CONFERENCE OF RESTORATION ELDERS (CRE)

MONTHLY TIDINGS OF ZION

MAY-JUNE 2018

 

Greetings to all the Saints around the world,

 

We publish this issue of the May-June, online, monthly Tidings of Zion and encourage each pastor to make copies and have available at your branch for those who do not have internet accessibility. This issue will include several items that we were not able to include in the regular Tidings due to lack of space.

 

The current issue of Tidings of Zion is due to be in the mail by May 25, 2018. Several pastors have requested that we send extra copies to their branches to have on hand and available to friends and visitors. Any other pastors desiring this for their branch can contact me at pauljg_64055@yahoo.com or 816-833-6552.

 

Here we are, already about to enter the sixth month of 2018 and yesterday, it seems was January 1. As they say, “Time waits for no man.” and as one of our hymns states, “Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all its sons away; They fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.” The hymn is, “O God Our Help in Ages Past, Our hope for years to come, Be Thou our guard while troubles last and our eternal home.” We have the assurance that God is in control of all things and has promised His blessings to those who obey His commandments.

 

Praise Him was the theme for the April 29, 2018, Pastors of Zion (POZ) Fifth Sunday Service held at Waldo Ave. RB/CPRS. The service was a choir and music fest, featuring the following choirs: Living Hope RB, Center Place Restoration School (CPRS), Oak Grove Bell Choir and vocal choir, and the Restoration Choir and Orchestra. The service concluded, most appropriately, with a long time Restoration favorite hymn, “The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning.” The service was live streamed and can be viewed at http://www.waldoavenuerestorationbranch.org.

 

The CRE and POZ are joining for the Restoration Branch Family Reunion and Conference of Restoration Elders to be held June 24-29, 2018 at Waldo Avenue RB/CPRS. All information about this event can be found in Tidings of Zion, Issue # 122. Other information such as registration forms can be found on the CRE website. Just go to eldersconference.org.

 

A NOTABLE CHANGE in the reunion schedule is that the first session for certified Elders will be at 2:00 pm on Sunday, June 24, 2018 in the sanctuary. Melchisedec priesthood desiring to have voice and vote in the Elder’s sessions must be registered and approved by the Credentials Committee. It will be very helpful to be registered and approved BEFORE Sunday.

 

2018 Camp and Reunion schedules can be found in Tidings, Issue # 122 as well as on line at the CRE website. They are not included in the Tidings of Zion Issue

# 123 which is due to be mailed about May 25, 2018.

 

CAMP CORRECTION: The Children’s Camp for grades 3-7, held at Erie Beach, Ontario CANADA is JULY 15-21, 2018.

 

CRE ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

The CRE OFFICE is now located at 1551 N. Courtney Road in Independence, Missouri. It most likely will not be open/available during the reunion/conference.

For information regarding the CRE Office contact Vim Horn or Richard Neill.

 

BUDGET/EXPENSES: As with our personal expenses, bills, etc.the expenses of the CRE are ongoing. Donations of any amount can be made at any time by mailing a check made out to the CRE and sent to PO Box 4085 Independence, MO 64051.

 

COUNCIL VACANCIES: Several Councils of the CRE  have current vacancies. If you might be interested in serving on any of the following Councils: Education Council, Publication Council, Stewardship Council, Youth Council, contact Vim Horn or Richard Neill.

 

God’s Spirit is moving, all over the world: Mission trips made thus far in 2018 include: Australia, Canada, England, Germany,  India, Kenya, Nepal, Philippines and Rwanda. Additional missions are planned for the rest of the year.

 

Spring retreats were held for youth and older youth and women in the Center Place as well as the Northwest and Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia regions.

 

The Lord be with you and keep you in His loving arms.

CRE Publication Council

 

With the Lord in the Land down Under by Elder Kevin Humphrey Independence, Missouri

Elder Tom Rindels and I arrived in Tamworth, Australia on March 7, 2018 and were greeted by Peter and Helen Archer, Helen’s parents, Roy and Daphne Schubert, and Brother Bob Wilkinson. We had a song service that Saturday evening  and on Sunday morning shared testimonies and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. It was an awesome service ! We left Monday morning and drove to Goondiwindi to visit sister Laurel Thompson. We visited, had lunch and shared in a Sacrament Service.

