Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter, May 2022 - Vol. 3, No. 5

May 2022

For the Love of Cody

By Laurie Owen The first time I saw Cody̶quiet, strong and with a deep look of longing in his eyes̶I knew heʼd be mine. And from that first look we shared, I knew he was a different kind of a dog. He never wanted to play. He never wagged his tail.

Abuse probably accounted for most of his sadness, and the signs of it were many̶

In This Issue: SPRING TEA PARTY A celebration of strengths, blessings, and trust in God

OUR PATH TO GARDENING A story of finding more than produce in a garden

HEALTH TALK Taking good care of your gut bacteria.

PROPHECY SEMINARS One seminar, two languages, and lots of interest

MAY EVENTS Don’t miss these special upcoming events!

VEGAN RECIPES Two recipes to make and share with a neighbor.

STORY OF KINDNESS The path of one man’s choices after time in prison.

scars on his side from deep cuts that should have been stitched up, a mouth with four missing teeth, and a missing toe on his hind foot. He simply wasnʼt a happy dog. He would skulk past us when we let him in from the outside; he never lay at our feet; he never played with us. The worst part was heʼd run away from home any time he wanted. We often spent hours driving around calling for him and searching to no avail. Each time he was found, he seemed happy to see us, only to run away again.

When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, we had to take extended trips for treatment and surgeries. When we returned home from one of our trips, we were surprised by an excited welcome from Cody. He raced around the house, stopping to be petted before racing around some more. He seemed truly happy to see us.

Not too long ago after that, I opened the door to the garage and was amazed at what I saw. The large door that opened to the outside was fully open, but Cody had not run away. He was sprawled at the open door, with no desire to run away. He looked at me and then out the garage door as if to say, ”Iʼm ready to stay.”

I could only think of how often we are like Cody. We come to God abused by our past, deprived of a loving relationship, hurt and afraid. And even though we know God can be trusted, we get scared and run away.

But every time we return home, the doorʼs open and Heʼs waiting for us with open arms. And every time, He hopes we have come home to stay.

Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

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May 2022

ECC Spring Tea Party

By Denise Halenz-Robinson The ECC Spring Tea Party took place on Sunday, May 1. Hosted by the Womenʼs Ministries team and coordinated by Kristina Russell, it was a beautiful event with thirty women dressed in cute out ts and adorable hats and fascinators.

There were a few guests too.

The women were encouraged to bring a favorite tea cup to grace their table. One brought a beautiful tea cup from Russia!

After welcoming remarks and prayer, the ladies enjoyed nger sandwiches, Caesar salad, fresh vegetables with dip and an assorted variety of ca eine-free tea. For dessert there was cake! At each table, there was friendly conversation while soft music played in the background. Then Kristina presented “The Proverbs 31 Woman” in a way that made it relatable to current tasks and desirable character traits.

In the nal game, the youngest lady (Rukiya), the If you have an idea for a community service or event for ECC Women’s Ministries to consider, please contact Denise Halenz-Robinson at 770-658-8237 or halenzd1@hotmail.com. Come, bring a friend, and get involved with ECC Women’s Ministries!

oldest lady (Ivy), the rst guest to arrive (Jennifer), and the mother of the most children (Eunice) all got to take home the orchids and ower centerpieces.

New friendships were formed and old friendships were strengthened. Many ladies commented on the enjoyable time and were looking forward to next yearʼs Spring Tea Party!

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Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

May 2022

“

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Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised.

Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

— Proverbs 31:30 (TLB)

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May 2022

Our Path to Gardening Sharing our garden and its produce brought us joy! We

By Maxine Charles

showed our tiny plot to anyone willing to see it. We shared It began when a friend asked my children to water her garden while her family was on vacation. Her garden was an allotment in the townʼs large community garden. While watering her garden, we met many people from our town

seeds, fruits, plants, vegetables and ideas. We also learned to appreciate gifts from other gardens. A potato that Wendy gave me was not just a potato; it represented Wendyʼs hard work and generosity.

and made new friends. A couple of years later, we too paid for an allotment in that same community garden.

