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

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas Season you can help spread the Good News of Jesus. So many people need to hear some GoodNews. Invite them to join us for our Community Christmas Program on Dec. 20th.

May God’s blessing be on you and yours this Christmas Season.

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We have just finished our small groups

series on the book of James, and because of this study, I have developed a deeper appreciation for our church. I was impressed on how sincere you were in going through this challenging book of the Bible. While we can gain tremendous amounts of wisdom all through the book of James, my favorite verse just might be found in the very first chapter, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Certainly, a central part of Christmas is the giv-ing and receiving of gifts. Everyone loves to open presents that we get from our friends and family. To demonstrate how much we love gifts, our country will spend over 5.2 billion dol-lars on holiday spending this year alone. However, let us be reminded that Christmas is not really about the gifts that we give to each other, but rather, it is about the gifts that God has given us. While the birth of Jesus is God’s greatest gift, James alludes to a multitude of gifts that come from God.

I believe that God gives us “good and perfect gifts”

everyday, and our job is to live our lives knowing when these gifts appear. Sometimes God’s

gifts can be easily recog-nized like being loved by the people that care about you, or his gifts may be more subtle such as a smile from a stranger or a beautiful sunrise during your morning commute. Some gifts from God may first seem to be a negative event in your life, but in time, we were blessed by those moments because of how much we have grown through those experiences.

Whatever God’s gift may be, we do know that it will be perfect for us meaning that it will be exactly what we need. Paul writes, “my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). If you are ever feeling anxious or lacking in anyway, maybe all that you need is a change of perspec-tive. You might be look-ing for things that don’t come from God to fulfill you when they will never

be able to provide you what you really need. It is really a matter of desire, God’s gifts may not be

what we think we want, but his gifts will be greater than anything this world has to offer. May God give us the wisdom to see and to accept his gifts as they occur.

December’s Sermon Calendar

December 6th - The Value of One - Elder Gerard Kiemeney will be preaching this Sabbath. Dr. Kiemeney is the LA Metro Region Director of the Southern California Conference, and his mes-sage will be on the impact that one person can have when sent by God.

December 13th - Pathfinder Sabbath. Our Pathfinder club will lead the worship service on this Sabbath.

December 20th - Christmas Program - This Sabbath will be our Christmas celebration service. We will spend time singing our favorite Christmas hymns, and we will have a narrated drama that is centered around the birth of Jesus. This W

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The Latest Word V 26 N 12

BILL AUMACKresponsible for this

LINDA AUMACKcopy editor

LAURA LUNApaper distribution

CARY FISHERpastor

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: Dec. 2014 copyright 1992-2014

Some gifts from God may first seem to be a negative event in your

life, but in time, we were blessed by those

moments

“

”

Gifts from Godby Cary Fisher

continued on page 3

INSIDE

Gifts from God page 2

Can Debt be Immoral? page 4

Taste & Inspiration on page 5

What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9

Our Church Family page 7

Kid’s Page on page 9

December 2014

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A growing number of financial educators

and economists are con-cerned that the number one debt problem in our country is student loans. In the past, the number one consumer debt was credit cards or vehicle loans. In recent years, student loans have risen to the top with the average student cur-rently owing over $30,000. This student loan problem has affected not only the twenty-year-olds but many in their retirement years who are still paying on loans they received in their forties for masters and doctoral programs.

Student debt is also a major barrier to those who desire to minister in the mission field. In a recent article, Katherine Burgess describes a graduate from Bethel University in St.

Paul, Minnesota, who believes she is called to serve God in Japan. She is still struggling to pay off $43,000 in student loans after graduating two years ago. Like many oth-ers, she is caught in unfortu-nate quan-dary. Most church and mis-sion agen-cies will not accept graduates with significant student loans. Because of this crisis, a number of schools and universities are beginning to enhance loan repayment programs for students who feel called to serve overseas. Examples of these are San Diego Christian College, offering loan-forgiveness programs for missionary pilots, and Southwestern Medical Clinic Foundation, for medical missionaries. One college director of devel-opment puts it this way, “Our goal is to make sure anyone who truly feels called to the mission field can follow that call of God on their heart without wor-rying about student debt they may have incurred.” 1

This current student

debt crisis is a moral dilemma with which Christian colleges and universities must struggle. There is, however, a larger immoral issue that we as

a nation need to face. Our federal government has an annual defi-cit of more than $1 trillion and a national debt exceeding over $17 trillion a year or approximately $60,000 per U.S.

citizen.

