Grays Pastor Corner

Dear Members

I hope and pray you have had a good week and despite any difficulties you can say with confidence, “God is good — all the time!” I’ve just completed a my first week fully back at work and I must admit I’m exhausted, but nevertheless I’m glad to be back! My sincere thanks go to those of you who sent well wishes and prayed for me while I was unwell.

Ever wondered what’s happening in the Adventist church in other parts of the UK and Ireland? Then you need to check out the BUC News. You find the latest issue at http://www.adventistnews.org.uk/.

The BUC News is a free weekly email newsletter produced by the Communication department of the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It contains news, a list of coming events, and also some small ads relevant to the Seventh-day Adventist Church community. Some of you are already aware of it and even subscribe to the newsletter or view it regularly online — but for those of you who haven’t heard of it – here’s your chance to get connected. Perhaps you would like to subscribe to it yourself. It is usually sent out every Friday, about noon. To subscribe, see the following web address http://www.adventistnews.org.uk/newssubscribe.php.

Also, if you are like me and you are not fortunate to get a copy of the “Messenger” when they are distributed in church on Sabbaths, then you can easily view it online at http://www.adventistnews.org.uk/messenger/.

I hope this information we help to keep you informed and aware of some of things that are happening around the country and some of the issues we face as a denomination. I also hope that it will serve to inspire you and remind us in our tiny corner of Essex that we are not alone but a part of God’s wider vineyard.

Have a great Sabbath in God’s presence,

Pastor Del

“Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to GOD!”

e have just come to the end of 2 intensive weeks of spiritual emphasis and renewal or as one elder put it, “we’ve had the opportunity to come daily for essential maintenance work and a spiritual service, in preparation for our MOT.” And what an experience it’s been! We’ve laughed and we’ve cried; we’ve been challenged and rebuked; comforted and given hope, encouraged and motivated. It is my prayer that in some way you have heard the voice of God speaking directly to you, through the spoken Word, the written Word, the Word in song, etc.

I’d like to say a huge, “Thank-you” to all of those who helped to plan these two events and who put so much into making these series the successes they have been. I would like to thank too, those who came out night after night to hear the messages and to support the effort.

In addition, on behalf of our district of churches, I would also like to express gratitude and thanks to our Evangelist or “Guest Car Mechanic”, Pastor Chisapa Mulenga, who travelled most days, with great difficulties and at great sacrifice to be with us and who “tuned up our hearts” with his stirring messages and thought-provoking sermons. Everyone, from the youngest amongst us, to the most senior can say they learned something from his often entertaining stories and inspirational personal testimonies. We wish him well in his continued ministry.

We also give thanks for the eight “new babes” who where publicly “reborn” into Jesus Christ and welcomed into our church family. Let us not forget that their journeys have only just begun and that they need your support and mine to help them grow in grace.

Many of you are aware that the last few weeks have not been easy for me and I would like to thank you all for your continual support, prayers and well wishes. Finally, I thank God for His presence, His faithfulness, care and provision. All glory belongs to Him!

But now the Revival’s are over, what next….?

Ellen Gould White once wrote, “The word is the preacher’s light… Those who have the privilege of sitting under such a ministry, if their hearts are susceptible to the Holy Spirit’s influence, will feel an inner life. The fire of God’s love will be kindled within them. The Bible, the word of God, is the bread of life…The bread of life will satisfy every soul hunger”. TM 339, 340. Bread and Light! God’s Word is both bread and light and in these last two weeks we’ve not only been fed, but we’ve had God’s light shine on those dark places in our lives. We’ve been revived and now we need to stay alive!

To do this we must ask God to “give us this day our daily bread” and help us stay connected to the “Light-Source”. I encourage you all to keep feasting at God’s table and sharing what He gives you with others. Only then will our revival be permanent. If you don’t already have a set time for personal devotion each day, now is the time to start. If you do have this time, but perhaps it has become more of a ritual than anything else, then maybe you need to try doing something differently –“new wine, in new wineskins”.

I am praying that we will be able to build on this in the coming weeks, months and years. Many of you have already approached me, asking when the next events will be and I’m happy to say that plans are already being formulated. However, let’s not fall into the trap of moving from one event-driven “high” to the next, but may we experience continual growth in our lives and the lives of our churches, as we grow in grace, grow in love, grow in faith and unity.

Now we have been revived, let us STAY ALIVE!

s I write this update, I’m laid up sick in bed with laryngitis and a chest infection. Add to this my problematic arms and you get a woman in need of some physical restoration. But even more important than this, I sense there is the need for spiritual renewal and revival.

