The origins of Vacation Bible School can be

traced back to the late 1800s. Teachers and lead-ers, whose hearts longed for children to understand the Bible, began local summer sessions meeting in schools. Often the children’s Bible classes met throughout the summer.

In 1898 Eliza Hawes, director of the children’s department at Epiphany Baptist Church in New York City, started an

“Everyday Bible School” for slum children at a rented beer parlor in New York’s East Side. Hawes continued her efforts for seven years.

Around 1922, Standard Publishing produced the very first printed VBS cur-riculum. Enough material was provided for a five-week course for three age levels (kindergarten, prima-ry, and junior. Wikipedia)

Today, Vacation Bible School is an important ministry at the Downey

Adventist Church. While it may last only one week in the summer, the children’s experiences last a lifetime. This year VBS begins on Monday, July 16 and runs through Friday, July 20.

We have a top secret event planned we can only share with you—provide you do not divulge the secret to anyone except kids from kindergarten through junior ages. Okay, here’s the secret: One of the Transformers shown

continued on page 1

Vacation Bible School by Pastor Mitch

Equal in God’s eyes

The faith of America’s found-ers affirmed the sanctity of each individual. Every human life - man or woman, child or adult, commoner or aristocrat, rich or poor - was equal in the eyes of the Lord. It also affirmed the responsibility of each individual. - Lady Margaret Thatcher

INSIDEWhere is Your Gear? on page 3

Survive or Surthrive? is on page 4

Ginny’s Kitchen on page 5

What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9

Financial First Aid on page 7

Our Church Family page 10

Kid’s Page on page 11

For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church

Promise Island VBS

Our Vacation Bible

School this year is Adventures on Promise Island! Excitement and fun await as kids learn about promises that God made to Bible people. The kids will also see how those promises are for them too! This

can be a life altering event as the children learn how to to live a life confident that God keeps those promises for us too.

Join us starting Monday, July 16 thru Friday, July 20 from 6 to 8:30pm at the Downey Adventist Church. There will be a free dinner each night from 6 to 6:30pm. Don’t miss the fun! =

THE LATEST WORD

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in the classic 2007 movie Transformers will be at VBS on July 16. This is very exciting. Adults must accompany a child if they wish to attend.

The message for July 21 is the Spirit Led Life. The Spirit Led Life is not other-worldly or something reserved only for a select group of people. When we enter each day with the Lord as our guide we’re taking the first steps of a Spirit led day and life. This life leads to real life and peace. You’ll learn everyday steps from the book of Romans how you can lead the Spirit Led Life.

On July 7 Bill Aumack wraps up the Things God Can’t Do series with the message God Can’t Stop Loving You. Love is obvi-

ously very important to us. Consider how many times the theme of love shows up in our media. Love songs. Love stories. Books and articles on love. Then there is the whole list of songs, books, stories and articles on what to do

when love fails. When you stop to think about it, you realize that we spend an amazing amount of time thinking about and look-

ing for love. Most of us have heard that ‘God is love.’ But we don’t really understand what that means or what we should do about it. Invite a friend and join us for God Can’t Stop Loving You.

On July 14 the mes-sage is Sing a New Song. Some sing their new song, while others live it. Did you know that singing a new song implies sing-ing an old song with new life? New songs give us new perspectives about ourselves and the life we’re living. An essential component of a new song is a renewed heart. How can we have new songs? The Bible is our resource. We are reminded to take particular steps. Those steps will lead us to the place where new songs are crafted. If you’re interest-ed in a new song invite a friend and don’t miss this message.

