Jon Roberts

21 Oct

RMC ASSISTS WITH WILDFIRE RELIEF IN OREGON

By Cathy Kissner – Grants Pass, Oregon … Members of the Rocky Mountain Conference Adventist Community Service Disaster Rapid Response Leadership team were requested, on October 1, to assist the North Pacific Union Conference and the Oregon Conference in the recovery of the wildfires impacting the State of Oregon.

Their responsibility was to establish and oversee the opening of a multi-agency warehouse to assist the southern Oregon recovery from the wildfires, and to train members of the Oregon and North Pacific Union Conference.

“We were determined to complete the set-up in the time allotted,” Cathy Kissner, RMC ACS leader, said. “There were many obstacles that had to be met and overcome. The State of Oregon as well as the North Pacific Union Conference and Oregon Conference had never set up a Multi-Agency Warehouse.”

The group established the volunteer area, office, sorting, receiving, shipping and inventoried areas. The team wanted to make sure that when the operation of the warehouse was transferred to local leadership, they would be able to operate the multi-agency warehouse with minimal difficulty.

The team is concerned about the unfolding situation in Colorado and Wyoming with the ongoing wildfires.

“We are monitoring all the CO/WY fires. Larimer County has requested ACS DR to assist with donations management. The county is looking for a 55,000 square foot facility that can be used as a collection/distribution site as well as a staging area,” Kissner said.

To become a member of the Rapid Response Leadership requires classes in donation operation, multi-agency warehouse and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) classes on leadership. If you are interesting becoming a member please contact: Cathy Kissner at [email protected]

–Cathy Kissner is RMC director of Adventist Community Services; photos supplied

21 Oct

MHA STUDENTS WALK FOR FALL FUNDRAISER

By Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy students walked during the 2^nd annual walk-a-thon fundraiser for MHA’s annual fund.

The event took on a different look, due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions causing the daylong event to be divided in 90-minute block schedules for each cohort, with the event expanding over two days.

Laughter and cheers could be heard as the classes raced around the soccer field during the gathering held at the end of September.

Faculty, staff and volunteers were on the sidelines, cheering the students and passing out prizes including: sunglasses, stress balls, stickers and ice cream.

Participants wore a blue tie-dye 2020 walk-a-thon t-shirt, encouraging them to remain #MHAStrong.

Following Douglas County health guidelines, parents were allowed on campus to volunteer with helping count laps, handing out prizes and fellowshipping with students and teachers.

“As a parent that has always been heavily involved in volunteering on campus in years past, this year has proven to be a huge adjustment. With limited access to be able to be on campus this year due to COVID restrictions, I was ecstatic to learn of the opportunity to volunteer in-person for the school’s annual walk-a-thon,” Abby Helm, parent of three students, said.

“I felt a sense of normalcy helping with the event, and the excitement of my children seeing me back on campus volunteering was nothing short of heartwarming,” she added.

Pizza parties were awarded to the classes who raised the most donations through the competition. Individual awards were also awarded. The walk-a-thon was able to raise around $16,000 for the annual fund.

“The MHA team worked hard to develop a plan for a safe, fun event, one the students could enjoy while taking pride in helping the school raise money,” said Jocelyn Aalborg, MHA’s vice principal of finance and development.

— Karrie Myers is Mile High Academy’s communication assistant; photos supplied

21 Oct

Free from the Pit

By Karen Fettig – Manderson, Wyoming … Sheyenne was missing, and we went looking for her only to find her stuck in a hole of soupy mud. We worked feverishly to free her, pulling brush out with the tractor, paying no mind to the thorns gouging our hands as we ran the log chain around the brush. She fought and fought but the mud held her fast.

Finally, we accepted defeat and watched as beautiful Sheyenne started to go into shock. We knew we couldn’t get her out by ourselves. A neighbor had a track hoe and he was called. He came driving in the dark with only a flashlight to light his way as his lights weren’t working. Carefully he scooped the mud from beside her, the large bucket only inches from her body. She knew not to move. Finally, we were able to roll her out of that spot only to have her stuck again. We literally had to pull her out with the bucket and a rope. We finally got her on dry ground, and I piled on the blankets. Sheyenne kept trying to get up and, 24 hours later, she got up and walked to the corral.

Sheyenne has been part of Beneath Our Wings—a ministry in Wyoming that raises awareness about human trafficking. She, along with two other mules, have traversed Wyoming and through Montana to Canada. The reality of that scenario sank in that night as we tried to free her from the mud.

