January12 Beacon

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Wading River Baptist ChurchP.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manor Road, Wading River, NY 11792

(631) 929-3512; 929-6022 www.wrbc.us [email protected]

A A BB aa dd BB ee tt :: TT hh ee SS ee dd uu cc tt ii oo nn oo f f GG aa mm b b ll ii nn gg Part 1: An American Addiction

Were fighting a battle for the soul of America. Rev. Tom Grey (founder, The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling)

As I write this article, we here in WadingRiver (Long Island), New York have justlearned that one of our as yet unidentifiedneighbors has won the New York StateLotterys Mega-Millions Jackpot, a prizethat will net him (or her) about $208 mil-lion and may well encourage many morepeople in this area to buy lottery tickets.The winning ticket was purchased at a gro-cery store not far from Wading River Bap-tist Church. Almost every day, most of us witness the sale of lottery tickets at grocery stores, convenience stores, delis, and other business establishments to people whoreally cant afford to waste the money.

Winning the lottery has been called thenumber one American fantasy. The justi-fication is that lottery funds support educa-tion, and in the case of New York, wereused after 9/11 to rebuild Ground Zero.

At the same time, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is supporting an amend-ment to the state constitution authorizingcasino gambling in locations other than thealready authorized Indian casino locations.Support for this amendment seems to becoalescing in the State Assembly as it hasin many other states. Americans are be-coming increasingly preoccupied by casi-nomania, allured by the prospect of gen-erous new revenue sources. But why do weneed more gambling? After all, legal gam-ing is already easily accessible to residents

of Long Island, just a short ferry ride acrossthe Sound, in the Foxwoods and MoheganSun casinos in Connecticut. Nonetheless, various locations (Aqueduct Race Track,for example) are installing video lottery terminals and other forms of computerizedgambling. All of this doesnt even take intoconsideration the most common forms of gambling such as raffles, bingo, the back-

room poker game, dog and horse racing,offtrack and pari-mutuel betting, andsports wagering. Casino gambling is alsoavailable on cruise ships and, most re-cently, on the internet. Gaming televisionhas been responsible for captivating theinterest of countless young people. Fun-damentally, its all a matter of money.

There was a time when the issue of gambling could be largely ignored by evan-gelical churches because it was not readily available and the prevailing consensusamong born-again believers and churchmembers was that it was an evil vice to berigorously avoided by Christians. Today,however, the Christian consensus has beencompromised in many areas of ethics andmorality to the extent that opposition togambling is no longer a given. In fact,Christian churches have been largely silenton the subject. Several years ago a LongIsland resident won a multi-million dollarlottery game and offered the proceeds to aChristian ministry. Although (to theircredit) the ministry refused the money, alocal church in the area was all too happy to take it. At the time, many of us were

incredulous. Frankly, we proved to be na- ve.

Why this change? For one thing, theavailability of gambling in our communi-ties facilitates participation. Its just tooeasy. Perhaps the most important incen-tive today, however, is the impact of theadverse economic climate in our nationand our state. People who are unemployedor underemployedpeople who are facingforeclosure on their homes or credit carddebt that they have no hope of repayingfind the lure of anything promising thequick acquisition of considerable wealthalmost irresistible. Christians are amongthem. The consequences of gambling,however, are tragic, taking a huge toll inthe lives of individuals, families, and com-munities with symptoms such as alcohol-ism, depression, divorce, bankruptcy,crime (including organized crime), prosti-tution, and even suicide.

The statistics are staggering. Legalgambling is available in 48 of our 50 states(Hawaii and Utah are the exceptions). Within the past year, 80% of Americansgambled; 95% have gambled at some timein their lives. Recent research indicates

that about 2.5 million adults in Americaare pathological gamblers (addicts), an-other 3 million are problem gamblers, 15million adults are at a risk for problemgambling, and about 148 million are low-risk gamblers. In 2007, gambling revenue was $92 billion. Casino gambling opera-tions netted $30 billion, and state lottery proceeds were $17 billion. Here in Amer-ica, legal gambling exceeds all other formsof entertainment in total revenues. In thelast quarter of the 20 th century, revenuesincreased 1900%. The profit margin forthe gambling industry is 15% (5-8% for all