We’re planning a very special service for July 28. The message is What You Mean to Me. What does the Lord mean to you? Could you make a list of

how God has blessed and helped you? What about making a list of what those closest to your heart mean to you? The Bible says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). In our service we’ll focus on expressing our love and appreciation

See you when the church gathers. =

WE

D

ID

IT

The Latest Word V 24 N 07

BILL AUMACKresponsible for this

LINDA AUMACKcopy editor

HATZUKO AISPUROpaper distribution

MITCH WILLIAMSpastor

address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church9820 Lakewood Blvd.Downey, CA 90240office: 562.869.6013fax: 562.622.1691 downeychurch@gmail.comwww.downeychurch.com

distributed monthlyissue date: July 2012 copyright 1992-2012

New songs give us new perspectives about ourselves

“

”

VBS (cont. from page 1)

July 2012

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Webster says “armor” means, “defensive

covering for the body... a quality or circumstance that affords protection...” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary).

God says, “... be strong in the Lord and in

his might power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV).

I went for a walk at the park this morning. Even though it was early, there were lots of people out, and it was definitely a live-ly place. I saw bicyclists readying themselves for a ride to the beach and peo-ple playing volleyball and tennis. There were others, like myself, making the

most of the track which is where I saw Samantha and Max. They cruised right by me at a fast pace. The first thing I noticed about them was that they were both wearing nice athletic shoes. Nothing unusual about that until I tell you that Max is a dog! Yes, you heard me, a dog—a small, white Pomeranian who was sporting the coolest red and white sneakers. I couldn’t help but stare at him and was amazed that he did not appear to feel awkward in his shoes at all. In fact, he kept up with Samantha not just while walking but when she was jogging as well. The next time they passed me, I asked Samantha if I could take a picture of Max. She was quite friendly and said, “of course!” I then had to ask

her about Max’s attitude toward his shoes. She said he loves them, and he has been wearing them since he was eight weeks old. He knows when she gets out the shoes that it is time to go for a walk, and he loves that. The other thing she said is that the shoes help keep his little paws very white and clean, so it’s a win-win situ-ation. Check out Max’s picture in this article. Is that not the cutest thing?!

When you think about it, there is a shoe for every occasion. There are casual shoes, dress shoes, busi-ness shoes. And it doesn’t stop there. It’s particu-larly true when it comes to sports and exercise. Each has its own special foot gear designed to enable the participant’s best per-formance. For example, a ballerina would be far less graceful donning a pair of cleats; a running back might not make it to the goal in tap shoes; and a basketball player would likely be heavily fined if he were to wear spiked shoes on the court!

Isn’t it interesting that the Apostle Paul told us what kind of shoes Christians are to wear? Well he didn’t really call them shoes, but he said we are to have our feet “fit-

ted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Those words are included in the list of items

in Ephesians 6 where Paul outlines the armor we need to wear in order to be strong in the Lord. We are not strong, and are easy prey, if we fail to put on God’s armor. That’s a reminder I need almost on a minute-to-minute basis. I’ve often wondered, how-ever, about the term “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” What exactly does that mean? Is it an indication that because we have peace with God we are ready and able to share that with others? Does it mean that we are ready to follow God where he leads? Could it mean that we are ready to be on the move for Christ? Perhaps it is all of the above and more. Putting on God’s armor every day helps us to accomplish our tasks and stand firm, just like a good pair of shoes. =

July 7

Bill AumackThings God Can’t Do

#5God Can’t Stop Loving

You

July 14 Mitch WilliamsSing a New Song

July 21Mitch Williams

Spirit Led Life

July 28Mitch Williams

What You Mean to Me

Worship Schedule

God, Webster & You

by Linda Bewley Where is Your Gear?

THE LATEST WORD

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There is a new word being bandied about I

had not heard before, but it seems to be popping up all over the place these days. It is a takeoff of the word and meaning of “survive”. This new word is “surthrive.” When I tried to check it out on the internet, I found references to it everywhere from breast cancer survivor blogs to herbal ancestry websites to several finan-cial pages.

One of the defini-tions I found for survive was: continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hard-ship. The closest thing I found to a definition for surthrive was: not to just make it through to the other side of hardship, but to thrive through it and prosper afterwards.

Thinking of that definition, I immediately thought of the story of Joseph in Genesis 50. If anyone could be seen as a ‘surthrivor’ it would be Joseph. Of all the difficul-ties he faced he always made the best of a bad or even unjust situation. After years of fighting off resentment and prob-ably even hatred for his brothers, he calmed their fears of retribution by tell-ing them he realized that though they may have

meant injury and evil toward him because of their own jealousy, God meant it for not only his good, but the good of his entire family and indeed, their nation.