This community where we had no neighborhood friends for almost ten years suddenly became a lively, vibrant

A Chinese proverb says, “Life begins the day you start a garden.” Our experience gardening was just that. Our lives were deeply enriched. The first time we planted seeds, we watered them and waited anxiously. We would visit every day, hoping to see something green. When nothing popped out of the ground, we planted more seeds. Then just like magic, suddenly one morning, there were a lot of little green seedlings poking out of the soil. We were excited, nervous, and also a little afraid of killing our tiny plants

place, and the community garden became the social gathering place for many of our families. Iʼve heard it said that “gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.” For our family, it became the source of food, exercise, friendship, learning, quiet time, psychotherapy, brain exercise, and worship. That community garden, our allotment, and the people who became our friends through it saved my family from plunging into despair during some very hard years.

while weeding! The experience taught us patience. We learned to wait for the right time that would yield the

Way back in the beginning, when God made this world, He

perfectly grown harvest.

gave humans the task of gardening. Perhaps God knew the benefits of gardening would help us cope with the

Our garden became our teacher. We learned to appreciate every vegetable it gave us. Our children began to eat more raw veggies. The whole act of eating itself was exciting

difficulties of life and give us benefits far more than vegetables for food. The intangible rewards of gardening can feed our souls.

because it represented what we had done to grow our food. We also experienced quality time together as a family as we worked and played in our garden.

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

Isaiah 61:11, ESV Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

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May 2022

Health Talk: Keep Your Microbiome Healthy

By Connie Goedert

Extraintestinal

One of the most interesting fields of study in recent years

• Weight gain • Fatigue

is the microbiome, with nearly 13,000 papers written on the topic in the last five years alone. There are five types of microorganisms in our bodies̶bacteria, yeasts, parasites, viruses, and archaea. Normally we would think of these as bad, but they are not. Theyʼre very important for our health and wellbeing.

The gut bacteria can start to change within twenty-four hours. Why should we care if our gut microbiome is healthy? Because the microbiome controls immunity, hormonal balance, cognition, metabolism and gene expression, insulin resistance, Crohnʼs disease, and

• Brain fog • Difficulty concentration • Mood imbalance • Anxiousness • Skin breakouts • Joint or muscle pains • Weakness • Bad breath • Sinus congestion • Shortness of breath/wheezing

ulcerative colitis. Dysbiosis happens when harmony and

How do we keep these good bugs healthy? Sleep,

balance in the gut are lost. Lack of sleep, insufficient fiber

exercise, getting outdoors, healthy relationships, pets, and

in the diet, the use of food preservatives, antibiotics,

a diverse diet that is high in fiber. Of course, if youʼre

NSAIdʼs, and PPI, experiences of trauma and stress, and

eating high fiber, you will want to be sure to be stay well

even the inclusion of sugar, salt, artificial sweeteners,

hydrated.

unhealthy fats, and animal protein in your diet can lead to dysbiosis of the microbiome.

In the US 75% of the vegetables eaten contain wheat, corn, and soy. Right away you can see a lack of diversity.

Symptoms associated with damage to the gut microbiota

Eating a variety of vegetables that represent a rainbow of

dysbiosis:

colors is a good place to start. But even better are “F Goals”: Fruit and fermented, Greens and grains, Omega 3

Intestinal

super seeds, Aromatics (onions, garlic, etc.), and

•

Abdominal pain or cramping

Legumes, Sulforaphane (broccoli sprouts and other

•

Gas and bloating

cruciferous veggies).

•

Food sensitivities

•

Food allergies

•

Diarrhea/constipation

•

Mucus in the stool

•

Nausea

Another way to remember what your body needs is this

•

Indigestion

acronym: NEW START̶Nutrition, Exercise, Water,

•

Heartburn

Sunlight, Temperance, Rest, and Trust in God.

•

Belching

Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

The content presented here is from the book Fiber Fueled

by Dr Well Bulsiewicz. Itʼs an easy read and has a lot of wonderful recipes in the back.

