Toledo First Headline News | April 11, 2019

Theological Hmm: Most people when asked what it means to be formed in the image of God focus only on the spiritual. We think of modeling our lives after Jesus in areas such as prayer, reading the Word, serving others, tithing, and worship. The only problem is that we are more than spiritual beings. God made us whole people, in his image (Genesis 1:27). That includes physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social dimensions. Denying any aspect of what it means to be a fully human person made in the image of God carries with it catastrophic, long-term consequences in our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. - Peter Scazzero

 

Coming soon:

  • COMMUNION APR 13 It's time to re-commit our lives to loving and serving to very end (John 13:1). Join us!
  • YOUTH PIZZA MAKING APR 13 CANCELED Stay tuned for new date
  • YOUTH AV TEAM APR 13 CANCELED The maiden voyage making short video commercials for church will be-rescheduled 
  • ADDICTION SMALL GROUP TRAINING APR 13 & 27 @ 2PM Martin W. Hall, Executive Director of the Adult & Teen Challenge of NW Ohio will be at Toledo First on Sabbath afternoon APR 13 @ 2pm in the Youth Room (hallway to the east / right of sanctuary) to begin training volunteers interested in helping or facilitating a small group for those struggling with addictions
  • YOUNG ADULT BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES with Joel Camick, good friend of Pastor Mike who has moved to Toledo. Joel (20-something) loves God like crazy and wants to hang out with other young adults who want to serve God too. Join him every Sabbath @ 2pm in church
  • MEMORIAL There is a memorial for Dr. Burgess Bills on Sabbath afternoon @ 3pm in the sanctuary with meal after. You are welcome to attend
  • CHERRY STREET MISSION has multiple openings to help serve a meal Easter weekend. If you and a friend or family member would like to help serve breakfast or lunch on either SAT APR 20 or SUN APR 21 you can contact Susan Graalman at sgraalman@cherrystreetmission.org or 419-214-3419 or Brenda Torres at btorres@cherrystreetmission.org or 419-214-3357
  • JOIN YOUR ENTIRE CHURCH FAMILY FOR I REMEMBER WHEN ON APR 14  Please sign up to let us know you’re coming to the “I Remember When” Party on Sunday, April 14, 5pm. If you can bring something, please check the “food and drink donations” and let us know what you’ll bring. We’d love to have you join the fun—reminisce, chuckle, sing, and play a game or two. It’ll be fun for all!
  • "SOUP" (sometimes its subs or pizza or tacos...) FOR YOU CONTINUES APR 17 (and concludes 5/22/19). We will be discussing Helmut Haubeil's book Steps to Personal Revival: Being Filled With The Holy Spirit" at 6:30pm. Books are available in the church office for a donation of $5 while supplies last. Let us show you how to lead a small group. Then you can tell others how somewhere else. Would make a great Six Week Group book
  • BAPTISM APR 20 Easter is a great time to be baptized. Romans 6:3-4 says, "3 Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."
  • FELLOWSHIP LUNCH Next one is APR 20 after church. Plan now to join us for food and fellowship
  • CAMP MEETING LUNCH Boundless Love: Stories of Jesus’ Limitless Love is the theme for the Ohio Conference One-Day Camp Meeting, JUN 8, at Camp Mohaven. Guest speaker is Richie Halvorsen. Special music and afternoon sacred concert by Steve Darmody. Sabbath School begins at 10am.Visit www.ohioadventist.org or call 740-397-4665 for details or to register for your FREE Sabbath lunch
  • IMMERSION YOUNG ADULT RETREAT APR 19-21 Ohio Conference invites you to a high school gathering scheduled APR 6 at 10:30am, at Worthington SDA Church. Enjoy food, worship, and games! Q’s? contact Edward Marton: 567.274.7087 or emarton@ohioadventist.org
  • STOP THE BLEEDING APR 23 If someone were to be stabbed or even shot in front of you, would you know what to do to help them? A free class is being offered by ProMedica to teach people what to do in a trauma situation. Join our church security team members in the Fellowship Hall for this important one hour class @ 7pm
  • ABBREVIATED CHURCH BUSINESS MEETING APR 23 There will be an abbreviated church business meeting in the Youth Room (off east hallway) on TUE APR 23 @ 6:30pm prior to the Stop the Bleeding class in the Fellowship Hall @ 7pm
