Jon Roberts Page 55

05 Feb

LA VIDA MISSION STAFF SURPRISED RECIPIENTS OF COVID-19 VACCINE

In

By Dorie Panganiban – Crownpoint, New Mexico … People have different reactions toward the Covid-19 vaccine. While some are hesitant and skeptical, others look forward to being vaccinated and are waiting patiently for their turn after the healthcare workers, frontliners, and elders are served.

Who would think that the staff at La Vida Mission would have the privilege of receiving their first dose of the vaccine without even planning for it? “It was a sweet surprise to several of us to be included in the process through the courtesy of Indian Health Services Healthcare Facility in Crownpoint, New Mexico,” said Dorie Panganiban, La Vida Mission office manager and outreach director.

“On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 27, I got a phone call from IHS-Crownpoint Healthcare Facility offering vaccines to our mission staff. I was told they have been working with La Vida Mission and recognize the Mission as their partner in serving the community through its many outreach programs and its school that serves their children.”

The Health Services Center thought about us and reserved some shots for those of our missionaries who wish to receive one. The list of those wanting to be vaccinated was gathered in less than an hour so that it could be submitted to the hospital for the morning of the following day. “We went and received our vaccines along with frontline workers and Navajo elders,” Dorie explained.

Our organization was recognized for its ministry because of the partnership with the Navajo community that La Vida Mission Community Outreach and Healthy Lifestyle Education Programs has created with the different services of the Navajo Nation office. “There are times when the community recognizes us in a surprising way,” Dorie added.

“The Mission is grateful to the Indian Health Services Crownpoint Healthcare Facility for their service to us and thanks God for making it all possible. When asked for the cost to our staff, the representative said, ‘You will not pay because you serve our people,’” Panganiban said.

–Dorie Panganiban is La Vida Mission office manager and outreach director; photo supplied

04 Feb

BAKING BREAD IN BIBLE CLASS AT VISTA RIDGE ACADEMY

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By Marsha Bartulec – Erie, Colorado … Third and fourth graders at Vista Ridge Academy finished studying the story of Ruth in their Bible class based on the Encounter Elementary Curriculum. The learning objectives for the unit included becoming familiar with the biblical story of Ruth; understanding the ideas of hospitality, loyalty and caring for others, and introducing the agricultural way of life that was prevalent in Ruth’s time: the planting, harvesting, and use of wheat for food.

Rebecca Murdoch, the 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th grade Bible teacher, started the unit by giving everyone a little bag of wheat berries, watching a video on how wheat was historically harvested, and then giving students the opportunity to “grind” the wheat berries into “wheat flour” at little stations around the classroom. The students soon realized how long it takes to grind flour, and how long it must take to plant and harvest it. They could not imagine waiting that long to make something like bread or flour cakes, or something else that Ruth’s family probably ate.

At the end of each unit is a celebration of the unit’s completion. Rebecca thought baking bread with the students would be a fun application. When Rebecca mentioned this to Wanda Hart, the school office manager, Wanda told her about a bread-in-a-bag recipe she had done with VBS kids that was a success.

“I wanted Rebecca to finish the unit with something that would make the kids feel accomplished which they could take home with them after the work they put into it,” said Wanda.

Together, they planned the bread-in-a-bag activity. They bought the ingredients, prepared ingredient bags for each of the students, and walked them through the process in class. Each student had their own zip-lock bag which they filled with ingredients, then mixed and kneaded the dough. After class, teachers let the dough rise, baked it, and showed the students pictures of the process before handing out their beautifully-baked mini-bread loaves.

“I was pleasantly surprised at how attentive students were. They wanted to make sure they did everything correctly in order not to wreck the bread. They asked a lot of questions and were pretty dedicated to kneading the bread for the full amount of time required,” said Rebecca.

At the end of the activity, a couple students said this was their “favorite Bible class we have ever done.” And one said they wanted “to do stuff like this all the time”.

Rebecca appreciated Wanda’s suggestion and posted the bread-in-a-bag recipe on the Encounter Elementary Curriculum Facebook group page so that other teachers could use the idea for this unit. “A few teachers responded they are going to try this activity with their class, so I’m excited to hear how it goes for them as well,” she explained.

For the next unit, third and fourth graders are learning about religion. Students will be able to answer the questions, “What is religion?”, “Are there other religions and which religions do our families come from?” This unit will allow students to identify their personal beliefs at this point in their lives.

