Church President Plans Worldwide Teleconference Call

Pastor Keith D. Albury, our Conference president, and several of our workers and lay brethren will be involved in a worldwide teleconference sponsored by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists scheduled for January 3, 2002.

     Reger Smith, public relations director for the Adventist Church, says the upcoming teleconference between church president Jan Paulsen and church administrators worldwide will demonstrate the global nature of church organization. President Paulsen plans to speak with more than 3,000 administrators January 3.

     More than 3,000 Seventh-day Adventist administrators, pastors and laypeople are expected to take part in the unprecedented live teleconference call January 3. In a series of six 10-minute calls, Pastor Paulsen, will share a special message with church members and leaders from every continent.

     "There's no substitute for direct, person-to-person communication," says Elder Smith, one of the organizers of the conference call. "An e-mail or letter just doesn't have the personal quality of a phone call."

     The worldwide telephone linkup will also demonstrate, in a very tangible way, the global nature of our church organization, adds Smith. "It will serve as a clear reminder that no matter what our culture or nationality or background, we are all part of one family, all working together toward the same goals," he says.

     A proportionate number of representatives from each of the church's 12 world divisions will participate in the call, says Smith. Text and audio of the teleconference message will be available after January 6 at www.adventist.org. -ANN

 

Personal Ministries Department

    A very important meeting will be held this afternoon at 4 o’clock at the Centreville Church regarding Convention 2002 and plans for the Northwest and Southeast Personal Ministries Federations. Churches in these federations include Grant’s Town, Johnson Park, New Englerston, New Providence, Bethany, Maranatha and Philadelphia. All SS Superintendents, Personal Ministries, Community Services and Adventist Men’s Leaders are also requested to attend. Joint Federation officers’ Commitment Service will be held January 12, 2002.

 

Steps to Eternal Life Crusade For Christ

     On November 10, 2001, Evangelist W. T. Adderley, supported by co-evangelists Pastor Lincoln Llewellyn, Elders Llewellyn, Charles, Philips, Gilbert, Waley and a team of Bible Workers, ushers and members, opened the “Steps to Eternal Life Crusade” at the Ambassador SDA Church, State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.

     For three weeks, Evangelist Adderley preached the word of God with love, power and anointing. Eight precious souls were baptized with 17 candidates for future baptisms. Members testified of being spiritually revived, renewed, and delivered from the power of Satan, because of the Word of God and the special prayer and anointing nights.

     Couples received special marriage counseling which resulted in the halt of divorced plans and definite decisions for healing and renewal within their marriages.

 

     Let us continue to pray for the souls baptized as the Pastor rejoices for one soul is like 25 baptized in the Caribbean countries. To God be the Glory, great things He hath done.

 

Women’s Ministries Leaders

    A planning meeting is scheduled for all Women’s Ministries Leaders for 2002 on December 30. 2001, a 10:00 a.m. at the home of Sister Alwhyne Scavella, Bahamas Conference Women’s Ministries Director. Please call 364-1460 for directions.

 

Seventh-day Adventist Art Club to Resume January, 2002

     All members of the SDA Art Club are reminded that art classes will resume Sunday, January 13, at 3 p.m. at BA Secondary School. A. Mason/Ian Antonio

 

SDA Burial Society to Meet The regular monthly meeting of the SDA Burial Society will be held on January 7, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. at the Grant’s Town Church, Wellington Street. Persons wishing to become members are invited to attend.

 

Meistersingers to Rehearse Members of the Meistersingers are reminded of their rehearsal today at 6 p.m. at the Centreville Church. -A. Wright, Director

   

SDA Long Islanders Association Account Opened     An account in the name of The Long Islanders Association has been opened at the Bahamas Conference office. All Long Islanders and friends of Long Island are invited to contribute to the association’s fund. -D. Ritchie

     Funeral Announcements With heartfelt sympathies, we regret to announce the following deaths: Elder Hamfreth Rahming of the Hillview SDA Church. Elder Rahming died during the morning hours of Thursday, Dec. 27, at his residence. Funeral to be announced.

     The mother of Annick Brennen died in Martinique on Friday, Dec. 21. Funeral service was held on December 25 in Martinique.

     We wish the families to know that our prayers are with them. - Administration and Staff of Bahamas Conference

 

Prayer Requests Fervent prayers are requested on behalf of Pastor Silas N. McKinney and his family. He was hospitalized on Monday for congestive heart failure. However, he has since been released from hospital and is recuperating at home.

      Continued prayers are requested on behalf of Sis. Sylvia Josey who is sick and shut in .

 

Bahamas Conference Upcoming Events

Sunday, January 13, 2002, Workers Meeting at the New Providence Church at 9 a.m.

Tuesday, January 15, Finance and Budget Committee meeting at the Conference office.

Wednesday, Jan. 16, beginning of Convention at the Good News Church, Flamingo Gardens, at 7:00 p.m.

Conference Committee Meeting and Annual Audit.

Thursday, Jan. 17, Convention continues at Living Faith Church, Old Trail Road.

Ministers Meeting

Friday, Jan. 18, Convention continues at Hillview Church.

School Boards meeting at 9 a.m. at the Conference Headquarters.

Sabbath a.m., Joint service at Joe Farrington Road

Sabbath p.m., Ordination of Pastor K. Owusu Boateng at the Grant’s Town Church.

Sunday, Jan. 20, Convention concludes at Hillview at 7:00 p.m.

 

Get Your Annual Marital or Family Check-up Just as we take the time to get a medical check-up to see if we are physically healthy, we can also get a “marital check” to see how we are growing towards marital perfection.

     An annual medical check-up is a way of preventing greater problems in the future, or recognizing developing situations that you might not be aware of. Similarly, having a marital check-up can help a couple become aware of habits, behaviours, or attitudes that might be potentially destructive to the relationship or how mother, fathers, and children are relating to each other. Or it can help to affirm each other in their marital joys. Call this week and make an appointment with Adventist Counseling Services for your annual marital or family check-up; it’s free. Each couple will be given a short marital survey, and if they wish an excellent marital inventory called ENRICH that helps couples to know their strengths and weaknesses in their relationship. Call today at 361-6355 to speak to your counseling psychologist and marriage and family therapist.-Barrington H. Brennen

 

United in Worship of God As we have come to the end of 2001, when our focus was on the theme “United by the Word of God,” we in the Communication Department of the Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists wish to encourage each other to continue to study the Word of God daily .

      Our new theme for the year 2002 is “United in Worship of God.” Worship is giving God the best that He has given us. Let us be careful what we do with the best we have. Whenever we get a blessing from God, let us give it back to Him as a love-gift. In 2002 let us each take more time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If we hoard it for ourselves, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded (see Exodus 16:20). God will never allow us to keep a spiritual blessing completely for ourselves. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others.

     Bethel is the symbol of fellowship with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abram “pitched his tent” between the two. The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and oneness with Him. Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time- -there is always plenty of time to worship God. Days set apart for quiet can be a trap, detracting from the need to have daily quiet time with God. That is why we just “pitch our tents” where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our times with the world may be. There are not three levels of spiritual life - worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump as spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed; it will not happen overnight, but as we go through the year 2002, in our effort to Unite in Worship of God, He will give us enabling power to become overcomers.

     Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him. - Editor and Editorial staff

 Sun Sets today at 5:00 p.m.