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May 2022

Prophecy Seminars Lead to Interest in Baptism Ellicott City Church just completed its first tandem Bible

refreshments, welcome and registration, video production,

Prophecy seminars in English and Spanish. Through these

childrenʼs program, prayer ministries, singing, stage set up,

seminars ten people have expressed a desire to be baptized

and attending the meetings. The pastors are grateful for the

or continue studying the Bible. Several more have asked

churchʼs involvement and even saw a spiritual revival in

for follow-up classes on prophecy.

the lives of members.

Prophecies Decoded was held April 15̶30 with Pastor

“I learned things I never knew,” says one member who is

John Rengifo preaching the messages in English and Luis

eager to participate in a prophecy class.

Rivera preaching in Spanish. With little preparation and no handbill mailings, many attended all the meetings.

We expect to see more baptisms and people becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.

“I praise God for what he has done,” says Pastor John.

“These meetings have confirmed that people are already visiting our church, and have brought new people to hear our prophetic message for the first time,” Church members supported the meetings by serving in

Watch and Share Click here to watch and share the entire series of Prophecy Decoded.

various areas such as driving golf carts, providing

Pastor John on closing night.

Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol. 3, No. 5

Luis preaching the Spanish series.

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May 2022

One Year with Pastor John desire to help others." He went on to say, "My favorite

By David Carr

thing about ECC is the desire of the members to grow and In March 2021, Ellicott City Church welcomed associate pastor John Rengifo and his family to join Dr. Paulo

to reach their community for Jesus. A close second is how it attracts and receives new people into its fellowship."

Macena and Pastor Debbie Rivera in serving the growing needs of its congregation. Pastor John and his family have

Since joining the pastoral team at ECC, Pastor John has

quickly become involved in the various activities. Pastor

preached inspiring sermons for Sabbath divine services,

Rengifoʼs wife Denny is one of the elders and their

the Revelation Project held in the fall of 2021, and the

children have been participating in the praise teams for

church planting programs organized by the Chesapeake

VBS and the church service and have acted in the Hope is

Conference. Most recently, Pastor John completed leading

Here Christmas program.

out in Prophecies Decoded, an exciting seminar series at ECC that ran for ten nights in April 2022.

In December 2021, following the transition of Dr. Macena to North American Division, Pastor John was installed as lead pastor of ECC by Andre Hastick, Executive Secretary of the Chesapeake Conference. March 27, 2022, Pastor Rengifo reflected on his one-year anniversary saying, "I'm overjoyed to be at ECC. It's a wonderful church full of praying individuals who are warm and friendly and have a

Photos by David Carr Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

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May 2022

May Events Join us in worship and prayer every Sabbath, and keep an eye out for some special upcoming events.

Mother’s Day Brunch

May 8, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Path nder Fundraiser)

Chesapeake Constituency Meeting

May 22

Adventurer Family Fun Weekend

June 3–5, Mount Aetna Camp

Vaccine Clinic

June 5, time TBD

Adventurers and Path nders

2nd and 4th Sabbaths of every month, 2–4 p.m.

Hospitality Lunch

2nd and 4th Sabbaths of every month

STEM KIDZ

3rd Sabbath of every month, 3–4:30 p.m.

Sabbath Worship Schedule 9:30 a.m.

Adult Sabbath School

Zoom/In-person

9:30 a.m.

Youth and Children’s Sabbath School

Hybrid

11:00 a.m.

Worship Service

YouTube/In-person

2:00 p.m.

Youth Church (2nd Sabbath)

Zoom

STEM KIDZ

May Sermon Schedule

ECC recently launched a new childrenʼs ministry: STEM KIDZ.

• May 7 ̶ Pastor John (Motherʼs Day message)

With this new ministry, we are welcoming children from our community and church to learn science, technology, engineering,

• May 14 ̶ Pastor John

mathematics (STEM) and more. We share Godʼs magnificent

• May 21 ̶ Pastor Debbie

designs through STEM concepts and the children will learn,

• May 28 ̶ Pastor John

experiment, and have fun in a safe and Christ-centric environment.

