May 2020

In This Issue ...

• Pastor’s Message
• Church Calendar
• Announcements
• Vienna Adventist Academy (VAA) Receives 9th Grade Approval!
• Opportunities to Get Together via Zoom
• 50 Bible Verses that Bring Peace and Comfort
• Grow Groups – Spring Semester Is Underway! Pls use Zoom
• Online Giving
• 911 - Is God listening?
• “A 100 Days of Prayer” March 27 – July 4, 2020
• A Prayer for Connection
• Featured Links: Ways to Give to Help Others in our Area and Globally
• Staying Connected – Learn How to Use Zoom
• Send Us Your Comments/Suggestions
• PLEASE SEND US PICTURES AND SELFIES OF YOU, YOUR FAMILIES, AND FRIENDS AS YOU SHELTER AT HOME

Pastor's Message

In these challenging times, I have taught on the importance of courage and hope. The Bible talks about events that will happen in the period of time soon before Jesus comes again. It is prophesied that there will be plagues and other trials in what is called “the time of trouble”.

Daniel 12:1 ...'And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.’

Is the corona virus pandemic one of the plagues that will be visited on the earth?

No. We are experiencing the little time of trouble that Ellen White explained was to come before the close of probation (Early Writings page 33). We know this because the plagues of Revelation happen after probation is closed. Probation closes after the “Sunday Law” is passed when a transformed United States joins with the beast to use force to get the world to abandon the law of God and to “wonder after the beast”. The plagues of this time fall upon the wicked while God’s people are protected, just like the plagues of Egypt did when God’s people were being readied to leave for the promised land.

I write about these things because it is a time to make decisions to follow the God of Love or to give way to the beast of force and fear. While these decisions are still able to be made, during this little time of trouble, it is very important not to let wrong interpretations of scripture influence us. There is a time for everything under heaven. Scripture meant to describe the “big time of trouble” after probation closes, taken out of context and misapplied to our current situation, will discourage and frighten people, which is not the way God works to draw people to our Gentle Savior.

So be at peace, Jesus is coming soon, but the time of trouble prophesied by Daniel 12 is not yet upon us. But let us each in the calm assurance of the love of God expressed through Jesus Christ, yield ourselves to his hopeful and empowering Holy Spirit which will sanctify us and prepare us to stand firm in the truth.

By Pastor Garry Genser

Calendar

9:45 am Sabbath School

• Adult: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/795162327
• Collegiate/Young Adult: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/4146668243
• Combined Lower Division Sabbath School: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/833388458

Sabbath/May 2nd

10:40am Online Worship Service: Potomac Conference President Bill Miller Addresses COVID-19

• http://vienna23.adventistchurchconnect.org/watchonline

4:00pm Special Violin Concert: Jaime Jorge

8:02pm Sunset

Announcements

Sabbath School Quarterlies Available:

SS Quarterlies are available on a table outside the church office. You may stop by during office hours and pick-up copies of adult and children’s quarterlies. Limit: 1 copy per family. Office Hours: Monday – Friday 10am - 3pm, Office Phone: (703) 938-8383 Office, and Office E-Mail: office@viennasda.org.

Sabbath School Quarterlies are also available online:

• Adult: https://ssnet.org/lessons/20b/less01.html
• Collegiate: https://www.inversebible.org/
• Youth: https://www.realtimefaith.net/page2566
• Earliteen: https://www.realtimefaith.net/page2566
• Juniors: www.juniorpowerpoints.org
• Primary: https://www.gracelink.net/primary
• Kindergarten: https://www.gracelink.net/kindergarten
• Cradle Roll/Beginner: https://www.gracelink.net/beginner

Shop AmazonSmile & Support Vienna Adventist Academy

As we rely on the internet to stay connected with others and meet our personal needs, please remember Vienna Adventist Academy when shopping online. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to our church school! Simply go to smile.amazon.com and select Vienna Adventist Academy as your charitable organization. Then, continue shopping as usual!

We believe that the Lord will multiply these small contributions, just as He did with one basket of bread and fish for a crowd of 5,000!

Continue to keep VAA staff and families in your prayers for unwavering trust in God during this pandemic. The Lord promises that He is near to us all, especially when we seek Him. Your intercession will make a difference. God be with you!

