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OUR MISSION: To Seek & Save the Lost
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Good evening, everyone,
I hope and pray that you’re doing well! It was a blessing to share communion with you last Sabbath, and also to be a part of the Workbee on Sunday. I'm glad quite a few joined to help!
FYI, if you wanted a copy of the story I shared at the start of the sermonette last week, it's this:
Whose Job Is It, Anyway?
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
The story may be confusing but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.
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Here are a few quick things to note:
1. Thank you to Melissa and her team from Stone Tower, and Polly and her team from Lents, and for helping the Harvest Festival be an awesome success! :) [Pictures below].
2. Follow the Star is now fully booked! After securing the initial 50 tickets, we were able to obtain an additional 20, but those have all been claimed as well. (If you know any last minute people who absolutely ought to be there, I will try to see what else we can find)
3. Town Hall Meetings Share Sobering News and a Plan for 2025 and Beyond
Recently, Oregon Conference administrators held town hall meetings across the conference to connect with members, discuss the conference's financial situation, and address questions. Led by interim president Don Livesay, the meetings provided an update on the financial status, explained the factors behind the current situation, and shared a strategic plan approved by the Executive Committee to help align the conference for the 2025 budget. This plan aims to continue supporting local churches while streamlining conference office operations.
If you'd like to learn more, we've prepared a detailed report covering the information shared during the meetings.
Please keep our church in prayer!
David Kokiong
Pastor, Stone Tower SDA Church
Cell: 503-567-9315
Email: pastor@stonetowersda.org
Gal. 6:9
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UPCOMING EVENTS
(Generally a two-week snapshot)
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Sabbath School
Lesson Study
(Click on the picture & choose the lesson for the current week.)
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Worship Service Information | |
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Click the picture to the right
for our 11 AM
church service livestream
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Stone Tower Church Announcements & Activities | |
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Sabbath, November 23
11:00 am: Shannon Goodwin, speaker
1:00 pm: Thanksgiving Musical Banquet
Book Cart Ministry in the lobby
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Join us for the 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Worship Service and Musical Banquet on Sabbath, November 23!
Everyone is invited to bring a Thanksgiving dish to share. You can look at the link below to see what you might still bring. We look forward to celebrating with you!
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Work Bee Report
After weeks of rain and a 94% chance of rain for our work bee on Sunday this was our view on the way to the church: dark, ominous clouds, with a clear band of blue sky over the church. Prayers were answered, and once again we had a work bee on a rainy day where there was no rain! Rain did come after nearly everyone had finished their outdoor work. Our prayers for dry weather are granted almost every time we have a work bee or go out into the neighborhood for Door2Door! Praise God for His mercies!
Thank you so much to all who came out -- we got a lot accomplished.
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Sabbath, November 30
11:00 am: Elder Harold Lee, NEWSTART
1:15 pm: Sabbath Fellowship Group
Book Cart Ministry in the lobby
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Prayer Ministry at Stone Tower | |
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Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting: 6:30pm each Wednesday downstairs in the ABC classroom downstairs. Please ring the doorbell or knock hard at the downstairs door.
9:30 am Sabbath: Come a little early on Sabbath morning and gather with us for a special Prayer Time at the left front of the sanctuary. It has a rolling start, so simply find a seat in the pews as prayer begins, and feel free to join in whenever there's a pause. We'll wrap up before the 10:00am Sabbath School start time.
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International Prayer Group every evening, 7:00 pm PDT. Join the North America Prayer Group through zoom by clicking this link:
Meeting passcode: 247247
ST Prayer Ministry Group on the Signal App: Connect with Stone Tower members to share your praises and prayer requests and to pray for your fellow members. Click on the QR code below or take a picture of it to become a member (includes a link to download Signal). The group asks that messages are limited to praise and prayer requests only.
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THIS WEEK'S CHILDREN'S SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON:
Click on the picture for a video corresponding with My Bible First Kindergarten and Primary lessons
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WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS | |
Portland Adventist Elementary School still needs: | |
1) A part-time accountant (about 10 hours a month) to do month-end closing, reconciliation, and report. CPA preferred, but not required if the level of experience would suffice. Please reach out to principal@paes.com and treasurer@paes.com to apply. | | |
2) Substitute Teachers: We are looking for dedicated and compassionate individuals who enjoy being around children and in the school environment. If you are interested, please reach out to admin@paes.com to apply. | | |
Portland Adventist Academy announcements: | |
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PAA Christmas Vespers Concert Friday, December 6, 7:00 pm for our annual Christmas music program.
All our music ensembles, including Performance & Production class, Band, PASO (strings), Bel Canto (handbells), Choir, and Alegria (select choir) will perform. Come celebrate the Season with PAA at Sunnyside Adventist Church located at 10501 SE Market Street, Portland.
PAA Performing at The Festival of Lights at The Grotto
Mark your calendars now for December 10 at 5:15 pm! PAA’s Choir and Alegria will be performing at The Grotto that evening and if you have never listened to a concert at The Grotto, you are in for a treat. Kick off the Christmas season with some exceptional music performances. Tickets are required and this year all tickets to “The Festival of Lights” will be sold online at their Ticketing website. Be sure to select December 10! The Grotto is located at 8840 NE Skidmore Street, Portland.
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Host an International Student Dec 22-Feb 24
PAA is excited to welcome five 9th-grade boys from Japan this December, and we’re looking for local families to host them during their two-month stay. As a host you will provide a welcoming home, meals and transportation to and from school. In return you’ll receive a stipend of $1,100 per month. These students are eager to practice their English and experience American culture firsthand.
If you're interested in making a lasting impact and sharing your home with an international student, please reach out to Mary Sperl for more information and a host family application:
Email: msperl@paasda.org
Phone: 971-351-8984
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Sabbath Vespers at Sunnyside Adventist Church December 7 at 4:00, Anthony León, internationally acclaimed young tenor, will bless us with his beautiful voice. He has received some of the most prestigious honors in the field of opera and made many important debuts on stages around the world. Sunnyside Adventist Church, 10501 SE Market Street, Portland. More information in the newsletter. | |
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Don't miss the latest Conference & Northwest news here.
The links are updated weekly.
- Town Halls share sobering news & a plan for 2025 -- click on OR Conference button
- New Leaders announced for NPUC -- click on NW Adventists button
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Is there someone in your congregation looking for employment with the skills to be a Pricer in the PACS Home Goods Store or the Admin-Director of Quality Management? | | Job descriptions and necessary qualifications can be found in the Hiring Info above. | |
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Communication Card
We want to hear from you! If you have questions or concerns you would like to voice, or if you would like a personal visit, phone call or another service offered by our church leadership, click the button below. If you need to speak to an elder or would like Bible studies or to be baptized or if you’d like to transfer to Stone Tower from another church, all of this can happen through our one point of contact below. Your message will be forwarded to the appropriate ministry leader for consideration.
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Vegan Green Bean Casserole
I haven't tried this yet, but for a healthy version of the popular traditional Thanksgiving veggies, this one sounds very tasty -- from Minimalist Baker. One of the comments: "I am very late with my comment, but oh wow! This recipe is to die for! It is just as good reheated too. I made it a while ago and it was a huge hit. The family kept going back until it was gone, and I had to go back to the store and make another pan. This is my go-to recipe now! I appreciate you!"
Let me know if you try it. (Click the picture to go to the recipe.)
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Things to send to the Secretary email at the bottom of the newsletter:
- Event stories, reports & photos
- Vegetarian or vegan recipes you'd like to share
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Sabbath begins at 4:35 pm today | | | | |
