Vancouver Today - e.Update, Jan. 25, 2011

January 25, 2011

 

From Pastor Roger ...

The TIME article, "Who Needs Marriage?", is a fascinating look at what is happening in our culture. As TIME points out, "When an institution so central to human experience suddenly changes shape in the space of a generation or two, it's worth trying to figure out why." To read the article, follow the link in the newsletter below.

 

"Who Needs Marriage?"– National Marriage Week USA Responds to Time Magazine cover

What does marriage really say about us? Why did God intend for us to be married? Take a look at the article and post a reply to this on Facebook and let's discuss marriage.

What's happening

• Wednesday, Jan. 26: Church board, 7pm
• Thursday, Jan. 27: CAA Constituency, 7pm
• Sabbath, Jan 29: Pathfinder Sabbath 
• Monday, Jan. 31: Pathfinders, 7pm
• Tuesday, Feb. 1:
  • Conference Call Prayer meeting, 7am
  • Oregon Conference Town Hall, 7pm
    

Follow-up on India Re-entry....

We prayed, and perhaps some day we'll understand why. God is stil. sovereign.

roger walter
------------
Senior Pastor - http://bit.ly/qO3Vg
Adventist Community Church
www.VancouverAdventist.com

From: Virginia Oliver

Date: January 21, 2011 10:06:15 AM PST

Subject: Reentry Denied

Dear family and friends,

About 1 1/2 hours ago, not long before Sabbath started here, we were at the Passport office again.   Ron  had called about 2:00 and talked to the man in charge.  He said to call us about 5:00 PM.  So we went early and waited until almost closing time.  We tried calling on the phone again and no answer.  A  man told us to come back Monday.  We talked to a different man and in a few minutes he came back and said our reentry was denied.  We had just been talking to another man in the Passport office and he got his paperwork just fine. He said, It helps to know someone." He said it is a new law.  Maybe the law was just enforced this year where you could not reenter within 2 months of your last visit. We are feeling bad about it but know that God is in control of everything.  Another worker, named Roger Stone has stepped up to the plate and spoke tonight for the first meeting.  He emailed us and told us he (we) were given the most dificult and explosive region, and there is concern in working there.  It has a strong Hindu presence.  The area is very near one of the most famous temples.  So many tourtists (mainly Hindu) are there every day.  Please pray for Roger and Barbara.  They have pressed into service someone for the children's story and another for the health talks.  God will lead.

We were to meet another man named Wayne about 1 hour after we arrived in India. He is working in the same campaign we were.  There are 3 teams all together and He was part of one of those teams.  He had a lot of difficulty entering also, but they finally allowed  him to come in.  Brenda, my sister-in-law, said he will probably never be allowed to enter again.

 

Before Sabbath, we found a little hotel in downtown Paris near the passport office.  We bought some fruit and vegetables, and some bread for our Sabbath meal.  We are planning to go to church in Paris if we can find one to go which is near by.

We will wait until tomorrow to decide what to do, whether to come directly home or spend a few more days here.  It is very cold here and we are suffering a bit from the cold without proper clothing.  No coats etc.  We are of good courage.

 

Early this morning we took a taxi and visited Omaha Beach and the American Cemetary.  How inspiring to read of the sacrifice of those men for the freedom we take for granted.

I read a book on this trip about  pilots who flew many missions protecting the bombers going into Germany.  The author talked briefly about Nomandy.

At the end of the book, he quoted from a German who was being tried at the Numerberg trials.  The man's name was Albert Speer.  He said something important for all of us to remember in light of the final judgment when we stand before God, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that God is God and He is just and true. He was refering to the terrible things that went on in Germany with the Jews and others. He said," No, I didn't know, but I could have known, and I should have known.  Therefore I plead guilty." I pray that none of us will have to make that confession on Judgment Day.

We will plan to be home next week. 

Love,

Virginia

 

   

Ron and Virginia - Prayers Needed

Below is an email from Ron and Virginia Oliver. Who are supposed to be in India, but instead are in Paris. We talk about praying for them, well now is the time to pray. 

roger

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Carolyn Karlstrom <

From: Virginia Oliver 

Hi Carolyn,

...

