For Peac Catch the Exci
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All for Peac Catch the Exci invar VANTAGE POINT HAZEL MARIE GORDON My "Soul's" Desire It only happened once or twice a year, just according to ter days when I, along with my younger sister and baby how fast my little feet grew, but I can tell you that one of my brother, lived in a drafty tar-paper shack before our adoption. most vivid and treasured memories was of dear Mother Char- Shoes, by the way, are mentioned in the Bible 31 times. ity and I going into the big city of Kalamazoo to shop for new One of the most powerful and meaningful of all the references shoes. Now the little Shirley Temple dresses so in vogue at to shoes is found in Ephesians 6:15. In the previous verses it is that time were darling as well as the silky lace trimmed slips, giving a description of what we need to wear in the last days of but it was the black patent Sabbath shoes for church that I this old earth. It talks about how we need to be wearing an was the most excited about. My sweet mother needed all the armor, something that will shield us from the darts of the evil patience she could muster as we trekked from one shoe store one, and that's where the shoes come in. I particularly like the to another looking for just the perfect pair of Sabbath shoes. paraphrase by Jack Blanco in verse 15 found in The Clear Word On more than one occasion I can still hear Mother expressing Bible where it says, "Put on the shoes of the good news of sympathy for "that poor young man that had worked so hard Christ's peace." As we live day by day in a world that has any- only to be informed by Miss Priss (yours truly) that she would thing but peace, I long for that time, as well as treasure, this think about it adding "perhaps I'll be back later." With obvi- precious promise that through Christ I can have real peace. As ous empathy Mother would thank the helpful young clerk we all know, this ultimate peace will only happen when we get profusely as she turned to leave, giving a final glance at the to heaven. And so my friends, whether I will be wearing san- stack of the black patent leather rejects. dals, boots, or those golden slippers that the beautiful old spiri- Through the ensuing years I have had all kinds of shoes, tual talks about, or even a pair of shinny black patent leather all the way from tennis to heels, some trimmed with bows, shoes, I can't wait to walk those streets of gold. By God's grace others with buckles, ones that tied, or laced up, as well as let's all plan to be there. shoes in a myriad of colors. As I think back, perhaps part of my fascination for shoes stems from my earliest experience Hazel Marie Gordon is the wife of Malcolm Gordon, presi- and deprivation. Memories of the many times there were no dent of the Southern Union, and the Southern Union women's shoes to warm our little feet, even in the coldest, snowy win- ministries advisor. PAGE 8 • COVER STORY Calendar 30 Broadcasting About Jesus Classified Advertising 22 by Ron Quick NEWS PAGE 4 • UNION FEATURE Carolina 26 All for Peace Florida 14 by Fred Rogers Georgia-Cumberland 20 Gulf States 18 PAGE 25 • FLORIDA FEATURE Kentucky-Tennessee 12 Camp Kulaqua's New Southern Adventist University 6 Stillwaters Lodge by Linda Owens, Phil Younts, Martin Butler, and Cindy Kurtzhals FEATURES Pathfinders Catch the Excitement 3 SOUTHERN TIDINGS (USPS 507-000) VOLUME 94 NUMBER 7, JULY 2000. Published monthly by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Cover: The new dawn to dusk radio station receives much of its talent from the Free to members. $8 yearly subscription to others. Second-class postage paid at Columbia First church. Decatur, GA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send changes of address to SOUTHERN TIDINGS, P. O. Box 849, Decatur, GA 30031. COVER PHOTO BY RON QUICK hone Pnint 9 A/99/PP 4.1.1 PM GULF STATES FEATURE Pathfinders BY BECKY GRICE Catch the Excitement hrongs of Pathfinders, from three different churches, go posed to the Pathfinder council a new way of doing investitures. door to door handing out flyers and inviting people to the The plan was simple, the Conference was divided into five areas T evangelism meetings that are beginning at the Meridian, and a joint investiture would be conducted on the Sabbath in Mississippi, church. Adults ask questions and the kids respond. each district. The churches where the investitures were planned Excitement is rapid when they return for the sharing time back would change each year. An emphasis would be placed not only at the church. on the investiture