First, is the bor-rowing itself immoral? Not according to the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible does not call debt a sin. However, it does

remind us that borrowing has negative consequenc-es. In Proverbs 22:7, the Bible reminds us of these consequences when we allow a creditor to have power over us. This same borrowing as a nation for short-term needs can lead to a long-term decline and the enslavement of the whole nation (Nehemiah 5:3-5). On the other hand,

Dec 6thGerard Kiemeney

The Value of One

Dec 13th

Pathfinder Sabbath

Dec 20thCary Fisher

Community Christmas Program

Dec 27thCary FisherThe Shepherd’s

Reaction

Worship Schedule

Can Debt be Immoral?

service is always a special program as we recognize the unbelievable story of God’s son coming to Earth.

December 27th - The Shepherd’s Reaction - This sermon focuses on the shepherds after they witnessed the birth of Christ. According to Luke, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20). This sermon gives us a perspec-tive of life after Christmas.

See you when the church gathers. =

Stewpotby Gordon Botting, DrPH, CHES, CFC

Gifts (contin-ued...)

continued on page 4

“If saving money is wrong, I don’t want to be right.” —Anonymous

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some would argue how could continuing to borrow be wrong when Washington’s annual deficit is smaller now than it was five years ago and our accumu-lated federal debt as a percentage of our gross domestic product is only half of what it was at the end of the Second World War?2

Second, is it wrong to give assistance to those less-fortunate than our-selves both at home and overseas? As a super power, is it a mistake for America to generously lend and give debt for-giveness to other smaller nations? The Scriptures call for generous lending and debt forgiveness both individually and national-ly. However, a government that develops a pattern of spending considerably more than what it raises behaves both un-wisely and immorally. Further, we must be careful not to carry this concept of American generosity too far, or we will become the beggar nation. All Christians, whatever their political persuasion, must petition their government to be fiscally responsible.3

Third, is the debt immoral or is it the deficit lifestyle? Amy Black puts it succinctly in this state-

ment, “Accruing debt itself is not immoral, but a cul-

ture of debt most certain-ly is. Debt has be-come the American way of life, one that threatens

our flourishing and that of future generations. In our personal lives, we make daily budget decisions. Many choose to take on debt for expensive items deemed worthy investments or neces-sities—the purchase of a home, replacing a leaky roof, loans to defray the expense of college tuition. Such borrowing seems prudent. On the other hand, many Americans accrue debt to artificially maintain an extravagant lifestyle or accumulate beyond what they can ever pay. Such practices violate the princi-ple of wise stewardship.”4

Finally, being in debt is a sign of moral failure if the budget—household or national—ensures future instability. The path to moral responsibility is to remind each of us of the Biblical principles of pru-dent stewardship and col-lective sacrifice.

How To Avoid Christmas Debt

Develop a budget

Start with a budget by sitting down with your spouse and figuring out what your family can afford to spend on gifts and other Christmas items without accumulating a credit card debt. Make it

your goal to stay within your budget realizing that this is the most important

step you and your fam-ily can do to control your holiday spending.

Make a list Sit around the family

table and write down every person you would like to include on the Christmas list and what amount you want to spend on them. Remember, for some people a simple picture of your family or a plate of homemade cookies is suf-ficient.

Have a limit Having a limit is impor-

tant for two reasons—the first is how much you

choose to spend on a particular individual, and the second is how many presents you will purchase particularly for your chil-dren and especially those wonderful grandchildren.

Develop a strategy

Be a great listener during the months of November and December. Pay attention to those casual comments such as when your spouse says, “I wish I had that tool” or “That’s exactly what I need to complete my kitch-en or tool set.” Write them down and when a sale comes up in those last two months of the year you can get what your loved ones desire.

When it comes to Christmas debt, keep this in mind—gifts are quickly forgotten but credit card debt seems to go on for-ever. =

References:

1 Katherine Burgess, “End Missionary Debt,” Christianity Today, April 2014, p. 22.

2 David P. Gushee, et. al., “Three Views: Is the $17 Trillion Federal Debt Immoral?” Christianity Today, January/February 2014, pp. 26, 27.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

Can Debt be Immoral? (continued)

“Thrift is of great revenue.” –Marcus Tullius Cicero

December 2014

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Ingredients• 0.5 cups plain bread-crumbs

• 0.25 cups Parmesan cheese divided

• 2.0 tablespoons butter melted

• 1.5 teaspoons Italian sea-soning divided

• 16.0 ounces frozen broc-coli florets thawed

• 16.0 ounces cauliflower florets thawed

• 2.0 tablespoons butter

• 1.0 large onions chopped 1 cup

• 2.0 tablespoons flour

• 1.0 teaspoons garlic salt

• 0.25 teaspoons black pepper, coarse ground

• 1.25 cups milk

• 2.0 ounces cream cheese cubed

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350°F.