–Marsha Bartulec is the vice principal of administration at Vista Ridge Academy. Photos by Rebecca Murdock.

04 Feb

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL: CAMPION TEACHERS SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION IN THE PANDEMIC

In

By Sami Hodges – Loveland, Colorado … Classes still begin at their scheduled times, but that is about the only thing which has stayed the same for teachers at Campion Academy. Having to jump back and forth from in-person learning to a virtual classroom, and sometimes a mix of both, teachers are having to adapt in more ways than one.

Teachers are having to keep up with constantly-updating safety precautions and to remain flexible with sudden changes to their everyday routines. One day, they could be giving a lecture in the classroom; and the very next day, they may find themselves leading class from their kitchen table.

One thing is certain: teachers have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Jill Harlow, Spanish and English teacher, describes a little bit of what her days look like. “When I walk into my classroom, I’m running around sanitizing the desks, trying to switch on Zoom while students are walking in, and thinking to myself, ‘Ok what am I doing in class today, and what can I do to engage those one or two students on Zoom?”

This pandemic has challenged both new and experienced teachers.

Cindy Santana, who has been teaching at Campion since 2005, has come across many obstacles in the jump between virtual and in-person education. “Just using Zoom was a learning curve,’’ Santana commented. “Teaching for nine hours, grading, and doing the prep on top of all that makes for long days. When everybody’s here, you are a team; you have readers and other teachers to bounce ideas off of, but when we’re all on Zoom, we kind of operate in a vacuum. Sometimes, you feel like you’re going it alone.”

Campion’s chaplain and Bible teacher Nancy Meszaros, in her second year of teaching, has learned to use a variety of presentation tools to keep students interacting, but still recognizes the challenge the socially-distanced classroom presents. “I feel like sometimes my creative juices are no longer there. I want class to still be fun and engaging, but with so many regulations that always change, it’s hard to keep track and can be really draining.”

As the director for spiritual activities on campus, Meszaros added, “Another thing that has been difficult with this pandemic has been trying to find creative activities and programming to reach students spiritually. A lot of activities require mingling and close interaction, and we can’t do those things anymore.”

In spite of all the challenges, teachers have stayed positive and continue to make learning as engaging as possible.

“God has blessed us through everything. All of us have learned to adapt. Students are still learning, and teachers are still forming positive relationships with them. Even online, we can laugh or have deep spiritual conversations that bring us together. And there is light at the end of the tunnel–we are all looking forward to being back on campus together in the coming weeks,” Harlow said.

–Sami Hodges is a senior at Campion Academy; photo supplied

28 Jan

2020 ENDS WITH MINIMAL IMPACT ON RMC FINANCES

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By RMCNews – Denver, Colorado …  At the beginning of 2020, none of us ever dreamed that beginning in March, the world as we know it would change so dramatically. As the pandemic gained momentum, conference administrators across North America were wondering how mission would be impacted. How would education be delivered, how would church be done, and what would happen to our camp programs.

“It was very difficult to even know how to project the potential negative impact on tithe or other sources of revenue,” said George Crumley, RMC VP for finance. “A 1% negative impact would have been a decrease in available tithe to Rocky Mountain Conference of $109,810. Assuming our worst scenario of a 20% decrease, that would have negatively affected conference-available tithe by $2,196,200,” he commented.

Crumley further commented, “Sadly, all of us have been directly impacted in one way or the other–the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, contraction of the disease ourselves, a different way of worshipping and of doing school. Yet through all of this, God has been helping us.”

Now that 2020 is behind us, “I want to express my appreciation to all of you for being regular in your tithes and offerings. As we ended the year, the conference total tithe was down by 4.35% for 2020 when compared to 2019.  This is because total tithe includes windfalls which consist of unusual and non-recurring tithe of $50,000 or more, and in 2019, our windfalls totaled $1,176,313 whereas our 2020 windfalls amounted to $389,539—thus, the decrease in total tithe. But our base tithe, which we budget from was only down .03% or basically breakeven,” Crumley explained.

This is an amazing result considering all that we have been through. It could have been much worse. For the North American Division, their total tithe, including windfalls, was up 1.71%.

At this stage, no one knows the long-term impact on the economy and unemployment as we look ahead into 2021 and beyond. “We do need to be prudent in the management of the resources God has entrusted us with. What we do know is that many are hurting and looking for answers in these unstable times. This presents an opportunity for us, as individuals and as a church, to minister to those in need,” Crumley expressed.