Please pray for us.  We are in a situation that is not resolved yet.  We are in Paris unplanned and unsure if we will be allowed to go to India.  We arrived in India as scheduled at about 12:45 AM after 21 hours of flying time, very ready for bed only to discovered that because we had been in India in December and had not been out of the country for 2 months we would not be allowed to stay there.  They  put us on the plane we had just arrived in, in fact we had the same seats, and off we were again to Paris.  It took us 101/2 hours to return.  We put our bags in left luggage and off we were to the India embassy to seek permission to return to India  praying all the way. They said they could not help us.  They sent us to the Passport office which was a few minutes walk from the embassy.  The man at the desk said come back tomorrow at nine.  He would hardly give us the time of day.  We went back to the embassy to get some help from one of the people there as to the steps we would need to take.  He gave us the name of the man we needed to talk to and back we went to the Passport office, praying again and again that God would work a miracle.  When we arrived there, the first man was in the back and soon another man came back to help answer a few questions of the people up front. We told him why we were there.  He kindly gave us forms to fill out and told us other things we needed such as passport pictures and a letter explaining why we needed back into India so soon.  We had no money or rather coins to make copies of our passport.  I asked the first man, who came back after awhile that had had no time for us, if he could change some money for us.  He had no, go to the bank.  When he realized we just needed enough to pay for copies of pictures, he copied them himself. He seemed like a different fellow.  Maybe he had had lunch by then and God was working on his heart.   When Ron was just finishing the letter, another man came out and after he finished talking to the other people who had questions, he asked us what we needed.  We told him we needed to talk to a certain man and named him.  He acknowledged he was that man.  He told us we could come back in a few weeks.  We talked to him a little longer telling him we could not do that.  He told us he would call us tomorrow, Thursday. It usually takes several days to seek permission.  I felt God was leading all the way.  I felt we were like the inopportune widow begging the judge for a hearing.
I know God is in control and we are praying for His will not our will to be done.  We should find out in a few hours what decision will be make.  The fact that he told us he would call us makes me hopeful.  Will will probably go to his office anyway. Maybe seeing our faces there will help him to decide favorable. Besides we need the permission anyway, and will need a paper stating we are allowed to enter.  Because of the bombings in Bombay 2 years again, India made the rule that there had to be a 2 month wait between visits.  We did not know about the rule and told the man it was our fault not his that we were in the dilemma.  If we are allowed to have it, we will leave on Friday morning for India.  Please pray for us tonight all of you.

On the way to the hotel, we visited with a young lady who was just returning from Israel working for a "House of Pray" ministry.  Her name is Holly.  I invited her to come eat with us.  We had very little in the way of food to share but she did come and we had a long visit, even though I found myself nodding a few times.  We had not been in bed for 2 full nights and we so tired.  Ron went to sleep while we were visiting. She asked for my email address.  I'll send her a message today.  She is a sweet girl.  I believe God is working in her heart.

It is cold in Paris and we were not prepared for the weather.  Ron has on only a short sleeved shirt.  I had bought along 2 stocking caps and a scarf.  He reluctantly wore the scarf and hat.
I had 3 wool layers and the wind was still biting cold.

We'll let you what happens.
 Love to all,
Virginia

Vancouver Today - e.Update

January 18, 2011 From Pastor Roger — I recently read this article by Seth Godin: "How much would you pay for an envelope that had a 50% chance of containing $10 and a 50% chance of being empty? "Over time and in bulk, probably $4.99. But certainly not more than $5. "Here's where it gets interesting: how much extra would you pay for a plane that was guaranteed to be always on time, or a surgery that was always guaranteed to work? Suddenly, the same math that helped us value the envelope doesn't work so well. That's because we're often willing to pay a significant premium to avoid risk. "'Works every time' is a great promise to make to your boss. And it's the secret to Fedex's original success. Plenty of people send things by Fedex that don't need to get there superfast. They just need to get there for sure. "Doesn't work if you have to slip in the word 'almost' though." * * * * * * * * So? How sure are you of your relationship with Christ? How are you making it MORE sure. Almost doesn't count. Are you sure of your salvation! You can come boldly to the throne of grace because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you haven't already, take a look at our website and get involved in the LIFE Journal with many of us who are worshipping our way through scripture. So many have started for the first time this year, so many others are doing it for the second year. I love being your pastor! Roger What's happening Wednesday, Jan. 19 Adventurers, 4:15pm Finance Committee - 7pm Sunday, Jan. 23 - Women's Ministries brunch, 11am Monday, Jan. 24 - Pathfinders, 7pm Tuesday, Jan. 25 - Conference Call Prayer, 7am Thursday, Jan. 27- CAA Constituency, 7pm Check out the church website - www.VancouverAdventist.com for the latest updates and calendar items, or join us on Facebook. And as always, if you have any questions, you can call the church office Monday-Friday from 1:30-5:30pm and get ahold of someone who may be able to help.

 

Vancouver Today - e.Update

January 11, 2011

Sticky Church!

Want to be part of a team of people that are going to make our church "sticky?" No, it's not really sticky (as in too many candy canes), but it's about closing the "back door" of the church and helping people whom God has brought here, to stay here. We spend time and energy to win people and bring them through the front door. But are we caring for them once they come in. This team of people will be able to work from their homes, will need a phone, a computer with internet access, and the potential to make an occasional visit - or delegate a visit to a team of visitors -  as will be described in the training we will provide for this. If you are interested, send an email to VancouverAdventist@gmail.com with the subject line: "Sticky Church" and Pastor Roger or Pastor Jeff will contact you shortly now that the holidays are over.

Forks Over Knives

TThe truth about what is killing us in the western culture is amazing. Much of the sickness we face comes through what we eat - and the medical community's way of fixing it is with pills and knives. But you can I can change that, by what we put on our forks. Check out the new film on health and nutrition at: http://www.forksoverknives.com. There is a pre-screening in Portland, starting the end of this week. We may be organizing a group of us to view it together - want to go? Watch your email inbox later this week for information.

FYI - What's Happening?