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other American businesses); it is the fastestgrowing industry in America. One sourcesays that 89% of Americans approve of casino gambling, and that they average atrip to the casino once every two months,or roughly six times a year. Gambling is just Monopoly for grown-ups! And be-cause it is legal, our society is now makingit legitimate; in reality, legislating immor-ality. Meanwhile, evangelical Christianity

yawns in indifference, largely unwilling tofight these trends.For all of these reasons, we who are

committed to a consistently Christian life-style need to revisit the subject of gamblingfrom a biblical perspective. That is what we intend to do in this series of articles. 1 Lets begin with an all-too-obvious prem-ise: gambling often becomes an addiction. It involves the exchange of money for a risk in a game of chance, and the hope of beat-ing the odds of that risk. Almost no one who becomes an addict starts out with ad-diction as his goal. Gamblers begin small,and often restrict their gaming to a casualor occasional activity (social gambling);they begin gambling just to have fun. Itsharmless entertainment, and besides, itsmy money. Before long, however, theirentertainment becomes an obsession whichin the end becomes a compulsive (patho-logical) addiction where they lose control.Such people are commonly categorized asproblem gamblers.

Although gambling has a long history (its virtually as old as human civilization),it was eventually recognized as an immoral

and destructive activity. All gambling wasoutlawed in England in 1665, and in theNew World, the Puritans enacted a law

against it in 1638, decrying gamblingspromotion of laziness and debauchery.Other such laws were passed prior to theend of the 17 th century. Even so, all thir-teen colonies eventually operated lotteries.The First Baptist Church of Providence,Rhode Island, was built with lottery pro-ceeds in 1775! Lotteries flourished in the19th century as a way of financing public works (roads, bridges, canals, buildings,

and universities). With all of this, however,there was a significant portion of the popu-lation who opposed legalized gambling.

Thats not the case today. Most Americans are no longer controlled by bib-lical values. The liberalization of Americanculture over the past generation or two hasopened the door for legalized gambling. Asrecently as the early 1970s, a substantialmajority of our citizens disapproved of gambling, but that had all changed by 1982, when a Gallup poll found that 80% of the population favored some form of legali-zation. A Barna Research Group survey in2002 revealed that 27% of evangelicalsapproved of some form of legalized gambling. Both churched and unchurched were buying lottery tickets at about thesame rate. What has often been called thePuritan work ethic, in which people arecontent to delay gratification as they work and save, has largely been discarded in theinterest of getting rich quickly. Today in-stead, they want more than they have andthey want it now, without investing in acostly education or working hard and livingfrugally.

Add to this the pressure exerted by state and local governments. They mustcultivate new sources of revenue from a

degraded tax base and a population who will not endure increased taxation. Fur-thermore, they are increasingly exasper-ated in their attempts to control illegalgambling. How many people can they af-ford to prosecute and incarcerate? Ratherthan fight the gambling criminals, they areopting to tolerate them.

Given the situation we face today asoutlined in this article, therefore, Ias

pastor of Wading River Baptist Churchcannot ignore this issue. Just the over- whelming statistics alone would indicatethat within our congregation, there may bethose who find themselves in bondage tosome form of gambling. Thus, I have cho-sen to address the subject in writing, ratherthan in one or more sermons, hoping thatthe presentation of this material in writtenform will better facilitate careful reflectionon the principles involved and perhapssignificant change where change is needed.

Pastor Ron Glass

Next month: Money vs. Morality. Asurvey of the moral issues involved ingambling.

1 In preparation of these articles, I have madeextensive use of one of the few books on thesubject of gambling from a biblical perspec-tive: Gambling: Dont Bet on It, by Rex MRogers, president of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A review of this book is included in this issue of The Beacon.

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MM ii ss ss ii oo nn aa rr y y oo f f tt hh ee MM oo nn tt hh As stated in Matthew 28:19, 20, Go yetherefore, and teach all nationsteachingthem to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am withyou always, even unto the end of theworld is the mission of Mars Hill Net- work; to promote and participate in theGreat Commission. It is a radio ministry of Bible-teaching local churches as well aschurches at large, serving in New York andeastern Ontario.

