Royal Oak Seventh-day Adventist Church

🌏 At Royal Oak Church, we embrace the beauty of our diverse backgrounds and stories. Here, every culture is celebrated, uplifted, and valued equally. Join us in honoring the rich tapestry of our community and experience the warmth of unity in diversity! 🌿✨

📢 Exciting News! 📢

We're thrilled to announce our new Weekly Church Community project: Free English classes! 🌟 These classes are designed to add value to people's lives and fulfill a great need in our community. The turnout was incredible, with over 40 participants attending yesterday! 🎉

To keep up with this amazing response, we need more English teachers. If you're willing to help and make a difference, please let us know. Together, we can make a positive impact! 🙏❤️

Praise the Lord for Jerin! May He continue using you as the most powerful testimony for our young people!

JERIN // New Zealand

So let’s get the boring stuff out of the way. I was born into a non-Adventist family in Kuwait. My family later became Adventist but I didn’t really take God seriously until a few years ago. Since I didn’t take God seriously or pursue a genuine relationship with Him, I was living a false Christian life. I had the title of a Christian but I didn’t have a relationship with Christ.

Now here’s the exciting stuff.

This all changed when I came to a crossroad in my life. It was on new years day 2023, I was alone in my room with a movie playing in the background while I was watching the fireworks out my window. During this wasteful mind-numbing time, I uttered a genuine prayer “God, I’m going to give you one last chance. I’ve wasted 23 years of my life and I have nothing, but I give the rest of my life to You. I give You the prime years of my life”.

A few months later I was given the chance to teach sabbath school. During this time, I deep dived into scripture earnestly seeking answers to questions that would rise in my mind. As I found the answers, I would feel exhilarated. I would have to stop writing and walk around my room because I couldn’t contain my excitement anymore, even now I’m feeling restless just thinking about it. It felt like I was finally talking to God and He was answering me, I was finally experiencing something that has been missing all my life. At the end of it all I ended up with six pieces of paper with random unrelated words with arrows pointing to them from other words. To a normal person it looked like a gradual decline into insanity, but to me it was much more than that. It was more than just a Bible study or more than just a story from the Bible. To me it was a glimpse of God.

Now I’m going to fast forward a bit so you don’t fall asleep reading this.
From these constant deep dives, I had a deep desire to learn more about the Bible, learn the main theme, find out how to study it, and learn how to teach other people so they can feel the elation I felt. That was when I found out about ARISE. God saw me eagerly searching and He gave me the solution. But I was stuck between the Egyptians and the Red Sea. I could either stay in place and be at risk of reverting to my old ways or I could move forward into the unknown and risk losing my full-time job. Out of faith I applied for ARISE and moved forward despite a lot of obstacles being in the way and God honoured me by moving them away like He did with the Red Sea for the Israelites.

So when you are in a similar situation where you are stuck between the Egyptians and the Red Sea, remember… Actually, I’m going to let Moses finish this off Exodus 14:13-14 “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

There is still bookings available. Get in touch today so you don't miss out!📸

📸When was the last time you had family portraits? Or photos taken with your furry best friend? Or with all your grandchildren? 📸

We have the perfect opportunity for you happening on Sunday May26th. Our Pathfinder club will be fundraising with a photoshoot. NZ Family Portraits will be coming to us and capturing special moments that will last a lifetime. The cost is $35 with includes 10x13" colour family portrait. Sessions will run from 9am - 3pm.

Please read the conditions in the flyer and share around with your family. You can book with Cindy 02102253836 or email: [email protected]

Come and celebrate the World Adventurer Day with Royal Oak!

World Adventurer Day is soon approaching! Are you ready to remind your Adventurers that in every twist and turn of their journey, Jesus Knows, He Takes Care of them. They are to step boldly into the unknown, knowing they’re never alone. Hurry and grab the resources to guide your Adventures at our GC Youth Website.

The time has come 😍✨ Join ROCSDA Youth for our next Common Ground & Oak Walk tomorrow! Details as shown on poster 👇🏼 if your planning to join us for the oak walk and social tomorrow please bring the following:
•comfy shoes to walk in and to play in at the farm 😊
•a jacket/sweater as it will get supaaa chilly at night 🥶 or even a blanket if you prefer
•water and snacks for the walk as u please
•your camping chair and or a mat to sit on.
•a flash light
•your amazing good spirit to be ready for a good time!! ✨

See you guys tomorrow ❤️
Happy Sabbath, blessings ! 🙏🏼

📸When was the last time you had family portraits? Or photos taken with your furry best friend? Or with all your grandchildren? 📸

We have the perfect opportunity for you happening on Sunday May26th. Our Pathfinder club will be fundraising with a photoshoot. NZ Family Portraits will be coming to us and capturing special moments that will last a lifetime. The cost is $35 with includes 10x13" colour family portrait. Sessions will run from 9am - 3pm.

Please read the conditions in the flyer and share around with your family. You can book with Cindy 02102253836 or email: [email protected]

Save it ! Join ROCSDA Youth on May 11th through COMMON GROUND while we walk an unforgettable Oak Walk ✨🍃

ROCSDA YOUTH TEAM invite you to:
COMMON GROUND don’t miss out on our first AY of the year! ❤️🙏🏼😊 we have PIZZA & SOCIAL GAME NIGHT straight after 😋 We can’t wait to see you there!

Come support our Adventurer’s Club on April 20th!
You won’t want to miss all the goodies they will be baking for you so make sure to mark it in your calendars 🍰🧁🥧🍮🍪🍩🥮

Cultivate a love for doing good; seek to be rich in good works...You have an individual responsibility before God. Maintain a close walk with God; pray. Take your stand nobly for God...act for yourself. Make diligent work in saving your own soul, & in exerting an influence to save your family. Let your example show that your treasure is in heaven, that you have invested all in a better home & a better life, which are eternal. Train your mind to value heavenly things, to be elevated, to love God...put the armor on...work less, pray & meditate more. Eternal interests should be primary...The truly refined always have brains & hearts, always have consideration for others....True refinement & nobility of soul will be seen in efforts to bless & elevate others. 2T 242.

🕊️ EGW Inspirational Quotes

Good evening whanau! ✨
Excited to announce the commencement and induction date for *Pathfinders 2024.*
It will be on Sabbath 16th of March from 2:00pm until 5:00pm.

Please click on this link to register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGzr14iF6sa-0fKn-h_Y2b9tIPAAYkDqggvzV_1Y4LJhl-8g/viewform?usp=sf_link

God bless and we look forward to seeing you all again 🙏🏽

Keep Saturday 16th March evening free and come and join us for a meaningful cause 🫶🏼😊

We're hosting a quiz night fundraiser to support Carlos’ family back in Chile. Your presence and support would mean a lot 🙏🏽

See you there 😊

Women are pillars in our homes, churches, and communities. They are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, friends, and leaders. Therefore, why not recognize their blessing in our lives by praying for them in a special way during International Women's Day of Prayer?!

This year's "Ignite Your Prayer Life" event seeks to help every church member become inspired to recommit to the powerful resource of prayer.

Learn more and find other resources to implement in your local church in several languages below.
https://women.adventist.org/international-women-s-day-of-prayer

Our next Oak Walk will be taking place on March 9th 🙌 We will be walking from Stillwater to Dacre Cottage Historical Reserve 🏡 Come ready to fellowship in nature and meet new friends.

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”

Read your Bible, PRAY 🙏 every day…

Prayer connects us to God. In our intimate conversation with Him, we find strength, understanding, and the comforting assurance that we're never alone.

If you are losing hope in the waiting or are growing tired of prayer, check out the top 5 reasons to keep praying no matter what.