MARCH 2019 PAW PAW ADVENTIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER
          
 
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Behold, God is my salvation;  
I will trust, and will not be afraid;  
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,  
and he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2 
 
 

PASTOR'S CORNER

I made you watch someone else's video last month; this month I made my own! :-) Click the picture below to watch the ~4 minute devotional message entitled, "The Little Engine That Could, The Good Samaritan, and Me". (And let me know if you want me to keep doing these as videos rather than articles.)

 

               Blessings,
             Pastor Michael Taylor 
                             
 
 
DECISION 2019: ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

 
$250,000 Goal for 2019

Have you been thinking about your family's commitment for the proposed church improvements?  
  • Fellowship Space
  • Additional Sabbath School Classrooms
  • An Elevator
  • Enlarged Foyer
  • Additional Seating/space in the Sanctuary
Check out the Pledge form and prayerfully consider how you will be responding. The Master Plan committee emphasizes that these are not contracts, but the committee would like to know how to plan for the phases of construction. The current goal of $250,000 in 2019 will draw a matching loan from the conference and allow early work to begin. Forms are available on the table in the foyer or you may simply let Tony Belcher or Chris Randall know of your plans.
 
 
 
The Master Plan/Cornerstone Committee welcomes input - please speak to a member of the committee with ideas and questio ns:  Tony Belcher, Mike Johnson, Pauletta Johnson, James Hood, Cynthia Salgado, Chris Randall, John Boothby, Jim Bermingham, Joe Sarcona, Chuck Randall, Pastor Taylor.     
 
SERVING THE COMMUNITY


This Winter Community Services has focused on:
  •    Crisis Assistance with United Christian Services
  •    Decatur Human Services - contributing funds for the food insecure
  •    Encouragement gifts for the teachers and their classrooms in PPACs Adopt-A-Teacher program
  •    Coats and warm winter wear - a huge need at Lydia's Closet
 

Make assistance part of your regular budget by marking your tithe envelope or your on line giving. Your donation is so important. Mark Community Services or Member Assistance. 

 

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WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL  
DAY OF PRAYER
 
 
Since 1990, the first Sabbath in March has been designated as Women's Ministries' International Day of Prayer. The focus for March 2, 2019 is Walking with Jesus. Check out these websites for specific ideas for prayer - https://www.nadwm.org/day-of-prayer and https://women.adventist.org/international-womens-day-of-prayer

Join the women of PPAC to pray for the Women of the World:
  • that their faith would be strengthened,
  • their worth would be found in Christ Jesus,
  • and that God would use us all for His greater purposes and glory, giving us courage by the Holy Spirit to do great things for him. 
As women we are called to pray, following the counsel of Ellen White, a woman of prayer:  
 
There is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition to God. There is nothing that can prevent us from lifting up our hearts in the spirit of earnest prayer. In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business engagement, we may send up a petition to God and plead for divine guidance as did Nehemiah when he made his request before Artaxerxes. A closet of communion may be found wherever we are. We should have the door of the heart open continually and our invitation going up that Jesus may come and abide as a heavenly guest in the soul (Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 98-99) 
 
 
The specific prayer focus this year is Prayer for the Cities:
 
Pray for the leaders
Pray for stability and peace
Pray for religious tolerance
Pray for fathers and families
Pray for the women
Pray for the children
Pray for health
Pray for education
Pray for the homeless
Pray for the fatherless
Pray for the lost
 
Always remember the six issues that impact women globally and keep them in constant prayer.
 
1.  Abuse
2. Poverty
3. Health
4. Illiteracy
5. Workload
6. Leadership opportunities
 
"Let sincerity and faith characterize your prayers. The Lord is willing to do for us 'exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or do.' Ephesians 3:20. Talk it; pray it". (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 273).
 
Excerpt taken from  Can We Trust God When He Says, "Follow Me"?  Written by Cordell Liebrandt  and  Karen J. Pearson
Prepared by Department of Women's Ministries , General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 US
 
Contact one of the Women's Ministries leaders for more involvement:  Gwyne Kramer, Tana Moon or Lynee Posthumus   
 


 
12 STEPS TO HEALTH IN 2019
From Lorena Newkirk, Health Ministries:
   
Think about this excerpt from The Daniel Plan, a Daily Devotional for a Healthier Life:
"Your body is a priceless gift on loan to you, to be used for His glory. Therefore, God calls lilchef_juice.jpgyou to treat your body with respect. It is holy to God, and He trusts you to care for it. What do plan to do with your body today? What will you feed it? How will you care for it so that it works well for many years? What exercise does it need? How much sleep? What work would honor him?"