  • IN GOD'S WORD WE TRUST Join us SAT JUL 6 and SUN JUL 7 @ 9am until 9pm in the Toledo First Seventh-day Adventist Church for a two-day marathon reading of the New Testament. Youth and special community guests will be present to take their 30 minute turn reading God's Word out loud back-to-back-to-back until we Matthew - Revelation. To accomplish this monumental task, we need your help! One invitation has already been sent to a Congressional Medal of Honor winner who lives locally but we need 24 total readers each day (preferably 12 Toledo First members and 12 community guests). Are you willing to read? Do you know a community leader available that holiday weekend we could invite? They wouldn't need to be there all day. But would love to have a politician, police officer, EMS, fire, educator, non-profit leader, anyone really using their influence for good in Toledo present. There will be water and snacks available in the foyer throughout the day and you're welcome to bring your own food or cooler if you wish. The sanctuary Sabbath School class will not be meeting that day though other classes might be so check with your teachers. In God's Word We Trust!
  • ADDICTED? GET HELP HERE Martin W. Hall, Executive Director of the Adult & Teen Challenge of NW Ohio, welcomes anyone struggling with addictions to join his "Overcomers" group that currently meets at Compelled Church (8970 Jackman Rd, Temperance, MI 48182) on Mondays at 6:30pm in Room B-17
  • BATTLE PLAN CHURCH CHAT CONTINUES Encouraging texts and prayers are being solicited three times a day via group text. If you're willing to help, drop your mobile number on the card from the bulletin in the offering plate when it comes around. Or text Brandi Myers at (765) 716-2190 with your preferred time (7a, noon, or 7p). Then, each day at the appropriate time, you can text a prayer or verse or short devotional thought to encourage her and others. Please note: if you do not have unlimited data, messaging and data rates may apply. See your carrier for more info
  • ¡VIVA VENEZUELA OUTREACH! In Venezuela, churches offer resources when they are hard to secure with the country in crisis. So if you want to help, you can donate non perishable food, over the counter medicine, and toiletries items in the black box on the table in the foyer
  • FREE PANERA BREAD available FRI 9-10am. Come to side door under canopy. To reach the most people outside our church (which is the point of all our ordinary outreach efforts), left over bread will now be donated on Fridays after 10am and no longer available after. Sorry for any inconvenience 
  • CAN ALZHEIMERS DISEASE BE PREVENTED AND EVEN REVERSED? Dr. David's presentation is now archived online and available to be viewed here
  • SUMMER CAMP MOHAVEN REGISTRATION  Once again, our 50/50 deal for young campers 6-17 is available. All you have to do is register online at ohiosdayouth.org/camp-mohaven and pay your half while adding a message that Toledo First will be paying the balance. The church will be notified and pay the balance. Cub Camp (Ages 6-9) is JUN 9-16; Junior Camp (Ages 9-12) is JUN 16-23; Horse Camp 1 (Ages 8-12) is JUN 23-30; Tween Camp (Ages 12-15) is JUN 30 - JUL 7; Horse Camp 2 (Ages 13-17) is JUN 30-JUL 7; and Teen Camp (Ages 15-17) is JUL 7-14. Questions? Contact (937) 853-8456; youth@ohioadventist.org
  • CAMPANAS CRISTALIS Our bell choir, Campanas Cristalis, is raising money to purchase an additional large silver bell. To give, please mark your tithe envelope accordingly and place in the offering plate
  • SPANISH ADVENTIST GROUP OF TOLEDO meets each Sabbath in the Fellowship Room from 9:00am - 12:15pm. Please keep hallway and kitchen noise to a minimum
  • WOMEN'S PRAYER GROUP meets after worship in the church office
  • OPEN TABLE CONTINUES Mondays. Please pray for our volunteer's ministry to Lorie as she re-acclimates to life after being rescued from human traffickers
  • SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY GROUP 10am-12noon for Bible Study with Regina Davis—at church and continues Sundays same time. Everyone is invited
  • YOUTH SPRING CAMPOUT at Camp Miakonda either May 3, or 17 (the first nice weekend of those two dates.) So save the date(s) and start collecting water guns and asking your parents if they will come help us play Bible Smuggler again! Contact Jen Landeros for more info
  • MOTHER'S DAY TEA MAY 11 coming soon. Stay tuned for more info
  • MEN'S RETREAT AT CAMP MOHAVEN MAY 17-19 All men ages 16 and older are invited to be part of the annual Ohio Conference Men’s Retreat at Camp Mohaven May 17-19. Ask at the church office for a brochure or visit www.ohioadventist.org for details
  • JESUS MADE INVITATIONS SO WILL WE Save the dates NOV 13-20 for our fall "If it's important to God..." evangelistic series preached by me where I hope all our small groups will gather
  • LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE is a half hour television talk show focused on living a full, healthy and balanced life. It features panel discussions, interview and demonstration segments focused on whole life health, including fitness, nutrition, relationships. outlook and more. You can find the programs each week on Sky Angel Faith and Family TV, Uplift TV, DirecTV channel 368 or 378, Hope Channel, NRB Network, faithfortoday.tv, lifestyle.org, Roku, AppleTV, and AmazonFire TV. Please check these networks’ websites for air times or call Faith for Today at 805.955.7681