The leadership of RMC express their gratitude to church members who have been faithful. “May the Lord continue to guide you and your families in the days ahead,” Crumley commented.

–RMCNews; photo by UnSplash

28 Jan

PATHFINDER CAMPOREE ON THE MOVE FROM WISCONSIN TO WYOMING

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By RMCNews – Gillette, Wyoming … For one week in August 2024, the population of Gillette, Wyoming, will more than double in size. The 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee organizers are hoping to welcome more than 50-thousand Adventist youth and young adults gathering for one of the largest convocations in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The International Camporee Executive Advisory Committee voted on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 to move from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to Gillette, Wyoming. The decision will allow for more outdoor activities and space to gather.

The news was welcomed with excitement and eagerness by the small Gillette church of 30 members.

“I think the best way to describe their reaction is similar to the way I reacted–both surprised and shocked. Yet this gives us an excellent opportunity to reach the community around us,” Lester Bentley, pastor for the Northeastern Wyoming District said. “This gives us a genuinely unique opportunity to bring together our outstanding Adventist youth from around the world to impact our community in and around Gillette positively. Some of the comments I heard were, “This is great; we won’t have to travel this time.” Others said, “Why Gillette?” My favorite reaction was, “Wow!”

The RMC youth department echoed the Gillette church’s sentiment.

“Looks like we’re going to more than double the population of Gillette in 2024! It will be a fun time for so many Pathfinders to see a part of our conference and have the opportunity to travel through beautiful places on their way to the International Pathfinder Camporee,” commented Jessyka Dooley, RMC assistant youth director.

Kiefer Dooley, RMC youth director, was surprised at the announcement. “Honestly, I was a bit shocked to hear that the International Pathfinder Camporee was moving locations! Having the gathering in Oshkosh had become so expected that it seems like most everyone had been referring to the event itself as “Oshkosh.” I guess “Gillette” can come to have the same ring to it in the future!”

“We’ll look forward to being generous and supportive hosts to what will be the third largest population center in Wyoming over the course of the Camporee week. Our hope is that those gathered will enjoy their time and not only draw closer to Jesus, but be respectful, beneficial, and a blessing to the people of Gillette,” Kiefer added.

Still a few years to go before they welcome the Pathfinders, the Gillette church is making plans to reach out to the community prior to 2024.

“We have an outreach planned this summer with a youth pastor from North Carolina who will present a one-week revival series designed for people from late teens to early ’30s. Several from the community around Gillette have had the opportunity to hear him speak at the winter retreat held each year at Mills Spring Ranch in Casper. We are anxious to have him come and spend a week with us this coming June,” Bentley said.

Kiefer added, “Having the Camporee come to our territory is exciting, but it doesn’t change the mission and the work we have set before us. We anticipate that we’ll work closely with the Camporee boards and planning committees, help to coordinate RMC club participation as needed, adjust summer camp dates if necessary, and work with the Camporee organizers to utilize Summer Camp staff as Camporee staff. I’m sure that there will be a lot more to do as the dates draw nearer. Until then, we’ll continue to put our best efforts into supporting our youth ministry initiatives conference wide so that when 2024 comes, our Pathfinder organization is robust, thriving, and able to bring our youth closer to Jesus through the Camporee experience.”

The “Believe the Promise” camporee will be held at the Cam-Plex complex August 4 – 11, 2024.

–RMCNews; photo supplied

27 Jan

WASHING, FOLDING, AND IRONING KEY TO SUCCESS AT MHA

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By Jon Roberts – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Sixth graders at Mile High Academy are quickly learning that doing laundry and putting it away is not just a chore at home, but the way to receive an “A” in their Life Skills class.

During the first unit of the class, students each washed four loads of laundry, folded the clothes and put them away and successfully ironed one dress shirt.

Life Skills teacher, Christina Hernandez, explains the class content: “Students are taught to use the washer and dryer that are at the school and run a load for the athletics department. Their “homework” is to complete four [more] loads by washing, drying, folding, and putting away laundry for their family. They learn how to iron a button-down dress shirt in class. They each bring (or I supply) a shirt to practice on. They will then have a test that shows their skills in ironing.”

The class, however, has had some surprises, according Hernandez. “The funniest reaction I’ve seen this year is that students had no idea that the iron uses water and causes vapor to come out.”

Even with the surprises, the class is well received.