We hope you can bring your children and their friends to join this exciting new adventure. STEM KIDZ is held the third Saturday of every month at 3:00 p.m. The program will run April through September. We are counting on you to help us spread the word and bring more children and their parents into Godʼs kingdom.

We’d love to include your stories, articles, and testimonies in the ECC newsletter. Email them to newsletter@ellicottcitychurch.org

Watch our Weekly Update for more information.

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May 2022

Vegan Recipes Try these delicious recipes and share with a neighbor.

Whole Grain Pancake Mix

• 1 cup spelt flour • 1 cup whole wheat flour • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or cane sugar)

To make 5 pancakes, combine in a medium mixing bowl:

• 2 Tbsp baking powder

• 3/4 cup almond milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients above. Whisk to combine until very well incorporated.

Store in an airtight container in the pantry up to 1 month,

• 2 Tbsp oil or melted vegan butter

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

Recipe and photo: minimalistbaker.com

or in the fridge/freezer up to 3 months.

Add 1 cup dry pancake mix to the liquids and whisk to combine. Batter should be semi-thick and pourable. Set

batter aside for 5‒10 minutes to rest (donʼt skip this step; it helps make the pancakes fluffy!). Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat, and grease lightly with avocado oil or vegan butter. Scoop batter onto hot pan using 1/3 measuring cup. Cook until edges are dry and center is holding bubbles (about 2 minutes). Flip and cook 1 more minute or until nicely browned.

“Eggs” Benedict

Make hollandaise: Heat vegan butter in a

Make Benedict: Heat a large skillet over

Hollandaise • 1 1/2 Tbsp vegan butter

large skillet over medium heat. Once melted,

medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil

turn off the heat and whisk in the flour until

tomato slices, and season with salt and

no lumps remain. Add almond milk, water,

pepper. Brown 2 minutes on each side.

lemon juice, dijon, salt, garlic powder, and

To serve, top English muffins with tomato

nutritional yeast and whisk to combine. Heat

slices, avocado, red onion, and a generous

over low-medium heat, whisking frequently,

portion of hollandaise sauce. Garnish with

until thickened (3‒5 minutes). Taste and

paprika and fresh herbs such as parsley.

• 1 Tbsp flour (or gluten-free flour blend) • 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk • 1/4 cup water • 1 tsp lemon juice

adjust seasoning as needed.

• 1 tsp dijon mustard • 1/8 tsp salt • 1/8 tsp garlic powder • 1 1/2 nutritional yeast Tomato & Avocado Benedict • 1 Tbsp olive oil • 1 ripe tomato, cut into 1/2inch-thick slices • 1 pinch each salt and pepper • 2 whole English muffins • 1 large avocado, thinly sliced • 1/4 medium red onion, sliced • Smoked paprika, fresh herbs Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol. 3, No. 5

Recipe and photo: minimalistbaker.com page 9

May 2022

Story of Kindness A man went from prison to the mayoral office, in this story of redemption.

May 2022 Vol. 3, No. 5 Editor Sky Kline newsletter@ellicottcitychurch.org Contributors David Carr Maxine Charles Connie Goedert Denise Halenz-Robinson Laurie Owen 3291 St. Johns Lane Ellicott City, MD 21042 www.ellicottcity.church

Sermon Thought From Arven Claude, “A Lifestyle of Worship,” April 30, 2022.

Why are we called to worship? And can we worship God without really knowing who He is or knowing how good He is to us?

Worship is not about where we are. Jesus said, ”Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (John 4:21). So it not about your place of worship, but about how we worship—our hearts and our attitudes.

God is asking you to come before Him with happiness even when you don’t feel like it. God is asking you to surrender yourself as you are, to be in His presence despite your circumstances. When we come to Him in worship we acknowledge Him as our God of grace and of deliverance.

Worship is a lifestyle where we are in God’s presence at all times: in times of happiness, in times of hardship.

But more importantly, worship results in positive change. You cannot leave God’s presence without being changed into a better person.

Click here to watch the sermon on YouTube, at timestamp 43:13.

Ellicott City Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter - Vol 3, No. 5

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