  • LEADERSHIP TRAINING ARCHIVE is avail online. So if you missed it 12/1, you can now watch and send me your TF Takeaways 
  • JESUS MOVIES What's your fave? Billy Graham: An Extraordinary Journey, Faith, Hope & Love, Christmas Grace; The Nativity Story; The Star; The Conscientious Objector (2004); The Ultimate Gift; Shadowlands; The Shack; Cutback; Soul Surfer; Grace UnPlugged; End of the Spear; The Mission; Beautifully Broken; Running for Grace; Steve McQueen: American Icon; The Resurrection of Gavin Stone; Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed; Is Genesis History?; God's Not Dead; Fireproof; War Room; The Case for Christ; The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry; Amazing Grace; Once I Was a Beehive; I Can Only Imagine
  • GEOSCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE If you've never heard of the Geoscience Research Institute, here's their website https://www.grisda.org Established in 1958, this organization is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with a mission to discover and share an understanding of nature and its relationship with the Biblical revelation of the Creator God. It has all kinds of resources and articles related to intelligent design and evolution and dinosaurs and many other interesting subjects. I enjoy reading their quarterly email update. You can subscribe by clicking here and filling out the form asking to be included in their quarterly e-newsletter
  • ONLINE BIBLE STUDIES The Discover Bible Study series is online. Anyone can enroll and complete them in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Good for friends and family interested in becoming acquainted with the Bible and finding answers for facing the issues and challenges you deal with every day. Remember and refer others to this website: biblestudies.com
  • PRAYERS AND PRAISES Because we need to be praising God with our lips (Psalm 63:3), here's another alternative...email CathieH directly at heathcs@sbcglobal.net with your praise. Yes, it can be anonymous, if you prefer. Just specify in your email you don't want your name mentioned. You can still write your prayers & praises and put them in the box at the foot of the cross in the foyer at the courtyard exit doors. Cards and pencils are provided
  • BEST COMMENTARIES ON DANIEL AND REVELATION Want a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse practical but thorough commentary on the book of Daniel or Revelation from an Adventist viewpoint? Here's what I use and recommend Daniel: Wisdom to the Wise and Revelation of Jesus Christ
  • NEW SERMONS Please see church website for sermon archives and more info at tfsda.org
    • APR 13 - Deep Sorrow (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 23:44-49) *Also Communion
    • APR 20 - Buried (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 23:50-56) *Also Baptism
    • APR 27 - TBA (Tom Sandy preaching)
    • MAY 4 - Risen (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 24:1-12
  • OUR WELCOME We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, y no habla ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying newborns, skinny as a rail, or could afford to lose a few pounds. We welcome you if you sing like Andrea Bocelli or can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woke up, or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s baptism. We welcome service dogs and their handlers. We welcome Muslims, Jews, politicians, and sinners like us. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk- food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, or you’re down in the dumps, or you don’t like “organized religion;” we’ve been there too. If you blew all your offering money at the casino, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, who work hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or come because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church. We welcome those who are inked, pierced, or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid, or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers, doubters, bleeding hearts...and you.
  • OUR STORY Our church website at the very bottom of the home page has an excellent downloadable resource featuring our story and explanation of our unique Christian Adventist emphasis. It's called the Toledo First Assimilation Manual and if you've never read it, I would encourage you to do so. And don't forget, God loves you like crazy. And so do we (2 Corinthians 5:13-14 NLT)

Love ye,