I became a father when I was twenty years old. It was at that time that I realized the joy of having a child, but along with that the I felt the huge responsibility of being a Dad who should lead and teach by example. When we were teaching our daughters to say the Lord’s Prayer I realized that they see the Heavenly Father through the person of me, their earthly father. If I am rude and not caring my children will unconsciously develop the perception of a cold, distant and revengeful God. This is a huge task on all of us fathers. God chose to be known and called “Abba” or Dad. In Deuteronomy 1:31, Moses uses a metaphor in which he portrays God as the father of Israel. He says, “… and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” Again in Jeremiah 3:19-20, God says through the prophet, “How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me… ” My children are all grown ups, but I still learn daily from my Heavenly Father how to be a Dad who is always full of mercy and love. What a great honor! What a huge responsibility.
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The nominating committee has completed its task and is presenting the report for the first reading this Sabbath morning. It’s been a good committee. It consisted of the individuals who you elected for this not so easy task. There were young people and not so young; new members and those who have been with our church for many years; women and men; leaders and lay members. Every meeting was preceded by devotions and prayers. I was impressed with the spirit of unity. The committee didn’t want to simply rubber-stamp the previous list. It gave detailed and prayerful consideration to every position. This is just the beginning. You’ll see many vacant positions where you may be interested to serve. Please, do not hesitate to talk any member of the nominating committee about your interest in joining one of the ministries. If you have concerns or corrections, please contact the committee chairman, Mike Haughee or committee secretary, Summer Bradford. Click here to access the digital version of the report.
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Vacation Bible school preparation is going full steam! Thank you, Cory Goss and Amy and Laura Standish for leading in this important ministry to our children. “HAPPY VALLEY RANCH” is the theme of the VBS this summer. The dates are July 18-22 | 6 Pm – 8 PM. You can register your child online. The registration form is on our church website under the MINISTRIES menu tab. Or you can access it directly by clicking here.
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Several exciting programs and activities are in the works for the children of our church and our community. There will be several pool parties, movie and popcorn gatherings, a Chattanooga zoo trip, etc. The finalized dates will be posted next week.
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From Edymar Penagos and Matt Gereghty: “
Happy Father’s day! Love in Action Report:
“On Sunday June 13th the men’s ministry got back to work with a beautiful deck project. With the project living entirely in the mind of Aaron Brewer we embarked on the journey towards building the deck as he envisioned it. With the HOA regulations in hand, a trailer full of wood, charged drill batteries and a few boxes of nails we were ready to work. Under the shade of a pop-up canopy, provided by Kevin Hicks, our group was able to get right to work. Step one was to move a set of concrete steps, luckily, they were hollow and not too difficult to push down to the other end of the patio. After that the frame and posts of the new deck quickly took shape. With the skilled and willing hands of the group the majority of the deck project was completed before lunch, including the roof, which had been put up by Alexander! But, as anyone who’s build a deck before can attest to, the stairs and railings can be the toughest part of the project, and it was!!! However, Aaron and Kevin were able to use their experience to help guide both Edymar and myself towards its completion!” Matt Gereghty.
Guys, all in all, we had a great time building a simple deck for some sweet ladies, but why are these types of jobs so important? In this case, one of the sisters is fighting cancer and this simple deck provides them with place to sit outside in the shade and enjoy God’s nature. And sure, it will help keep the rain out when they answer the front door (the carpet was getting soaked). It will even make it easier when the time comes and they need a handicap ramp. But that is not all. There are many reasons why they needed this deck but the one that was addressed even without saying it was Love In Action. Their church contacted us to help build them a deck because they were loved. These sisters needed to know they were not alone. They now know there’s a community of folks who care for them, who love them, and want to encourage them. So why did a group of guys take a Sunday to build a deck? It’s because this group of guys and a church family wanted nothing more than to be used by God to demonstrate brotherly love to two of His daughters. “We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19“
Thank you, gentlemen! What a wonderful example of of Christ’s love and service.
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Our first church Fellowship meal is scheduled for Sabbath, July 3 @ 6 PM. If the weather is good we can do it outside on the church lawn. We can eat, visit and sing together. If its raining or too hot we’ll do it in the Fellowship Hall. I am so excited that we’ll finally be eating and mingling together as a church family. Please mark that event in your calendars.
Don’t forget to visit the church website www.ooltewahchurch.org for the weekly bulletin, online giving and other helpful resources.
Happy Sabbath! With hugs and Christian love,
pastor Peter
Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church 