Mars Hill has become particularly in-terested in their relationship to the world- wide Christian Communications. In 2011,Mars Hill Network expanded their radiooutreach through their Radios for the World project, reaching into the lives of the Roma Gypsies via Trans World radiosand impacting up to 15 million in Europe.Mars Hill Network listeners who supported

the Careathon 2011 enabled Trans Worldto ship over 300 solar-powered radio unitsto these Roma Gypsie families; for some of them, this was the only way to hear theGospel in their own language.

Mars Hill Network becomes a daily reminder and a catalyst for a closer 24/7relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. With our modern technology, broadcastingcan go with you whether online, a smartphone, an MP3 player with FM connectability, or an FM radio. It is true that lis-teners from WRBC are limited to the Riv-erhead/Manorville area for reception at WMHR 90.9 FM, but one is not limited topray for Mars Hill Network as they reachinto the lives of many and provide them with their only source of hearing the Word.

As WRBC continues to support theMars Hill Network both financially and in

prayer, may we also continue to supportPastor Glass as he ministers through MarsHill Network on the third Thursday of eachmonth 3 times, at 5:25 AM, 12:13 PM,and at 9:27 PM as the Pastor of the Day.It is just one more way that Pastor Glass isable to share his understanding of and wis-dom in the Scriptures as he supports theefforts of Mars Hill to spread the Gospel.

Seriously Christian and Ministering Life surely represents Mars Hill, not only as a slogan but also a promise of theircommitment to stand up for Christianstandards and with a full mission of minis-tering it. May we continue to strengthenour support of this great outreach with ourprayers? Prayers could bring revival in thehearts of many as Mars Hill Network spreads the Word. Joan Tyska


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Parents of special needs individuals arespecial themselves in how God chose themto parent the needs of some of Gods mostprecious people. There is no doubt that William & Elfriede Kirchberger fall intothis category with the loving care they havegiven their special needs son, Paul. Paul,now 47 years old, is a friend to all at WRBCand a wonderful reflection of the love thatBill & Elfriede have surrounded him with.How can we not speak of our love for Paulas we celebrate the life of Bill Kirchbergeras we did last month and now Elfriede Kir-chberger this month?

But let us start at the beginning. El-friede was born together with an identicaltwin on November 16, 1935 in New York City, to German immigrants, Albert andEmma Schmidt. Twins Elfriede andGertrude also had an older sister, Louise;many years later, another sister, Irma, was born.

Albert Schmidt, a tailor by trade,

worked long hours as a custom tailor. Inthe 1950s, his lifelong interest in honey bees led the family to purchase a property in upstate New York. After constructing aliving area and bee keeping sheds, anddrilling a water well, the entire family be-came immersed in various stages of beekeeping and honey making. EmmaSchmidt, the always busy, hardworkinghousehold manager and overseer, kept a watchful eye on everything.

Elfriede and her twin attended New-town High School in Elmhurst, NY. Therethey joined the Hi-HB Club (High SchoolBornagainers), a ministry of high schoolevangelism fellowship led by Brandt Reed.This was not a school function, so weekly meetings were held after school at thenearby home of a member. Gods Word was studied and they were challenged toseek Gods plan for their lives. They werealso encouraged to carry their Bibles toschool. (Romans 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it isthe power of God unto salvation to every-one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.)

Elfriede has wonderful memories of her summers spent at Camp Sunshine inLiberty Corner, NJ. This Christian camp was a ministry of the fellowship Deaconry.Since their Mom worked at the camp, theSchmidt girls spent their summers there.

As you can see, there is a strong spiri-tual base within the family. To understandElfriedes spiritual roots, the roots go back to Germany where Elfriedes mothers sis-ter, Irma Haseney, was a deaconess.Irmas prayers for the Schmidt family wereanswered. Several missionary deaconessesresponded to the request of German immi-grants for spiritual help. A ministry, TheTract Mission of Faith, part of the fellow-ship deaconry, began in a storefront in Astoria, NY. The Schmidt family attendedservices there and Elfriedes mother,Emma, accepted Christ as her Savior. Thus began the opportunities for hearing of theGospel with church services in German andSunday school in English. Emma became aTract Missionary, distributing/deliveringtracts to homes while taking along thedaughters.

