Jon Roberts Page 81

05 Aug

BIBLE STUDY LEADS FORMER INMATE TO BAPTISM IN GRAND JUNCTION

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By Nate Skaife –Grand Junction, Colorado … Learning how to read in jail using the Bible as a textbook led the newest member of the Grand Junction church to baptism and the public declaration of Jesus as his Savior.

To witness Russell Adam’s confession of his love for and acceptance of Jesus, as many as 50 believers from the Grand Junction church gathered on July 25 by a lake at a secluded piece of property owned by a member.

Russell’s incredible journey began while he was in jail and a friend suggested he contact Dave and Elaine Phillips.  After several Bible studies by correspondences, Russell was released from jail and continued studying with Dave and Elaine, but now face to face.

The Phillipses joined Russell in the lake during his baptism, a gesture that made the experience especially meaningful.

“Last Sabbath afternoon we celebrated with all of heaven as Russell Adams made a public declaration of his decision to follow Christ through baptism,” said Nate Skaife, Grand Junction pastor. God has been working in Russell’s life in powerful ways, even giving him victory over chains that have bound him,” Pastor Skaife explained.  “He has an amazing testimony of how God has worked in his life and continues to do so. The Phillipses have been part of Russell’s journey with Jesus and had the pleasure of participating in his baptism.”

Many other individuals are studying to be baptized. Soon, the Grand Junction family will gather again to celebrate those walks toward becoming faith believers.

–Nate Skaife is pastor of the Grand Junction church; photo courtesy of Grand Junction church newsletter.

To view a video of the baptism please click here

04 Aug

EXCITING GVR MOUNTAIN BIKE PROGRAM EXPANDED; BUMPS AND BRUISES TO COME

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By Jon Roberts – Ward, Colorado … Three months of planning and hard work concluded on the evening of July 30 when the newest attraction at Glacier View Ranch, a pump bike track named Shredders’ Pump Track was dedicated.

Without campers at GVR this summer, it was possible for improvements and enhancements to be made. Nathaniel Sanches and Camden Griggs, summer camp staff, using the extra time, worked to fulfill a dream they had for an empty lot that had been reserved for growing dirt.

Working tirelessly during this time, they made what seemed like endless early-morning trips down the mountain to buy supplies at the local home improvement store. The cheers and smiles from the 25 individuals who gathered for the dedication showed these two young adults that their efforts were well worth it.

The pump bike track that they created is an obstacle course of ramps, rocks, and small mounds intended to challenge the most avid mountain biker.

Shredder’s track will not only be an exciting feature at GVR camp, but will invigorate the mountain bike program.

“It is going to be a great part of our mountain biking program. For the more advanced riders, we will use more of a single-track area,” Jessyka Dooley, Rocky Mountain Conference assistant youth director said. “This is a great area for kids with zero bike experience or with a lot of bike experience that they all can enjoy.”

The uniqueness of the track gained the attention of the Mid-American Union Conference youth director, Roger Wade who flew in from Lincoln, Nebraska for the event.

“I need to let the young people know that the church backs them, supports them, especially in a time when they are asking what the church is about–are we important? Is this important for us?” Wade commented. “I’m hoping to take the idea of giving our young adults the opportunity to show their skills, because the passion is not just with the pump track concept, but with the other things that they may be able to do and be able to give back to the church to make their offering to the community and to our young people a greater one.”

When exploring different improvement ideas to focus on this summer, they realized that the pump track was a component that was needed and could benefit future camp programs.

“We have a mountain biking program already. We have invested in bikes and we have invested in a place to store the bikes, but we didn’t have a great location on the property to teach kids how to use the bikes in a way that was skill appropriate and fun, other than riding around on the road,” Kiefer Dooley, RMC youth director said. “This was something that would work to expand the program that we already had going. In a way, that now gives the kids something that is going to challenge them, but is actually staged in levels from novice to expert so they can be building skills in mountain biking.”

The designers and creators of this experience added unique features you won’t find elsewhere.

“Wooden teeter totter is unique; you don’t see that at too many bike parks,” explained Nathan Sanches, creator of the track. “We made it out of old gears and rods. We used a lot of natural features including the railroad ties. Everything here is natural, except for the berms. The wooden berms are cool because they are super sustainable objects. The rock skinny we built– you don’t see at a lot of places. The suspension bridge is unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one at a bike park before,” Sanches said.

“I hope campers will leave with bumps and bruises, because with that, a staff member will help them out.  The staff teaching them different mountain bike skills and connecting with them is what it is all about,” Sanches said.

