Dear Church Family,
Here is an article from the Adventist Review regarding the importance of Family worship and some ideas to get you going if you are not already enjoying this daily ritual.
We must remember this important counsel:
In every family there should be a fixed time for morning and evening worship. How appropriate it is for parents to gather their children about them before the fast is broken, to thank the heavenly Father for His protection during the night, and to ask Him for His help and guidance and watchcare during the day! How fitting, also, when evening comes, for parents and children to gather once more before Him and thank Him for the blessings of the day that is past!
The father, or, in his absence, the mother, should conduct the worship, selecting a portion of Scripture that is interesting and easily understood. The service should be short. When a long chapter is read and a long prayer offered, the service is made wearisome, and at its close a sense of relief is felt. God is dishonored when the hour of worship is made dry and irksome, when it is so tedious, so lacking in interest, that the children dread it.
Fathers and mothers, make the hour of worship intensely interesting. There is no reason why this hour should not be the most pleasant and enjoyable of the day. A little thought given to preparation for it will enable you to make it full of interest and profit. From time to time let the service be varied. Questions may be asked on the portion of Scripture read, and a few earnest, timely remarks may be made. A song of praise may be sung. The prayer offered should be short and pointed. In simple, earnest words let the one who leads in prayer praise God for His goodness and ask Him for help. As circumstances permit, let the children join in the reading and the prayer.
Eternity alone will reveal the good with which such seasons of worship are fraught. 7T 43-44
In the news:
- Pastor Alex will be sharing the message this Sabbath with a sermon entitled: “Finding Joy In Affliction.”
- This week AYA will begin at 6pm and will feature Part II of the “Tell the World” movie featuring our Adventist Heritage story.
- As a notice to everyone, soon our church roof will be replaced with a new metal roof. This will take approximately a week to complete. This is being funded by our Church Capital Fund which is a part of our regular church budget.
- We voted at church board this week to proceed with another phase of upgrades to the A/V system. This is a slow process but this will correct some of the glitches we have seen with the projector and the like. Another phase will need to follow this one which will look at the speakers and sound in the sanctuary.
- We had a wonderfully successful Dinner with the Doctor this week. Here is a picture from the event. Our attendance was great with many coming from the community.
- Diabetes Undone is set to begin this coming Tuesday at 6:30pm! Contact Rhoda Kanna if you are interested in attending or know of someone who is.
- The Pale Horse Rides series is set to begin two weeks from today. I can tell you having previewed the series, IT IS INCREDIBLE! It is beautifully done and is the perfect event to bring an interested friend to. It looks at how God preserved truth through the Dark Ages using such people as the Celts and Waldenses and then concludes with Luther which is fitting seeing as this October 31st marks the 500th anniversary of the 95 theses. Please plan to bring a friend. It begins FRIDAY NIGHT, Oct 27 at 7pm.
- Pastor Alex & Suranny met with our Spanish members at the Nelson’s place this past Sabbath evening for a special outdoor vespers. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and worship.
- The General Conference Executive Committee met this week and dealt with many important matters with a heavy emphasis on mission. Here is a report from the much studied and debated topic of church unity and the proposal that was shared on Monday afternoon.
- We need to pray for those affected by the wildfires out west. We lost an academy from the fires.
- Some may wonder where the pastors’ wives are this weekend. Suranny and Tina will be riding down to Cohutta together this afternoon to attend what they call a Shepherdess retreat.
Blessings as you prepare for the coming Sabbath!
In His Service,
Pastor Jeremy
The Greeneville Grapevine 