In April of 1944, the deaconesses, hermom and Elfriede along with her sistersattended a Word of Life Rally in MadisonSquare Garden with Jack Wyrtzen as thespeaker. When the invitation to acceptChrist was given, Elfriede opened her heartand accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as herpersonal Savior. She felt the Lords pres-ence and knew that she had everlasting life

(John 3:36).Elfriedes confirmation at age 12 at the

Tract of Mission of Faith, was another timeof self-examination. In the following yearsElfriede attended many young peoplesBible conferences at Liberty Corner, NJ, where they were nourished in Gods Word.Many of those young people still meet atLiberty Corner events as well as local get-togethers.

In 1954, Elfriede left home to attendPhiladelphia Bible Institute. For two yearsshe immersed herself in the study of Gods

Word. A medical issue requiring surgery necessitated her returning home. Shefound employment at a midtown Manhat-tan Bank where she could earn the cost of medical bills. In the springtime of 1957,there was a three-month-long Billy Gra-ham crusade in New York City. Elfriede walked to Madison Square Garden after work where she volunteered as a counselor.There was no doubt that God had a plan forElfriede when He brought her home fromPhiladelphia.

Now Elfriedes destination to marry William Kirchberger began long before

Elfriede was even born. Her Mom, Emma,during World War I lived in Germany; when she was 12 years old, she was sent tothe country to work on a farm. The farm-ers had need for workers and food wasavailable in the country while it was scarcein the cities. A God-fearing family namedHenninger took her in as if she were fam-

ily. Years later, Ludwig Henninger marriedthe sister of Bills Mother in NY City. They began sponsoring many others to come tothe USA, which would include Bills Motherand Emma. Emma married AlbertSchmidt (Elfriedes father) and had fourdaughters, one of them Elfriede. BillsMother, Margaret, married and had a son,their only son, Bill. Thus the Henninger,Schmidt, and Kirchberger friendshipsformed and are still thriving to this day.Through this friendship of the families,Elfriede and Bill became close as friendsand in later years a spark developed lead-ing to their wedding on June 6, 1959.

By April of 1960 their family began togrow first with Linda Margaret in 1960;then William John in 1961; Paul Albert in1964; and Edward Karl in 1968. For mostof Elfriedes married life she remained ahomemaker; but as the children grew older, Elfriede worked in banking as well assales. Later she worked on various studies,such as Medicare, mammograms, etc. as aninterviewer for survey research organiza-tions which was primarily field work.

Bill & Elfriede first lived in Jamaica,

NY for about six years until they moved toDix Hills to raise their children. By 1987,they moved to their present home in Wad-ing River. However, the home in WadingRiver was not new to them as they hadspent a great amount of time visiting dur-ing summer months and holidays whenthey were young and later with their chil-dren. Originally their home was a bunga-low and was bought by Bills Aunt and Un-cle back in the 1950s; since it was close tothe beach, it became a wonderful family retreat. Eventually the Aunt died, leavingBill & Elfriede the option to buy it. Bill &Elfriede continue to host the family re-treats to this day.

Bill & Elfriede began visiting the WRBC when it was just forming and meet-ing at Camp DeWolfe, conveniently located just east of them. It was not until PastorGlass began preaching at the churchs pre-sent location that Bill & Elfriede beganattending on a more regular basis. PastorGlasss messages and teaching from the Word of God was primarily what broughtthem to the WRBC, along with the tradi-tional worship and music. Elfriede has


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said that she feels that the Lord is truly worshipped and glorified at the services at WRBC.

Elfriede is a woman of faith and findscomfort in the Scriptures. Her confirma-tion verse, Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I haveloved Thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawnthee is just one of her favorite verses. TheLord showed her another verse, 2 Corin-

thians 12:9, while she rode the train toPhiladelphia after leaving home to attendcollege My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weak-ness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me .

Elfriede does not limit herself to selecther favorites just from the Scriptures butalso from the many hymns that she hassung over the years. Her confirmationhymn My Jesus, I Love Thee remainsone of her favorites, along with Great IsThy Faithfulness .

You could say that one of her favoritethings to do is to get quiet before the Lord.Beyond that she likes to listen to music,

read, crochet, bake and review her oh somany memories that are so dear to her of growing up; her family; and her friends.Elfriede is a delightful, refreshing womanquickly sharing a smile with you, a smile you that you realize comes from knowingthe Lord.

