Pastor Balio had a mission emphasis for the weekend, and the members of Maranatha, Spanish Church 1 and Lawndale, had an inspiring Sabbath at HuntingtonValleyAdventistAcademy.
Pastor Balio had a mission emphasis for the weekend, and the members of Maranatha, Spanish Church 1 and Lawndale, had an inspiring Sabbath at HuntingtonValleyAdventistAcademy.
Vernon Bramble, HVCA School Board Chair came by to welcome the churches and encourage all families to consider Christian Education for their children.
Pastor Balio led the SabbathSchool time through the Fruits of the Spirit, by inviting all the gathered members to nominate different members as to which Fruit of the Spirit they had.Then he divided up the entire assembly to one of 9 groups representing the different Fruits, for prayer and encouragement.
Pastor Balio led the SabbathSchool time through the Fruits of the Spirit, by inviting all the gathered members to nominate different members as to which Fruit of the Spirit they had.Then he divided up the entire assembly to one of 9 groups representing the different Fruits, for prayer and encouragement.
I was invited to give the Sabbath morning worship message, entitled, “Give Away Your Church,” based on Mark 10 and the story of the Rich Young Ruler and Jesus’ invitation to him to join the mission of Jesus.
In the afternoon I conducted a brief seminar.Part of that was an exercise where 8 different groups were formed around a particular church ministry.Each of these groups then brainstormed on how that particular church ministry was to be about reaching the lost.
Approximately 340 members were there on Sabbath morning.
Last Wednesday, December 3, the Pennsylvania Conference Executive Committee met at BlueMountainAcademy in the Leadership Classroom, which is across from the ABC in the Industrial Arts Building.One of the main items of interest was a preliminary report by our Cost Analysis consultant, Vernon Bramble, as he is drawing together pertinent data in preparation for a report on Laurel Lake Camp.
As we broke for lunch, Rob Gettys, BMA principal, took our Executive Committee on a quick tour of the BMA Bathroom project.
Here you see some of our Executive Committee examining the project as Rob Gettys describes the progress so far.
Jeanne and I had several appointments in Western Pennsylvania. Enroute, we stopped in Everett to view the newest Arise and Build Church project. Although it was evening, the church makes a very attractive presentation to the community surrounding it.
Elder Bob Snyder showed us through the building.
I believe the Everett Church is one of the best Arise and Build Church floor plans to this date in Pennsylvania. It is very well thought out and spacious.
The Sanctuary will not be ready for occupancy for a few months yet.
In the meantime the church will be able to use the fellowship hall, as occupancy for that part of the building has been granted.
Some of the Children’s classrooms are very attractive. A church member is painting a scene of Jesus preaching from the boat, adapted from the My Bible Friends children’s story book
A number of non-Adventist men (some of them relatives of members) have come out to assist Elder Snyder with the on-going work issues in the building.Most of these men do not attend church anywhere.One has started attending and it is possible others will in the future when the services start. Elder Snyder is planning on conducting evangelistic meetings in the church in 2009.
Bill Peterson, our Assistant to the President for Mission coordinated the PA Conference Church Planting summit which was held in the Allentown Seventh-day Adventist Church on November 1. Tom Evans from the Texas Conference and Paul Hunt were the two primary presenters. Pictured here, from left to right are: Bill Peterson, PA Conference Assistant to the President for Mission; Tom Evans, Church Planting Coordinator for the Texas Conference; Paul Hunt, Pastor and Church planter in the Texas Conference, Paul Wasmer, Pastor of the Allentown Church; and Ray Hartwell, President of the PA Conference. I joined for most of the Sabbath presentations and excellent material on Church planting was shared by Tom Evans. We have enough potential that a church plant could be started in the Allentown area. Other leaders of Church plants from different areas of the Conference also attended this Church Planting Summit.
Bill Peterson and I joined the Pocono Grace Church plant on a beautiful Fall Sabbath. The happy occasion was the service where this Church plant was officially organized as a congregation of the Pennsylvania Conference. We will be presenting them to the next Constituency Session in October 2009.
The leaders of the church invited the Lutheran Pastor of the church they are renting from and expressed their appreciation for the LutheranChurch’s willingness to provide them the space to worship in.
As in any Church Organization service, I went over the complete fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-dayAdventistChurch with the entire audience of members and guests.Later, the Lutheran Pastor remarked that she now had a better understanding of the Christian and Biblical beliefs of Adventists, and there was no doubt in her mind that the Adventist Church was not a cult.
The Lutheran congregation has dwindled down to the point that the congregation is being folded into other Lutheran congregations in the area, and this church family will cease to exist.
The church building is being sold.
Our Adventist church family would like to purchase it. Although two other church groups came forward and offered quite a bit more money for the building than our church was able to offer, the Lutherans were very favorable toward our Church group and have indicated their desire to sell the building to us. The purchase will need to be finalized in December, 2008. Please keep Pocono Grace Seventh-day Adventist Church family in your prayers for the purchase of this building.
If you would like to contribute to this building purchase, you may send a contribution to the Pennsylvania Conference and mark it, “Pocono Grace Building Fund.”
Our PA Conference Fall camp meeting was held again this year at Laurel Lake Camp.
Elder G. Edward Reid was our featured speaker.
A number of people from across the Conference came for the weekend to hear the inspiring messages he shared.
One of the special features we enjoyed was hearing the Church Choir from the PittsburghSDAChurch.Here I am visiting with one of the Choir members, Dr. David Ombengi.Dr. Ombengi is a Doctor of Pharmacy, has an MBA and a MPH.
While at the PA Conference Fall camp meeting it is a good time to enjoy warm fellowship with Church members from across the Conference and from various churches.
Some gathered around tables over lunch in the cafeteria
and others share a picnic outside.
The Williamsport Men’s quartet had our concert in the evening and what a blessing in song that inspired our hearts.
