Announcements:

Food Bank Distribution: this afternoon starting at 5:00 p.m., our food bank will be distributing boxes of food from the youth room. If you or anyone you know could benefit, do not hesitate to come receive. We are also in urgent need of a new food bank volunteer coordinator: please pray for God to send us the right person. Thanks to all volunteers for all you do in collecting, arranging, and distributing the food to our community each week. If you would be interested to help any of 4 days per week, please let Pr. Mark know. 

Mid-week Prayer/Book Discussion Group meets this evening @ 6:00 via zoom to discuss a chapter of Patriarchs & Prophets together, and spend an extended time in prayer. This week we are discussing chapter 36, entitled: “In the Wilderness”. (zoom meeting ID#: 7053955673, with password 172569). Come share some good discussion and prayer in an intimate setting.

Spanish Prayer Group meets at 7:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Ven para reunir con hermanos cristianos en un ambiente espiritual en el medio de la semana.

Sabbath Morning Church Worship: We continue to meet in the sanctuary: Folks are still recommended to wear facemasks while worshipping, especially those who are not fully vaccinated.

Current Sabbath Worship/Activities schedule:

9:00 a.m. Spanish Sabbath School service (Fellowship Hall)

9:20 a.m. Kids’ song service (all ages) in Youth Room

9:45 a.m. Kids’ Sabbath Schools in their age/grade-based classrooms

10:00 a.m. Spanish Devotional Service – Fellowship Hall

      Young Adult Sabbath School – room 304

      English Adult Sabbath School – Sanctuary

11:00 a.m. All ages/languages church service in sanctuary (Pr. Nathaniel preaching, will include a communion service)

12:15 p.m. church-wide potluck in Fellowship Hall

(Kids’ clubs and Sociedad de Jovenes on hold until next week)

Online Worship Options: If you are ever traveling, sick, or still prefer to worship from home, we have online worship options, live Sabbath mornings from 10:00-12:00 on Zoom (mtg ID# is 7053955673, with password 172569), or services being posted after-the-fact on our Anaheim Sunkist SDA Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfZrh44kEB7LJUy2c37XrFA

Church Potluck this Sabbath! Being the last Sabbath of the month, we will be holding our usual church-wide potluck in the fellowship hall after church. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share, and come prepared to enjoy delicious food and wonderful fellowship. A big thanks goes out to Cledy Milla and the volunteer team for hosting this.

“Cross-fit” Outdoor group Hiking this Sabbath Afternoon (weather permitting) This Sabbath afternoon, a group will be meeting at the “Wall Street Mill” trailhead in Joshua Tree National Park at 3:00 p.m., for an afternoon hike and (hopefully) sunset & stargazing time afterward. Trailhead is about 20 minutes past the western park entrance. Entry per vehicle is $30 per car, so carpooling is encouraged. Entry fee can also be paid ahead of time online for those who prefer it. The hike itself will be 2 easy miles: you are recommended to bring water, snaks, trekking poles, flashlight, gloves, jacket and hat. (see attached graphic)

(Note: though it’s predicted to be rainy this Sabbath, check the weather forecast out at Joshua Tree, as it’s much more likely to be dry out there! All the more reason to get out of the rain and get outdoors!)

Regular Sabbath Afternoon Programs on Hold: Being New Years Eve this coming Sabbath, we are suspending our usual Sabbath afternoon activities of Pathfinders/Adventurers and Sociedad de Jovenes. We pray that your evening with family & loved ones will be intimate, dear, and fulfilling for you.

Christmas “un-decorating” next Tuesday: Though we’re sad to take down our sanctuary’s lovely Christmas decorations, we need to do the task of returning the sanctuary to normal. If we can get enough helpers, we can get the decorations to their permanent storage space behind the balcony, rather than just in the back offices, to be moved later.

New “28 Glimpses of Jesus” Video: Though Pr. Mark’s been on a long haiatus of his video series of the 28 fundamental beliefs, he was able to record & upload a video last week!  You can link to the video of Doctrine #6: Creation, here: https://youtu.be/3CLBzs0g9sY

Pastor Mark’s Limited Availability & Transition: As announced last summer at church, Pastor Mark is now serving as the Assistant to the President a the SECC office in Riverside. He primarily spends Monday-Thursday there, though he continues to be available via phone/text/e-mail during the week, and will continue to preach and be available Fridays & Sabbaths to the Anaheim/Orange SDA Church district until a new Senior Pastor is found. Please pray for the up-coming transition time, and for discernment in God’s will for the future of our church district. Pastor Nathaniel will be continuing to serve as associate pastor through this time of transition and onward.

Online Giving: Please remember the church’s local funding needs in your giving plans.  Your tithes (10% of your increase) and offerings are most appreciated during this time. Adventist giving has both a phone app and a website you can donate through: adventistgiving.org. Any donations made here are applied directly, with no percentage skimmed off, and your donations will come in your year-end receipt, seamlessly integrated with donations made in the church. May God bless us as we partner with him in faith through our finances.

(Note: tithes/offerings dropped into the offering plate this coming Sabbath will still count as 2022! So if you want to make any tax-deductible year-end donations, you have until this Sabbath to do so! AdventistGiving can also take 2022 donations up ‘till midnight.)