Elfriede and Bill have had a wonderfulmarriage and were blessed with such aclose knit family, including 10 grandchil-dren. The Lord has guided, provided forand loved them. The Lord has taken diffi-cult situations and taught lessons to them.The Lord was always their Shepherd asthey depended on Him. They share thePsalmists sentiments from Psalm 18:1, 2The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and

my deliverer; my God, my strength, inwhom I will trust. Joan Tyska

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TT hh ii nn k k ii nn gg A A b b oo uu tt GG aa mm b b ll ii nn gg A Review of Gambling: Dont Bet on It , by Rex Rogers (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2005), 224 pp.

When it comes togambling, we needto reckon withseveral realities.First, the practiceof various forms of gambling is perva-sive in our society,and, it must beassumed, amongChristians as well.Second, our evan-

gelical churches, for the most part, arestrangely silent on the subject. And third,there are very few resources dealing with it

from a Christian perspective. Thats why this book by Dr. Rex Rogers is both wel-come and important. Even though it waspublished in 2005, it is still available today,and is well worth reading by Christians,most of whom are either ignorant of thescope and impact of gambling in theUnited Statesand the world, for that mat-teror are themselves engaged in it.

Rogers, president of Cornerstone Uni- versity in Grand Rapids, Michigan (an in-stitution with strong fundamental Baptistroots), has produced this revision of anearlier work, Seducing America: Is Gam-bling a Good Bet (Baker, 1997). The book targets the average Christian reader.Rogers has clearly thought about this subject for a long time and has done his

homework. His book is filled with helpfulstatistics which assist him in making both athoughtful and persuasive case againstlegalized betting on rational, moral, andspiritual grounds. My initial reactions in-cluded such thoughts as, I didnt know that!, I had no idea this problem is as badas it is!, and You mean to tell me thatChristians really gamble? Rogers also is askilled writer, knowing how to turn amemorable phrase which makes the impactof his arguments even stronger.

Gambling: Dont Bet on It lays out thechallenge of what Rogers calls this coun-trys newest Great American Pastime (p.

18), stressing particularly the reasons why evangelical Christians have generally notresponded aggressively to the spread of legalized gambling. After surveying thefascinating history of gambling in America(chapter 2), he explains the primary formsit takes today (ch. 3). He then asks thequestion, Is gambling a sin?, and answersit biblically (ch. 4). After discussing thegovernments role in promoting the vice(ch. 5), he asks some penetrating questionsabout its morality (ch. 6). Is it a validmeans of fund-raising? Many charitableorganizations think so, but Rogers showsthe fallacy in such thinking (ch. 7).

One of the major concerns surround-ing legalized gambling, however, is the

problem of the problem gambler. Rogersexpos in chapter 8 is enlightening, as ishis discussion of the casino culture in chap-ter 9 and his suggestions on how to controlit in chapter 10. Chapter 11 looks at themore recent development of internet gambling. Rogers concludes in chapter 12 withan indictment of gambling as an irrationalactivity. A welcome feature of this book isits Appendix which gives contact informa-tion for organizations and web sites whichprovide help and counseling for problemgamblers as well as research information.

There are a few social issues about which Bible-believing Christians need to be

much better informed than they generally are, and gambling is one of them. The im-pact of this vice is eating away at the fabricof traditional American values, and it willonly get worse as the economy deteriorates.Because this books message is so relevant,and because it is so accessible to the aver-age Christian (including Christian youngpeople), this is a book I highly recommendfor thoughtful study by everyone who readsthis review. I would even suggest it as the basis for profitable family study and dis-cussion. Youll come away with solid rea-sons why gambling isnt a good bet.

Pastor Ron Glass

A A MM oo nn tt hh ii nn R R ee v v ii ee w w December 2, 2011 A memorial service was held to celebrate the life and memoriesof Marge Kurthy. Family members trav-eled from all over the US to join Marges brothers and sisters in Christ at the WRBCfor 2 hours of singing Marges favorite

songs; sharing testimonies of sharedfriendships; and hearing Gods Word asMarge would want it shared.

Pastor Glass gave a Memorial Medita-tion, My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation, with emphasis on Marges love of reaching

out to the mission field not only locally butthroughout the world. Marge was always agreat supporter of missions and with that it was suggested that any memorial contribu-tions could be made to World Vision Inter-


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national at www.worldvision.org or Habitatfor Humanity at www.habitat.org .