“Some students really enjoy this unit as it is hands on. They also like the fact that they are earning their “laundering” patch for Pathfinders,” Hernandez said.

While students appreciate the unit on laundry, they are keen to the responsibility that comes with learning this skill.

Brodie Philpott, parent of sixth grader, commented “One of the drawbacks [of the Life Skills class] is now she [his daughter] has to do her own laundry, and she knows that she doesn’t want to buy clothes that she has to iron!”

Students are looking forward to the next unit when they will learn how to cook. For some, it may be a class on how to be a contestant on the popular Food Network show “Worst Cooks in America.”

–Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; photo supplied

26 Jan

RMC CONGREGATIONS JOIN GLOBAL PRAYER EVENT

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RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … In the month of January, several RMC congregations joined with scores of churches around the world in the “10 Days of Prayer” event. Church members were challenged to focus on the love of God, surrendering to Him, and focusing on the Holy Spirit to fill hearts with God’s love.

Some church members may be asking:  What’s the big deal about praying with others?

For Randy Bell, Brighton church member, the answer was clear, “I’m a software engineer. Part of the reason I chose this career is because I don’t HAVE to do presentations. For some reason this year, the Holy Spirit nudged me to lead out a night during the 10 Days of Prayer. So, I told the pastor I’d help.”

“I was given night two about God’s love, which also included the story of the prodigal son.  Great, I thought, I’ve heard that story a thousand times. How can God do anything new with it? But when I began to really ask God to show Himself to me, and when I led out and we began to pray that night, I sensed the Holy Spirit connecting with the people as we prayed together. When we were done, I texted the pastor to ask if he had any more nights available to lead out. I told him, ‘I just can’t explain it–-that was cool! Can it happen again?’” Randy added.

Campion church prayer coordinator, Tenisha Tavares, shared how it impacted the members of her church. “When asked on the last night what had changed in their life during the past ten days, many said it motivated them to have a deeper prayer life. They experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit during the time we had together and wanted to continue that outpouring in their personal devotional time with God.”

If you didn’t have the opportunity to experience 10 Days of Prayer during January, you can still participate. The resources can be found at www.tendaysofprayer.org and are available throughout the year.

–RMCNews; photos supplied

26 Jan

PUEBLO FIRST CELEBRATES 13 YEARS OF MINISTRY AT 105.9 FM

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RMCNews with Delbert Hayden – Pueblo, Colorado … The Pueblo First Adventist Church celebrated 13 years of reaching out to the community, on January 13, through their low-powered FM radio station.

The radio studio, equipment, and tower are located on the grounds of the church where church members have volunteered hundreds of hours to make and keep the radio station an option for the community.  Currently,  several volunteers fill various positions to make sure the station remains on the air.

The target audience for the station, according to their website, “is listeners in both the city of Pueblo as well as the suburbs where evangelism may not be present.”  Anton Kapusi, pastor of Pueblo First church said, “We are working on surveying the city of Pueblo in different ways, but based on what we have right now, we estimate that several thousand people in Pueblo are regularly listening to our radio station.”

Hope Radio Pueblo is the second longest-running, low-power Adventist radio station to be put on the air in the United States. The station, according to Delbert Hayden, president of Hope Radio Pueblo, only survives by prayer, talent contributions and donations.

“At one time, by the sale of a car donated by a listener from the community, we were able to pay our bills and continue broadcasting. Truly, God works in many ways if our faith and trust is in Him and we are striving to do His will,” Hayden comments.

In late 2019, the church built a radio studio to program local broadcasts. At this time, prayer meeting, Bible study group, and Sabbath worship, along with locally-produced devotionals and book readings are available through the station.

Kapusi hopes for Hope Radio of Pueblo “to be completely self-sufficient” without the need to rely on other programs produced outside of Colorado to fill the gaps. When local programming is not available, the station airs praise and worship music along with programs from other Adventist-owned radio ministries.

The radio station has even brought visitors to church. “Through the years, we’ve had several people come to church through the programs. The most recent person was Becky McEvoy, a young mother of three who, convicted of the Sabbath through [programs] on the Hope Radio, was looking for a church.”

In 2020, the website states, they received interests from the community in Bible correspondence schools. “Our studio has a correlation with our Bible correspondence schools, through which our listeners can communicate with us at Hope Radio. We have received many phone calls, emails, and letters from our listeners this year.”

Hayden concludes, “We are very proud to be a part of this missionary adventure and are always looking to improve the station so it will present to the public the great God of heaven.”

