Local Church Updates

• Omaha Men Bake Winning Pies
• Orlando Hosts '50s Sock Hop and Carnival
• North Dakota Holds Sprint Triathlon and Youth Minisprint for LifeNets
• Almost 300 Attend 11th Annual Presidents' Day Gathering in Branson
• Sacramento Hosts Winter Gala 2006
• 106 Attend Garden Grove Women's Enrichment Weekend
• Milwaukee Dresses for the Occasion
• Portland Hosts Second Annual Marriage Seminar
• Cincinnati Dances and Skis
• UCG Young Adults Win Bible Sabbath Association Scholarships

Omaha Men Bake Winning Pies

The Omaha, Nebraska , congregation held their Men's Pie Baking Contest as the primary entertainment for their social on Dec. 24, 2005. There was a lot of talk among the men beforehand on what would constitute a winning pie.

On the day of the social, there was an overwhelming response. Of the 19 men present at the social, 15 entered pies. This was an amazing 79 percent participation. The pies were displayed for everyone to admire. After the meal, the pies were judged on overall appearance, texture and taste of crust and consistency and taste of filling. The choice of ingredients and the ease of the recipe were also considered for some awards.

Awards were presented to Doug Murphy for Most Beautiful Pie (grasshopper pie); Alan Ratcliffe for Most Tasty Pie (pecan pie); Richard Whitehead II for Humble Pie (margarita pie); Chris Dohrmann for Most Nutritious Pie (maple bourbon pecan crunch sweet potato pie); Jim Nelson for Easy as Pie (candy bar pie) and Dan Magli for Pie 'R Squared (pumpkin chocolate crunch pie).

Afterwards, everyone had the opportunity to taste the pies themselves to see if they agreed with the judges. Since the men did such a wonderful job, the ladies thought it would be a good idea for the men to bring the desserts to every social.

—Gayle Hoefker

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Orlando Hosts ’50s Sock Hop and Carnival

Men slicked back their hair and women donned poodle skirts as approximately 150 people in the Orlando, Florida, congregation reenacted the 1950s at their annual costume party and carnival in January.

The evening started following Sabbath services with a congregation-wide dinner, which included typical 1950s diner food. After sunset, the room was transformed into a carnival that offered something for everyone.

Both the young and the young at heart enjoyed traditional carnival games, such as a beanbag toss, miniature golf and darts.

The most impressive game of the evening went to the Hadley family, who created a "strong arm" game that included a large rubber mallot and bell that rang if you were strong enough to send the metal slider all the way to the top. Some of the children proved themselves stronger than the adults at this challenge.

Keeping the event in full 1950s styles, disc jockey Andrew Jenkins played the hits from the era. Couples could be seen on the makeshift dance floor swing dancing to the music.

Debbie Kobernat and Dan Carreiro painted the children's faces with animal masks and clown Amanda LaMagna made more than a few little tikes laugh with her big blue shoes and colorful wig.

Alana Walden served up frothy root beer floats at the soda fountain. For those seeking more traditional carnival food, John and Penny Gusner made fresh-spun cotton candy and the Isley family passed out warm popcorn.

Sisters Betty Rockwell and Tammy Johnson coordinated the hula-hoop contest.

McKenzie Dyke was the winner for the under age 12 category, and Lisa Johnson was the winner for the over 13 category.

One of the highlights of the evening was the cakewalk. Greg Johnson took command of the microphone and led the crowd around a circle of records taped to the floor to see who would win one of the many cakes donated by the congregation.

The event came to a close with relay races put together by Bert and Tricia Merring. Using Bazooka chewing gum, teams competed to see who could blow bubbles the quickest. Teams also went head-to-head drag racing matchbox cars and tossing popcorn into tiny cups.

—Amy Ranew

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North Dakota Holds Sprint Triathlon and Youth Minisprint for LifeNets

On Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005, 54 participants from many locations across the United States and Canada gathered in Mandan, North Dakota, for a fund-raiser to benefit LifeNets. This sprint triathlon comprised a 500-yard swim, 13.5-mile cross-country bike ride and a 3-mile run. Age categories included 7-year-olds to 70-year-olds.

The event was held at the Mandan Community Center from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Medals were presented to winners in each age category. Members from Bismarck, North Dakota, volunteered, participated and provided concessions. This was the congregation's service project for the year. Of course, without local police support and other community involvement, the day wouldn't have run so smoothly.