Marges oldest daughter, Susan Dinga,and Marges son, David Kurthy, spoke inEulogy, sharing their most cherishedmemories of their mother and suggestingthat others from the family do the same.Many came forward to speak with over- whelming testimonies of her character andChristian love; not only from her family,

but of those that loved her from the WRBC.Most memorable was the reading of

the 23 rd Psalm by 22-year-old John Kurthy,son of Dave Kurthy and Marges grandson.Marge would have been well pleased inhow John reached out to the congregation with an invitation to accept Jesus Christinto their lives just as he did.

December 3, 2011 Martie Best was without reservation the best at bringing a bit of the Mississippi-southern hospitality,a touch of Currier and Ives atmosphere,and the dcor of Martha Stewart togetherto wow at least two dozen ladies from the WRBC (plus one coworker of Marties) at a very special Tea that took place in theBests home to honor her sisters in Christand the friends they have become.

It was quite obvious that there were

many hours of preparation that preludedthe occasion, for each room was filled withMarties efforts to please. Accommodatinga Christmas theme deserved a tour of eachroom that was set up to serve. The designof the Bests home handled a connectingtable stretching out from the kitchencounter all the way to the simulated fire-place at the far end of the family room.The table was sufficient enough for every-one to be seated together.

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Dont think there will be too many volunteers to host another gathering tofollow Marties tea being that Martie hit a

homerun with every detail of the tea. The menu was a simpleone but from old cherishedrecipes. The dessert table was apage out of any womans recipe

magazine. Most special wasthe chocolate covered cherriesmade to look like little mice. If the youngest of the guests would ever turn up missing, you could be sure of finding them gatheredaround the dessert table in the diningroom.

As we experienced Marties ability tocreate a good time full of fun and laughterlast month at Silvias shower, Martie againraised the bar to a level that would be achallenge to beat. Games were played,prizes were won, and laughter shared. Oneof the favorite games played was with apaper plate that had to be placed on oneshead and by instruction had to draw aChristmas scene (while plate was still onones head), earning points for each part of the scene drawn correctly and according toinstructions. At this juncture of the articlepictures are now a more efficient way toexpress the game in progress!!!! Yourstruly can attest to the humor of this gameallowing tears to come to my eyes as my smiles grew into hysterical laughter. Forsure no one will forget Martie and her teaparty.

December 11, 2011 The WadingRiver Baptist Church Choral Ensemblepresented the Christmas Tapestry at the beginning of the church service on Sunday morning. It was not without strife that thechoral group came together to present thisdifficult musical selection; but with muchprayer, a most precious message of Christmas was musically and gloriously

presented. Most heartwarming was to seenot only 18 members of a Christian family come together for this presentation, but tosee within the choral group husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, mother-in-law and son-in-law all singing side by sidefor the Lord.

Credits go to George Ehmann for or-ganizing and conducting; Reeva Bellardand Carl Chapman for their duet, Follow Follow ; Denise Tolf for her solo of LittOne, Little One ; for the newest youngmember, Olivia Coleman, and her solo, Humble Gifts ; Carl Chapman and PastorGlass singing Crown Him Lord ; ChrHallstrom, the narrator; and let us not for-get, Jim Perry, the tech man.

Sadly, Pastor Noel & Nora Faustinorioleft for the Philippines on Tuesday, Dcember 13, 2011 to return to their pas-toral ministry in Quezon City. Pastor Glassacknowledged them with a gift at the De-cember 11 church service, sending them off with our love and prayers.

December 17, 2011 was the date oThe Perfect Wedding . There were nlimousines, nor were there tuxedoes ordance bands; there were not even brides-maids or flower girls, just the matron of honor, Sarah Chapman; the best man, Pe-ters brother, Matthew Albrecht; and twoushers, Carl Chapman and Chris Hall-strom.

Missing on top of the wedding cake were the bride and groom and all the tradi-tional reception rituals that weddings areaccustomed to. It only enhanced the wed-ding more allowing the focus to be magni-
http://www.worldvision.org/http://www.habitat.org/http://www.habitat.org/http://www.worldvision.org/


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fied spiritually giving a dignity to the wed-ding of Biblical proportions.