Ready for March's challenge? Here it is......... Cut out sweets or caffeine for the next 30 days. What??? Yes, that morning cup of joe, that piece of pie, cookies or doughnuts. That chocolate or candy that is just so tempting because it's in sight.   
   
There are natural sweets you can have, if you are really craving something sweet. Some examples are: rice cakes with almond butter and a drizzle of honey, baked apples or pears, chia pudding, or try using dates to sweeten baked goods. Find some new re
cipes and try them out.  Lorena says, "This is going to be a challenge for me, but I am willing to give it my best, are you?"
   
STEP THREE (March's Challenge):     Cut out sweets or caffeine for the next 30 days.
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STEP TWO (February's Challenge):  To meet the February Challenge, you must do ONE ACTIVITY AT LEAST SIX DAYS A WEEK.
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STEP  O NE   ( Janu ary's Ch allenge):  If you have been KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR WATER INTAKE, don't stop now! Keep hydrated and add the exercise habit. Stack those habits and discover a NEW YOU! 
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SERMON SERIES
 
LOVE SHINES THROUGH 
 
Throughout the Old Testament, there are many references to the Messiah who would come to redeem. Some are promises and some are actually types of Christ. Join us each Sabbath morning this quarter for "Love Shines Through" and let those promises change your life. 


If you have missed any of the series, you can catch up by watching archived sermons at http://www.pawpaw.church/watch-our-services.html  
 
   
PAW PAW HARVESTERS     
  
 
On Februar y 12th, the Harvesters had their annual Inspection conducted by Bob Fenwick, Area Coordinator. The kids had to present themselves in full A uniform,  demonstrate their ability to recite the pledge, law and song, and follow commands while in formation. The club conducted a drill down where Teagan Randall and Nathan Elanko were the last Pathfinders standing. Mr. Noel says, "We are happy to report that the kids received full points, putting the club in great position to earn the 200 Club Award this year. I am very proud of our kids."
 
That same night the club held the first gym night was held at the Paw Paw Middle School. It was a  great night of games, socializing and fun. The goals is to continue holding these types of events monthly.

On the weekend of February 16-18, the Pathfinder staff and one TLT attended  Basic Staff and Master Guide Training held at Andrews University and organized by Center for Youth Evangelism. Cynthia says, "It was a wonderful weekend, jam packed with information and ideas we plan to use to make our club even better."

The club asks for prayers as all staff members plan to finish the Master Guide curriculum by this summer and be invested at Oshkosh. We know it is a lot of work, and we fully believe our leaders are up to the challenge. 

On March 9, the Harvesters are planning a Parent Information Meeting with the latest information on Oshkosh, Investiture and the May Pathfinder Fair. While the parents are in the meeting, the kids will be working on their Pizza Making Honor, treating their parents to supper after the meeting.

Fundraising efforts continue - watch for the next event. "Thank you for your prayers and financial support." is the unified message from all of the club members.

 


Check out the Michigan Pathfinders site for information about activities and preparation for the summer Oshkosh trip.
 
 JESUS IN JEANS SABBATH
 


Our 2nd ANNUAL JESUS IN JEANS Sabbath will take place on April 27, 2019. Please submit your ideas for projects to Jan Steffen, Donelle O'Connor, Pauletta Johnson or the Pastor as you think of them. We want Jesus in Jeans to serve even more people in our community than last year. 
 
On the last Sabbath in April 2018, PPAC focused the worship service on reaching out to others in the community. A skit, the sermon, the children's story, prayers and music highlighted Jesus' direction to us to meet the needs of others.  
 
At the end of the service, everyone had a chance to get personally involved by selecting projects that were posted all over the church walls and completing them within the next two weeks.  
 
Some of last year's projects included:
  • Visiting local assisted living facilities to provide some music and conversation
  • Providing meals for members who were under the weather
  • Cleaning up the yard for a single mom
  • Fixing a dishwasher 
  • Taking someone out to eat
  • Doing some preparation for gardening
  • Participating in Crop Walk
  • Cleaning up the church, inside and out
  • Visiting someone who was sick
  • Shopping for Eleanor's Pantry    
  • Donating
         

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself." . . .
 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" . . .
Luke 10:27, 29
 
LET'S BE NICE!!!!! 

 
 
The February Nice and Kind winners come from Great Lakes Adventist Academy. The 8 GLAA young men who stayed with Brad and Lori Randall, expressed their gratitude with a thoughtful thank you card before heading to PPAC Sabbath morning to be a musical blessing.  
 
Be on the lookout for the March winner! Focusing on the Review article in the January Edition, we are going to search for answers to that important question, "Adventists are Nice?" right here at PPAC. If you see an Act of Niceness/Kindness, take a picture and send it to Jan Bermingham.   
 