Thinking of Joseph brings to mind the book I am currently reading by Stormie

Omartian, singer, songwriter and now bestselling author. In the book she touches on the abuses she received as a child and how after she became a Christian she was able to forgive not only her mother, the abuser, but her father, the enabler as well. I think of others I know who have suffered at the hands of their own parents or sub-stitute parents either by direct abuse or by neglect. How easy it would be to stay in that “victim” mode and feeling fully justified in doing so.

There are other types of hardships we face, how-ever, that could be just as disabling if we allowed them to be. Financial hardships can cause a domino effect in all areas of our lives. Medical crises may cost us our employment or disable us in some way. I too have faced these kinds of hard-ships and know it is often difficult to see how God could make something good come of such dire situations. But I have also found that through the most trying of times,

when the darkness won’t seem to lift; if I only hold on to the hand of my God, He will not only see me

through, but cause me to thrive through it and even prosper afterwards. Can I get

an AMEN to that! Let’s pray:

Father, thank you for the assurance in Christ that no matter what we are facing, You will always be with us. =

Before the Father

by Linda FernandezSurvive or Surthrive?

“…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”

Gen. 50:20

...if I only hold on to the hand of my God, He will not only see me through, but cause me to thrive.

July 2012

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Cherry Yogurt Dessert Freeze

From Ginny’s Kitchen

1 cup crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1 T. Agave Nectar syrup or 2 T. Brown sugar

2 T. melted Earth Balance butter spread

4 cups cherry frozen yogurt, found at (Fresh & Easy market)

1 jar of Smucker’s fudge topping

1 large fresh banana, sliced

1 container of whipped topping, fresh or frozen

2 pkg. chocolate covered almonds, crushed medium to small

1 bag fresh sweet cherries with stems left on

1. Mix together melted butter, crushed graham crackers and Agave. Press into a Tupperware 9 X 12 covered dish and freeze for 30 minutes.

2. Remove from freezer and spread yogurt over graham crackers. Spread fudge topping over yogurt

and add the sliced bananas over the chocolate. Then add the whipped cream. Top with the crushed chocolate covered almonds. Freeze for 2 hours, setting flat.

3. Cut into 2 or 3” squares with one sweet cherry with the stem on each piece served. =

Satisfaction of the Soul

Be sure to keep up with the latest news by signing up for the Wednesday email. You can sign up here www.downey-church.org/Signups.html or send us an email at DowneyChurch at gmail dot com and we’ll add you.

Dr. Laura Schlesinger, a popular radio host

who offers advice regard-ing personal problems, is a strong advocate of get-ting one’s spiritual needs met first. The psychologist insists that trying to find happiness through acquisi-tion of things and seeking immediate gratification of one’s wants will not sat-isfy one’s soul. She writes:

“If we don’t nourish our spiritual needs, no amount of material suc-cess or public recognition

will fill us up. If we don’t believe our life and work serve some higher purpose, no amount of activity or acquisitions will bring us peace of mind.

“Religion, I believe, is probably the most impor-tant component of a well-lived life, because it points out the meaning of life and — by teaching the values of cooperation, sacrifice, compassion and love — provides a road to God.

— Parade

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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8:05 pm sunset

8:02 pm sunset

7:57 pm sunset

9:30 am S.S.

9:30 am S.S.

9:30 am S.S.10:50 am Worship Mitch Williams12:30 Luncheon

9:30 am S.S.10:50 am Worship Mitch Williams

Visit www.downeychurch.orgS.S. – Sabbath School

C.S. – Community Service

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10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

10:50 am Worship Mitch Williams

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7 pm Band Practice

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Downey Adventist Church

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

8:07 pm sunset

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

Vacation Bible School6 to 8:30 pm

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

July 2012

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Bills are piling up. Mortgage payments

are late. Creditors are call-ing at work and home. Your anxiety level is 100%, 24 hours a day. You need a financial ambulance! Maybe it’s not quite that grim, but you’re worried you might lose your job or there seems to be too much month at the end of each paycheck. You may need financial first aid.

