A Safe Path.

“The cloud that was a wall of darkness to the Egyptians was to the Hebrews a great flood of light, illuminating the whole camp, and shedding brightness upon the path before them. So the dealings of Providence bring to the unbelieving, darkness and despair, while to the trusting soul they are full of light and peace. The path where God leads the way may lie through the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path.” (EGW, PP, 290)

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Last Sabbath our church went through a painful shock when Pastor Matthew announced that he would no longer be serving in our conference. For the last six years Matthew, Emmalee, and the boys became an integral part of our church family. They impacted our lives in many ways. Pastoral transitions are never easy for a body of believers. I invite you to pray for God’s comforting presence in the lives of Pastor Matthew and Emmalee. We’ll keep in our hearts and minds all the great things of his ministry that we’ve enjoyed through the last six years. This Sabbath we’ll Celebrate pastor Matthew’s ministry. Come and stay for the Fellowship meal in honor of the Shallenbergers.

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Sunday morning started pretty early in our church kitchen with our men cooking breakfast. Men’s Ministry is a great bonding experience for many gentlemen in our church. They are not just cooking and eating together, but they share their joys and struggles. They pray for each other and support one another. If you have not yet attended their monthly breakfasts, try it in June and I am sure you’ll love it! Thank you, Matthew Geraghty, for your ministry to the men of our church! After the group photo was taken there were several more who came a little later.

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This week we celebrated two graduations at OAKS. Monday night was the “cute graduation” of the Kindergartners’ and Tuesday night the 8th grade class and their friends and family filled our Fellowship Hall. It was an emotional experience for me personally. These graduates just started Kindergarten when I started my ministry here in Ooltewah nine years ago. We’ll be praying for all of them as they transition to high school.

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On Wednesday morning I had a great time with the OAKS staff and teachers as they reviewed the achievements and the challenges of the past school year. It was obvious that God was blessing and leading our school in a mighty way. There were many prayers offered during that meeting. The last hour of the meeting was dedicated to the spiritual vision for the next school year. I was impressed with how much OAKS teachers trust God and want the students to learn how to be spiritually safe. Now OAKS is already prepared for the next school year. Please pray daily for Shelly Parrish, our Principle, teachers, and staff. They carry a huge load on their shoulders.

Also, did you see a cool photo of our OAKS teacher, Jesse Hoffman, in the Southern Tidings? 🙂

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Looking ahead:

Children’s Ministry Pool party is on June 11.

Vacation Bible School, July 16-20.

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Our local church budget needs a serious boost this month. Are you ready to show your generous support by giving to the local budget this week? All of our ministries are funded from this account. Thank you for your part in reaching our monthly goal.

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The Light of Hope Ministry received an official request from Adventist World Radio and the Ukrainian Union president to hold a series of evangelistic meetings in Eastern Ukraine. As the war entered the second year of fighting, the people of Ukraine need encouragement and hope. They need to know that God has a better plan for their nation and for the whole world. I’ll be traveling to Ukraine in the middle of June. Please remember in your prayers the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia where the meetings will be held daily.

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The nominating committee finished its work. There are a few vacancies but the church board will fill them in in the next couple of months. If the church office does not have enough time today to print the report for the first reading this Sabbath, here is the online file link:

NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT 2023-2025

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Wishing you a blessed Sabbath day!

Pastor Peter