I thought of the hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked for sex each day in the U.S. at a profit of more than $16 million a day. Children being trafficked have a life expectancy of two to seven years. Many do not escape from the pit which holds them fast. Often when they are “used up,” they are killed, and their organs sold on the black market. It isn’t until someone recognizes their plight and rescues them that they can have hope. One of the first things traffickers do is “break” them. The victims then lose the will to fight and run.

How do children get sucked into being trafficked? Familiar trafficking (by someone known) is very common. Social media plays a big part in traffickers targeting children. They are predators and can recognize the vulnerable children. They know how to flatter a child and many times isolate him or her. The statistics reveal that many trafficked children have been through social services. Many do not have parents that care. Runaways will often be picked up by a trafficker within 48 hours.

That brings us to the question about what churches can do to help fight this horrific crime? Like Sheyenne, there are hundreds of thousands of children stuck in a pit from which they cannot free themselves.

For more information or to host a seminar in your area or local church, please contact Karen Fettig at [email protected], or visit our website at http://beneathourwings.com.

—Karen Fettig is founder of Beneath Our Wings; photos supplied.

17 Oct

GVR EVACUATED; WILDFIRE THREATENS

***UPDATED 11:00 p.m. Thursday, October 22***

RMCNews – Ward, Colorado … Glacier View Ranch is currently evacuated out of abundance of caution, due to the nearby Cal-Wood Fire.

The Cal-Wood fire has grown to over ten thousand acres, according the Boulder County Emergency Operations Center website. The fire has not made any forward movements toward GVR.

GVR staff hopes to gain access to the property, before the weekend to shut off the main water line and drain pipes to prevent frozen pipes due to the forecasted cold temperatures this weekend. GVR currently has no electricity due to the power being turned off by the fire crews.

“As of 11:58 a.m. [Sunday, October 18] the camp is secured and no damage has been reported,” Dan Hansen, director of camp ministries, said.

“With fires close to Glacier View Camp we need our members to be praying for our camp and all the people who live in the area. We believe everyone has evacuated from the camp. Please make this a priority in your prayers,” Ed Barnett, RMC President said.

Leaving GVR, Jessyka Dooley, RMC assistant youth director felt “a deep peace that no matter what happens, God’s got us.”

“GVR is such a special place to many of us, but what really makes it special is the people,” Dooley added.

The threat to the camp changes frequently as the Cal-Wood fire remains unpredictable in its movements. “It’s really too soon to say what the threat to camp is. We are not in a good location when you look at the fire maps. It really depends on how the wind blows and how much those on the front lines can contain,” Dooley, said.

“The threat to the physical camp is pretty high, but the threat to what camp really is, the ministry of camp, is nonexistent,” Dooley continued.

GVR will remain closed until further notice.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as soon as more details are available.

–Photos courtesy of Boulder County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page and Kiefer Dooley

15 Oct

WHEN MINISTRY IS CHALLENGING – AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

By Nathaniel Gamble — My words below reference pastors, but my message is meant for all Seventh-day Adventists, including lay members and leaders. It is a stark-but-necessary wake-up call that we need to be more interested in passionately and deeply loving Jesus than in hating and bullying each other. According to Jesus, the clearest witness to his deity and union with God is the unity and love of the Church (cf. John 17). When we lack these attributes, we become the best evidence that Jesus isn’t real. By the mercies of God, let us embrace the Advent mission to love Him and each other.

I am the pastor of three churches: a dying church, a church that is missionally paralyzed, and a church that has been divided since its inception – which, unfortunately, describes a large number of our churches. For each of these churches, I have spent the last two years working on refocusing their attention on Jesus so that He can give them increased love for Him, increased missional purpose and activity, and increased unity, respectively.

But my ministerial efforts have met with frequent challenges. In addition to the usual fights among church members over congregational resources, positions, and power, I have faced more insidious pushback to my ministry for the last several months: threats of death or bodily harm from church members about every other week (recently down from once a week); parishioners undermining my pastoral authority and Christian witness to get their way; efforts to spread lies and misinformation about me to other Adventist congregations and even to people who are not members of our church; belligerent messages from a sizable minority in my churches to stop talking so much about Jesus; and a general unwillingness by many to change, give up control of their lives and their churches, and allow Jesus to shape them into passionate disciples.

All of this can be very depressing and discouraging for a pastor. So, what am I doing to respond to these challenges, and what can you do if you’re facing similar challenges in your churches?

First, focus on what you can change, not on what you can’t. You might have made mistakes in trying to deal with these issues, but you are not the problem; these issues existed in your churches long before you got there. You can’t control other people or these situations, but you can control how you will respond to other people and these situations.

Second, preach the gospel to yourself. You tell others God loves them and wants a relationship with them, so sit under your own preaching. Copiously remind yourself that. God loves you, He thinks you’re pretty great, and He wants to spend time with you. You are what He thinks of you, not what others think of you.

