in the food choices we make for ourselves and family. Foods that are closest to how God intended them to be eaten. Natural and unprocessed! It’s given us wisdom in the research done so far to learn what those foods are and to implement them into our diet. We continue to encourage and promote healthy food choices. God bless you!

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks) 2 green onions very thinly sliced 1/2 C shredded Jack Cheese kernels from 1 ear of corn 1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. olive oil

Pilar & Phillip Place potatoes in pot and enough cold water to cover. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer till tender. Drain well and place in a large mixing bowl. Let cool about 30 min. Coarsely mash potatoes with masher. Stir in everything except oil. Form into 4 patties. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet

over medium heat. Add patties and cook approximately 4 minutes or until well browned and heated through. Gently turn and cook other side. Can be topped with salsa if desired. Enjoy! =

A New Old Way to Pray

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.

n ancient Jewish form of prayer, still in use today, involves sprinkling one’s day with short prayers of gratitude to God. The prayer typically begins: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who …” and concludes with a phrase that fits the specific situation. Such a prayer works well in good circumstances and bad. For example: • “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has provided clean water for my shower this morning.”

• “Blessed are you, O Lord … who brings friends to support me in my grief.” • “Blessed are you, O Lord … who has blessed me with a keen mind; please help me focus while I take this test.” • “Blessed are you, O Lord … who holds my children in unconditional love.” Try using this form of prayer liberally as a way to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to weave your faith throughout your day. =

Downey Adventist Church Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 7:58 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

10:50 am Worship SGA Chorale

3 pm Pathfinders/ Adventurers

7 pm Band Practice

9:30 am S.S.

7 8:02 pm sunset

9 am Pathfinders/ Adventurers

8 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

Adventurer 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

14 8:05 pm sunset

15 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

3 pm Pathfinders 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

21 8:07 pm sunset

22 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship

Adventurer & Pathfinder Investiture 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

28 8:08 pm sunset

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Communion

7 pm Church Board Meeting

7 pm Band Practice

June 2013 Stewpot by Gordon Bottling, DrPH, CHES

hen it comes time for the children to give their offering in Sabbath School each week, this might be the song that is sung: Hear the pennies dropping Listen while they fall Ev’ry one for Jesus He shall have them all (Chorus) Dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping Hear the pennies fall Ev’ry one for Jesus He shall have them all The composer of this catchy offering song was Fidelia H. DeWitt about whom little biographical information seems available. However, the tune is by the great religious musician and composer William J. Kirkpatrick, whose songs include: “A Wonderful Savior is Jesus My Lord,” “Away in a Manger,” “Jesus Saves,” “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” “Lord, I’m Coming Home” and “Redeemed.”1

Pennies with a Purpose As Adventists with a world mission view, we began the practice of sending missionaries in 1890 with the raising of pennies, nickels and dimes in Sabbath School. It was with the collection of change that the mission

Just a Penny’s Worth ship Pitcairn was built and sent to the Pitcairn and other Pacific islands. Ella White Robinson, Ellen White’s first granddaughter, tells us in her memoirs: “All the Sabbath School children were invited to earn money to pay for building a boat. When I came home I told Mother about it, and she said she would help me make pen wipers and potholders that Mabel and I could sell and so earn money for our ship.”2 Ellen White encouraged the early believers to teach their children to save their pennies so they could take the Good News to the entire world: “Fathers and mothers, teach your children to economize. Encourage them to save their pennies for missionary work.”3

Pennies with a Negative Attitude Sometimes penny tales have a different outcome. Jason West disputed the bill of $25 that the local medical clinic in Vernal, Utah said he owed, but

he eventually appeared at the clinic to pay it even though he felt it was unjust. Arriving at the clinic he asked clinic staff if they accepted cash payments and then dumped 2,500 pennies onto the counter, demanding they be counted. Because of his belligerent attitude and the way he threw the pennies onto the counter, clinic staff called the police and he was cited for a minor offence with a fine of up to $140.4 For a prank, 29 students at a New Jersey school paid for their $2 school lunches with pennies and promptly received two-day detentions. The school justified the detentions saying that the prank had slowed down the cafeteria line, but after their parents complained the students were pardoned.4

Pennies with a Business Sense Unlike the boulevards of heaven, which are paved with pure gold, one small business owner near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania paved her floor with 250,000 pennies, all with continued on page 8

A peny saved is a penny earned. - Benjamin Franklin

The money that we refuse to invest in the work of the Lord will perish. On it no interest will accumulate in the bank of heaven. - Ellen White

THE LATEST WORD Just a Penny’s Worth (cont. from page 7) Abraham Lincoln’s profile facing up. At first thought it sounds like an expensive way to overlay your floor, but do the math. The costs of the thousands of pennies only added up to $2,500 or approximately $3 a square foot. “Amazingly enough, it’s a lot cheaper to glue money to your floor than actually buy tile,” said Mel Angst, owner of the Artisan shop and gallery.5