Victor Kubik, founder of LifeNets, gave a video presentation on Saturday night, Sept. 24. Mr. Kubik also participated in the biking portion of the triathlon. Close to $2,500 was raised for LifeNets.

On Jan. 10, a $500 check was presented to Ronald McDonald House Director Kathy Kieser by Mayor John Warford of Bismarck. An additional check for $500 was presented to Mandan Parks and Recreation Department on behalf of Mayor Ken LaMont of Mandan. These presentations were made on behalf of the North Dakota chapter of LifeNets by Pam Redline, president, in gratitude for the wonderful support from the mayors and their staffs.

The third annual sprint triathlon and youth minisprint will be held on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006.

More details about the LifeNets' current activities, including the 2006 sprint triathlon, can be found at www.lifenets.org.

— Karen Halvorsen

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Almost 300 Attend 11th Annual Presidents' Day Gathering in Branson

The 11th annual Branson Presidents' Day Family Weekend, hosted by the Joplin and Springfield, Missouri, and Harrison, Arkansas, congregations, was a huge success with almost 300 people in attendance.

The weekend began Friday night with an evening hospitality reception at the hotel. The group awakened Sabbath morning to several inches of snow (which caused about 75 people to cancel their plans to attend).

After a delicious complimentary breakfast Sabbath morning, everyone enjoyed encouraging and inspiring seminars. They could choose two out of five seminars given by five area pastors.

Sabbath afternoon's special Sabbath services included a sermonette by Mark Welch and a sermon by UCG President Clyde Kilough. After Sabbath services a sing-along was held, and young aspiring song leaders were given a chance to lead hymns from the hymnal, while the tables and chairs were arranged for the evening meal.

The hall became a Mexican hacienda for a fiesta dinner of fajitas, tacos and all the trimmings. After eating their fill, attendees joined in to dance the night away, play games or just sit and fellowship.

Sunday morning began with another delicious complimentary breakfast. Following breakfast everyone could choose two more of the five seminars by area pastors. At noon everyone was encouraged to attend a family skating party.

A barbecue lunch followed at the hotel. The event was capped off with a luau pool party at the hotel's indoor pool that was attended by 125 people. About 50 stayed over Sunday night and enjoyed an evening of food and games at the hotel.

The fun-filled weekend gave everyone a chance to visit with Mr. Kilough, as well as have fun with friends, make new and renew old acquaintances, and feast on both spiritual and physical food.

—Glenn Smith

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Sacramento Hosts Winter Gala 2006

Oh what a night! After two lessons of Bible study on Revelation, the Sacramento, California, United Church of God hosted a Winter Gala on Feb. 18. Visitors came from as far as Portland, Oregon; Reno, Nevada; and Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Chico, Red Bluff and the Bay Area, California.

First we enjoyed the greatest potluck of the year, from chicken bake to wonderful salads and tempting desserts. The young adults decorated long tables with blue and silver streamers and vases full of silver stars. The attire for this evening ranged from Sabbath wear to beautiful ballroom gowns, and the men wore their best suits. It was quite a sight!

Church members lined up for food, dessert and drinks to the sound of delightful music directed by two cool deejays, Peter Bentz and Joel Bosserman.

Attendees danced, twirled and slid to music of the 1940s, '50s, '60s and '80s. But before the dance began, we were treated to ballroom dance lessons given by two of our young adults, Sarah Bates and Joel Bosserman.

The silver and blue balloons added to the festive dance floor, as did the tiny white lights on the windows. The young and old mixed in heavenly harmony.

As the dancers twirled, laughter, giggles and cheerful noises came from the dance floor as they moved in sync to Kay Starr's "Rock and Roll Waltz." Bill Braswell, our church choir director, was an awesome sight among the youth as he danced with his wife, Barbara. He must have learned the waltz from Johann Strauss! They were delightful to watch.

Fathers danced with their little daughters to one of Frank Sinatra's top hits, "They Can't Take That Away From Me." As the 3- and 4-year-olds danced, you could hear squeals of laughter and giggles as they made their way around the dance floor. The Winter Gala also included a musical video that got all the young adults dancing while the adults laughed and laughed.

I wonder what is in store for us next year!