We traveled on to Townsville and met up with Patrice Fulton.. Her husband, Michael had suffered a stroke. We administered to him twice. On Sunday we had services with her family Rachael Todd  and her children. Emmaline, Gabriel, and Alexandra. We stopped in Marybourough to visit Alva Robinson. We shared with her in another Sacrament Service and Administration

When we left her home we were slowed down by a traffic delay in the town of Ayr.  After about 45 minutes we found a city worker who showed us the way out. I told Tom the Lord must be protecting us. We drove about 30 minutes and came up on a deadly accident. God had protected us. Praise Him!

We drove on to Brisbane and were met at the church with supper ready for us . We visited with the Saints. We were asked to do the services that Sunday. The Lord was with us as He provided the thoughts we needed.

The next day found us  heading for Sister Merrans house. She took us to meet her son, Lance and his wife, Georgia and their five children. From there we drove to the home of David and Melissa Game and their children, Lauren and Micah. They live in Medowie, New SouthWales.

Our next stop was in Taralga to visit sister Mary Dunn.. We spent the night there and visited her again the next morning. (Note: Sister Dunn passed away April 20, 2018.) Then it was on to Eurora to the home of Murray and Delma Broughton. We spent a few days visiting Saints and others in the area. We did the services that Sunday at the Kelvin View Restoration Branch. From there we drove to Adelaide (Gawler) to Keri and Gina Krieg’s home. The Krieg’s daughter, Monique Hummel and two of her sons, Jacob and Seth, also live close. I thought the people of Australia were awesome and a very caring people . I will never forget this experience.

Central Missouri Restoration Branches Older Youth Spring Retreat

by Reggie Bendorf, Chilhowee, Missouri

 

As preparations were being made for the spring retreat, my wife and I quickly realized that the Lord had gone before us to prepare the way for the older youth to come together for worship and fellowship.  The Lord’s Spirit greeted us when we arrived on the campgrounds and continued to reside throughout the weekend. There were 23 youth that attended the entire weekend with 2 commuting on Saturday. Classes were taught by Aaron and April Smith on “God’s Plan for Life” and “Now that you’re in the Fire, what do you do?”  Shaun Bruto taught a class on “The Work and Purpose for which you have been Created.” The classes provided much information about that which has transpired in our lives and that which is to come. The testimonies shared by the teachers demonstrated that we’re not alone within our trials. These testimonies also helped us understand that we’re all searching for answers and we need the direction from God through his Son and Holy Spirit.

 

Rebecca Cornish provided challenging team building activities that helped us understand how important it is to work together in unity and have a scriptural foundation to meet the challenges before us.  Nancy Eyerly helped us realize through her mixer that even though there is diversity, we still have commonalities that bring honor to God. Dave Keller entertained us with a version of ‘Silence is Golden’ as he and individual campers acted out various situations in the scriptures and in life while trying to stump the campers.  Through David Gilmore’s activity, he helped us learn how important it is to help one another to succeed together instead of having one side win and the other side lose.

 

Our pastor, Jim Louimet, assisted by Dave Keller, provided powerful ministry the entire weekend with the culmination of a prayer and testimony service Sunday morning focusing on “All are Called unto Christ.”  What a blessing it was to be in service to God with such quality youth that have strong desires to serve and honor the Lord.

 

A Dream Come True by April Erwin, Independence

Writing has been a dream of mine since I was a very small child. I wrote my first novel in the fifth grade. It wasn’t well written, but it became a way for a shy girl to really express herself. In high school I read The Call at Evening by Jessie Ward. It was so inspiring! A novel with action and depth and characters that I loved, plus it shared the gospel. I wanted to write a book like that. To share my faith in novels that would capture people’s imagination and strengthen their faith. I began writing that novel my senior year at Center Place Restoration School. This time the novel wasn’t so easy. I worked on it for several years as I took writing courses. There seemed to always be something that stood in my path. Then our family computer failed. In frustration one night, I prayed, “Lord, I can’t write without a computer. If you want me to write, you’ll have to provide one.”

