Briefing Document: Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church Service and Community Update – January 3, 2026

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes the key events, themes, and community initiatives from the Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church service on January 3, 2026. The first service of the new year was marked by significant life celebrations, including the baptism of Milena Torres-Hage and the baby dedication of Zayah-Marie Hayden.

The central message was delivered by Pastor Brian Cassell in a sermon titled “I Have Called You By Name,” which introduced the church’s guiding theme for 2026: “Belong.” The sermon’s core argument, rooted in Isaiah 43:1, is that redemption begins with a sense of belonging to God, not with behavioral modification. This concept was illustrated through a detailed analysis of Jacob’s wrestling match with God from Genesis 32, which was presented as a metaphor for divine grace, spiritual struggle, and transformation.

Key community announcements included a “Holiday Work Bee” to transition the church decor for the upcoming Mission Sabbath, a wedding shower for Kenneth Denizard and Adainaliz Rodriguez, and an ongoing hurricane relief drive for Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. The church also continues its three-year, $3.3 million “The Miracle Multiplied” capital campaign aimed at mortgage retirement.

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I. Overview of Worship Service (January 3, 2026)

The service began the new year with a focus on praise, community, and spiritual milestones. It was opened by Valerie Pruscha, a 24-year member, who shared personal New Year’s resolutions centered on faith and service. The worship was led by the Praise Team, with Elder Ed Rahming leading the congregational prayer.

Key Participants:

Role	Individual
Welcome & Announcements	Valerie Pruscha
Prayer for the People	Ed Rahming
Baptism	Pastor Alex Harter
Baby Dedication	Pastor Brian Cassell
Invitation to Give	Ed Rahming
Sermon (“The Word”)	Pastor Brian Cassell
Praise Team Leader	Milton Torres-Hage
Worship Coordinator	Valerie Pruscha
Tech Director	Eric Prusia

The service blended traditional elements like prayer and giving with contemporary praise music and significant personal celebrations, setting a tone of renewal and divine faithfulness for the year ahead.

II. Key Life Milestones and Celebrations

A. Baptism of Milena Torres-Hage

Pastor Alex Harter officiated the baptism of Milena Torres-Hage. The ceremony was highly personal, featuring several unique elements:

• A Special Song: Milena’s father, Milton Torres-Hage, wrote and performed an original song for her, reflecting on her inquisitive character and the assurance of Jesus’ love.
• A Personal Letter: Milena wrote a letter to Jesus, which was read during the service. In it, she expressed her joy and her motivation for baptism.

The baptism was presented not as an endpoint but as “the beginning” of her continuing spiritual journey.

B. Baby Dedication of Zayah-Marie Hayden

Pastor Brian Cassell led the dedication for Zayah-Marie Hayden, daughter of Mario and Tamara Hayden. The dedication emphasized the communal responsibility in a child’s spiritual upbringing.

• Meaning of the Name: Pastor Cassell highlighted the cross-cultural meanings of “Zayah,” including strength, resilience, light, hope, and faith. This was used to illustrate God as the foundational light of the home.
• Parental and Community Commitment: The parents, along with their family and the entire church congregation, made a formal commitment to raise Zayah in the “fear and admonition of the Lord,” teaching her the foundational principles of God’s kingdom.
• Ministry Gift: The family was presented with a special quilt from the church’s quilting ministry, which was prayed over and inscribed with Zayah’s name as a symbol of the church’s love and support.

III. Sermon Analysis: “I Have Called You By Name”

Pastor Brian Cassell’s sermon established the spiritual focus for the church for 2026 by introducing the theme “Belong.” The message addressed the deep-seated human need for belonging in an era of profound loneliness.

A. Central Theme: The Need to Belong

The sermon confronted the fundamental question, “Do I belong?” by highlighting a cultural paradox of high connectivity and deep loneliness.

• Cited Statistics: Almost 40% of all Americans feel lonely, with the figure rising to 60% for young adults aged 18-25.
• 2026 Church Theme: The theme “Belong” was announced as the guiding principle for the year, with the church aiming to explore and model what it means to belong to the family of God in community, mission, and ministry.