If ever there was a marriage made inheaven, the marriage of Peter Albrecht andSilvia Hofmann was one designed by Godhimself. Every last detail from the mar-riage proposal, to the courtship, and theplanning and executing of the weddingplans was so scripturally inspired, bringinga level of worship to the service rarely seen.

Completing this summary of Peters &Silvias wedding is an acknowledgment of the two immediate families: first of Peter,shown with his brother, Matthew Albrecht,and his mother and father, Raymond &Elaine Albrecht; and second of Silvia, withher mother and father, Alfredo and RosieHofmann, and her Aunt, Magdalena Rabi-novich. What a blessing it was as these twofamilies united their efforts to bring such aloving, spiritual elegance to a wedding that will not be soon forgotten. May we say thank you for arranging such a wonderfulplatform to share Gods love.

The wedding service was filled with somany touching moments; it would be hardto present them all to you in one short noteof praise. George Ehmann provided theservice with many of those moments allow-ing the congregation to finally see the fullpotential of WRBCs organ. We can alsoescalate our appreciation for Marie Caputoat the piano and the wonderful duet by Maureen Glass and Cheryl Sunderland.Pastor Glasss messages are always de-signed to open windows of understanding; but his message at this service was one sodesigned not only for Peter & Silvia but foreveryone whether single, married for ashort time, or celebrating many years of marriage. It would be hard to ignore Godspresence if seated at this wedding.

Upon entering the fellowship hall forthe reception following the service, forthose familiar with fellowship hall, it wasquite an eye opener in terms of the trans-formation of the fellowship hall into some-thing resembling a banquet hall. The reno- vations of the fellowship hall began months before and were initiated by Sarah Chap-man and Reeva Bellard as they coordinated

the colors of the hall with the color schemeof the wedding. Rosie Hofmann, Silviasmother, was the final coordinator of thetransformation that left everyone breath-less upon arrival.

White linens and silver bows, and beautiful flower arrangements designedand created by Magdalena Rabinovich,Silvias aunt and sister to her father fromMexico, left one gasping in delight. The wedding cake was simple but in line withthe design to flow with the simplicity andelegance of the entire event. The back-ground music was serene, offering a quietforum for the coming together of two fami-lies and their relatives and friends sometraveling many miles to witness this Per- fect Wedding . Among those that came thedistance to witness the wedding were for-mer members Tom & Laura Kelleher andtheir two sons, traveling from PA.

As we bring 2011 to a close and look forward to 2012 , there is an individual thatspends many moments behind the scenes without much notice and The Beacon would like to acknowledge her as our Per-son of the Year. She serves in a mosthumble, selfless way that puts her at thechurch many hours and sometimes unusu-

ally late hours. Do youever stop to think abouthow many events takeplace in the church witheverything always in itsplace? Even when so-cial events run late in

e-times on a Saturday before the Sunday morning service, somehow the church re-mains in order and how we take it forgranted. Yes, there is a combined effort toclean up after these events; but there is onethat seems to be the last to leave as she

checks out every detail, making sure thechurch is in order. She is our custodianand is assigned to certain duties but shetakes these duties seriously and sometimesgoes beyond these duties, accepting theresponsibility to always keep the churchpresentable. To Cheryl Sunderland, thank you as you serve the Lord and do so, so joyously.

December 25, 2011 was a day o

family reunions, singing of Christmas car-ols, and reuniting with old friends. Many from the WRBC had traveled back home to be home for the holidays but at the sametime the destination to be home for some was at the WRBC as the entire Glass clanreunited with the expanding family of grandchildren.

Christmas mornings worship service was filled with musical worship singingmany favorite Christmas hymns; MaureenGlass at her Christmas best with two won-derful Christmas musical selections with amessage; and ahighlight of threeof the Glassgrandchildren(Ethan Brown,Michael & Abby Glass) singing amedley of Christmas songs, finishing off with a Happy Birthday, Jesus. PastorGlass offered an appropriate message,When God Stepped In: The Introductionof His Son, for some inspirational Christ-mas wisdom.