It was a copout. I knew it in my heart, but it was also a useable excuse for why I didn’t finish what I started. The next day I came home from work and Mom said, “Guess what? We got a free computer today!” A friend from church had bought a new computer and on a whim thought maybe our family might want her old one. I think my jaw was bruised when it hit the floor. I hadn’t told anyone what I had prayed. Yet less than twenty-four hours after making my petty demand, God gave me a very clear answer. God wanted me to write for Him and I’ve clung to that testimony many times over the years when I’d like to give up.

I finished that book, Missing Pieces, and published it in 2003. I wouldn’t receive a contract to publish my next book until 2013; it was followed by several more. I was thrilled, I knew God was answering my prayers and opening doors. No matter how well my novel writing was progressing, there was a project close to my heart that was still floundering in my computer folder.

It was a Sunday afternoon in October of 2001. I was re-reading the creation story in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. The Inspired Version gives us such a deeper look into that moment when Jesus created this world. After reading in Genesis, several recent but unconnected news articles came to mind. The first was a science journal that explained how everything in the universe gives off radiation that– if our ears were sensitive to it– we could “hear”. I found this interesting from a singer/songwriter perspective. It occurred to me that even though we aren’t capable of hearing the sounds in the universe, Jesus can. That at all time there is a never ending song echoing back to the Creator. This brought the second article to mind about the different Native American legends that describe creation being ‘sung’ into existence. This struck a chord with me as well. Music full of the Creator’s power pouring out to form a world full of beauty to witness of His Glory and in turn it would continually return that song back to Him in a magnificent orchestra that is for His ears alone. The verse from Luke 19:39 followed quickly, “And he answered and said unto them. If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out”.All of this was intriguing, but while considering it all I drifted off to sleep. I woke up a little later from my nap and immediately had to grab a pen and paper. The poem began to flow and when it was all complete, I felt a rush of the Holy Spirit flood over me.

Creation’s Ballad was more than a poem, I knew it was meant to be a children’s picture book. I spent years looking for an illustrator and praying for the wisdom and funds to publish it. My mother, Linda, finally agreed to do the artwork and in 2016, fifteen years after the poem was given to me, I finally had a finished book. After receiving quotes from every print house and publisher under the sun, I knew I would need a substantial amount of money to publish. Funds that were not available. Sadly, I tucked the project back in a drawer.

Who knows how much longer it would have languished there, if I hadn’t heard a very important message in January last year during stewardship month. Paul Gage spoke about our stewardship responsibility and broadened it to include our gifts and talents. Suddenly I could see that this project I was given was sitting in a drawer much like the servant that hid away his talent and had no increase to show when his master returned. The spirit pricked my heart and I felt impressed to seek Paul’s counsel. He agreed to meet with me and pray over the situation. Although he agreed the book needed to be published, no immediate solution was made known.

This time, though, rather set it aside again, I told the Lord I didn’t want to hide this gift any longer and I began to really search for an answer to the dilemma. In January of 2018, I discovered Kindle Direct Publishing, a way to self-publish full color picture books at no cost. Not only was it free to publish, their costs were so reasonable that the retail price for the finished books were also very affordable–a rare thing in the print on demand industry.

Creation’s Ballad is a project very close to my heart and one I’ve longed to see completed for many years. It’s more than a child’s story that shares the story of Creation from the Inspired Version. For me, it’s an inspired poem that brought me a deeper understanding of the Greatness and Majesty that is our God and Creator. With most projects I spend hours writing and re-writing, but Creation’s Ballad flowed out as a complete poem. It took many years to see it come to life, but the Lord showed me that these gifts and talents He gives us all are for a purpose. He used stewardship month two years in a row to not only remind me of the importance of sharing them, but the importance of actively seeking Him and the path we should pursue to use them for His glory.

Over and over I’ve felt the Holy Spirit flood through me as I’ve read Creation’s Ballad. The Lord has blessed me with new insights over the years as well. I offer it to you in the same Spirit it was given to me and I pray it is a blessing to all who read it. I pray that you too will see how all things testify of our Lord and Savior Jesus.  For more information, contact April at aprilannerwin@yahoo.com or 816-833-4368.