— Candy Sims

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106 Attend Garden Grove Women's Enrichment Weekend

From Friday evening, Jan. 13, through Sunday afternoon, Jan. 15, 106 enthusiastic ladies attended the fifth annual Women's Enrichment Weekend sponsored by the Women's Club of UCG–Garden Grove, learning, laughing and benefiting from our theme "Accentuate the Positive."

Most of the ladies were from Southern California, but some came from northern California, Arizona and other states. The special weekend was held at the beautiful Embassy Suites in Santa Ana —an outstanding facility that featured all two-room suites and a relaxing indoor atrium area.

The Weekend began Friday evening with an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant, followed by a get-acquainted mixer at the hotel. On Sabbath morning, after four inspiring special music selections, Mario Seiglie, pastor of the Garden Grove congregation, set the tone of the weekend with a very positive and uplifting message on "God's Faith in Us."

After lunch Saturday afternoon, we heard from Dianne Clark on the subject of "Godly Confidence," followed by Esther Salcedo on "Positively Emotional." Later in the afternoon, Sylvia Kennedy humorously gave us "Tidbits on Humor," followed by a hilarious video that kept the ladies in stitches.

A wonderful meal in the Embassy Suites restaurant followed, with a free evening of fellowshipping that the ladies really appreciated.

Sunday morning began with an animated presentation by Kerry Heesch on "Change Your Attitude—Change Your Life." Afterwards, personal deep experiences of how negatives were turned into positives in their lives were shared by seven presenters: Elaine Carlilse, Karen dela Fuente, Randi Hilgen, Ingrid Helge, Merna Leisure, Leslie Schwartz and Susan Webber.

After a break for lunch Anna Moore opened the afternoon session with a helpful message on "How to Encourage Others." Deborah Barr followed with an inspiring presentation on "Using Prayer to Enrich Your Life." Our pastor's wife, Caty Seiglie, then closed the weekend with very positive comments and remarks.

Evaluation forms were completed and the results were very encouraging, with numerous comments on just how much these Women's Weekends are needed and appreciated.

One comment was: "Words cannot convey what it means to me spending this kind of time with sisters in the faith... It makes me SO anxious for the rest of God's plan to play out, so the rest of the world can experience such richness and beauty and kindredness."

Another comment was: "I love listening to the wisdom and learning from the experiences that these wonderful women have to share. The support and love is so pervasive and uplifting."

Another said she appreciated "seeing that we can be positive in different ways and by speaking and thinking in a different tone and with a different attitude. Laughing until my stomach ached was great too... I appreciate these meetings more than I can express."

—Jean Updegraff

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Milwaukee Dresses for the Occasion

Darth Vader? The scarecrow without a brain? The queen of hearts? What do these three have in common? Well, if you were in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the evening of Jan. 21, you would have seen these famous characters live!

People from the surrounding church areas were invited to Milwaukee's first costume party. Sabbath services were held in the afternoon and were followed by a delightful and tasty meal of Subway sandwiches.

For a number of weeks prior to the event, members kept their well-guarded secrets as to who they were going to be for the party. When sunset arrived, there was a stir in the crowd as people went to change into their costumes.

There was even royalty in the midst. There was a king (played by Randy Schmitt) who walked about making his royal proclamations to his fellow subjects. There was the queen of hearts played by Francine Fabry, accompanied by her husband, who looked rather kingly himself.

There was one lady (Marci Gunderson) who must have broken out of jail, as the ball and chain were still attached to her leg when she arrived. There was even a plant doctor and his wife (played by the pastor and his wife, Mike and Zelda Hanisko). Some of the other characters apparently came from the Renaissance era.

To keep the evening interesting, there was karaoke provided and many of the costumed members sang their heart out. Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (also known as Debbie Burns) helped the scarecrow (Dennis Ramlow) sing "If I Only Had a Brain."

After the karaoke ended, there was a dance that included a variety of music, including Latin music. (Who can forget the macarena?)

— Leone Burns

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Portland Hosts Second Annual Marriage Seminar

The Portland, Oregon, congregation hosted its second annual marriage seminar on Jan. 22. More than 70 brethren attended, including some from southern Oregon; Seattle and Spokane, Washington; and Idaho.

This year's seminar, titled "A Heart of Zeal," focused on the most-requested topics from 2005. Speakers included Bob Dick, Dennis Luker and John Cafourek. Their wives, Dyanne, LeeAnn and Sandy, also participated in the hour-long question-and-answer session.