Revival…means to recover, repair or restore and as I look around and within I see a desperate need for change — for revival. Perhaps you see and feel it, too!

The countdown has begun and in just a few days we will begin two weeks of revival meetings in our district; two whole weeks of prayer, power and praise!

The first series (which also coincides with Week of Prayer in the British Union) will be at our sister church, in Southend, from the 2^nd -10^th November 2007 from 6:30 pm. Week of Prayer meetings will also take place in the homes of various members in the Grays area. The second week will commence in Grays on the 11^th November (7:30 pm) and will conclude on the 17^th November. There will be no meetings on Thursday evenings and each campaign will end with a baptism (10^th & 17^th November). Our evangelist for both events will be Pastor C. Mulenga.

These are exciting times, but I don’t want you to think of these two weeks as just events; highlights in the church calendar. Our revival must be more than that. Revival must lead to reformation and change – a change of spirit and of lifestyle. Revival is living the life of Christ. Revival leads to empowered evangelism and Christian discipleship. Revival is the work of God amongst His people. It is lighting the fire and keeping that fire going! And when Christians are on fire, believers are warmed and sinners are attracted to the light.

I encourage each one of you to prepare your hearts to be refreshed during our upcoming campaigns (Acts 3:19, 20; Hosea 10:12). Let us take the time to evaluate where we are with God and return to our first love. Has the salt lost its savour? Is your heart ablaze with the Spirit of God? If not, then you need to be revived.

MY PRAYER: Lord, send a lasting revival to our congregations that will spread out from us, into our communities, in these dark days. AMEN

GOD’S ANSWER: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. 2 Chron 7:14

MAY WE ALL BE PHYSICALLY,

EMOTIONALLY AND

SPIRITUALLY REVIVED!

Hello Everyone

Last Saturday, 13th October 2007, the Grays SDA Church had its first Grays Community Health Fair. The event was a great success, with members of the public coming from far and near. Some responded to flyers they had been given or that had been dropped through their letterboxes; others had seen the event in the local newspaper.

I write this to thank everyone who attended. I hope and pray that you found the day beneficial. Plans are already being made for future events and we hope that you will visit us again.I also want to thank all our church members and volunteers for their time, effort and generosity. We couldn’t have achieved what we did without everyone working together. God needs committed Christians, who are willing to serve, if we are going to have a positive impact on the community He has placed us in. You have helped us take one step closer to that goal.

During this week, I have been writing follow-up letters to all those who attended. Please join me in praying for each one and for the Grays community, as a whole.

Blessings in Christ,

P.S. CHECK IT OUT — More info on the day’s activities and pictures of the event on the main website.

Check out the latest edition of Adventist Parenting below. This month focuses on ways to build your childs moral character, so that they will be able to stand strong in their faith when confronted by others with diferent values and beliefs. I pray it will be a blessing.

