Orchard City SDA Church with Rainbow

This was taken by Dave Davies. It is of our little church by the pond. Thank you for sharing it, Dave.

Picture of our church at the end of a rainbow - Dave Davies

A Good Potluck Meal

Some weeks we have a potluck meal for all who want to join in.
Haystacks: the meal of the day this time.

One happy person at the meal

An almost completed haystack meal

Head cook

Lunch and music

Nice tie-tuck

Safe place for her fork

Adorable

Grampa sharing

Finished a good meal

Visiting time

Happy helpers

Communion Sabbath - January 14th, 2012

For Sabbath School Lori S. interviewed Loretta. It was very nice to hear about how she learned about the Seventh-day Adventist Church and especially about our little OCC.

After the lesson classes we had story time and song service.

Then came the Communion Service.

Pastor Bob sharing a message

Christ did take our place

Grape juice representing the blood He shed.

Like Jesus we want to wash each other's feet

The wafers --  symbol of His body that was broken for me

First Sabbath in the New Year - January 7th

A wonderful Sabbath at the little church by the pond.

The puppets for Kids Korner's new program

All of us like the new, soft animals for the children

Dr. Bob teaching actions to a song

Children's Story time

Dave played a very nice piece on his trombone

Happy to be here

100th anniversary of Adventist communication

Last week marked 100 years of Adventist communication! What an incredible milestone for our global church! I just happened to notice the Adventist News Network article about the event on a friend's Facebook post. Did you know that our denomination was "the first Protestant church to organize a formal public relations program?" I sure didn't before I read the article, but how neat is that?!

After reading the article and learning a lot about the origins of Adventist public relations and communication, I realized that I should be following Adventist news more carefully. As a communication major, I regularly keep track of at least three secular news sources and try to keep fairly current with world news. But why should I stop there? As an Adventist communicator I need to keep current with church news as well.

I encourage each of you to keep up with the news of our church around the globe, too. Knowing what is happening in our denomination throughout the world keeps us connected. Some of the stories show us God's wonderful blessings. Others reminds us to pray for certain people and places or about certain circumstances. And by reading these stories, we ourselves can be encouraged and keep our eyes and thoughts on Jesus' coming.

In our own small way, I believe that the Orchard City SDA Church is doing our part to assist with the public relations aspect of our denomination. All of you members who allow your pictures to be taken and posted on this blog by my mum, who send in stories and pictures, poems and recipes, prayer requests and answered prayers, who leave thoughtful and encouraging comments - you are helping to show Jesus to our community and to the world. How exciting to be part of something like that! Thank you so much for your cooperation and support. As an overseas volunteer myself, I have to say that being able to feel connected to Orchard City Church while living far away really means a lot. I love you all and am so happy I can still feel part of our amazing church even while halfway across the world!

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For those who would like to follow Adventist News Network (ANN) or ADRA stories, click either link to bookmark, follow the RSS feeds, add the subscriptions to Google Reader or do whatever works best for you to be able to keep up with our church news. For very easy access, I have put both the ANN and the ADRA news feeds on the sidebar of this blog, right underneath the list of mission blogs. Please take a few minutes each day or week to look at the headlines and read any stories that interest you. I was blessed to browse through the stories today and I know you will be, too!

Love always,
- Ali

Sabbath December 31st, 2011

Each Sabbath has new and interesting things to see and do. This weekend some young adults were here from away and shared their talents with us. How wonderful it is for us as a congregation to have them back here again!

She shares an original poem with us

Song Service team

Learning a new song with actions

One happy guy

Special music by Danielle and Kevin with Meghan and Donovan joining in

Singing and playing

Grinning and singing...

It sounded so good

December 31st - Last Sabbath of the Year

Sylvia had the Sabbath School on this last Sabbath of the year. She had some women help her in a reading, acting and also a PowerPoint with a special song. It was a very meaningful program.

Sabbath December 24th, 2011

It was so nice to have some of the young people home from school and work to join us at Orchard City SDA church today. Some brought children with them so we had a great bunch for the children's story, too. Our fine Pastor played his trombone while we sang carols. Dino taught us a new children's song and Carol shared another heartfelt children's story.

Julie shared a special musical piece while her mum played the piano and sang

Brothers

We were happy to have a member's granddaughter visiting today from a long way away.

Dino teaching us the new song

Enjoying the new song

At their home church again, from Castlegar, Vernon and Washington State

Jumping off the stairs was fun 

Always interesting stories

Awwwwwww, so cute