Speaking on how the pump bike track plays an important role in the Christian values GVR stands for, Dooley commented, we want to create spaces for our staff to connect with campers in a meaningful way.  We create spaces and opportunities to have meaningful interactions with our kids. Inside the conversations, we show the youth the love of Jesus through our actions and words. The programming shows them the message that Jesus cares about you; Jesus loves you; Jesus wants you to be part of the community. That vision has not been lost in this new addition; Dooley explained.

–Jon Roberts is RMC communication and media assistant with additional reporting by Rajmund Dabrowski; photos by Rajmund Dabrowski

04 Aug

Tim McTavish Elected Chair of the CCU Board of Trustees

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Lakewood, Colorado … Colorado Christian University alumnus and Newday Christian Adventist church member Tim McTavish has been elected chair of the CCU Board of Trustees.

McTavish said campus redevelopment efforts will remain a priority, coupled with growing program offerings and promoting the CCU brand in the Denver metro area and beyond.

“What sets CCU apart is our excellence and our commitment to the integration of faith and learning,” McTavish said. “We need to ensure that we are constantly investing in all aspects of our mission to provide Christ-centered higher education transforming students to impact the world with grace and truth.”

“Tim is no stranger to CCU — he is a champion for the University. He is an alumnus, an affiliate faculty member, and a parent of three CCU students. He has exceptional vision, and has made a tremendous impact as one of our long-serving board members,” said CCU President Donald W. Sweeting.

“We’re at a pivotal point in the history of CCU,” McTavish said. “We’re well-positioned with exceptional leadership under President Sweeting and his Cabinet, increasing philanthropic and donor engagement, a beautiful campus, and substantial interest and growth in our in-seat and online offerings to learn at CCU.”

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in management from Pacific Union College, McTavish holds an MBA from Colorado Christian University. He and his wife, Pam, reside in Parker, Colorado. They have three children, David, Katie, and Laura.

–Colorado Christian University press release; photo supplied

30 Jul

THE WHALE AND THE WORM

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By Doug Inglish … It is inevitable when thinking of the story of Jonah, that our minds immediately envision a whale (I know, the Bible says it was a great fish, so all you marine biologists can fault me here for being technically inaccurate, but for the purposes of this article I am going to call it a whale). God had a message for the wicked city of Nineveh, and a weak-kneed prophet was not going to stop that message from getting all the way to the king. From the vantage point of He who loves every soul to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice, so many people in need of a call to repentance was a whale of a problem. So, He didn’t hesitate to come up with a whale of a solution.

But as you are also no doubt aware, one of the smallest creatures on earth enters the story in the last chapter (If you need a refresher at this point, it only takes about half an hour to read the whole book of Jonah). Jonah, too upset over his prophecy being overruled to rejoice in his successful evangelism, sat sulking in the shade of a leafy vine. But along came a worm to chew through the vine so that it withered away, leaving the prophet even more hot and bothered. As often happens, the Lord spoke to Jonah right at his most ridiculous moment. Since the book was apparently written by Jonah himself, we can conclude that the lesson hit home.

Curious, isn’t it? The whale was the vehicle to get him where he needed to be, so it can surely take partial credit for the conversion of Nineveh. But the whale had no part in the conversion of Jonah. For that, God sent a worm.

The mission to declare salvation to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is a whale of a task. To carry it out, we need a whale of lot of money, and even then, it needs a whale of a blessing to make it go as far as the ends of the earth. But don’t discount the value of a worm-sized offering.

I did a little research, and it turns out that the worm in the book of Jonah was likely the larvae of an insect weighing around .007 ounces. At the other end of the scale, the blue whale, which is the largest creature that has ever lived (sorry dinosaurs) weighs in at about 330,000 pounds. That’s about the difference I sense between my offering and the task of bringing the gospel to the world.

So how many worms does it take to equal a whale? Not as many as you think. A locust weighs about the same as Jonah’s worm, .007 ounces. But the combined weight of a square kilometer of locusts in a typical swarm is more than twice the weight of a blue whale. Which means that when we all get together, our offerings are equal to the task.

God is equally able to use the whale and the worm to reach those who need to hear His message. And I am truly grateful that there are those among us who can and do give a whale of a lot to the mission. I am equally grateful that I can have a part in it too, even though my means are much closer to the worm than the whale. I am also grateful that a lot of us together can out give even the whales.