The future looks bright, according to Kapusi. “Our finances are strong, the vision is strong, and we are moving to a digital platform where we can expend our influence all around the world.”

–RMCNews with Delbert Hayden, president of Hope Radio Pueblo; photo supplied

25 Jan

OPINION: Beyond Conspiracies and Speculative Assumptions

In

By John Skrzypaszek — What a year of unexpected challenges! COVID-19 pressured us to change the way we live and work. The global impact, apocalyptic scenes of gloom and doom, loss of lives, unrest in the economy and politics built up our fears.

Sadly, many have jumped on the conspiracy theory bandwagon, creating a range of speculative assumptions about the future.

In the past three months, the questions I received about last-day events caused me to wonder whether we truly believe God is in control of our future or just in the fancy of speculative assumptions. Social media is filled with topics that seem intended to scare people to heaven. Quotes from Ellen White’s writings are used out of context to support personal conjectures.

These questions challenged me to examine the essence or purpose of the prophetic voice, both from a biblical perspective and the inspired and inspirational voice in Ellen White’s writings.

Biblical Perspective

The Bible describes a specific purpose for the prophetic voice.

First, the prophetic voice provides a pathway of secure, inspirational focus that nurtures our spiritual life. It imparts comfort, encouragement, and hope secured in the reliability of the prophetic message (1 Cor. 14:3; 2 Pet. 1:19).

Second, the essence, or the heart, of the prophetic voice unfolds the panoramic view of God’s saving acts through Jesus. It takes the human mind away from the fear of events driven by the fancy of varied interpretations. Instead, it calls attention to the climactic event — the Messianic event (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Third, it offers an environment for transformational change, which motivates believers to recapture the depth of God’s incomprehensible love and care in places where our lives get difficult and we can’t see God working (1 Pet. 1:18-21; Isa. 40:9-11).

No wonder Peter’s conviction about the steadfastness of the prophetic voice moves beyond the framework of speculative ideas. “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were the eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16, NIV). Peter’s account affirms the trustworthiness of God’s unfailing promises.

Commenting on the purpose of God’s communicative intent in Hebrews 1:1-3, theologian F. F. Bruce asserts, “Had God remained silent, enshrouded in thick darkness, the plight of mankind would have been desperate indeed; but now He has spoken His revealing, redeeming and life-giving word, and in His light we see light.”1 He expands his thought even deeper, stating that “divine revelation is thus seen to be progressive — but the progression is not from less true to more true, from less worthy to more worthy, or from less mature to the more mature…. The progression is one from promise to fulfillment.”

God’s involvement in human life encompasses the overarching development of the Messianic promise given to Adam and Eve in the context of fear and confusion (Gen. 3:15). Touching the dirt of human life, God provided comfort and encouragement flowing from His assuring presence and the hope embedded in the Messianic promise. The ongoing purpose of the prophetic voices reminded people about the trustworthiness of God’s promise, and it challenged them to accommodate a visionary view of the Messianic hope (Isa. 42:5-7). A time came when, through Jesus, God touched the dirt of human life again to impart comfort, encouragement, and hope. No wonder that in the context of His promised return (John 14:1-3), Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV).

It’s so easy to lose focus on the central element of the Christian faith, namely, the full wealth of spiritual depth embedded in Jesus, the promised Messiah (2 Pet. 1:3, 4).

The Jesus narrative is the fulcrum of Christian comfort, encouragement, and hope. Here one finds the essence of the prophetic voice, which unfolds the panoramic view of God’s saving acts. The Messianic story takes the human mind away from the fear of events, driven by the fancy of varied interpretations. Instead, it challenges us to recapture the depth of God’s incomprehensible care and love, which gently nurtures faith in the places where life becomes difficult. Such a voice continues to remind the church about the trustworthiness of Christ’s promised return (Heb. 10:35–37) entrenched in the reliable authority of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:16, 17).

Ellen White’s Perspective

Why was it expedient for God to raise a prophetic voice in the 19th century? How relevant is that voice to the ongoing journey of faith?

