Subject: The gospel is spreading!

Come hear how three people are sharing the Word and love of God on July 1. Details inside.

June 2021 • Issue 25

If you wondered if the gospel is still being spread in the midst of these turbulent times, we've got the answer: YES IT IS! Join us to hear the testimonies of three men who are allowing God to use them in mighty ways.


Pastor Rich Constantinescu is the founder

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Join us at 7 p.m. ET July 1 on Zoom to hear how God is working. To register and receive more details for the virtual event, click here.

and president of Revival Plan, a nonprofit organization that shares the Great Controversy, created a Testimonies for the Church reading plan and encourages Bible memorization and prayer. His organization offers Bible materials in seven languages. ASI members joined him in October to help pass out nearly 25,000 excerpts of The Great Controversy during the 2020 Prayer March on The Mall in Washington, D.C.


Pastor Bruce Patterson leads the Bethel Worship Center in Philadelphia and owns Bethel Construction Group. His church has fed more than 1,000 people each week during the pandemic and has been a COVID vaccine site. His business has helped people find jobs to support their families and given young adults new direction and skills. It has provided an opening for him to share the love of Jesus in his underserved community.


Ronald Goss is president of Project Restore, which produces and distributes religious magazines. He is leading a group that will mail copies of The Great Controversy to the entire state of West Virginia.


To attend this virtual event at 7 p.m. July 1, register today and receive the Zoom details.

Praising God in the Storm

Do you ever wonder why some people weather storms better than others?

 

Lillian Torres, assistant evangelism director for the Pennsylvania Conference, posed this question to attendees of ASI Columbia Union’s April 20 virtual event Praising God in the Midst of the Storm. 

 

“I believe that it is because those who weather the storm better have learned to live a life of continual praise to God,” she said. “Their faith was nurtured and anchored in God before the storm came. So, during the storm they were able to continue to do what they have always done in every situation, which is to praise God.”

 

She knows that is not easy. The storms of life,

Lillian Torres

Assistant Evangelism Director

Pennsylvania Conference

whether it’s losing a loved one, struggling in a marriage, facing a life-threatening diagnosis or losing a business, test our faith. However, the storm should not be the focus. 

 

“The storm simply tests and reveals if our faith has taken hold of the hand of the almighty God,” Torres said. 

 

The key is to focus on the object of our faith and hope: God. 

 

Torres shared three “truths” she filters everything through to help her keep the right perspective:

  1. God loves me. I’m a child of God and in Him I find my value, worth and my purpose, and no storm can change how God feels about me.

  2. Jesus has saved me, therefore, I can live with assurance even in the midst of the storm.

  3. God’s grace is much stronger than sin. 

“When I focus on these things instead of the problem or the storm, I can’t help but praise,” she said.

 

And what is the highest form of praise we can give to God? Emulation.

 

“The highest way we can praise God is to reflect the characteristics of God in peace and in the storm,” she said. 

— Michele Joseph, managing editor, ASI Columbia Union newsletter

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

It happens almost imperceptibly.  The days get longer, the air grows warmer, the next season draws near and by God’s immutable design, seeds planted in the spring push through the soil revealing greenery that gives promise of a future harvest. As we, in similar fashion, emerge from the winter of a pandemic quarantine, many are discovering the imperceptible springtime plantings of God. 


The process of sowing varied according to the providence of our loving Master Gardener, and seeds sown in adversity, isolation, loss and stress are now coming forth transformed into the greenery of strengthened resolve, a closer relationship with God, new skills and expanded ministries. And now it is our privilege to not only celebrate what God has done and is doing in our lives, but to also look forward to the harvest that is soon to come.

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  Yes, it has been a long, pandemic winter, but spring has sprung and soon the full summertime experience of life will once again be our privilege to enjoy. We can look forward to utilizing the gifts, experiences, reflections and inspiration received during the pandemic to share the love of Christ with an even more enthusiastic and relevant witness.  


There may be a more cautious, measured nature in our step, but my prayer is that the tangible evidence that God has been with us will embolden us to trust Him more as we move forward toward immediate and future harvests.  So, let us not grow weary or faint, for the reaping time will soon be upon us, and I believe the Lord of the Harvest has something special in store for us all.


Check out our recent and upcoming events in this issue.  Looking forward to seeing or speaking with you soon.  Blessings to you all. 


Your fellow servant,


Mark A. Brown
President
ASI Columbia Union

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GOD'S PROMISE

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind." — Psalm 107:28-31 NIV

A PRAYER FOR YOU

Dear Lord,


Thank you for your continued love, mercy and unmerited favor toward us. Thank your for allowing us to join You in the work of sharing the gospel here on earth. We pray that You would bless each ministry and business owner and their families in the ASI Columbia Union territory. Please give them the wisdom to stay connected with You, the courage to execute your plan, the resources to build and grow and the patience to do it in Your time and Your way. Please bless the upcoming events planned and help us to see Your hand in each one.


In Jesus' name, Amen.

JOIN THE PRAYER LINE

Call 570-354-0272 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to pray with Sharon Pruitt, ASI Columbia Union vice president for spiritual development, and other ASI Columbia Union members.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursdays — ASI Hour, 8 p.m., a weekly meeting offering tools and training to encourage Sharing Christ in the Marketplace. Click here to register to join the virtual events or replay past meetings.

July 1 — Celebration of Freedom, 7 p.m., a virtual event. Hear testimonies from three people sharing the gospel and touching the lives of thousands. Click here to register.

Aug. 4-7 — Three Angels' Message Into All the World, ASI International Convention, Orlando, FL. For more details and to register, visit their website: asiministries.org.

September 19 — Prayer Summit 2021, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a virtual prayer conference. More details to come.

Our mission is to obey the Holy Spirit’s call to encourage, empower and equip Adventist members of Columbia Union to work together to finish God’s work in these times in harmony with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

ASI Columbia Union Board: Mark A. Brown, president; Sharon Pruitt, vice president for spiritual development; Daniel Reed, vice president for projects, missions and evangelism

ASI Columbia Union Staff: Nicole Labiche, administrative assistant

Sponsor: Celeste Ryan Blyden, vice president, Columbia Union Conference

Newsletter Managing Editor: Michele Joseph

 
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