Author: susiejfox

Check out the NEW ITEMS added under the Puerto Rico Mission menu item on this website.   A gallery of pictures, the PR contact information, and a Spanish version of the Seventh Day Baptist and Seventh Day Adventist Comparison tract have been added.   ( Judith Houts has even more pictures and the latest activities on her Facebook page.)  There are lots of exciting things happening in our Puerto Rico mission church.   Please keep them in your prayers that God’s work will continue strong!

The Adult Sabbath School class (Sat 10-11 am) is doing a 10 week study starting July 12 reminding us of the Biblical value of integrity. Truth is not relative and the Bible contains a lot about what is right and wrong.  These studies will focus on who we are and how we follow God to become people of integrity.  Here are the topics and related scriptures.  Each lesson is self-contained, so feel free to jump in and attend whenever you can!

Jul 12                    Imitate Jesus                     Mark 10:32-45

Jul 19                    Keep Commitments       Hosea 1:1-2:1;3

Jul 26                   Cultivate Endurance      Job 1:1-2:10

Aug 2                    Speak Truth                      Genesis 20

Aug 9                    Practice Self-Control     Judges 16

Aug 16                  Respect Your Body         I Corinthians 6:12-20

Aug 23                  Expect Tempation          Genesis 39

Aug 30                 Guard Your Tongue       James 3:1-12

Sept 6                   Offer Forgiveness           John 21

Sept 13                 Trust God                           Psalm 25

Our weekly “Building Up the Temple” mission offering is designated to a different mission project each quarter.   For the second quarter (Apr-Jun) 2014 the approximately $485 will go to fixing up the Greta Randolph cottage at Camp Joy in Berea, WV.  This stand alone A-frame cottage at our association owned and managed camp is available for people to use when it is available.  Our church has been working to make several improvements to the cottage over the last few years.

Beginning in July 2014, the 3Q mission offering will fund gifts and postage for Operation Christmas Child coming up later in the year. Earlier this year, the 1Q mission offering went to the Pataskala Food Pantry.   Other offerings in past years have gone toward wells in Africa, the Family Fund, Summer Christian Service Corp & Stained Glass, missionaries in Lesotho, our Puerto Rico branch church, and the Pregnancy Decision Health Center.   The designations for the “Building Up the Temple” mission offering is voted on at the church business meetings held in January, April, and October.

Six members from our church were able to attend the Appalachian Association meetings held at our sister church in Cumberland, MD.  This annual gathering of people from Seventh Day Baptist churches in PA, WV, OH, MD, KY, TN, and AL is a time of worshiping and sharing in many different ways.   The Full Gospel Seventh Day Baptist church (http://www.fullgospelsdb.org/) hosted the weekend which started out with a picnic, hayride, a special visit from “Short Sally” and vespers on Friday night.   On Sabbath Day, we had Bible Study for children and adults, worship, delicious food, informal praise singing, some recognition, visiting, and a concert by the singing group Stained Glass.   The Seventh Day Baptist Conference president was the morning speaker and the theme was “Choose!”.  On Sunday, there was a Camp Joy and Appalachian Association business meeting followed by lunch and more visiting before people headed back to their homes after a refreshing and inspiring weekend.