Dear Church Family,

Notice these words of counsel from the pen of inspiration:

“The secret of saving your children lies in making your home lovely and attractive.”  AH 530

“The home in which the members are polite, courteous Christians exerts a far-reaching influence for good.  Other families will mark the results attained by such a home, and will follow the example set, in their turn guarding the home against Satanic influences.  The angels of God will often visit the home in which the will of God bears sway. “  AH 31

“Remember that just as you are in your family, so you will be in the church.  Just as you treat your children, so will you treat Christ.”   SD 255

Words to live by for sure.

In the news:

1. I will be sharing the message this Sabbath with a sermon entitled, “Glow in the Dark Christians.” We will also have the orchestra with us this Sabbath which is always a real blessing.
2. There will be no fellowship lunch this Sabbath.
3. AYA this week will feature a report from the three families from our church who participated in the Mongolian mission trip.  There will be a slideshow with many stories.  The three families involved were the Diaz, Emde, & Finley families.  AYA will be at 7:30pm this week.
4. We had an unfortunate incident occur this past Sabbath that I believe we can draw some lessons from.  A young guest in our church who apparently was left unsupervised made their way into our church office and took the two monitors off the secretary’s desk, unplugging them from the computer.  The monitors thankfully never made it out of the office.  The young person took Pastor Alex’s laptop which was later recovered from the family car and this same young guest also was reported to have been found with some wireless mics in hand and was seen trying to get into our church bus.  A police report was later filed when the extent of what was done was discovered but no charges have been filed at this point.  Some lessons worth noting from this incident are:
   1. All parents are asked to know where their children are at all times. During SS and church, youth should either be with an adult or in their Sabbath School room or in the sanctuary.  Please do not allow your children to run around unattended.
   2.  It would appear that much of what happened on Sabbath occurred after the service for the office was locked during the worship hour.  Thus even after church and during fellowship meals, a careful eye should be kept on children and youth for their safety and protection.
   3. We would ask that the church office be kept closed at all times. If as a teacher or music leader you need to make copies, please close the door behind you and lock it.
   4. Lastly, as a church family, we are all responsible for one another, young and old. Help us remain vigilant for the safety of our church family and our church property.  If my child happened to slip from my presence, I would want another adult to lead them back to me.  We are blessed to live in a relatively safe area and we need not be afraid in our place of worship.  But let us none the less remain vigilant at all times.
5. We will have a team of Bible workers canvassing our community this coming week.  They will also be sharing our Thunder in the Holy Land DVD’s with those who show interest.  Please keep them in your prayers as they work in our community for Jesus.
6. Vacation Bible School is set to begin this Monday from 9am-12pm.   You can pre-register in the foyer this Sabbath.  VBS is in real need of more juice box donations.  They only have one day’s worth of juice boxes so if you wish to donate, please bring them to church Sabbath or contact Angela Emde.
7. There will be NO prayer meeting this coming week due to VBS.
8. This past Sunday’s Princess Night event turned out to be a real success with many young ladies gathering together at the Christensen home for facials and other spa like experiences.  They also discussed the principles of true inner beauty.  Thanks to Suranny and the team of ladies who made the night so special.  Here are some pictures from the event.

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9. Just a reminder that the county fair will begin during the 1^st full week of August. There are sign up sheets in the foyer.  Please consider serving in one of our two booths, the health ministries van or the GAA booth.
10. Pastor Alex & I visited with Jolene Thurlow this past week and her condition is declining. She stated that she desires to go to sleep in Jesus.  Please keep her and the family in your prayers during this difficult time.
11. Remember Jenny Pileggi and the family as we joined them this week for a memorial service for Vincent (Mario) Pileggi who passed away on Sabbath. We noted that in the last month and a half, we have had three wives in our church lose husbands to death.  Please keep these ladies and families in your prayers as they cope with this new reality.
12. Norma & Yvonne Wannamaker were in an accident this week in which someone pulled in front of them along Andrew Johnson Hwy and they t-boned the other car at a rather high speed.  Norma broke a clavicle and is understandably shook up. Their car was totaled but thankfully they are alive and didn’t suffer a worse injury. Norma and Yvonne are back home and recovering but appreciate your prayers.
13. Just a reminder that our church camp out is coming up in a couple of weeks. The camp out is scheduled for  July 28-30 at Cades Cove.  We have a guest speaker joining us for Sabbath.  We will begin the weekend with worship in one of the little churches along the loop at 7:30pm on Friday.  To reserve your site, visit recreation.gov 

Blessings as you prepare for the coming Sabbath!

In His Service,
Pastor Jeremy