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OUR MISSION: To Seek & Save the Lost
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Good afternoon, everyone,
I hope and pray that you're doing awesome this week.
Just a few quick things:
a) I will be at church on Sabbath. I'll be preaching on the topic Joseph & a Tale of Two Brothers
b) There will be a baby dedication on Sabbath! (Details forthcoming)
c) I'm still scheduling visits with church members, and I've also built an updated visitation district list for the elders (so if you hear people wanting to come visit, it's because that's what we're planning!)
Oh, and I came upon this post on Facebook earlier, and I thought it was worth sharing. I've also added my own two cents (marked by [DK]):
I heard someone say a few days ago, “See, that just goes to show you that you can raise your kids in church all you want to, but…” and it literally shattered my heart. All because that kid had made a mistake. All because that kid’s sin was brought to light.
Let me just tell you… we don’t raise our kids in church so they can grow up perfectly. We don’t raise our kids in church because it magically makes them unable to sin or holier-than-thou.
We do, however, raise our kids in church so WHEN they mess up and WHEN they fall short, they know just who to run to. So they know that their Lord and Savior will NEVER leave nor forsake them no matter how big or small their mess up might be.
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[DK] There are two different kinds of reactions to the Father:
a) I messed up, my Dad's gonna kill me! [Focus on the Law]
b) I messed up, I need to call my Dad [Focus on Grace]
[DK] They say that when parents discipline kids, that if you want to teach them grace, do this:
When they mess up, they expect a punishment, BUT... every once in a while, stop. Say that you should punish them for what they did, but you won't this time, because you want to show them grace; The grace that our Heavenly Father grants us when we mess up.
So they will know what grace is like and give it out freely.
So they will know the unconditional love of their Father and love those around them just the same regardless of anything else.
So they know that there is absolutely NOTHING in this world they could do that our Savior's blood hasn’t already covered.
I will never apologize for raising my children in church. I will never apologize for making sure our family makes church a priority over anything else. Because it’s more than just a song and a sermon. It’s more than just a memorized Bible verse in Sabbath School. It’s for when this cruel world we live in comes knocking on their door, they personally know the solid rock on which they stand.
Adapted from a post by Debbie Bignar
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UPCOMING EVENTS
(Usually about 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, December 7
11:00 am: Pastor David Kokiong, speaker
1:15 pm: Fellowship meal
Book Cart Ministry: in the lobby
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Prayer Meeting Invitation: December 11, 2024 | |
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We invite you to join us for a powerful time of prayer and study as we dive into Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 30, "Called to Reach a Higher Standard."
This week we’ll explore how we are called to live with higher standards of faith, devotion, and action in our daily lives.
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Contact: Judy Duncan or Kenny Smith for Details
For those who want to get a head start, here’s the link to Chapter 30 online.
We look forward to praying and growing together as a community. Don’t miss this opportunity to be uplifted and strengthened in faith!
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- Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
- Time: 6:30 PM
- Location: ABC Room at church
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Sabbath, December 14
11:00 am: Roman Zakhariya, speaker
1:15 pm: Sabbath Fellowship Group
4:30 pm: Caroling in the church neighborhood
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Rehearsals for “Family Christmas” will be every Sabbath during the children's gathering time downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. We'd love to have all our children take part in this special worship service. Please see Leslie Poulivaati or Melissa Brownell if you'd like your child(ren) to participate.
December 17, 6:00pm: Finance Committee
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Spread the word! The Women's Locker is open for the holidays to women in need, both inside and outside of the church body. The locker is located in the lower level of the church in the Youth/Women's Ministry Room.
December 17, 7:00pm: Church Board Meeting
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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 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 Grotto Festival of Lights
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 (here). 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, December 7, 4:00, Anthony León: An 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. | |
Gladstone Camp Meeting needs your help in 2025! Camp meeting is important to our Oregon Conference family, and we plan to keep hosting it for years to come. For 2025 we need your help to make Gladstone Camp Meeting happen while the Oregon Conference gets back to a good financial footing. The goal is to raise $450,000 by March 31, 2025. Give online here or write "Gladstone Camp Meeting" on your tithe envelope. Learn more at OregonAdventist.org. | |
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Don't miss the latest Conference & Northwest news here.
The links are updated weekly.
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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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(Click on picture to go to the recipe)
Here’s how to make a grain bowl! Pair a whole grain, protein and veggies with this amazing tahini sauce to make a healthy, fast and easy dinner.
Did you know quinoa is packed with protein? Either I'd forgotten or I missed that info! This recipe comes with a refreshing tahini sauce that's delicious and really makes the dish. Pick your favorite veggies to put on it and make it yours. We loved it!
Renae
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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 4:29 pm today | | | | |