Presentations included information on money management, differences between men and women and conflict resolution.

A delightful breakfast and a banquet-style gourmet lunch enhanced the day's activities. During the afternoon, the attendees enjoyed a fellowship break with Italian sodas.

Attendees appreciated the seminar, and plans are in the works for next year!

— Tanya Winger

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Cincinnati Dances and Skis

On Feb. 11, the Cincinnati, Ohio, East AM and PM congregations hosted their second annual Winter Family Dance. More than 275 people traveled from all over to enjoy a fun-filled evening.

The ladies were dressed in beautiful evening gowns, and some of the men wore tuxes. Deejay Randy Curran provided the music, which offered a variety of beats to please all.

Fathers danced with their daughters and grandmothers danced with their grandchildren—it was enough to warm your heart. Even the small children danced or played with toys provided by the Cincinnati East congregation.

The evening included a dance contest involving about 50 couples. The winners were ABC students Corbin Rose and Ashley Kruse.

Mr. and Mrs. Jean Dawson from the Dayton, Ohio, congregation, were honored with a special dance in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary coming up March 25.

Some of the adventurous continued the weekend with skiing or snow tubing the next morning at Perfect North in southeast Indiana.

— Janet Treadway

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UCG Young Adults Win Bible Sabbath Association Scholarships

Tinenenji Banda, daughter of elder Kambani Banda and his wife, Shirley, of Zambia, and Leslie Schwartz, a student at UCLA in California, won first and second places in the Bible Sabbath Association Essay Scholarship Contest. The first place scholarship was $1,500 and the second place was $1,000.

Tinenenji, who completed a law degree in South Africa in December, plans to continue her studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, this August. She plans to pursue a career in international trade law. In the meantime she will be going to London to intern at the international bar organization in April.

She said, "Winning the contest has shown me the importance of being able to articulate and defend one's beliefs. The ability to 'give an answer,' is pivotal to our calling."

Leslie said, "It's a big honor, especially to receive an award for something I'm so passionate about!"

Here's an excerpt from Leslie's essay:

"I am no longer a 'closet' Sabbath keeper. Rather, I am proud that I know God's truth and can live a 'set apart' life in such a chaotic world on a college campus. I no longer feel burdened when I 'can't' go out, but instead rejoice in keeping the Sabbath. I am proud of the deepening faith God has helped me develop over these past few years in college. I figure that with all the time God gives us to live our lives, the very least we can do is give one seventh of it back to Him, resting and honoring Him on His Sabbath day as He commanded. I have seen what living a lifestyle consumed by the world and its temporary pleasures has brought to so many of my friends at college, and it isn't anything compared to the godly blessings I continually receive.

"When talking to high school students who are concerned about keeping the Sabbath in college, I always encourage them to seek God's advice and continually pray for guidance and direction when considering what decisions to make. Also, finding other college students who keep the Sabbath nearby will help keep you motivated as you remain faithful together.

"Above all, I encourage college Sabbath keepers to not become frustrated with the ways of this world when everyone and everything seems to be against you. God knew it would be this way and told us that the world would hate us and be against us because we are different (John 15:18). Think of how the world hated Jesus when He was on the earth; yet Jesus told us that He has 'overcome the world' and sets an example for us to follow (John 7:7, John 16:33)... We should use His example and not love the ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17) or try to become part of it, but rather 'be transformed by the renewing of our minds' (Romans 12:2) as we follow God and the wonderful things He has laid before us (Luke 12:34)."

The Bible Sabbath Association has sponsored a Sabbatarian youth essay scholarship program for the last several years. June Narber, a 1994 Ambassador College graduate and BSA vice president, chairs the scholarship committee.

She said potential applicants for the next contest should contact her at junenarber@yahoo.com and watch the Web site www.biblesabbath.org for updates about the next contest, which will probably begin in 2007 due to low funds. She pointed out that all work done by the scholarship judges, the board of directors and by her is volunteer.

She said, "The Bible Sabbath Association is a 50-plus-year-old nonprofit organization that promotes the truth of the seventh-day Sabbath. It is a non-church affiliated organization comprised of believers from many different Sabbath-keeping churches, backgrounds and beliefs."

— Mike Bennett

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