         
 

 
KIDS VIEW CALENDAR
FROM THE ADVENTIST REVIEW 


 
THE BELTZ FAMILY
 
Dawn and Scott Beltz have been regulars at PPAC for over 15 years.  Dawn shares that she had been praying for her mother to come to the Lord for a long time, and that prayer was finally answered. However, there was a bit of a twist to the story, because her mom then led Dawn to the Seventh-day Adventist church in Paw Paw for a study in Revelation. Dawn was immediately int erested and devoured the Bible studies that Pastor Toms shared with her following the series.  Scott sat in, but seemed less than enthusiastic about what he was hearing. After Dawn committed to baptism, Pastor Toms invited Scott to join her, telling him "he would be all set". Dawn tells of her delight when Scott surprised her on that Sabbath morning by being baptized with her. Scott's skills with audio-visual equipment often keep him at the back of the church manning some technology. Dawn has spent time with Adventurers, deaconnesses and various Sabbath Schools.  
 
Neither claim Michigan as their childhood origin. Scott grew up in southern Illinois and Dawn identifies Chicago as home, but the couple met in Michigan.  Keeping true to their Midwest theme, their first date happened a year later at the Wisconsin State Fair.  
 
The family lives in Mattawan. Scott works for a property management company and is a man of many talents. Dawn has been a realtor for 15 years and joined Barb Carpenter at Golden Star Realty a few years ago (if you are interested in selling or buying, see Barb and Dawn for help). Older daughter, Jennifer, lives nearby in Portage and is Mommy to five-year-old Ella, who is in kindergarten this year. Both Grandpa and Grandma consider grandparenting the best job ever.  
 
Their second daughter, Miranda, pretty much grew up at PPAC and was involved in numerous skits, programs and Vacation Bible Schools. Known for her sweet smile and kind ways, she is a favorite wherever she goes. Miranda is in her second year at KVCC and works at a daycare center.
 
The Beltz family has an adventurous streak, to say the least. Scott loves to fly and is hoping he can pass that passion on to Ella. The two of them work hard to carve out time to ride their motorcycles. Reading books and scrapbooking all of those great family adventures and get-togethers keep Dawn's spare time full.
   
2018 was the year of a big miracle for the family. It was so moving to hear Scott share his amazing story at church after his complete recovery. In March after some routine tests, he found out he needed open heart surgery for a very dangerous and fairly unusual aneurysm in his aortic root. The doctor who had perfected the surgery for the effective repair of this life-threatening problem put Scott back together at Cleveland Clinic a month later as his church prayed earnestly for healing. He is totally grateful for a fairly quick recuperation and a return to a full life.  For more information on the procedure, https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/david-procedure-valve-sparing.php  
   
When asked about advice, Dawn says she frequently goes back to a quote from her mom (she says that is easier to do now that she is older), "Two wrongs don't make a right." Proverbs 8:1 has special meaning to the family as they seek wisdom from God, "Listen as wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice." 
 
 
FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS

 

 
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
 
  ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS, 1ST QUARTER 2019 
 
 
"We've been really pleased to see a great turn out for the current Sabbath School lessons on Revelation," reports Jim Merrills, who is teaching the class in the sanctuary each week.  If you haven't been able to digest it all or have missed a class presentation, check out the posted thoughts on each week's lesson on the Facebook "REVELATION" group, which is open to the public:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/60336139095/

Also, if you'd like a copy of Jim's book, Victory in Christ, which covers the "opening story" of Revelation (chapters 1-7), see Jim or Randy. Donations are welcome.  

Finally, there is a GLOW-style tract on Revelation's "opening story" that you can read or download from Jim's website ( www.4horsemenofrevelation.com). There is also a handout in the GLOW-tract display-case in the church foyer. The tracts and/or PDF are an easy way to share Revelation's good news about victory in Christ with anyone, anywhere, any time! (Through the website address on the back of the tract, they can easily access the Revelation group on Facebook to learn more about Revelation.) Witnessing couldn't be easier!     
 
 
NUMBERS AS SYMBOLS IN REVELATION
  Have you been paying attention to the numbers in Revelation as you have been studying this quarter? Here are just a few - see if you can add some more. You don't have to be a mathematician to understand them, but you do have to study!
  • 1/3 of the earth, 1/3 of the trees, 1/3 of the sea, 1/3 of the living creatures, 1/3 of the ships, 1/3 of the rivers, 1/3 of the waters, 1/3 of the moon, 1/3 of the sun, 1/3 of the stars, 1/3 of the night, 1/3 of mankind
  • 2 witnesses, 2 olives trees, 2 lamp stands
  • 3 angels, 3 parts,
    3 and a half days
  • 4 horseman, 4 winds, 4 corners of the earth, 4 living creatures, 4 angels
  • 5 months
  • 7 churches, 7 golden lamp stands, 7 stars, 7 spirits, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 angels, 7 last abacus_accountant.jpg plagues, 7 golden bowls, 7 heads, 7 crowns, 7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 thunders, 7 hills, 7 kings
  • 10 horns,10 crowns, 10 kings
  • 12 gates, 12 tribes, 12 apostles
  • 24 elders, 24 thrones 
  • 42 months
  • 144 cubits
  • 666
  • 1000 years
  • 1260 days
  •  2300 days 
  • 12,000 from each tribe
  • 144,000
  • 10,000 x 10,000  
   