Even though you’ve paid your debts, have an emergency account and money set-aside for your retirement, you are still anxious about your financ-es. Perhaps you were sim-ply born with the fretting gene that kicks in even when a mere financial ban-dage is needed.

Which of the above three cat-egories best describes you? The one you think best describes you may also be identifying you as a wor-rier. Wither the circum-stances are factual or simply per-ceived as a fact, you will appreciate the following: “Worry makes us old before our time. It tires us, saps our strength, and

makes us ill. But, oh, how we enjoy worrying. We hug our worries to our breast and take them to bed at night. In the morn-ing we feel worn-out as we stumble out of our warm covers, gathering them up for the day. While dressing we examine each one, tak-ing them to the breakfast table to add to our daily worry schedule. Our wor-ries are a vicious circle that continues day in and day out until we take them to our grave.”1

Worrier Category

There are two types of worriers in the world: the major–league or the chronic worriers (15% of the population) and the minor–league or the acute

worriers (50% of the population). The major league wor-riers fear one heart flutter to be a deadly heart attack. Minor league worriers are stressing over the 10¢ error in their bank recon-

ciliation. The other 35% of non-worriers are the folks who cause stress and create the worry that the rest of us soak up like a

sponge. Listed below are a few suggestions to assist you in becoming a calm financial administrator.

God’s PromisesAs Christians we have

an abundance of Biblical promises to assure us we have nothing to worry about concerning our future financial needs. I personally like the pas-sage from David’s Psalm: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. . . . They will be protected forever,” Psalm 37:25, 28 NIV. Jesus saw fit to include our needs in what is commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer, “Give us each day our daily bread”. The well-known “don’t worry” biblical passage in Luke 12:3, 26-30, explains our Heavenly Father takes care of the birds, flowers, and grass so surely He also provides for our basic financial needs. Although our financial security may never be sufficient, above all else, know that GOD is enough. Jesus concludes this call to be calm, espe-cially during economic hardships, when He said: “Your heavenly Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live

Financial First AidStewpot

by Gordon Botting, DrPH, CHES

continued on page 8

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it becomes due.

Worries are like babies, the more you nurse them the bigger they grow.

THE LATEST WORD

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righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:32-33 NLT.

Set A LimitDr. Thomas Borkovec

and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University suggested one way to avoid dealing with excessive stewing over and over on financial and other issues is to contain it or isolate it by setting aside a “worry-period” for each day. Here are his guide-lines: Schedule just 30 minutes daily to do your worrying. It must be in the same place and same time every 24 hours. If you catch yourself fretting over something at other times than your “worry period,” immediately focus on the task at hand and/or write down what your concern is and set it aside for your daily “worry period.” During the allotted “worry period” you are allowed to

simmer over your list of troubles, but more impor-tantly, you are to engage in constructive problem solving.

According to this stud-ies’ research, the average worrier cut their worry time 25% and their nightly sleeplessness by 40%. To get better results prescribe shorter and shorter “worry peri-ods” as the weeks prog-ress. By the way, be sure not to worry in your favor-ite chair as you just might begin your worry-cycle at unhealthy times like just before bedtime.

Never AloneWorry is a hard task-

master. Most of the time stressing about your finances can be so over-

whelming that sharing your worries with your spouse and when appro-priate, with your chil-dren could be beneficial.

Taking them into your confidence might accom-plish two things. One, they may come up with workable solutions that you hadn’t considered and two; they might become more understanding and minimize their own finan-cial demands as they see their parents struggling with the household budget. Remember, getting help isn’t a sign of weakness; on the contrary, it’s an indication of wisdom.