Ellen White clearly understood the essence of her prophetic voice. In 1901 she wrote, “The Lord desires you to study your Bibles. He has not given any additional light to take the place of His Word.”2 Further, she understood her relation to the authority of the Bible. “The Spirit was not given — nor can it be bestowed — to supersede the Bible, for the Scriptures explicitly state that the Word of God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.”3

Her voice encouraged the movement to immerse life experience in the power of God’s Word. “I have felt to urge upon all the necessity of searching the Scripture for themselves that they may know the truth, and may discern more clearly the compassion and love of God…. There is one central truth to be kept before the mind in searching of the Scriptures: Christ and Him crucified.”4

Her voice shaped a motivational and inspirational framework of God’s designed purpose for Christian living. It called upon the meandering movement to live a spiritually relational life, anchored in the teachings of Jesus, and to demonstrate to the world the transformational impact of God’s grace.

Finally, her emphasis on God’s love and the trustworthiness of His promises aimed to inspire a spiritually missional life.

In the context of her progressive understanding of God’s unconditional love for the world expressed through Jesus, Ellen White expanded the view of mission. It moved beyond the proclamation of specific distinctive doctrines. From about 1900, Ellen White called for an all-inclusive engagement in the mission “not merely by preaching but the deeds of loving ministry.”5 The challenge to an inclusive engagement was a calling to pastors, medical doctors, nurses, teachers, students, and people from every profession and walk of life to share the knowledge of Jesus.6

Ellen White’s prophetic voice focuses on Jesus and provides a view of the practical application of faith. “The work Christ came to do in our world was not to create barriers and constantly thrust upon the people the fact that they were wrong. Though He was a Jew, He mingled freely with the Samaritans, setting at naught the Pharisaic customs of His nation. In the face of their prejudices, He accepted the hospitality of these despised people. He slept with them under their roofs, ate with them at their tables — partaking of the food prepared and served by their hands — taught in their streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy.”7

Her voice challenges the church to sway away from a speculative assumption about the future, arising from a reactionary response to current events. Instead, it calls the movement to recapture the power of God’s transforming grace, to maintain an implicit trust in His unfailing promises, and to wait in full confidence for His return. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay’” (Heb. 10:35-37, NIV). Further, her voice highlights that “in time[s] of confusion and trouble before us, a time of trouble as has not been since there was a nation, the uplifted Savior will be presented to the people in all lands, that all who look to Him in faith may live.”8

— –John Skrzypaszek, DMin, has written for Mountain Views and has recently retired as the director of the Ellen White/Seventh-day Adventist Research Center, and is a lecturer at Avondale University College (2005-2020), Cooranbong, NSW, Australia. Polish by birth, John takes a keen interest in heritage, spirituality and identity studies. He is married to Brenda and has two sons, Raphael and Luke. Email him at: [email protected]

The original version of this commentary was Adventist Record republished by Adventist Review.

1. F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012), 1, 2.
2. Ellen G. White, Letter 130, 1901, p. 1.
3. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy(Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911), vii.
4. Ellen G. White, “Circulation of the Great Controversy,” Ms. 31, 1890, para. 14
5. Ellen G. White, “Enter the Cities,” Ms. 7, 1908 (Feb. 24, 1908), para. 3.
6. Ellen G. White, “How Much Owest Thou Unto My Lord?” Ms. 79, May 1, 1899.
7. Ellen G. White, “Our Duty Toward the Jews,” Ms. 87, August 16, 1907.
8. Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1904), 50.

21 Jan

PASTORS BUILD HOME FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

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RMCNews with Campion pastoral team – Loveland, Colorado … The Campion church pastors put the Bible verse “Build your house on the rock” into action by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity during the month of December.

Campion ministers invested not only in words, but committed themselves to lead with action. Collectively, they served on the board of the local House of Neighborly Services, the faith committee of Habitat for Humanity, and as chaplains for the local police department. At least once a year, as part of the team’s advance planning, they take a day to grab tool belts and gloves and lend their energy toward building a house with Habitat for Humanity.

These community connections are important for the outreach of the church.

In the opinion of Nestor Soriano, evangelism and worship pastor, the hard work of assisting in construction is worth it. “What a blessing it is to know that through my little efforts, I made a difference for a family in need.”

It’s not just about the studs and sheetrock, but about the family who will receive the home, explained Michael Morss, discipleship pastor. “It’s always a privilege to partner with Habitat for Humanity and to pray, while working, that God blesses the family that receives this home.”

Micheal Goetz, senior pastor, comments that taking a day to build a home is part of their mission. “The Campion church is the combination of two parishes, campus and community. With that, two of the essential activities of our team include interaction with our students and participation in a local organization. Individually, we look for ways that express our gifts and passions.”

-RMCNews with the Campion pastoral team; photo supplied

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