Vienna Adventist Academy (VAA) Receives 9th Grade Approval!

VAA has officially been qualified to teach secondary subjects and is offering 9th grade. For those graduating from 8th grade, the option of continuing at VAA with high school coursework, was once only a prayer, but now a prayer answered and a reality for 2020-2021. A year and a half in the making, The Columbia Union met to review the on-going preparation and made the financial decision on April 23. VAA teachers are in place and ready to provide high school curriculum in accordance with the North American Division and State of Virginia requirements. The plan moving forward is to submit an application for adding 10th grade for the following 2021-22 year.

Opportunities to Get Together Via Zoom

Prayer Meeting Wednesday Nights at 7:30pm

Adult Sabbath School Sabbath at 9:30am

Church Worship Service Sabbath at 10:40am

Grow Groups

Experience Authentic Community starting... April 5 - June 13, 2020!

Here at Vienna we do life together by joining or starting a Grow Group. Gather weekly or twice a month with people from your church, neighborhood, school, work, etc. Being a part of a Grow Group is life changing, enriching and you’ll never be the same again. In light of the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order, our Grow Groups will be conducted this semester online via Zoom. Visit the Grow Group site at the link below.

50 Verses that Bring Peace and Comfort

Psalm 27:12 - The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

John 16:22 - So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Matthew 10:29-31 - Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 6:25-34 - Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

John 16:3 - I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Colossians 1:11 - May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

John 16:24 - Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

James 1:2-3 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Deuteronomy 31:8-9 - The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'

Proverbs 3:3-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 46:1-3 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Romans 8:38-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 119:76 - May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 116:1-2 - 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.

Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Hebrews 6:19 - We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Romans 8:24-25 - For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Isaiah 40:31 - But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Proverbs 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Psalm 31:24 - Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Revelation 21:4 - He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 33:22 - Let your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 32:7-8 - You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 13:5-6 - Because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Psalm 46:10 - He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 - I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 43:1-2 - "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

1 Peter 5:10 - And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Romans 5:5 - And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Psalm 9:9-10 - The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 62:1-2 - Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Ephesians 2:6-7 - And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 145: 18-19 - The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Psalm 16:8 - I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Mark the season with thoughtful words for each day: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Online Giving

If we would faithfully bring God our tithes and offerings, His treasury would be filled.

Jesus taught that the value of the gift is estimated not by the amount, but by the proportion that is given and the motive that actuates the giver.

“He which soweth sparingly, he shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 9:6,7.

Tithe and offerings may be submitted on the church’s secure website, Togethernet at https://viennasda.ccbchurch.com/index.php login, and click on “Give”! You may choose from several giving designations.

911 – Is God Listening?

“Call to me and I will answer you” Jer. 33:3

“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 (703) 801-2316.

Vienna’s 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 We ask that our entire church body pray for these families each week.

Featured Links: Ways to Give to Help Others in our Area and Globally:

• Vienna SDA Church’s newly established “Community Help Fund” The church has set-up a new emergency fund to help people in the community in need. If you are interested in giving to this fund, please send a check to the church at 344 Courthouse Rd SW, Vienna, VA 22180. We hope to set-up an online giving designation for this fund soon. If you know someone in need, please contact Pastor Garry Genser at pastorg@viennasda.com
• Food for Others: https://www.foodforothers.org/. Its mission is to distribute food to neighbors in need in Fairfax County.
• Committee for Helping Others: https://cho-va.com/ CHO’s mission is to provide simple, loving charity for the needy of Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring, and Merrifield. Vienna SDA Church is a member with other churches in the area.
• Adventist Development & Relief/ADRA: https://adra.org/ ADRA’s global response is targeted to help all who are most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic. ADRA is working directly with local communities and trusted partners to ensure those impacted severely have the right health information, hygiene supplies, cash vouchers, food and other life-saving essentials. Now more than ever we ask you to join its response to help our global family overcome this crisis. Now is a good time to do good.

Staying Connected – Learn How to Use Zoom in 5 Minutes for Online Small Groups - YouTube

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!

PLEASE SEND US PICTURES AND SELFIES OF YOU, YOUR FAMILIES, AND FRIENDS AS YOU SHELTER AT HOME and we’ll showcase them in the June Newsletter Issue!

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