March 2020
In this issue ...
- Pastor’s Message: “Tax Free Citizens in a Perfect, not so far away Country”
- Church Calendar
- Announcements
- Grow Groups - Winter Semester is Underway until March 14!
- Get Connected with Jesus and Our Church Community
- Online Giving
- 911 - Is God listening?
- Meet Your Prayer Team!
- Featured Link: The 61st General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 25 to July 4, 2020
- Volunteers Needed
- Share Your Pictures!
- Did You Know?!
- Send Us Your Comments/Suggestions
Check-out this month’s photos at the end of this newsletter! ...
- Vienna Adventist Academy Hosts Valentine’s Banquet
- Couples Retreat Organized by Family Ministries
- Vienna Stars Participate in Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE)
- Women's Grow Group Visits
Pastor's Message
Tax Free Citizens in a Perfect, not so far away Country
Anyone working on your taxes? Sometimes there are pleasant surprises and sometimes there are unpleasant surprises in the bottom line. We live in such a blessed country it hard to complain about paying taxes, but when there are more taxes to be paid than you anticipated--it’s worth at least a gasp of disbelief! Can I really owe that much?
The benefits of living in America are so profound it’s hard to put a dollar value to it. How much higher value can be attributed to living in the Kingdom of God. It was an out of this world health care plan, a pardon for all who are guilty of anything, a street maintenance program that can only be described as golden and, the most wonderful benefit of all, it is debt and tax free! Jesus paid for it all and invites us to accept his gift as lifelong perfect citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
Calendar
Sabbath/March 7
- 9:20 AM Sabbath School
- 9:30 AM Audio/Visual Material due to A/V Team
- 10:40 AM Pastor Garry Genser
- 12:30 PM Potluck Off Week
- 6:06 PM Sunset
Announcements
Vienna Adventist Academy
Although the early enrollment period is over, there is still time and space to enroll! You may contact our church school for more details at viennaadventistacademy.org and tel (703) 938-6200.
Help for Our Female Service Members in Combat Areas
The Vienna Women’s Grow Group is collecting personal items for our female service members. These should be full size, not miniature: disposable razors, feminine products, panty liners, body wash, toothpaste, gum, mints (no chocolate). Items can be placed in the marked bin by the church office. For more information contact Becky Feltman or Lee Decker.
The Great Controversy Project
The Great Controversy Project – Our church is collecting funds to purchase copies of the Great Controversy for less than $1 per book copy. We need at least $6K in order to purchase at this reduced rate. Be a part of this outreach effort to put this amazing book in the hands of your friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Help spread the last major calling to God’s children, to as many homes as possible. Working together, we can make a difference. Please give generously.
Women's Ministry Prayer Breakfast
The Women's Ministry Prayer Breakfast will be held on Sunday, March 29, 11:00am - 1:30pm at the Community Center, 12705 Misty Creek Lane, Fairfax, VA 22033 in honor of International Women’s Day of Prayer. All women are invited to attend. Please RSVP text to Heather Pederson at (703) 801-2316 or Lisa Hamilton at (973) 390-3347. We look forward to fellowship and the power of prayer.
Grow Groups
The Winter Semester of Grow Groups is underway! Here at Vienna we do life together by joining or starting a Grow Group. Gather together weekly or twice a month with people from your church, neighborhood, school, work, etc. So, sign up to join one today and experience authentic community from January 5 - March 14, 2020.
New Traffic Pattern
In an effort to reduce the change of an accident, we are changing the traffic pattern for entering and exiting the church. We are asking everyone to enter from the road that passes the awning (closest to the Vienna SDA Church sign) and exit by the Vienna SDA Academy. Please be mindful that the speed limit is only 5 MPH in the parking lot.
Get Connected with Jesus and Our Church Community!
We'd love to help you get fully connected to Jesus and His mission to make disciples through our local church. We'd love to get to know you better. Please fill out the form below so that we can better serve you.
Online Giving
Don’t forget you can submit your tithes and offerings on the church’s secure website, Togethernet. The log on the link below and then click on “Give”!!
911 – Is God Listening?
“Call to me and I will answer you” Jer. 33:3
If you would like to request special prayer, please email office@viennasda.org and Vienna’s Prayer Team will pray for your needs. Each request will be treated with confidentiality. Or use the Prayer Text Line – Send your prayer requests to (541) 646-6384. Garden of Prayer – After the worship service, there will be a prayer meeting in the Kindergarten room. Anyone with prayer needs is invited to attend.