Third, turn your churches over to Jesus. Jesus is the senior pastor of your churches, not you, so get out of the way! We Adventists love Jesus, but we sometimes love other things even more. Only Jesus can give us greater love for Himself, which means Jesus needs to be in control of you, your ministry, your people, and your church.

Finally, share your struggles with others. If you trust your Conference, tell them; if you trust your pastor cluster group, tell them. Don’t share to vent or get advice. Instead, share with people who you know love and care about you, so that God can use them to love you through the dark times and unite their prayers for you with those of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 8). And be thankful, which is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. God bless.

–Nathaniel Gamble is pastor in the Rocky Mountain Conference. Adapted from article initially published in RMC Pastor’s News, October 9.

15 Oct

WHIPPED CREAM, KARAOKE, FILMS, AND MEMORIES AT CAMPION FALL GATHERING

By Tiffany Dien – Loveland, Colorado … It was a “sea of flannel” as students gathered for fun, films, and food at the annual Campion Academy student association (SA) fall party.

The party centered around a short film festival where students watched both funny and serious videos complied by those who had gathered and focused on the theme fall and rise.

“Odalis and her team’s video was my favorite because it had a lot of meaning behind someone going through rough times, and Odalis was a really good actor,” said Lexi Davenport, Campion freshman.

Students lined up for popcorn and cotton candy.

SA members prepared games, including corn hole, gunny sack races, whipped cream eating competition, and glow-in-the-dark tic-tac-toe.

“The games were so much fun! I liked getting candy for participating even though I didn’t win. Also, I had a five-minute winning streak in the whipped cream competition. It was so fun and yummy,” said Airi Nomura, Campion junior.

The photo booth was a popular stop as friends commemorated the night with memories to cherish.

Andy Obregon, Campion senior, commented, “My favorite part of the party was the picture taking. Most of us seniors like to take our precious time with the photos and the whole process of taking one. One photo was the funniest part of that night.”

The evening concluded with karaoke as students took turns trying to sing-along to their favorite songs.

The senior class kept the Campion tradition alive when they took to the stage to sing Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again.”

Nelly Salinas, senior, said, “I was so happy our entire class sang together; it was also sad because I realized that this is my last year with these amazing people who have changed my life.”

–Tiffany Dien, is a senior at Campion Academy; photo supplied.

15 Oct

ADVENTIST SCHOOL’S HEALTH IS TIED TO HEALTH OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

RMCNews – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Meet Michael Armstrong. He has a weekend home in Manitou Springs, is married to a dental hygienist, has two children who graduated from Union College, walks to work, and loves working in education. Oh, did we mention? He is the new VP of academics at Mile High Academy, his fourth school in the Adventist education system. In Colorado, he was the head teacher and principal of Springs Adventist Academy in Colorado Springs from 2013 – 2017. Prior to returning to Colorado, he served as principal of Oceanside Adventist Elementary, overseeing 140 students and eight teachers in San Diego County.

Armstrong returned to RMC education after his wife, tiring of California, nudged him to move back to their home in Colorado. He accepted the role of VP of academics because he saw his skill set was needed at MHA. “When I came in February [for the job interview], and spent a day with the teachers, it was clear that my skills in leadership and mentoring were needed.”

Teacher job satisfaction is critical to any school’s future, Armstrong stated. “New teachers call and ask a professional colleague, ‘Should I go after this position? Should I apply?’ You must have happy, engaged teachers. Everything stems from that.”

Adventist education has many benefits–low student-teacher ratio, students creating lifelong relationships, and a Christ-centered curriculum. Retention rates from eighth grade to ninth grade is vital for Armstrong. “We have to somehow create a school culture where kids get it, they identify with it, they love it, and they want to stick with us through twelfth grade. These days, some kids are burning out by seventh grade. We must train students in leadership and character.”

Adventist education shouldn’t be run just as a business, but more as educational outreach to the community. “Children get more from our school than just an education. It’s the Christian component. It leads into the community through outreach, engagement, and strong memories,” Armstrong commented.

The health of Adventist schools is tied directly to the health of the local church Armstrong believes. “I feel strongly that if the schools aren’t doing well, then our churches aren’t doing well, and vice versa.”

Armstrong sees that growing constituent churches is the key to building a strong future for MHA. “I think if we were able to resonate more effectively with more churches, we’d have more [constituent churches]. Building this will require strong relationships between churches and the school. The Denver area is primed for growth in this area as pastors and the Mile High team have been growing together already this year.”