Be RealisticThe hard truth is that

too often we are the source of our monetary problems. You may have overex-tended your finances when you bought your dream home and now the mort-gage payments are eating you alive. Perhaps the gas guzzler you drive is now consuming $100s at the gas pump every week. Your love for eating at nice restaurants every day is exceeding your lunch allowance, or you can’t resist shopping after work to buy the next new thing. Admitting you need to manage your spending decisions more carefully will not only reduce your stress, but will also begin to guide you through the process of insuring that your finances are no lon-ger muddled, but manage-able. =References: Mary Elsnau, Life & Health Magazine, October 1971

Financial First Aid (cont. from page 7)

From the whole world’s perspective, you are in the top 1% if you earn $34,000 or more.

Shortly after a busi-ness executive retired,

someone asked him what had been the secret of his success. He chuckled softly, and then said that it could be summarized in three words: “… and then some.”

He explained that he had learned early in his career that the top people

in any group were those who did what was expect-ed of them … and then some.

Such people worked diligently, efficiently, faithfully … and then some. They were thought-ful and kind to others … and then some. They were reliable friends who could be counted on … and then

some. If an emergency came, they tried to do their share to deal with it … and then some. In short, they were more than ordinary people, they tried to be extraordinary.

That is precisely what Jesus expected and still expects of his followers. When he was teaching his friends about lov-

ing and serving others (see Matthew 5:43-48), he included these words, “What more are you doing than others?” (v. 47, NRSV).

Christians do what is required … and then some. =

... And Then Some

July 2012

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July Birthdays Geselle Huinquez – 3 Pilar Centeno, Sr. – 7 Bonnie Iversen – 8 Alfie Macias – 9 James Pond – 9 Lucille Martinez – 11Janette Huinquez – 12 Joel Huinquez, Sr. – 13 Tania Puentes – 15 Frances Menendez – 19 Kristelle Meade – 26 Kelly Gonzalez – 26 Ethan Morales – 30

If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in.

Upcoming EventsThursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer GroupFridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice

July 4 - Independence DayJuly 16-20 - Vacation Bible SchoolJuly 21 - Luncheon 12:30pm

The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month.

Coming Soon

August 4 - Hawaiian Shirt DayAugust 12 - Pathfinder Yard Sale & Car WashAugust 25 - Parking Lot Party

THIS MONTH

Check out the audio and video sermon podcasts at www.downeychurch.org/sermons.html

THE LATEST WORD

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The Latest About

Our Church FamilyBe sure to congratulate

Victor Acuna and Evan Aumack on their intern-ships. Ask them where they are working.

As long as you are handing out congratu-lations, give one to Rick Gonzalez. He has recently

joined the ranks of the retired.

If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the newsletter. =

God promised Abram, “I will make of

you a great nation, and I will bless you … so that you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2, NRSV). Especially on the Fourth of July, we in the United States remember that God has blessed us as a nation, too.

That isn’t to say every-one here has an equal share of resources. Our government isn’t perfect, and our land isn’t neces-

sarily more beautiful than any other place on earth. It doesn’t mean we alone model “liberty and justice for all” — or that we do so flawlessly.

Rather, God’s promise to Abram and us means we aren’t to hoard our blessings. We are to share our wealth generously, cultivate liberty and jus-tice, and pass on to the world the gifts we enjoy in this land. =

Blessed to be a Blessing

Sinclair Lewis said, “He who has seen one

cathedral 10 times has seen something; he who has seen 10 cathedrals once has seen but little; and he who has spent half an

hour in each of a hundred cathedrals has seen nothing at all.”

That’s good sightsee-ing advice, but it also

prompts reflection on how we spend our time. Instead of trying to do and be as many things as possible, it’s usually wiser to choose which

commitments or activi-ties are most important and focus on doing them well. =

On Sightseeing

Thank you to everyone who has been saving Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated.

For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon.

Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =

July 2012

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July 2012

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Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240

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Ponder This...

= “Let us disappear into praising. Nothing belongs to us.” —Rainer Maria Rilke

= “Despotism may govern without faith, but Liberty can-not.” —Alexis de Tocqueville

= “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” —Andrew Carnegie