Meet Your Prayer Team
Prayer Ministry
This year, 2020, we are intentionally praying for our church families. Specifically, we are praying for our families to have a stronger walk with Christ, as this will also impact their bond with each other. Each week, we will include a new list of families in the Prayer Praises & Requests section of the church bulletin. We ask that our entire church body pray for these families each week.
Featured Link: The 61st General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 25 to July 4, 2020.
Welcome to the website of the 61st General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, from June 25 to July 4, 2020.
The theme for this Session— “Jesus is Coming! Get Involved!”—reflects the Advent hope in a soon returning Savior, and the urgency of Total Member Involvement (TMI), everyone doing something for Jesus in winning souls for Him!
Leading up to this Session, let’s keep in mind that, “The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 116).
This is truly the time for Total Member Involvement as we reach out to the communities in which we live—in the big cities, in the towns and villages, in rural areas—wherever we are, let’s use every means possible, health and community outreach, publications, social media, integrated evangelism, friendship evangelism, door-to-door work and much more, to reach others for Jesus!
When the first General Conference Session was held in May 1863, 20 delegates met in a small, wooden church in Battle Creek, Michigan. The delegates represented a few thousand Sabbath-keeping Advent believers, mainly from the Northeast and Midwestern regions of the United States.
As we look forward to the 2020 GC Session, held in the massive 70,000-seat Lucas Oil Stadium and Indianapolis Convention Center, we anticipate tens of thousands of Seventh-day Adventists from around the world to be in attendance, as well as over 2,500 voting delegates representing more than 20 million church members from more than 200 countries! We praise God for how He has led and blessed this last-day remnant movement, and look to Him for strength and guidance as we continue in the important mission He has given to us of sharing His love, three angels’ messages, and last-day prophetic proclamation to a world in need.
General Conference Sessions provide wonderful opportunities for our worldwide family of believers to gather together for worship, fellowship, and to gain a first-hand look at the way in which we conduct the business of the Church.
While there are many aspects of this large quinquennial event, it is primarily a spiritual and business meeting of the world Church. During the meetings, world leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are elected and worldwide items are decided, such as constitutional and church manual aspects.
As we look forward to the 61st General Conference Session, let’s pray together for God’s leading in a marvelous way as we plead for the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the soon second coming of Jesus Christ. We can be assured that “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” (Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, p. 204)
Let’s continue moving forward together as we focus on God’s Holy Word, on the Holy Spirit’s wonderful work of personal and corporate revival and reformation, and on Total Member Involvement, reaching millions with the hope that we have to share. Jesus is Coming! Get Involved! Ted N C Wilson, President Seventh-day Adventist Church
Jesus is Coming! Get Involved! - Ted N C Wilson, President Seventh-day Adventist Church
Volunteers Needed:
If you have need for volunteers or you would like to volunteer, please contact the church office at office@viennasda.org
Share Your Pictures!
We want to share how active and vibrant Vienna SDA Church members are! Send us your pictures and write-up an article that we can include in the newsletter. Email us at office@viennasda.org, thanks!
Send us your Comments/suggestions
The goal of the Vienna SDA Church Newsletter is to inform members of upcoming events, provide encouragement, and share information. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Email us at office@viennasda.org, thanks!
Did you Know?
We’re on social media! You can follow Vienna SDA Church on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Photos:
Vienna Adventist Academy Hosts Valentine’s Banquet:
Behind the scenes at the VAA Valentines Benefit Dinner
VAA Students discuss the orders in preparation to serve their assigned guests in the dining hall.
Guerdy Thomas, a seventh grader at VAA, is off to deliver orders of delicious Cream of Asparagus soup, a special highlight of the appetizers of the evening.
Chef Christian Canales creates a presentation of his culinary masterpiece.
Final touches are added to the chocolate dipped strawberry dessert while parents assist.
Ellen Morgan samples the Eggplant Parmigiana while taking a break from assisting with preparations.
Parents of our student waiters and waitresses, assist with serving menu items during the evening meal.
Couples Retreat
PBE Conference Level at SASDAC
In February, the Vienna Stars Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) teams successfully “competed” at the conference level at Southern Asian SDA Church in Silver Spring, MD. Congratulations on a job well done. The Pathfinder teams qualify to move on to the Union level.