Mix bread crumbs, 2 table-spoons of the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning in small bowl. Set aside. Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower flo-rets into bite-size pieces.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian season-ing, garlic salt and pepper. Add milk; cook and stir until thickened and bub-bly. Add cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; cook

and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add vegetables; toss gently to coat. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with crumb mixture.

Bake 40 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Enjoy! =

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Taste & Inspiration

Pilar & Phillip

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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4:45 pm sunset

4:47 pm sunset

4:51 pm sunset

9:30 am S.S.

9:30 am S.S.

9:30 am S.S.10:50 am Worship Community Christmas Program

3 pm Pathfinders

9:30 am S.S.10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

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

C.S. – Community Service

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10:50 am Worship Gerard Kiemeney

3 pm Pathfinders/Adventures

10:50 am Worship Pathfinder Sabbath

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7 pm Band Practice

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Downey Adventist Church

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Band Practice

4:43 pm sunset

9 am Pathfinders/Adventures

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Wed. Fellowship

7 pm Agape Communion

December 2014

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Dec Birthdays Brenda Guillen – 2Von Pond – 5 Yesenia Molina – 8 Ray Fernandez – 10 Johnny Macias, III – 12 Alonso Ortega – 16 Genesis Huinquez – 16 Eduardo Lozano – 17Lourdes Centeno – 17 Eddie Rivas – 18Ricky Gonzalez – 19 Claudia Aponte – 23 Jocelyn Huinquez – 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

Dec 13 - Pathfinder SabbathDec. 20 - Community Christmas ProgramDec. 21 - Downey Master Chorale Concert 2:30pmDec. 25 - Christmas DayDec 24-26 - Office Closed

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

Coming Soon

Jan 2 - Agape Communion - 7pmBe 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.

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The Latest About

Our Church FamilyCongratulations

to Antonio, Raquel, Johanna and Noemilyn Luna. They recently trans-ferred their membership to Downey. Welcome them if you haven’t already.

If you have a student who is doing well in school (honor roll, special

award, etc.), please let us know so we can all cel-ebrate their success.

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

Praying in the Bad Timesby Sarah Guerrero

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! =

Most people deny it, but sometimes people

forget to even pray during the bad times. But they’re just that, times that are bad, not a bad life. We should always remember that because our God is great and sees everything. He sees all the struggles and hardships and tears just as he also sees our smiles and laughter and he is always there with us. He will always be with us. Psalms 116 verse 1-2, “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me. I

will call on him as long as I live.” Personally, I love this verse because I know that God does hear us. He hears every thought, every wish, every silent prayer, especially during the hard times. But I believe that is when we should be most thankful. Just as the song Blessings goes, “What if your blessings come through rain drops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you’re near? What if trials of this life, are your mer-cies in disguise?” =

The newly formed DOWNEY MASTER

CHORALE will pres-ent its Christmas concert entitled “Hark the Herald Angels” on Sunday, December 21st, 2:30pm in the lovely sanctuary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 9820 Lakewood Blvd. in Downey. The concert will feature “The Seven Joys of Christmas” by Kirke Mechem, and “Christmas Cantata” by Daniel Pinkham. Unusual arrangements of favorite carols plus some interest-

ing surprises will add to the delight of all present. Come, celebrate and sup-port Downey’s very own quality choral group.

ADMISSION General: $20; Students and seniors: $15. Group rate (10 or more purchased before 12/15) 10% dis-count

CONTACT FOR TICKETS: Downey Church: (562) 869-6013, info@downey-masterchorale.org. (310) 941-3042 =

Downey Master Chorale Concert

December 2014

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December 2014

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

Return Service Requested

DATED MATERIAL

Ponder This...

= “In the depth of every mystery, Jesus put a Face.” —Nathan M. Pusey

= “Jesus did not come to make God’s love possible, but to make God’s love visible.” —Author unknown

= “The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young.” —Phillips Brooks