April 27th, 2013

What a great surprise at Orchard City SDA Church this morning!!! Our new sign was up!

What a great addition to our church!

Roland S. was anxious for the new sign to be up a couple of weeks ago when our conference president, Wayne Culmore, visited our church. Pastor Culmore's comments about not being able to tell if it was our church made Roland very glad that soon a sign would be up for all to see.

 Thanks for the work you did, Roland, to have such a lovely sign up at Orchard City Church now.

Pat P. told us, during our sharing time in the Sabbath School lesson, that she was so happy to receive the awards from Cottonwoods Extended Care this past week, for volunteering for 15 years. Good work, Pat!

Recognition board at Cottonwoods

Leading the singing between Sabbath School and church

She is standing right close to Nancy to watch her as she plays the organ. We wonder what she will play one day.

Heidi shares a really nice story for the children to help them understand about the communion service.

Bryn shares a piano solo for special music this Sabbath morning. What a beautiful version of "Softly and Tenderly."

Participating in the service of the Lord's Supper

In Remembrance of Me

So thankful for all the people who give church family members rides to and from church.

Pan Flute -- Amazing Grace

Thank you, Loretta, for finding this and sending it on for all of us to enjoy.

Happy Sabbath to all.

ADRA: Got Shots?

We are so privileged to be able to have the health care and vast array of medical choices that we have in our developed country. Many around the world, though, do not have good health care, and have absolutely no choices in the medical care they and their children receive. April 24-30, 2013 is World Immunization Week, and ADRA is working to raise money to help children in developing countries get important immunizations that most children in North America and other developed countries routinely receive.

If you are interested in giving the gift of a healthy childhood to a child in a developing country, please look at Gift #71 in ADRA's Really Useful Gift Catalog.

Video Wednesday: Willy's Story

While reading an article in the April 11, 2013 Adventist Review, "That mission Field Down the Street," I learned about Scott R. Ward and his ministry, Living It High School Outreach. The stories in the article impressed me and I went to the website to watch one of the videos Scott referred to in his article. There I found a wealth of videos to watch and I quickly realized I wanted to share them with others as well. These young people have powerful stories to share of their walk in the world and how they came to know and love Jesus, who has transformed their lives.

My mum and I decided that we wanted to start a new feature here on the OCC blog, a feature of sharing uplifting and inspiring videos with you. So here it is, our new feature, Video Wednesday! Each Wednesday we will post a new video to share with you, a mid-week inspirational story to boost our spirits and realize that God is working in powerful ways in the lives of many. We hope you will enjoy this new feature. If any of you have seen an inspiring video you want to share, please send them to us so we can feature them on a future Wednesday post!

Watch Willy's story

From livingiths.org

God’s Amazing Colors

Last week we were invited by our family to go down near Mt. Vernon, Washington to see the tulips. We were delighted to see the fields in a riot of colour not just the reds, oranges, scarlet and just so many others, but sometimes there were many colours in just one flower. With the sun shining through the blossoms it was really breath taking. There were very narrow blossoms; some had ruffles like the Parrot tulip, so many varieties to enjoy. God must have been so delighted to create them for us.

The flowers will be blooming for about another week, while some may be finished, some will be just starting to bloom. If you cannot go this year, plan to go next year. It is about a six hour drive from Kelowna. What a blessing it was for us to see them again.

~ Text and photos by Carol Stickle.

Springtime Sabbath at the church by the pond... OCC

Another Sabbath day for you to see in review.

Some of our members are in hospital or out of town or maybe ill at home. Hopefully this little blog post will help all of us stay connected. We missed you this Sabbath. Come to the church by the pond when you can.

April 20th, 2013

Bryn led the Praise Time at 9:15 a.m. and Nancy accompanied on the organ beautifully. 

So sweet to have these  singers there for Praise Time

Julie holding a rock for illustration as she teaches the lesson to the young adult group

The newly refinished young adult room complete with electric fireplace

Glad to see some of the young folks are here today. Nice to have a row of lower hangers for the small ones.

Our Little Friend and a craft made by a child in the Kid's Corner Sabbath School class.
I heard they all went outside to see the bald eagle during their Sabbath School time. So nice to have all the nature around like we do.

Rich was the facilitator in the downstairs group this week and he really did well

Bryn got her dad to help with the between service Praise Time

We sang "Because He Lives" twice as it was also the closing song. No one minded at all.

Father and son keep the AV department going strong

Daughter and Mother - what a privilege to be able to attend church service with your family!

Dave and Regine make a wonderful welcome team. Loretta created these bright and informative bulletins
for this week that the welcome team handed out along with a warm handshake or hug.

Another daughter and mother duet. So nice to have them be part of our church family.

A fun part of the Praise Time before church service is the Children's Song.
This week they sang " Jesus Loves the Little Children."

Edith, we love you and miss you!! Here is the card for you.

Alexander offers the morning prayer. So nice of him to remember Edith in his prayer. 

Sweet!

Jason tells the Children's Story - he asked the children what pet they would like to have in Heaven.
The pet he would like would be a mountain lion.

He told them a story about some sheep

Talk by Dan W. entitled "Debt Free"

Pond visitor!

Who is afraid?

Church yard beauty

By the stairs magnolias

Visiting after the service is over

Rain on the pond

Time to say good bye