Organic Agriculture Seminar - April 3

Jerry Travers, Master Grower

Anne Alner - God's Laborer

One of the pillars of the Athol Church, Anne Alner, passed away on Friday, March 5. She bravely fought a raging cancer, but now awaits her eternal reward in Christ Jesus.

Our church is in grief, but our trust is in the Savior!

Please pray for her husband, Ernie, head elder of the Athol Church. As a couple, Anne and Ernie have led Athol Church for many years. The entire family needs our thoughts and prayers now.

Our deepest condolences to the Alner family.


Local Obituaries

Athol Daily News - March 6, 2010

Anne Alner - Deceased - March 5, 2010
ATHOL -- Anne (Jones) Alner, 66, owner/operator of the former Ralph Longg's Restaurant died Friday, March 5, 2010 at Quabbin Valley Healthcare. Funeral arrangements under the direction of Higgins-O'Connor Funeral Home, 146 Main St., Athol are incomplete

Greenfield Recorder
Anne J. Alner

Published: Tuesday, March 09, 2010
ATHOL -- Anne (Jones) Alner, 67, of 130 Stratton Road, died Friday, (3-5-10) at the Quabbin Valley Healthcare.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, at 2 p.m. at the Seventh-Day Adventists Church, 3200 South Athol Road, Athol with the Rev. Warren Ruf, pastor officiating.

A family burial will be held at the Higby Creek Cemetery in Higby Creek, West Virginia at a later date.

Calling hours will be held Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Higgins-O'Connor Funeral Home, 146 Main Street, Athol. The family suggests contributions be made to the Seventh-Day Adventists Church, ''Food Program,'' c/o Deane Bidwell, 108 Briggs Road, Athol, MA 01331.

For further information or to share a memory with the family go to: www.higginsoconnorfuneralhome.com.

* In the January 4 post below are some wonderful photos and musical excerpts from Athol's 2009 Christmas Sabbath program which Anne faithfully coordinated for years. It was a beautiful moment and service. It was the kind of thing she loved to do for the Lord.

Recent Sabbaths

Sister Lourdes Cancel Adult Sabbath School Lesson



Interested students, Krassimira and Elinor


Eve Harper Gilkeson sharing her mission experiences in China

December was Wonderful at Athol

Happy New Year! Here are some shots of what has been happening of late at Athol Church... Enjoy!

My daughter never wants to miss Primary Sabbath School!


Victor Pohle of the Keene, New Hampshire Adventist Church spoke on December 12.


The Pohle sisters provided lovely music.


Gordon Lethbridge lead out in the Hymn Sing that evening.


December 19 was Christmas Sabbath and featured The Athol Adventist Singers. They were wonderful! Devon accompanied on the guitar that day.


Violet and Brenda with some Christmas fanfare!


"'Twas the Birthday of a King" The Rare Treat of a Classic First Tenor, The Seasoned Voice of Gordon Lethbridge.


"Silent Night" (Watch Mom kiss her boy at the end)



I was away on December 26 and January 2 when Victor Reyes-Prieto and Pastor Ruf preached respectively. On the 26th, I was the new "in" church for the GC brass, Spencerville SDA Church in Maryland. Here is a little of what happened there...

SS Teacher Russ Leach, Anne Willsey, and Pastor Steve Willsey talk about a mission project for Africa in Kindergarten SS class.


Spencerville Adventist Cathedral and Former AUC College Church Senior Pastor, Pastor Patrick Morrison gives the best Christmas sermon I have ever heard about how the spiritual elite missed the Lord's first coming and stand to make the same mistake regarding his second coming. We need to be watching continually!


Closing Hymn


All in all, I like Athol a whole lot better than a massive suburban church...

HAPPY 2010!!!

Thanksgiving for Our Church

At the start of Thanksgiving week, I want to thank God for our church family at Athol. We have been attending for just about 2 years, and we became members just last month.

We are excited about the future of our church as we look toward the soon return of our Lord. May God bless all our members, their friends, families, and community.

Thank you for welcoming us into the family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On Assignment in D.C. and Athol Sermon Review

I recently decided to transfer my membership to Athol Church from the church I was raised and baptized in, Capital Memorial Church, on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. While I have attended a few churches over the years since I left Washington, I had never changed my membership because of my strong attachment. After all, my father was buried at this church, and there are It was kind of a childhood memory thing, so it took a while to make the decision.

On September 12, we spent the day at CMC visiting my old church family and emotionally preparing for the upcoming membership change. I spoke with many people about it, and they assured me that CMC would always be my home. But I am very happy to be at Athol!

The following is a chronicle of recent sermons at Athol (sorry, no more uploaded audio yet!) as well as a photo journal of a day in the nation's capital.

Let's see...

Yesterday, October 3, Pastor Ruf gave a very nice powerpoint presentation about the Bible and its reliability. I really enjoyed it.

Last week, September 26, we had a very interesting sermon by Ralph Diller, a local attorney, who spoke about how liberty and the true gospel go hand in hand.

On September 19th, Wellington Aguiar spoke about The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan within the realm of creation and science. He has recently written a book entitled, The Plot, which discusses the origin and demise of dinosaurs. You can email me if you would like a copy. (edward.a.rivera@gmail.com)

I missed September 12 when Johnny Johnson from Gardner SDA preached. We were in Washington, D.C. that Sabbath. Here are photos from our day in the nation's capital.

The Sanctuary at Capital Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church



The Dunners, also visiting, are European friends who used to work at the Swiss Embassy in Washington.


The National Zoo


The National Cathedral


Georgetown (Wisconsin Avenue)


Where the White House used to be until the mid-90s(behind the new trees and barriers to the right)


The Old Executive Office Building


Lincoln Memorial


Jefferson Memorial (my favorite)


Washington Monument


Smithsonian Institution


The United States Capitol


Although it is an impressive place, I couldn't live there anymore... Too many people! I am at home in the country now... Praise God!

Recently...

As the weeks continue to speed by, I thought I had better get some more pictures up before I get so overloaded I just throw in the towel on this blog...

Over the past few weeks, we have had some good sermons. We had Brother Fines Baez, a theology student from Atlantic Union College one week.

The following week we had a very dynamic preacher from Brazil. Pastor Nelson Rossi, Jr. brought his family, music, a great powerpoint presentation and message from the Lord. He talked about how the Adventist church began in Brazil. I did the translating (He spoke mostly in Portuguese, but he had our attention). Some folks couldn't hear the interpretation unfortunately, so that was bad.

Just this past weekend, Pastor Ruf spoke on the vineyard and harvest of the Lord. He told us that we should have a Christ-like view of the richness of the harvest even though our human view might try to convince us there is none. It was interesting.

I hope to get some more sermons up soon, but I have been terribly busy with school, etc. Meanwhile, here are some photos!

Back when it was hot...



After a lot of powerwashing...



Church Potluck at the Alner's



Lifestyle Matters Outreach



UPCOMING SPEAKERS AT ATHOL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
9/12 Johnny Johnson
9/19 Wellington Aguiar
9/26 Ralph Diller
10/3 Pastor Ruf

Please come and join us!