Monday, October 25, 2010

CAR POOLING TO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

This weekend William Peterson and I shared a trip to Western Pennsylvania. Will had an appointment with Lonnie Wibberding, the new director of the Community Ministry and Church Plant in Carnegie, just adjacent to Pittsburgh proper, and I was to speak at the Greensburg Church, at the East Suburban Church and then meet with the East Suburban Church Board Sabbath afternoon.

Lonnie Wibberding is in place in Carnegie and has succeeded Andrew Clark as the director of the project. William Peterson met with Lonnie Friday afternoon to go over the current status and future plans. I worked on some pressing Conference business during that time.

In the evening, William and I drove up to the Pittsburgh Church as Pastor Dennis Austin had told me that a lay-led ShareHim meeting was being conduct. We arrived in time to hear Kathy Shea present the evening ShareHim evangelistic meeting, which was on the time prophecy for the 2,300 day forecast of when Christ would begin His final ministry before His second coming. I am very proud of the effort that Kathy was making in presenting the word of God that evening. Her husband, Jack, was to present the message the next evening.

Sabbath morning William joined Lonnie Wibberding for the worship service in Carnegie and I presented the morning message at Greensburg. Brandon Yorty is the lay pastor there and has been faithfully leading out in this church.

Then I drove over to the East Suburban Church and presented the morning worship message there. 52 were in attendance this last Sabbath, which is evidence of the growing attendance in this church. Donald Lewis, lay pastor, has been diligently working and leading out and has several baptisms this year, with at least another one planned before the end of the year. After Church, I met with the Church Board and shared the vision for the Church Board to make the mission to reach the lost the focus of every activity of the Church. We discussed the possibility of East Suburban hosting a PA Conference Youth Challenge student Literature Evangelist Team and a COOL camp summer day camp team in order to better reach their community. There seemed to be strong interest in the possibility.

Friday night I received word that Eugene “Jeep” Moyer of the Shermansdale church had been stricken with a massive stroke and was in the Hershey Medical Center. On our way home, William and I stopped by the Hershey Medical Center in an effort to visit with Jeep, who has been a literature evangelist in the Pennsylvania Conference and was recently a member of the Conference Executive Committee. The Hershey Medical Center could not find him in their records and kindly connected us with several hospitals in the Harrisburg area. When we could not locate him that way either, we later contacted Rudy Marschner, the Head Elder of the Shermansdale Church and were sadly informed the Jeep had passed away at 1:40 p.m. Sabbath afternoon.

With a pang of sadness, we sorrowed the loss of another faithful member and former worker in the Pennsylvania Conference, and yet we by faith look forward to the soon return of Jesus and the promise that one day Jesus will restore all the sin has snatched away.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

EVERETT GRAND OPENING

EVERETT SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH GRAND OPENING

On Sabbath, October 16, the Everett Church Family celebrated the Grand Opening of their new church facility. This is the 4th Arise and Build Church in the Pennsylvania Conference, and the 3rd Arise and Build church constructed in Western Pennsylvania.

The church has a wide and spacious church sanctuary/auditorium, with plenty of lighting and a wide and very functional platform area. The baptistery is off to the right of the platform.


Elder Ron Christman, Conference Treasurer and Elder William Peterson, Assistant to the President for Mission and the Arise and Build Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Conference accompanied me for the great day. Elder Christman taught the Sabbath School lesson and I shared the worship hour message, entitled, “Why Build a Church?”

The service had many special features, complete with a history of the congregation delivered by Rowena Rick. Jessica Link, a student from Blue Mountain Academy and her mother Christy Link provided one of the special music numbers. The Blue Mountain Academy Brass quintet gave several musical numbers.
The local Church children gave a couple of special music numbers for the worship service, and of course, everyone thought theirs was probably the best part!
Fomrer pastors Don Ehrlich and Vince Dolan were also able to attend and take part in the morning service.



Vince Dolan (on left with Larry Fisher) was the pastor when the land was purchased and the plans drawn up for the new church.
In the afternoon, Jessica Link and Levi Collins shared an overview of the Pennsylvania Conference Youth ShareHim mission trip, showing pictures of the group’s experience in Guatemala from this last July. Both Jessica and Levi are presently conducting a ShareHim meeting in Pennsylvania.

The Men’s Quartet from the Williamsport Church composed of the Fulmer brothers, the son of the former pastor Vince Dolan and Ken Yonkin provided an afternoon concert.

The church is very tastefully decorated throughout. Especially delightful is the large life size mural of Jesus teaching from the fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee that is all across one wall in the Junior Sabbath School room.

This church has an excellent design and floor plan and is a credit to the Adventist faith. It makes a very attractive appearance to the community.


Pastor Bob Snyder and his church family planned a wonderful Grand Opening. What a reaon to praise God for all the miracles in the property purchase, funding and building of this church!