B. Core Theological Argument

The sermon’s central thesis posits that a relationship with God is founded on identity before action.

• Foundational Principle: “Redemption does not begin with behavior; it begins with belonging.”
• Primary Scripture: Isaiah 43:1, “But now thus says the Lord who created you… Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.”

C. The Metaphor of Jacob’s Struggle (Genesis 32)

The biblical story of Jacob wrestling with God served as the sermon’s primary illustrative narrative for spiritual transformation.

• Jacob (Created): Represents humanity in its weakness, failure, and unrefined state. God’s act of “creating” (barah) Jacob signifies His divine, unprovoked grace and initiative. God approaches individuals in their brokenness.
• Israel (Formed): Represents the transformed person God intends one to be. The term “formed” (yatasar) implies a potter’s intentional shaping, highlighting God’s purpose and design for a person’s character and mission.
• The Wrestling Match: This struggle is not God trying to defeat a person, but to define them. It represents God’s persistent grip on a person’s life, even when it feels like resistance or opposition.
• The Limp: God touches Jacob’s hip, a source of his strength, to create dependence. The resulting limp is not a curse but a permanent, physical reminder of the divine encounter and the need to rely on God.
• Confession and Renaming: God asks Jacob his name not for information but for confession. By admitting he is “Jacob” (the deceiver), he opens the way for God to rename him “Israel” (prince with God). Transformation requires acknowledging the truth about one’s old self.
• Jabbok to Peniel: The experience transforms the location from “Jabbok” (the place of emptying) to “Peniel” (the face of God). This illustrates how places of personal struggle and emptiness become sites of divine encounter when God’s presence is recognized.

D. Key Quotes from the Sermon

• “Redemption does not begin with behavior; it begins with belonging.”
• “God doesn’t create perfected people; he perfects created people.”
• “God doesn’t wrestle to defeat us; he wrestles to define us.”
• “Transformation happens when pain is reinterpreted as God’s presence.”
• “You don’t get a new name until you tell the truth about the old one. That’s surrender.”
• “A limp with God… is better than strength without him. You see, God marks what he claims.”

IV. Church Announcements and Community Initiatives

Event/Initiative	Date(s)	Details
Church Potluck	Jan 3	Monthly fellowship meal held after the service.
Holiday Work Bee	Jan 4, 10:00 am	Volunteers needed to take down Christmas decorations and prepare the church for the upcoming Mission Sabbath.
MomCo Ministry	Jan 6, 6:00 pm	A ministry for mothers, held in the Fellowship Hall with childcare provided.
Couples’ Wedding Shower	Jan 10, 6:00 pm	A shower for Kenneth Denizard and Adainaliz Rodriguez at Landers’ Party Barn.
Mission Sabbath	Jan 17	Guest speaker will be Dr. Tom Evans, CEO of Child Impact International. Attendees are encouraged to wear national dress or mission T-shirts.
Hurricane Relief for Jamaica	Ongoing	Collecting lanterns, toiletries, diapers, and non-perishable foods (canned tuna, sardines, chicken, corned beef) to support families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Pathfinders	Jan 3, 2:00 pm	Youth program meeting.
Adventures	Starting in two weeks	Program for younger children.
Contribution Statements	End of December 2025	Statements will be emailed. Paper copies are available upon request to office@springmeadows.org.

V. Financial and Strategic Overview

A. Church Budget (July 2025 – June 2026)

A financial update as of the end of December 2025 was provided.

• Monthly Need: $93,185
• Monthly Received (Dec 2025): $88,254
• Monthly Shortfall (Dec 2025): -$4,931
• Year-to-Date Shortfall: -$67,256

B. “The Miracle Multiplied” Capital Campaign

The church is in the midst of a major fundraising initiative for its facilities.

• Goal: $3.3 Million
• Purpose: Mortgage Retirement
• Timeline: 3 years (2025–2028)
• Scriptural Theme: 2 Corinthians 9:10-11
• Call to Action: Members are encouraged to make a pledge via a provided QR code and link.