Now that 2011 is history, the WRBCs

2012s calendar is already filling up with winter activities. Scheduled for January 14, 2012 is the first Senior Saints lunch-eon of the New Year. It will be focusing onfriendship, encouraging everyone to bringa friend. Also scheduled once a month forthe winter months beginning January 22,2012 are the dinner and movie nights. Theinvitation is open not only to church members but to the community to come to-gether for a night of Christian entertain-ment and fellowship. The first movie will begin with a dinner in the Fellowship Hallat 5:00 PM on Sunday, January 22 nd , folowed by the presentation of MilltownPride, a Bob Jones University UnusualFilms production. The films story is cen-tered on baseball but with a strong andcompelling presentation of the Gospel. Weencourage you to make note of this dateand begin to invite family and friends.the evening and som

A new year is upon us as we anticipategreat things from our heavenly Father.May you all be in His care as we wait forHis Sons return? God bless you all with amost blessed new year.

Joan Tyska


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JJ aa nn uu aa rr y y 22 00 1122 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 10:00 AM New YearsDay Worship Service(No Sunday School)

2 3 4 8:00 AM LadiesPrayer Joan Tyska(727-5998)

7:00 PM Prayer Meetingand Exposition of Psalms

5 6 7

8 9:45 AM Sunday School The Training of the Twelve (Discipleship)Doug Heuzey, Teacher

11:00 AM Worship

6:00 PM Bible Study atHallstroms (886-1334)

9 10 7:00 PMBoard of DeaconsMeeting

11 8:00 AMLadies Prayer


12 13 14 1:00 PMSenior SaintsLuncheon Friendship

15 9:45 AM Sunday School (Discipleship)

11:00 AM Worship

6:00 PM Bible Study

16 17 18 8:00 AMLadies Prayer


19 20 21


11:00 AM Worship

5:00 PM FellowshipSupper and 1 st WinterFamily Film Night

23 24 25 8:00 AMLadies Prayer


26 27 28


11:00 AM Worship

6:00 PM Bible Study

30 31

JJ aa nn uu aa rr y y Bible Quiz Questions1) Who was the mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, the two sons

of Joseph?

2) Where did Aaron die?

3) Who informed the virgin Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a Son?

4) Who was the mother of John the Baptist?

5) How old was Methuselah when he died? Bonus : Which king of Judah made his son pass through fire?

Felix Acerra

DD ee cc ee mm b b ee rr Bible Quiz Answers 1) Ben-ammi (Genesis 19:38).

2) Israel (Genesis 32:28; 35:10).

3) Esau (Genesis 36:1, 9).

4) Twelve (Genesis 35:22-26).

5) Reuben (Genesis 37:21, 22).

Bonus: Thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14, 15; 27:3).

Submit the answers and Bible references to: [email protected]

Congratulations to Dennis Tyska and VirginiaSylvester for submitting all five correct answersplus the bonus for the December Bible Quiz!

TThh ee BB ii rr tt hh dd aa y y CCoo rr nn ee rr January 1 st Kaitlyn HallstromJanuary 4 th Jackie HallstromJanuary 10 th Rosie HofmannJanuary 10 th Bill MallmanJanuary 11 th Judy EhmannJanuary 13 th Carol FitzgeraldJanuary 17 th Paul KirchbergerJanuary 18 th Jaaz FaustinorioJanuary 19 th Joe Best

January 22 nd Leo SteinJanuary 25 th Alice TeufelJanuary 27 th Julie (Glass) Brown

TThh ee A A nn nn ii v v ee rr ss aa rr y y CCoo rr nn ee rr

January 10 th Pastor & Maureen Glass

December 31st

Dennis & Joan Tyska(correction from December 2011 issue)
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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PO Box 438Wading River, NY 11792

Our Purpose

1. To glorify God through sharingthe good news of salvation by Godssovereign grace through faith in HisSon, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. To nurture believers through astrong program of Christian educa-tion, youth ministries, and expository Biblical preaching.

3. To provide an opportunity forBiblical worship, service, and fellow-ship.

4. To extend our ministry through-out America and around the worldthrough participation in home andforeign missions.

WRBC is affiliated with the Conserva-tive Baptist Association of Americaand the Conservative Baptist Missionto the Northeast.

Wading River Baptist Church

For the Exaltation of God in All Things For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ For the Transformation of Gods Peopl e

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Documents

January12 Beacon