–Doug Inglish is RMC director for trust services and planned giving

30 Jul

Boost your immunity with sunshine

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By Jenny Gann – Loveland, Colorado … What day did God create the sun? The fourth day: He created it specifically before animals and humans. Was this by chance, or was there a purpose? He created the light on the first day, and he created plants before the sun, so he could have created animals and humans before the sun. However, I believe that the sun was created before animals and humans because we were designed to need the sun.

Did you know Colorado has almost 300 days of sunshine a year? Colorado is actually the sixth sunniest state in the United States. So, does enjoying all of this sunshine have any health benefits? Yes, it does have quite a few in fact.

Many of you have heard of the “sunshine vitamin” known as Vitamin D. Humans obtain most of their Vitamin D from sun exposure. Although you can obtain some Vitamin D from foods, the amount found in certain sea-foods, beef products, and egg yolks is insignificant compared to the quantity of Vitamin D our bodies require. Thankfully, God had a plan for this when he created us, so we did not have to eat animal products. Vitamin D is one of only two vitamins our body can actually produce itself. All it needs is a bit of sunshine. Just 10-30 minutes of sunshine per day provides your body with sufficient levels of Vitamin D. The amount of time you need is dependent on how sensitive your skin is to the sun. If you burn your skin, you have gotten too much, but those with darker skin may need a longer time for their skin to absorb the sunshine it needs to produce Vitamin D. It takes sun exposure equivalent to half the time it takes for your skin to burn for your body to produce sufficient Vitamin D for the day. You also absorb the sun best through skin that does not get as much light exposure.

How does Vitamin D help us? Why do we need it? Many people associate Vitamin D with bone health and that is very true. Vitamin D is responsible for absorbing calcium from our intestinal tracts and transporting it to our bones to create hard bones. However, Vitamin D also plays a very important role in our immune health.

Vitamin D mobilizes our bodies’ T cells which are our bodies defense against germs; they destroy infected cells in our bodies keeping us healthy. You can think of them like a cat stalking prey. They sit and wait for their prey and then pounce on it, killing it. However, in order to do this, they have to mobilize. A cat who moves very slowly will not get the prey and T cells that move slowly will not get to the infected cells to destroy them. Here is where Vitamin D comes into play. Vitamin D keeps T cells moving faster so they can get to more infected cells quicker resulting in more death of infected cells and a healthier body.

Another great benefit of the sun is improved mood. Exposure to the sun increases your body’s production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that gives your brain the signal, ‘don’t worry, be happy.’ It provides a feel-good message to your brain and this boosts your mood.

There are also direct correlations between mood and health. People who are ‘happier’ by and large tend to be healthier with less illnesses. So do your body a favor and enjoy some time with the Son in the sun today!

–Jenny Gann, RN, OTR/L is Campion Academy Nurse; photo supplied

29 Jul

Got Your Key?

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By DeeAnn Bragaw – Denver, Colorado … Rocky Mountain Conference prayer ministries will hold a special online prayer conference on Thursday, August 6, at 6:30 p.m. for our teachers, students, and parents as they return to their classrooms later in August.

Keys are important. They open vital elements of our lives while some keys help to provide power. Keys can be the cause of great frustration when we lose them.  I’ve had to make several copies of house keys, car keys, and office keys. A while ago, my son gave me a special keychain. All I had to do was clap my hands and the keychain would beep so I could locate it. The problem was that the keychain couldn’t tell the difference between clapping and a lot of other sounds, so it would start beeping even when I wasn’t looking for the keys. Then one day my son came home with another gift, a “tile” that I attached to my keychain. Now I have an app on my phone that can find my keys and if I push the button on my “tile” I can find my phone, and if I can’t find either, my computer can help me locate them. Keys are important. Without them, we can be locked out of important places – homes, cars, buildings – resulting in frustration and missed opportunities and appointments.

We’ve been told that we all hold the key to “heaven’s storehouse” and in this storehouse are the “the boundless resources of omnipotence.” The best things about this key? It’s always available. And it’s un-lose-able! Because this key is prayer.

In a few weeks, our RMC teachers, students, and families will gather again in classrooms. We need the treasures of Heaven’s storehouse – wisdom, peace, safety, and faith.  To request these gifts, we will join together to thank God for the treasures that will be presented to our schools during the upcoming school term. Church leaders from the North American Division, Mid-American Union Conference, and the Rocky Mountain Conference will be joined by teachers, students, parents and members from RMC.

Please go to www.rmcsda.org/prayer for the number to join the Zoom conference. We have the key. Let’s use it, RMC.

