RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … The Colorado Indonesian American Seventh-day Adventist Church (CIASDA) in Denver, Colorado, celebrated a milestone on April 18 with a special 25th Anniversary day-long event.  Hundreds were in attendance of all ages hosting guests from across the globe.

While the celebration was held for anniversary of a single church, it was honored by many in the local and international Seventh-day Adventist Indonesian community, with all of the glory going to God and His works to make this day possible. The messages throughout the day were centered around the Bible verse from Romans 11:36 (NKJV):

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.

The event began with an Indonesian language worship service, followed by a Sabbath School lesson led by Praban Lim, CIASDA pastor. In his lesson, Lim warned of the dangers of pride and urged listeners to submit themselves to Jesus: “When you humble yourself, you can ask for Jesus. When you submit yourself, you see God. When you only see yourself, you never see Jesus.”

A final extended worship service was offered in English. Each service featured remarks, Bible memory verses, prayers, and special music from community leaders and members of the congregation. The special music ranged from a CIASDA youth team to a choir of over 50 people.

The featured sermon speakers included Roger Omallao Caderma, president of the of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) and SSD executive secretary Samuel Yotam Bindosano. The SSD is headquartered in Silang, Cavite, Philippines and representing 14 countries in southern Asia from Pakistan in the northwest to Indonesia in the southeast.

“This church has been sustained by God for 25 years. It’s all about what God has done in our lives,” Caderma expressed. “We have we have one heart, we have one vision, and we have one direction. In our journey, brothers and sisters, we can’t afford to go with the selected individuals only. Our children must be with us. And all of us are waiting for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Doug Inglish, Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) vice president of Administration, also provided special remarks and a prayer for continued blessings on the church’s mission. “It was wonderful to celebrate 25 years of service to the mission of the church with this congregation. Everyone was able to reflect on how God has led them, and I was privileged to join the local Indonesian pastors after the service as they talked about their plans to bring the message to the growing Indonesian community in Denver,” he reflected.

Following the cutting of a celebratory cake and Tumpeng, a traditional Indonesian rice dish symbolizing gratitude, prosperity, and harmony with God, was a fellowship meal with many cultural dishes.

The remainder of the event was centered around video testimonies and special music from the other four RMC Indonesian churches emceed by their lead pastors including Purasa Marpaung with the Rocky Mountain Indonesian American Church, Widy Gara with the First Denver Indonesian Church, Jani Pungus with the Indonesian Church, and Stanley Luntungan with the Mile High Indonesian Church.

Three Indonesian congregations in Denver metro area with membership in the Central States Conference—Lifehouse International Church, Indonesian Unity Church, and Maranatha Indonesian-American Church—joined in the celebration with their sister church.

Also present for the event were representatives from several RMC ministries including Hugo Guillen from Ministerial, Paul Negrete from Education, Marlene Poole from Women’s Ministries, Rick Mautz from Wellness Support, Haremy Cordova from Planned Giving and Trust Services, and Reuben Kahler and Natalie Negrete from RMC’s young adult ministry Vine + Branches.

—RMCNews. Photos by Liz Kirkland and Susan Inglish.