Friday, February 14, 2020

Dear Church Family,

Our prophecy series got underway this week with Pastor Marcus presenting strong Biblical messages each evening. So far, we have had 58 guests visit the meetings. I appreciate all the faithful support of our church family in your attendance and help. As I watched everyone busy last night, I reflected on what an amazing church we have. I’ve been inspired watching as the table hosts are actively engaging with their table guests each evening, sometimes staying late afterward while visiting with those at their table. It’s also exciting to see and hear the enthusiasm of several of the guests as well. One lady after attending a couple nights brought her husband on the third night and shared how she just loves these meetings and wanted to know where else meetings like these can be found.

We have four weeks left, two of which are at the Crescent school and then we will move to the church. I ask that you please try and continue coming as it is typical to have some drop off over time from the guests which in order to maintain a vibrant strong crowd means we need to not only retain our member attendance but ideally need it to grow. Remember, your attendance not only will prove meaningful for you but is a blessing to the overall mission itself. Thank you for your faithful support. Here is a picture of the opening night.

In the news:

This Friday night, Pastor Jared has a teen get together at his home at 6 p.m. All teens are invited as well as parents for a time of worship as well as fellowship and dinner. Contact Pastor Jared should you have any questions or need more directions on how to get to his place.
This Sabbath, I will be sharing the morning message with a sermon entitled, “Gritty Disciples.”
AYA this week will feature singing, mission stories and testimonies with the Meier family leading out. AYA will be at 5 p.m. at the church.
Greeneville Adventist Academy is having its 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off and Craft Fair this Sunday, February 16 in the GAA gym from 4:30 to 6:00.
I saw Bill Bumgardner on Wednesday in recovery and his surgery went very well. He is home recovering for his next and hopefully last surgery in late March.
Janelle Hastings reported today that Robert had what is hopefully his last chemo treatment. His brother Ben had a 4 1/2 hr surgery today and the surgeon reported that all went very well and they were able to remove all of the tumor. We join the Hastings in praising God for these good reports! To God be the glory.
Remember the meetings begin with supper each evening at 5:45 p.m. and then the meeting follows at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. We meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. If you would like to catch up on missed presentations, we have a web site set up whereby we post the outlines and audio recordings of the sermons. You can visit this site at AllAboutProphecy,com .
Looking ahead, AYA will be at Mark & Esther Murray’s home on the 22^nd of February at 6:00 p.m. with vespers and then a bonfire. Afterward, there will be roasted vegan marshmallows and veggie hotdogs. If you are planning on attending, call or text 281-352-5651 to RSVP that you are coming and to coordinate what sort of food items to bring. There will also be games such as ping pong and basketball in the evening.
Just a reminder that we have our Spring Retreat planned at the Oaks for April 17-18 with Elder Pavel Goia speaking.
Remember that for those who would like to participate in our church camp out this summer, July 31-August 2, please reserve your campsite at Cades Cove beginning with the A and B sections.
Also remember that the date for the Waldensian tour and play will be Sabbath, August 8. We will leave after church for a picnic, tour and evening play in Valdese, NC. Pricing is $14 dollars for the play and the tour is $10 dollars for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for students. So total cost for an adult is $24, seniors, 22, and students would be $20. In order to get a discount on ticketing, you will need to sign up through the church though you can meet us there if you prefer not to ride the bus. You can secure your spot on the bus and the discounted group rate by signing up on the clipboard at church. Only 50 slots are available for the bus. Payment will need to be provided to the church office by Thursday, March 12. I encourage you to watch the video below to be inspired by these faithful people from years ago. I might add, that if you are not familiar with Lineage, it is an excellent collection of videos focused on the reformation and our church history. I highly encourage you to check it out.