Pastor Del    

September 2007

Dear Parents,The other day I overheard another child say to my son “You’re lying.” My son looked truly offended and responded with “I don’t lie. Lying is wrong!” I was proud my son understood that lying was wrong and was willing to stand up to another child in defense of his belief.Developing a strong moral character in our children is important. We want our children to be good and kind and to be able to discern right from wrong. And, we want our children’s moral values to be developed through a relationship with Jesus.Our children are vulnerable to all kinds of influences. It is our duty as parents to minimize the negative influences, including our own attitudes and actions, and maximize the positive influences. We can also use the negative influences our children encounter as teachable moments. When our children overhear a ‘bad word’ in the grocery store, we can use that moment to tell them that ‘word’ isn’t nice and we shouldn’t use it.And most importantly, we can pray for God’s grace over our children. We are partners in parenting with God. He doesn’t leave us alone to raise our children. He is there every step of the way. In fact, He loves our children even more than we do.In this issue of Adventist Parenting, we are going to share tips for shaping your child’s moral character, including how you can influence your child for good and the importance of internal control. Be sure to enter this month’s giveaway for a FREE copy of this month’s featured book, Octopus Encounter by Sally Streib. Submit an “Ask the Editor” question along with your name and address to be entered into the drawing.Till next time,Nicole BattenEditor & Mom P.S. Thank you to all of you who participated in our July giveaway. Due to the overwhelming response we had, we selected three winners. The winners were Simona Abel of British Columbia, Janet Monnett of Indiana, and Darryl Spivey of Pennsylvania; all received copies of What We Believe for Teens by Seth Pierce.   Developing Your Child’s Moral CharacterYour child’s character is developing every day, with or without your involvement. If you want your child to have a character of worth, then you have to be actively involved. The first step is to introduce your children to Jesus. Nurture their relationship with God from an early age, encouraging a biblical world view and teaching them how to pray, how to study their Bible, and how to have a relationship with Jesus. Teach your children to turn to God first for wisdom and the strength to stand for what is right when they’re tempted.We must also be a strong moral example ourselves. We have to live by the same standards we hold for our children. Stop and think about how you treat others? Are you compassionate and forgiving towards your spouse? Are you patient when you wait in line at the store? Do you take time to help others? Do you lie when you’re caught speeding?It is also good to take time to discuss moral dilemmas with your child. Ask “what would you do if you found a wallet with money in it?” or “if someone called your friend a mean name, what would you do?” Your goal is to prepare your child ahead of time for tough situations and help them know how to respond. And, don’t be afraid to point your child to the Bible. The Bible contains the best and highest standard for moral and spiritual character development. Also, when disciplining your child make sure she recognizes why her behavior was wrong and knows what to do to make it right next time. Ask questions that help your child expand her ability to take another person’s perspective and understand the consequences of her behavior. Help your child reflect: “Was that the right thing to do? What should I do next time?” That way your child learns from her mistakes and grows morally. Research has shown one of the best moral-building practices is to point out the impact of the child’s behavior on the other person. Doing so enhances a child’s moral growth: (”See, you made her cry”) or highlight the victim’s feeling (”Now he feels bad”). The trick is to help your child imagine what it would be like to be in the victim’s place so she will become more sensitive to how her behavior impacts others.Jesus tells us in the Bible that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love man-kind. You want your child’s character to reflect these two commandments—and truly, it is a love-relationship with God that allows us to have a love-relationship with others.   Ages 0 - 5 Taking Advantage of the Early YearsThe early years are the most influential years in a child’s life. “Gentle influence makes an incredible difference if applied early and consistently. The longer you allow your children to grow without direction, the stronger their wills become, and the more deeply ingrained their habits. Soon they reach a critical point after which changing their values and character become more difficult,” says Dr. Kay Kuzma, a child development specialist. Your greatest opportunity is in the first seven years of your child’s life.Although it is during the first three years of your child’s life that the window for teaching values and character is the widest. After three, the window is still open, but habits are forming and children are being exposed to more outside influences. With each year parents become less influential. So now is the time to start developing your child’s character!Recommended Resource: The First Seven Years by Dr. Kay Kuzma Ages 6 - 9 Teaching Children to Take Responsibility for Their BehaviorInternal control is one of the most important aspects of character development. You can be a good influence and you can teach your kids right from wrong, but if they don’t have the internal control to say no to temptation and yes to positive choices, all your work will be for nothing.That is why it is so important that your children understand they are responsible for their own thoughts, behaviors, and emotional expressions. Mom doesn’t make them angry. They choose to let Mom’s behavior aggravate them and make them angry. It is your child’s choice to allow someone to ruin their day. Don’t let your children excuse their behavior by blaming others either. This includes blaming you if they have to suffer a consequence. They could have chosen to do the right thing. And, don’t protect your children from things that are their responsibility. Dr. Kuzma says, “The earlier you allow them to make decisions that are appropriate and allow them to enjoy or suffer the resulting consequences, the more internal control they’ll develop and the more responsible they’ll become.”Recommend Resource: Parenting With Love and Logic : Teaching Children Responsibility and 10 Christian Values Every Kid Should KnowAges 10 - 14 Maintaining a Close Parental ConnectionYour influence and guidance will have more of an effect if you have maintained a positive and close relationship with your child over the years. “If your children love and respect you, enjoy being with you, and don’t want to hurt you, you’ll have a great deal of influence on the decisions they make. They’ll want to please you and will tend to accept your value system,” says Dr. Kuzma.When teens who don’t smoke, drink, take drugs, or have premarital sex are asked why, they commonly answer, “I didn’t want to hurt my parents” or “I didn’t want my parents to be disappointed in me.” That’s the kind of relationship you want to have with your teen. As your children get older, don’t let your principles on such things as clothing, music, or hairstyles become more important to you than your relationship with your children. You may get your child to stop wearing make-up or listening to different music by forcing the issue, but is it worth the damage it may do to your relationship. Remember—choose your battles wisely!Recommended Resource: Parenting to Build Character in Your Teen     Title: Octopus Encounter Description:   Join thirteen-year-old Susan and Eric and their Aunt Sally as they explore the Cayman Islands. Be prepared for a captivating underwater adventure that will keep kids entertained while helping them discover their spiritual gifts and talents. In the story Susan struggles to find her place. She wonders what makes her special and unique? Does she have spiritual gifts? Ages 9-13, Paperback, 128 pages.Price:  $9.99 US   Question: I need ideas to help my seven-year-old not to get so upset when she doesn’t win at a game or sporting event. Thanks! LJ Answer: Dear LJ,It can be very hard for seven-year-olds to respond well when they lose, it’s hard for all of us, but knowing how to respond gracefully when someone else has done better than you is a good life-skill—for sports, relationships, and work. Here are a few ideas that may be helpful.As parents we can model good losing skills. How do we respond when someone else does better than us at work, or when we make a mistake, or when someone pushes in front of us? We can use these as opportunities to model non-jealous, polite, and graceful behavior.We can also help our children to practice good losing skills by playing simple games with them at home. When we lose a game we have another chance to model an appropriate response. In our home we have a tradition that whenever a person wins a game, they have to give each of their fellow players a treat out of their ‘treat box’—such as a healthy snack bar, nuts, dried fruit, or candy. This helps the losers feel happy and helps the winner to be generous with the rest of the players (without whom they couldn’t have won).Also, try encouraging your children to watch sporting events on TV and to notice how the losers respond to losing—what behavior do they model? How do the winners respond to the losers? In addition, try role-playing winning and losing situations with your children to reinforce appropriate responses. This will help the words to come to mind quicker when they are distressed and disappointed. Romans 12:15 encourages us to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice.’ We need to find ways to help our children rejoice with the winners, as well as to be compassionate towards the losers.We can also help our children to reframe losing as inspiration to try harder. Every winner has to lose lots of times before they become a winner. Being a good winner is about being a good loser. Help your child create a slogan for losing well and make a poster of the slogan for their room.It can also be useful to reward appropriate losing behavior with a different kind of prize—such as a small treat. Just make sure your child sees the treat as a reward for their appropriate behavior rather than as comfort for their sadness.—Karen Holford Karen Holford has a MSc in Family Therapy and a MA in Educational and Developmental Psychology. She works as the Family and Children’s Ministries Director together with her husband, Bernie, in the South England Conference. They have three teenage children. Karen is also the author of several books, including I Miss Grandpa.  Submit your question     Character Crew Free resources that highlight key character traits you want your kids to learn. Adventist Family Ministries The official marriage and parenting ministry of the Adventist church. Dr. Kay Kuzma Parenting expert, speaker, and author. Nancy Van Pelt Marriage and family speaker and author. Empowered Living Ministries Marriage and family seminars and books by Jim and Sally Hohnberger. Plugged In Christian entertainment review site that helps you know what films, TV shows, and music are save for your family. Disclaimer: We do not neccessarily endorse all the content on these sites.

