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SBC ADVENTIST NEWSSouth Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventist: Serving Islands in Central to South
Bahamas website: www.southbahamasconference.org l phone: (242) 341-4021
WORD SBC
88.3 FMCABLE 53
ATV 53
Everyone is invited to attend the nearest Seventh-day Adventist Church this Saturday. Sabbath School starts at 9:15 a.m. DivineService begins at 11:00 a.m. For the church listing, call the Conference office at (242) 341-4021, or visit the website www.southbahamasconference.org.
Come and see what blessings the Lord has in store for you.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Pastor Paul A. Scavella President
Ministerial Secretary
Pastor Peter Joseph Executive Secretary
Pastor C. Melvin Lewis Treasurer
CHURCHES IN NEW PROVIDENCE
Adelaide Agape Bethany Berea Bethel Breath of Live Centreville Ebenezer Francophone Gambier Good News Grant’s Town Hillview Johnson Park Johnson Road Living Faith Maranatha Message of Hope New Englerston New Providence Parkgate Peardale Philadelphia Real Harvest Redemption
CHURCHES IN FAMILY ISLAND
North Andros Churches Lowe Sound Red Bays Company Central Andros Company !South Andros Churches Kemp's Bay Blessed Hope High Rock New Macedonia !Cat Island Churches Seaview Devil's Point !Crooked Island Church Landrail Point !Eleuthera Churches Bluff Gregory Town James Cistern Rock Sound Tarpum Bay !Exuma Churches Mount Thompson Moss Town !Long Island Churches Steven's Millerton !Inagua Church Matthew Town !Acklins Church Lovely Bay !San Salvador Church Cockburn Town
Celebrating Families Felicia Datus, SBC
A branch of the Haitian Adventist community celebrated the ties of family on Sunday December 7th at the Francophone SDA Church on Balfour Avenue. Families displayed their unity by dressing in the same colors and giving musical selections that gave thanks to God for creating and blessing families. !The night was especially significant for four families who were surprised and honored with tributes and gifts for their remarkable contribution to the growth of the church; notably the Dieudonne, Datus, Exalus, and Francois Families. !Each church member and visitor present was moved by the evening's service as everyone could relate to being separated from family members for long
periods of times as they seek a better life, leaving parents, spouses, children, and other loved ones behind in the beautiful but troubled nation of Haiti. !The speaker for the evening, Mrs. Patrice Gordon, Shepherdess for the church, spoke powerfully on the place that honor has in being a major building block for families, thus creating a strong foundation for society. As the night culminated with the Datus Family leading out in the song Love at Home, families left strengthened by the power and grace of God looking forward to the coming of their Heavenly Father and Brother.
As the year draws to a close the festivities heighten, spirits become jolly and there is an unmistakable sense of celebration in the air. Whether with gifts, food or fun, everyone =inds a special way to celebrate and gratitude seems to =low
formally and informally. ‘Thank You’ is said in many different ways. No doubt you have heard it said, “I thank you, from my heart.” These words sound very profound and if taken literally, it really is. Sadly, however to most of us this is just another cliché. Take a closer look with me at the concept of giving thanks from the heart, maybe it will change your attitude to celebrating life with gratitude from a glib rolling of the tongue to a more deliberate experience. You may ask, “Why from my heart?” Your heart is a muscular pump, approximately the size of your =ist and weighs roughly ten ounces. Though a small organ it has the awesome job of pumping blood around the whole body. When comparing thanksgiving to the heart, I am both interested in how the heart does its job as well as the job it does.
Working Non-‐ stop Beating more than 36 million times in one year, you can’t begin to imagine how many beats your heart has already made since the day you were born. Wow! More interestingly, if the heart feels stressed, instead of taking a break it works even harder to undo your stress, to the point that it may even hurt. Can you fathom giving thanks non-‐stop? The psalmist David said … I will always thank the LORD; I will never stop praising him. That my heart may sing to you and not be silent. Psalm 34:1 TEV O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:12 NIV. Giving thanks from the heart means to always =ind something or someone to be thankful for; the heart never takes a vacation neither should your thanksgiving! When you are tempted to complain or just be silent, =ind something for which to be grateful; never stop giving thanks. !A Long Way Can you imagine that this orange-‐sized organ, pumps blood along more than 12,000 miles of blood vessels and to every single cell in the body every day? If by chance your body size, is a little above average the heart still pumps the extra miles around. This seems to suggest that giving thanks from the heart goes a long way. It reaches out to those who are in need no matter the distance or effort that it may require. Allow our thanksgiving to take you to great lengths, reaching out to people who least expect to hear from you. Think of your primary school teacher who goes mostly forgotten, or that kind
babysitter who made life less stressful when your now-‐grown-‐kids were babies. Think of someone easily forgotten and give thanks from the heart. !Removes toxins Worry can rob you of happiness, but kind words will cheer you up. (Proverbs 12:25 TEV) The heart, in conjunction with the blood, removes toxic waste from the cells and replenishes it with needed nutrients. This energizes the body and promotes growth and development. Have you ever noticed that you can’t be angry or depressed when you are excitedly giving thanks? Gratitude has a guaranteed way of ridding the mind of envy, malice, worry and other harmful attitudes. Without even noticing it, giving thanks always results in a joyful spirit. If today you feel you need a spirit-‐detox, try giving thanks from the heart. Sing along with praise songs as you shower, work around the home or drive to work. Those around you may think you are crazy but this insanity is contagious, they will soon be singing too! Try making a gratitude list and remind yourself of the many things that have gone right for you. “My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” Psalm 28:7 NIV So as you look forward to the festive season =illed with jolli=ication and celebration, do not forget to celebrate life, that force that makes everything else possible and above all God, the giver and sustainer of this vital force, LIFE.
CcEeLlEeBbRrAaTtIiNnGg LlIiFfEe WwIiTtHh HhEeAaRrTtFfEeLlTt TtHhAaNnKkSs Patrice Williams-‐Gordon, Special Events Coordinator, SBC
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coming in January to
THE ADVENTIST PAGE !The Theological Debate:
!a bi-weekly column that present Seventh-day Adventist doctrines with crisp clarity and biblical accuracy. Expect
fresh insight as beliefs will be compared with the doctrinal teachings of other Christian Denominations.
Look for this exciting series on the first and third
ADVENTIST MEN CHORALE CONCERT The Adventist Men Chorale of the South Bahamas Conference will be hosting its annual concert on Saturday evening, December 13, 2014 at The Kirk Presbyterian Church at 7.00 p.m. Other guest
artistes will be featured. Free refreshments will follow. Come, bring an offering and expect a rich blessing as we praise God together.
KEEP IT SPICY! WITH CHEF SHELLY The Grant’s Town Seventh-‐day Adventist Church will host a cooking
class on December 14, 2014 for two hours (1:00 -‐ 3:00 p.m.) Interested persons may contact [email protected], or
[email protected]. Deadline for registration is December 10, 2014. There is a small registration fee.
