Theological Hmm: So long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Perfection through our own good works we can never attain. If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason. - Ellen White
Coming soon:
PERFECT GRACE! NOV 16-18 This is our fall evangelistic effort for Toledo First. If you are receiving this email, YOU are invited! Feel free to invite others as well. Tom Hughes will be here NOV 16-18 to talk about his new book Perfect Grace! – It’s All About Jesus. So make plans now to spend a rewarding Friday evening vespers NOV 16 @ 7:30pm, SAT NOV 17 @ 11am and 7:30pm, and SUN NOV 18 @ 10am. Free pancake breakfast @ 9-9:30am precedes the final presentation at 10am. $5 copies of his book ARE available in the church office. All presentations will also be live-streamed and archived at tfsda.org
WOMEN'S PRAYER GROUP meets with Arsenia Uckele NOV 17 after church (and continues weekly after church). You may contact her at 978-424-5783 or arseniaf@hotmail.com for more info
FELLOWSHIP POTLUCK occurs after church. Bring a dish (or pie) to pass. Nehemiah 8:10 says "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"
OPEN TABLE TRAININGS CONTINUE NOV 17 Please pray for our Open Table volunteers
DANIEL The Bowling Green SDA Church invites you to “Exploring the Book of Daniel” with Tom Proudfoot every third Sabbath at 2pm throughout 2018. Meetings will be held at the church, 331 S. Enterprise St., Bowling Green
SINGING BANDS go to Genesis HealthCare, 5757 Whiteford Rd after church at 3pm. You are invited to join them
ENTRANCE TO TF CHURCH BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES SAT NOV 17 @ 5pm in the church office (and 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 1/12, 1/26)
YOUTH GROUP MOVIE NIGHT is this SAT NOV 17 from 7 - 10pm for those who can make it! Popcorn and drink provided. Each family who comes can bring one thing per family to add to it. This could be carrot sticks, brownies, cookies, chips, apple slices, etc. (2420 Kenmoore Rd., Maumee, OH). Contact youth leader Jen Landeros for more info
SIX WEEK GROUPS DYK the church was organized for outreach using small groups? Acts 2:42 NLT says, "ALL the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and...to prayer." Will you? You could continue the week of WED NOV 28 (and 12/5; 12/12; 12/19) for prayer, reading, and sharing in your home or somewhere else. You could discuss Searching for the God of Grace or Perfect Grace! (both avail in church office while supplies last). The possibilities are endless but time is not. So how will you plan to participate in Jesus' great commission? Please let us know if you are starting a group. Will be happy to help advertise for you!
THE SPANISH ADVENTIST GROUP OF TOLEDO was born last week with 18 attendees in the Fellowship Hall praise the Lord! They meet again for Sabbath School on NOV 24 @ 9:45am. Difunddir la palabra!
NEW SIX WEEK GROUP NOV 25 10am-12noon for Bible Study with Regina Davis—at church and continues Sundays same time. Everyone is invited
CAMPANAS CRISTALIS bell choir will be performing at the following locations around Toledo. Way to go! Join them!
TUE NOV 20 @ 4:30pm at Toledo Hospital entrance B annual Tree Lighting
FRI NOV 23 @ 5pm at Toledo Zoo by the Aquarium for the opening night of "The Lights Before Christmas"
MON DEC 3 @ 5pm at Flower Hospital in The Atrium of the Medical Office Building
THUR DEC 20 @ 6pm at The Imagination Station Lobby
SABBATH DEC 22 @ 11am during worship in TF Church
MON DEC 24 @ 5pm during Community Christmas Eve hosted by TF Church
PANERA BREAD AVAILABLE FRIDAY @ 9:00 - 10:00am. Come through east canopy doors
SHOE DRIVE Elle Rhee, sophomore class president at Northview High School (Sylvania) is collecting gently used shoes for a non-profit organization that sends them to developing countries and has invited us to partner with her. So bring your gently used shoes and let's fill another collection bin in our church foyer
ADRA (ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY) LIFE SAVER CHRISTMAS KITS are designed to meet the specific challenges faced by families and communities. One $30 kit might include emergency food rations, drought resistant seeds, or farming tools. Another could include a micro finance loan to start a business, small business training, or educational opportunities for children. Every DEC we collect an additional love offering in the foyer at church to share the gift of Jesus with others. So get ready to receive some weekly reminders in the form of Life Savers on your way out of church and plan to set aside a little something to contribute if you can. All the additional offerings collected after church in the foyer will be given to ADRA for them to purchase Life Saver Christmas Kits
SAVE THE DATE CONTINUING EDUCATION DEC 1 Might you be available to stay after church and Marilu's Friendship Dinner DEC 1 at 2pm for a presentation about church growth and membership retention? It's been well received at Northwood and I think it could be useful for us at TF too. I see it as continuing education for elders / deacons / teachers / point persons but would be helpful for all followers of Jesus
YOUTH GROUP GOING TO HANDBELL CONCERT DEC 2 at 7pm in the Olivet Lutheran Church in Sylvania. Concert begins at 7pm but plan to arrive by 6:30 to get good seats. Or carpool from church leaving at 6:20pm. After the concert, meet back at our church for some hot chocolate and cookies. Dress is nice slacks, sweaters, dress, etc
CHRISTMAS EVE We have been invited to host this year’s multi-church community Christmas Eve program (5-6pm). So people from Washington Church, Missionary Alliance, Grace Church, and other local congregations in Toledo will be joining us in TF on MON DEC 24 from 5-6pm for a beautiful candle lit Christmas Eve service. Stay tuned for more details and if you're in town, don't miss this! It's gonna be special
YOUR HEALTH YOUR CHOICE JAN 18-19, 2019 Toledo First welcomes back friend and former member (when he lived locally) Dr.Charles David. He is coming to share how his medical missionary work around the world (I recently woke him up in Bangkok) has been received and some practical ways we can improve our health in the new year. So make plans now to spend a rewarding Friday evening vespers JAN 18 @ 7:30pm and SAT JAN 19 @ 11am and 7:30pm
PANCAKE BREAKFAST / CHURCH BUSINESS MEETING SUN JAN 20 Pancakes served @ 9-9:30am; Church Business Meeting follows at 10am
VALENTINES FOR TOLEDO FEB 16 Save the date and time 7-8:30pm for a very special concert and evangelistic outreach effort benefiting another local non-profit organization here in Toledo. Join us!
ISRAEL TRIP FEB 9-17, 2019 Nine days where Jesus walked! Round-trip airfare from Chicago to Tel Aviv. All taxes included. Buffet style breakfast and dinner daily at hotels. Double occupancy rooms. Fish lunch by the Sea of Galilee. Touring via luxury motor coach with fluent English speaking tour guide. All entrance fees to park and visiting sites. Price: $2,280. Financial assistance is available from church. Not included: Travel insurance highly recommended. Tips for guide and driver
JESUS MOVIES What's your fave? 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 minus all the USPS mailings. 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
NOV 17 - Perfect Grace! (Tom Hughes preaching)
NOV 24 - That Sermon About the Leaves (Pastor Mike preaching from Jeremiah 31:33-34)
DEC 1 - God of the Living (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 20:27-40)
DEC 8 - Piously Pretending (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 20:41-47)
DEC 15 - Humbly Giving (Pastor Mike preaching from Luke 21:1-4)
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)!