• 1/15 - Jaime Jorge in Concert during both Worship Service - Invite a FRIEND!!
• Sunday - Elder's Brunch, 10am
• Monday - Pathfinders at 7pm
• Wednesday - Finance Committee at 7pm

Check out the church website - www.VancouverAdventist.com for the latest updates and calendar items. And as always, if you have any questions, you can call the church office Monday-Friday from 1:30-5:30pm and get ahold of someone who may be able to help.

CORRECTED: Vancouver Today - e.Update

SORRY YOU ARE GETTING THIS TWICE,

I FAILED TO PUT A COUPLE OF ISSUES IN THE FIRST ONE....

THIS ONE IS CORRECTED

Vancouver Today - e.Update

January 3, 2011

Sticky Church!

Want to be part of a team of people that are going to make our church "sticky?" No, it's not really sticky (as in too many candy canes), but it's about closing the "back door" of the church and helping people whom God has brought here, to stay here. We spend time and energy to win people and bring them through the front door. But are we caring for them once they come in. This team of people will be able to work from their homes, will need a phone, a computer with internet access, and the potential to make an occasional visit - or delegate a visit to a team of visitors -  as will be described in the training we will provide for this. If you are interested, send an email to VancouverAdventist@gmail.com with the subject line: "Sticky Church" and Pastor Roger or Pastor Jeff will contact you shortly now that the holidays are over.

2010 Church Statistics

Here are some fascinating things to think about and praise the Lord about for our successes this last year:

• Baptisms
• The average number of Baptisms in the Oregon Conference for the last five years is 6 baptisms per church
• The Average number of baptisms at our church for the last five years was 15
• This year we baptized 50 People (this includes those brought in via Profession of Faith)! 
• Our three year goal is to hit 125, so we are well on our way to doing just that!
• Praise the Lord.
• Retention
• With the Lord's help, we're keeping a good 70+% of the people we've brought in and they are not just coming in, but they are getting involved, and joining a Community Group
• Community Groups
• We have about 150+ people in community Groups thus far. Our goal in our three year master plan is that at least 240  people (60%) of our current worship attendance will be in a group by 2012, at the end of our three year goals.
• What we're finding is that congregational care happens best in a Community Group. Come on out and join the "Community" at the Adventist Community.
• We've seen, unfortunately, a number of deaths this year - but the amazing thing is how the Community Groups have kicked in to support the people in their groups - and to support people who are not in their group!
• Pastor Jeff's Discipleship Team - Reach Deep - has been doing a great ministry in helping people put their roots down spiritually.
• Evangelism
• We had two evangelistic seminars this year and both were pretty decent successes that helped quite a few people to 1) hear the Three Angel's Messages, a message of Hope and Worship, and 2) to hear about Jesus Christ and learn to be in relationship with Him.
• We're planning two more this next year, in 2011, and we're asking for significant funding from the Oregon Conference - we hope they will see the success we've had and help to keep us heading that way even more. Please pray about this.
• Pastor Danny's Evangelism Team - Reach Out - has been doing an excellent Job on this.
• Children's Ministry
• If you haven't taken a climb on the playground equipment yet, then get your kids out there and have some fun! 
• This is a success story that is due almost entirely (except for the work in putting the equipment up) from the Children's offering each Sabbath morning!
• LIFE Journals
• Quite a few people have told me that they've never read the Bible through until this last year, when they did the LIFE Journal. Quite a few others are starting it this year - if you aren't having personal devotional time with Jesus each day, check out the church website for the information regarding the LIFE Journal and get started today! 

We had quite a few other things going on this year, from health clinics, car washes, FLAG Camp, VBS, Pathfinders, and our new Adventure Club. 2011 truly was a good year. The future still looks good and we can't wait to see what God will do with us and in us this year!

Forks Over Knives

TThe truth about what is killing us in the western culture is amazing. Much of the sickness we face comes through what we eat - and the medical community's way of fixing it is with pills and knives. But you can I can change that, by what we put on our forks. Check out the new film on health and nutrition at: http://www.forksoverknives.com. There is a pre-screening in Portland, starting the end of this week. We may be organizing a group of us to view it together - want to go? Watch your email inbox later this week for information.

FYI - What's Happening?

• Tuesday at 7:00am - Conference Call Prayer Meeting - call 213.289.0500, access code: 558256
• Tuesday 9:30-3:00 - Community Services Center is open - want to volunteer, come on out!
• Sabbath - Communion this week - to prepare our hearts for the coming year
• Sabbath - two Part Message series on the Sabbath
• Part 1 (January 8 - Why the Sabbath and How to Keep it)
• Part 2 (January 22 - The Sabbath in the End Times)
• Sabbath - Community Groups Facilitator's Meeting in the Fireside Chapel
• Monday - Evangelism Team Meeting at 6:30pm
• 1/15 - Jaime Jorge in Concert during the 2nd Worship Service

Check out the church website - www.VancouverAdventist.com for the latest updates and calendar items. And as always, if you have any questions, you can call the church office Monday-Friday from 1:30-5:30pm and get ahold of someone who may be able to help.