One of Armstrong’s main goals is to contribute to a continued positive culture growth at Mile High Academy. “It has to start with a supportive teacher environment where the teachers feel like they have been empowered. This will lead to student engagement.”

–Photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

14 Oct

LOYALISTS VS. PATRIOTS. A MATCH-UP 244 YEARS IN THE MAKING TAKES PLACE AT MHA

By Amelia Eno – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … History came alive for Mile High Academy as tenth grade students were divided into American Revolution groups–Loyalists and Patriots.

The sophomores studying the Revolutionary War were tasked with researching and forming arguments for a debate. Students were to face off as Loyalists and Patriots from 1776 by putting themselves in the shoes of our founding fathers and revolutionary fighters.

The question: Should the colonies fight for independence or stay loyal to Britain?

Language arts teacher, Jenni Eno, instructed the class about different ways of speaking, and history teacher, Rebecca Berg, directed students on how to find sources and to build a solid argument.

“Jenni and I had spoken about a cross-curricular project such as this and were excited to finally make it happen. We were very proud of our students, the hard work they put in, and both the knowledge they gained and their sharp debate skills,” said Berg.

The debates began with the students finding holes in the opposing team’s arguments and passing written points of argument to teammates. Each student addressed their classmates with passion and pride when it was their turn to debate.

The exercise concluded with the pupils voting for the winner, choosing the Loyalists, who utilized strong information and an emotional speech element called “pathos”. The Loyalists may have won, but the Patriots left with their spirits high.

The class expressed excitement to have held such an amazing debate and to have finished it with such success.

MHA sophomore and Patriot team member Seth Waller said, “It was exciting to see all of the different arguments people came up with. I had fun!”

Click on one of the following links to view the debates: Debate #1 and Debate #2.

—Amelia Eno is in the tenth grade at Mile High Academy; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

14 Oct

STUDENTS PROVE THEY CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT CELL PHONES

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Campion Academy boys dorm surrendered their cell phones and other electronic devices to disconnect for a weekend and to deepen friendships among each other through fellowship and face-to-face communication, while growing deeper in their spiritual faith.

How did students react to surrendering their devices?

“It was refreshing, because all the guys were willing to hang out and do stuff together,” Isaac Avila, Campion student said.

The theme for the escape-from-the-world retreat was leadership and how everyone is a leader, not just those with a leadership title. Pastor Michael Goetz talked about how men are important leaders, and videos on leadership l, and how we can be leaders without even knowing it was shown.

“Each and every one of us is a leader, and we must let God influence us to be the best leaders,” Jayden Anggormas, Campion senior, said.

Student participants awoke Sabbath morning to a competitive game of Bible trivia.

“My favorite part of the dorm retreat was the Bible trivia,” commented Kevin Perez, Campion senior. “I enjoyed working with my team to try to find the answers for the questions, and although we tied, it was still fun.”

Later in the day, the guys broke into several different groups for a photo scavenger hunt. Each group was given a sheet of paper with riddles to solve. When they solved the riddle, it explained the type of picture the group was to take at various locations around campus.

The weekend retreat concluded with a capture the flag battle in the dark.

“I definitely loved playing capture the flag with all of the boys in the dorm,” explained Angel Villalobos, Campion junior. “All the strategies and plans the boys would come up with surprised me and made me want to give it my all. It was a great time of togetherness!”

–Jayce Treat is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied.

13 Oct

WHEN “ALL OF IT” IS FAVORITE IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION AT SPRINGS ACADEMY

By Michelle Velbis – Colorado Springs, Colorado … Building forts, bird watching, hiking, playing in a stream, building windmills, and learning about renewable resources…sound like a day at school?

For six students at Springs Adventist Academy (SAA), this was part of their outdoor education field trip to the Catamount Institute in Colorado Springs.

What was their favorite part? “All of it,” said fifth grader, Andrew Parris.

Michelle Velbis, principal and middle school teacher at SAA commented on outdoor school: “I have a classroom of six young men, so getting them outside learning about their environment and interacting with it and each other was about as educational and fun as you can get.”

Some of the boys had never built forts outside before and were enjoying themselves while learning. “Building the shelter and learning some survival skills was my favorite part of the field trip,” commented Elonzo Lujan, seventh grader.

“Watching the young people work together to build forts was really nice to see,” said Sylvia Jaramillo, grandmother to students at SAA.

“Being out in nature and reinforcing our science and Bible lessons was such a blessing. During this time of COVID-19 and other stressful events, it felt right to let the young people find some reprieve from all of that and soak up God’s creation,” said Velbis.

—Michelle Velbis is principal and middle school teacher at Springs Adventist Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; photos supplied

Jon Roberts Page 68