service which was conducted during the wor- Pathfinder clubs from Mobile and the surrounding area ship hour, but also on the mission projects planned for the after- gather at the Fairhope, Alabama, church. That afternoon they noon. create animal-shaped balloons for senior citizens in a nursing "We wanted the whole church to witness what the Path- home. They sing to and visit with the patients. finder ministry was about. Another reason for changing was to "What is this organization all about?" asked an impressed unite the children. Sometimes, the children think that Pathfind- adult child of one of the residents. ers is just their club and by coming together they see a bigger "What's in your hands, Pathfinders?" Don MacLafferty, the picture." says MacLafferty. "Another motive was to generate Conference Pathfinder director asks as he closes his sermon. excitement about going into the community and making an im- Pathfinders come forward with hammers that have helped re- pact," he adds. pair homes. They bring homemade bread and cookies that have Amazing things happen when youth get involved in mis- been given to the sick and needy. Others have puppets on their sions. In Dothan, Alabama, the Pathfinders brought balloons and hands representing their involvement in children's ministry. sang to the patients in the children's ward, the cancer ward and "Now, Pathfinders, go into the audience and invite others to on the heart patients's floor. On one floor, in an impromptu re- come with you this afternoon on a mission project." Young and sponse to the nurses, the kids gathered around them, sang "Amaz- old respond to the invitation. ing Grace" and had prayer with them. These Pathfinders are participating in a new style of investi- In Birmingham, Alabama, Pathfinders created tons of greet- ture service. Pathfinder investiture services are traditionally held ing cards and delivered them with homemade cookies and punch in the spring with the Conference Pathfinder leader traveling to to nursing home residents. Flower seed packets and books on each church to award the Pathfinders for their accomplishments the power of prayer were taken to homes in the community by for the year. By necessity, because there were so many clubs to the Pathfinders in the Floral Crest, Alabama, area. cover in a short period of time, these services were scheduled "It was great," says Theresa Southard, a Pathfinder director. during the week and for a fortunate few, on the Sabbath. In many "The youth and the adults enjoyed being together and partici- churches attendance was often low and interest was dwindling. pating in something bigger than just their usual club investi- After consulting with Pathfinder leaders, MacLafferty pro- ture." Pathfinder clubs fill the Meridian, Mississippi, church. JULY 2000 • SOUTHERN TIDINGS • 3 0_ A10011111 0.9R ORA sot for peace tiring the early 1800s the relationship between the Nancy was hailed as the heroine of the battle, thus was be- U.S. Government and the Cherokee people was at an stowed upon her the title, Ghigau, "The Beloved Woman of the all time low. The beloved town of Chota, the capital Cherokees?' This honor gave her voting rights in the Council, of the Cherokee Nation, had been completely de- and also empowered her with supreme pardoning power, which Dstroyed. Many Cherokees did not want peace. They wanted war. she used to save the lives of many white settlers. Nancy Ward Many white settlers did not want peace, they wanted land. But (Nanyehi) passed away after a long and productive life and is there was a deep, heartfelt cry for peace on the part of some that buried in a grave that can be found just south of Benton, Tennes- would ring through even the council houses of the U.S. Govern- see on Highway 411. The state of Tennessee has memorialized ment. her with a park around her grave and historical markers calling "Nanyehi, who was seated next to Oconostota and The Tas- her "A friend to the white settler, the Pocahontas of Tennessee." sel, the leading chiefs of the Cherokee Nation, then rose and Her cry was, "All for peace." positioned herself in the center of the talking men. The white I wonder how she was able to maintain this attitude that men looked at her with astonishment. They had assumed she sat permeated her life. I have studied her life and had not been able among them in the role of caretaker of Oconostota. No woman to understand why she cried, "All for peace?' You see, Nancy had ever spoken in the white man's council before. Nanyehi Ward was my great-grandmother five generations back, and when looked out upon all gathered.