MARCH CALENDAR 

March 2:         Pastor Taylor, Women's Day of Prayer
March 6:         Fab 50's, 11:45, Fireside Room
March 6-10     GLAA Spring Break
March 9:         Pastor Taylor, Fellowship Meal - Bring A Friend for Frida's Cooking!!!!
March 9:         Parent Night for Pathfinders, Pizza Making Honor and Supper
March 16:      
March 18:       Finance Committee, 6:30 pm, Church Board, 7:00 pm
March 23:       Pastor Taylor, Baptism for Jacob Elanko 

Check the bulletin, watch our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/237516840175558/ , and sign up for our text message alerts.
   
PRAYERS AND PRAISE

  • Dave, Kathy and Amy Hill - Amy's fall and health, Currently at Bronson Commons
  • Patrick Herzog - Recovery from snowboard mishap and thank you prayers
  • Anna Freeman - Recovering from February 19 surgery
  • Verna Burghart - Thank You prayers after surgery
  • Cynthia Salgado - Thank You prayers for passing her exams for Nurse Practitioner licensing
  • Donelle and Caleb O'Connor - Health Challenges and thank you prayers
  • Meredith (Liam) Steele - Recovery, 616 Benson Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
  • The Kniss Family, 723 E. Michigan Avenue, Paw Paw, 49079
  • Nancy Boothby - Health challenges, 3060 9th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
  • Anita Ashton - Send a card or come and visit! 6600 Constitution Blvd, Unit 8, Portage, MI, 49024
  • Emilie Bermingham - Jim's mother in declining health under Hospice care
  • David Scofield - Health Challenges, 10640 Paw Paw Lake Dr, Paw Paw, MI 49079
  • Becky Lynn, Karl and James Driskel - Karl continues to experience significant health issues
  • Mary Kay Bever, 4220 Leisure Lane, Apt E435, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
  • Lewis and Ardyth Owen, 6154 Valley Drive, Paw Paw 49079
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JANUARY FINANCIAL REPORT

  Treasurers' Report for January 2019. Here are some items of interest:
  • Tithe was $61,636 for January. This results in a fiscal year total that is 11.8% behind the previous year. Remember that 100% of Tithe is remitted directly to the Conference and represents 58.5% of our total receipts for the year.
  • Income/giving to Church Budget was $6,215 in January. Compared to our monthly target of $14,663 we are now $5,134 (7.0%) behind our YTD goal and 3.2% behind of the previous year.
  • Cornerstone (capital/building projects) received $2,532 in January. It is exciting to see our various projects (Memorial Garden, downstairs bathroom remodeling) come to fruition. If you haven't submitted a pledge card please do so!
  • The PPSDA Promise (education endowment) investment account has a current value of $143,041 with an additional $9,515 in the PPAC Trust account to be transferred. The annual meeting for PPSDA Promise was held on 1/28/19 where this Board reviewed the investments and set the contribution amount to the PPAC education plan for 2019 at $3,092. This is the 7th annual distribution and represents the three year rolling average of earnings (including interest, dividends, and capital gains).
  • Our reserves continue to be healthy and earning interest in the Revolving Fund at the Lake Union Conference. In total our cash on hand, general operating reserve, and capital replacement reserve have increased 0.27% comparing 1/31/18 to 1/31/19.
  • Roughly 75% of our giving (dollar value) is now coming via the web. This is certainly easier for Deacons and Treasurers as it reduces time for counting, possibility for error, and ultimately time and travel to the bank. If you haven't yet tried online giving please give it a try! Go to https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANFFT1/envelope/start  or http://www.pawpaw.church/  and click on Members to find the tab for giving.  
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 FACEBOOK PAGE, WEBSITE, YOUTUBE - WE ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE! 
Don't miss anything that might be going on - even if you aren't there, you can be there!

Check out the Facebook page, which has very frequent updates, videos, pictures, and other posts.  https://www.facebook.com/pawpawsda

Check out the Paw Paw SDA website, http://www.ppsda.org/ where you will find a variety of information about past and upcoming events, including links to other church related sites.

The Paw Paw YouTube Channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/user/ppacav    
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