Pennies with Healing Benefits

The reader’s response section of Guideposts Magazine had this wonderful personal account: “My first day back at work following the surgery I’d had for breast cancer, a small card and a single penny were waiting on my desk. ‘When you see a penny, let it remind you I’m praying for you.’ I smiled and promised myself I’d do just that the next time I came across one. Two days later I was the first one in the office. I flipped on the lights. There were a slew of pennies scattered across the front counter. Aw, that’s sweet, I thought. Then I turned the

corner. There were even more on my desk, and the back counter … and the table in the workroom. In fact, every surface was covered with pennies. ‘Did you plan this? Do you know who did?’ I asked my coworkers. No one would reveal who was responsible. I collected every single penny, and now four years into my remission they sit in a big jar on my desk, a reminder of what God offers us — healing, care and the immeasurable support of those around us, even if they won’t take credit for it.”6

Pennies with an Eternal Message The Bible tells of the occasion when Jesus and the disciples were in the temple court and our Lord looked upon the wealthy as they presented their large sums with great ostentation as compared to the poor widow who gave her all. Desire of Ages tells us that she caught the eye of Jesus as she slipped her two

“mites” into the offering box and with tears of joy she left knowing her act of sacrifice was understood and appreciated if only by

penny, take a moment and reflect on the blessing it has been and what it can do for the furtherance of God’s work on earth. = References: 1. Wikipedia on William Kirkpatrick. 2. Ella White Robinson’s Memoir, Over My Shoulder, OMS 21.1. 3. Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p 130-131.

our Savior. “She believed the service of the temple to be God’s appointment, and she was anxious to do her utmost to sustain it. She did what she could, and her act was to be a monument to her memory through all time and her joy in eternity. Her heart went with the gift: it’s value was estimated, not by the worth of the coin, but by the love of God and the interest in his work that had prompted the deed.”7 For the last 2,000 years the story of the widow’s two mites has had a message to all that both pennies and people mean a lot to God. Finally, we are admonished to lay up our pennies in the bank of heaven because “if we give with a heart filled with love for God, these few pennies become consecrated gifts, priceless offerings, which God smiles upon and blesses.”8 Next time you handle a

4. Claudine Zap, “Penny offense: Man fined for paying fee in pennies,” The Upshot, Yahoo News, Monday, June 6, 2011. 5. The Week Magazine, November 16, 2012 . 6. Derinda Moerer, “Penny for Your Prayers”, Pass it On section, Guideposts Magazine, October 2011, p 20. 7. Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p 615. 8. Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp 130-131.

A penny is a lot of money if you have not got a penny. — Yiddish Proverb

June 2013

THIS MONTH

Upcoming Events June Birthdays

Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer Group Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice

Margarette Toban – 3 Rane Concha – 4 Albert Jackson – 8 Eduardo Aponte – 12 Marley Rayas – 13 Ginny Williams – 20 Adan Ramirez – 22 Sarah Luna – 23 Ernesto Rojas – 24 Minerva Racho – 26 Johnny Macias – 28 Divine Munguia – 30 Judy Beal – 30

June June June June June June June

1 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 3pm 2 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 9am 8 - Pastor Cary’s First Sabbath /Potluck 8 - Adventurer Lock-in 15 - Father’s Day Sabbath 15 - Pathfinders @ 3pm 27 - Church Board 7pm

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 July 4 - Independence Day July 29-Aug 2 - VBS August 24 - Parking Lot Party

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family Ask Rick and Kelly Gonzalez about their most recent vacation.

and family in prayer. Jose’s mother recently passed away.

Kira Williams is recovering from hip surgery. Pray that her recovery will be quick.

Welcome to the Fisher family as they join our church family.

Remember Jose Perez and Lesly Mendez

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. For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =

Our Graduates

e sure to offer your congratulations to our graduates. We’ll honor them on June 22nd during the welcome at church. Please be at church on time to show your support.

High School Kristelle Meade – Valley Christian High School

College/University Letty (Duran) Garcia – Master’s degree in Education from Azusa Pacific University and state credential in School Counseling

Alejandro Zamora – White Memorial

From 8th Grade David Chavez – AUS Isaac Perez - KIPP KAO

Only a dad, but he gives his all To smooth the way for his children small, Doing, with courage stern and grim, The deeds that his father did for him. This is the line that for him I pen, Only a dad, but the best of men.

—Edgar A. Guest

June 2013

Ponder This... = “If you don’t learn contentment, you’ll never be happy. You’ll always want more.” —Rick Warren = “Whether you call on him or don’t call on him, God will be present with you.” —Frederick Buechner = “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” —Winston Churchill

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

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