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In the month of September we begin the process of selecting new ministry leaders and their teams for the coming year. Whatever our abilities, God has call ALL His people to help strengthen our local church and to reach out to others who don’t know Christ. Remember we are all members of Christ’s body –and no member is useless.  

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember…  Noah was a drunk…Abraham was too old…Isaac was a daydreamer…Jacob was a liar…Leah was ugly…Joseph was abused…Moses had a stuttering problem…Gideon was afraid…Samson had long hair and was a womanizer…Rahab was a prostitute…Jeremiah and Timothy were too young…David had an affair and was a murderer…Elijah was suicidal… Jonah ran from God…Naomi was a widow… Job went bankrupt…Peter denied Christ…The Disciples fell asleep while praying…Martha worried about everything…The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once…Zacchaeus was too small…Paul was too religious…Timothy had an ulcer…AND Lazarus was dead!  

Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger.   –Unknown  

Service is an act of worship – a way to tell God how much you appreciate all He’s done for you. There are a lot of ways to get involved. To find out how, why not fill in an “I Wish to Serve” Form (available from an elder) or speak with any member of the pastoral team. 

Pastor Del

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Is. 6:8)

Welcome to Grays Seventh-day Church Online and to the Pastor’s Corner. My name is Pr Delcina Rodney and I’m pleased you dropped by. Whether you’re a guest visiting this site for the first-time or one of our regular members I hope you will find this page both informative and inspirational. Please pop back from time to time to check out what’s new.

If you are a guest, I hope you will visit us in person. Join us every Sabbath (Saturday) from 9:45 am and Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm for vibrant and Spirit-filled worship for all the family. We look forward to seeing you.

Be blessed & be a blessing,

Pastor Delcina Rodney

Welcome to pastors corner for Grays Seventh-Day Adventist Church.  Here pastor will have views, knowledge, encouragement and words of wisdom.