 

A Testimony of God’s Power by Crystal Mahoney Lavigne, Stoney Creek Ontario Canada

On  November 27, 2017  I was booked in for a procedure on my shoulder. Admittedly, I was very nervous of having this done. The last time I had anything done on my shoulder the pain was quite unbearable. However, as nervous as I was, I found a bit of relief knowing that my shoulder was going to be frozen for it this time. Or so I was told…

 The day of the procedure came and as I was being prepped for what was about to happen, the doctor performing the surgery had started discussing pain with me. He told me that once the pain becomes unbearable, and he said it will, to let him know so he can stop. I said, “Wait! What? I thought freezing was getting injected into my shoulder.” The doctor swiftly informed me that there is no way to inject the freezing into my shoulder. My mouth quickly ran dry. I already couldn’t take the daily pain, much less a huge increase in pain.

 The doctor continued again. He said, we have to push this to the point where you literally can’t take the pain anymore. You will be in a lot pain. We have to be more aggressive with your treatment. We will more than likely not be able to get through the whole shoulder today, due to resistance and pain, so you will more than likely have to book at least one or two more treatments. Once we get all the way through the shoulder  we will be able to determine if the procedure was a success or not. (Of course with lots of physical therapy afterwards as well).

 I was finished being prepped and was terrified. I remembered how sick the pain made me feel during the dye injection about a year before. I carefully laid upon the table. I couldn’t have my shoulder propped to make it comfortable, it had to be as flat as we could get it. That pain alone induced tears from my eyes. From a woman who has given birth five times without any pain reducing therapies or medicines, simply laying my shoulder as flat as could be, rendered me unable to function. To make matters worse, a previous injury from years before made it even more difficult to hold my arm in that position.

T he doctor was now ready to begin. I was alone in the room. I desperately needed my husband but he was not allowed in there with me. He was in the waiting room praying. Of course, I had no clue he was praying, I just simply wanted to hold his hand. I didn’t get to hold my husband’s hand, but I did have a hand to hold. Just as the procedure was about to start, I began to pray. I prayed hard. Very hard. I simply asked God to help me get through this and to guide the hands of the doctor and make this bearable. I felt the first needle go in. I closed my eyes tight, preparing for something. I kept my focus and prayed fervently to God. On my other arm, my hand was clenched tight.

   Time passed and before I knew it, the doctor was finished. His first words after telling me we were done were, “I can’t believe it, we broke through your whole shoulder! It was one of the smoothest transitions I have ever done.” I was astonished. I thanked him, but most importantly, I thanked God. I felt very little during this very painful procedure. God held me up and comforted me. He worked through the hands of the doctor and numbed my pain.

Although, I went on to discover (January 2018) that the procedure failed, I am humbled by the fact that God let me know that He is there by my side when I lean on Him, through the good times and the bad.  I thank God often for bearing the pain for me that day.

Ten Year Anniversary, the Philippines, by Elder Murray Broughton, Euroa, Australia

 

My wife, Delma and I returned to Luzon in December, 2017 to help the Saints celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the first Bible study class. In 2007, we started a Bible study around a table in Agno, Pangasinan Philippines with only a few people. The group increased so we met in lounge room, and later, tents outside the house. We built a chapel in Agno, so when Saints come from other places, we would have room for them. People accepted the gospel, and the group grew very quickly. There were fifteen baptisms while we were there. The first baptisms were in the ocean. The first to be baptized was Brother Julius Candido, who wanted to be baptized after studies around the table in 2007, but we had to wait for his parent’s permission..About two years later, his mother Priscilla came and they were both  baptized.

 

A Branch was organized in Agno and  later, one in Trece Martires, Cavity City, We have a lovely chapel inside the house to worship together. A branch was later organized in Antipolo City. We want to thank God for His richest blessings bestowed on the work and the people of Luzon. As usual, it is difficult to thank every person who has helped promote and carry on the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Luzon, the northern island of the Philippines. So many have helped in so many ways and we just thank God for each of them.

 

There are now over 100 members in Luzon with more than seven priesthood representing the offices of elder, priest, and deacon.. We had a lovely and spiritual reunion remembering the words, ” Feast upon the Words of Christ.” God bless His work all over the world.