–DeeAnn Bragaw is RMC Prayer Ministry leader.

 

29 Jul

When God Says Move

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By David Nicodemus – Denver, Colorado … The last song was sung, the last sermon preached, yet True Life Community (TLC) members left the building they had rented for the last four years not with sadness. There was anticipation and excitement on July 25 Sabbath, knowing the words of their last song, “Your Grace Still Amazes Me” were true.

Having spent the last four years at Praise Church, God impressed TLC it was time to move to a surprising location filled with opportunities to partner with another Adventist church at their new location.

Beginning August 1, TLC will meet on the campus of LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, located at 6200 West Hampden Avenue in Denver, taking over the chapel building on the south end of campus.

“We are excited to move to our new home because it gives us an opportunity to work with LifeSource in reaching the Southwest Denver Community. We are not two separate churches but one body of Christ,” David Nicodemus, TLC Outreach Coordinator said.

“God clearly had his hand in bringing us to the LifeSource Campus,” said Bob Reynolds, True Life Community pastor. “When I brought up the option of moving to LifeSource, the decision was unanimous. You could sense the excitement of the board and the members of TLC because of the opportunity to work together with LifeSource,” Reynolds finished.

Some 30 believers gathered in a caravan of pickup trucks, trailers, and cars to help with the move, bringing the belongings from the old church to the new. Many members are now busy unpacking, organizing, and cleaning up around their new location in preparation for their first Sabbath, August 1.

—David Nicodemus, is True Life Community church outreach coordinator; photos supplied.

29 Jul

PASTOR WAYNE NAZARENUS RETIRES AFTER 46 YEARS

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By Mickey Mallory — Colorado Springs, Colorado … “I wish we had more people like Wayne in the world today. He has set the bar for what a true Christian looks like,” commented Lonnie Hetterle, RMC education superintendent. “Pastor Wayne has been a major steady, solid, consistent influence wherever he has been. His walk with Christ is inspirational. His support of Christian education is exemplary.”

Hetterle was addressing participants of a retirement farewell for Pastor Wayne Nazarenus and his wife, Karen, held July 25 at the Colorado Springs South Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nazarenus retired after 46 years in pastoral ministry, with 41 of those years in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

He started full-time ministry on December 15, 1972 with a prior six years as associate pastor intern in Kansas City, Missouri. His full-time pastorate included several churches: Pueblo, Colorado Springs South, and Pueblo West, as well as part-time ministry in the Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The impact of Pastor Wayne’s ministry at Colorado Springs South was obvious, according to Jack Bohannon, church elder and retired pastor. “Wayne had a tremendous impact on me and the congregation,” he said. He was not only an excellent storyteller for the children, a good Sabbath School teacher and a spiritual preacher, but was also dedicated to the church’s visitation and Bible study program. Bohannon shared that “the South [Colorado Springs] congregation owes a lot to the  Nazarenus family. We felt that his devotion to us should be rewarded–in a public sense.”

Describing his own spiritual journey, on which Nazarenus had a major impact, Colorado Springs South member Lucas Lujan shared that “Pastor Wayne modeled a Christlike attitude in a way that made me want to read the Bible to learn more about Jesus. In fact, he encouraged me to read the Bible for myself to see if the things he taught were so. Pastor Wayne will probably never know exactly how many lives he has touched with his ministry until the Lord Jesus reveals it to him in Heaven. [It would be nice] if the kindness, love, gentleness, and meekness I witnessed in this man’s ministry could be multiplied in every encounter every person has with a Christian.”

With Hetterle representing the Rocky Mountain Conference at the retirement event, Mickey Mallory, ministerial director, spoke these words, “When considering the impact of the ministry of Pastor Wayne and Karen, Pastor Mallory believes that the affirmation given in the Parable of the Talents would be applicable to them also:  Well done, good and faithful servant for you have been faithful. (Matt. 25:21).”

Pastor Wayne and Karen were very touched by the outpouring of love and appreciation at the ceremony. He commented, “The farewell celebration Sabbath at Colorado Springs South warmed our hearts. We appreciated the many statements affirming our ministry. It has been a great blessing to us serving the Colorado Springs South and Trinidad churches in our retirement. We will miss our church families in Colorado.” Pastor Wayne and his wife recently celebrated 50 years of marriage and will be moving to Lagrange, Georgia to be closer to one of their children and their grandchildren.

—Mickey Mallory is RMC ministerial director; photos supplied

29 Jul

A broken back and seven miracles – COMMENTARY

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By Eric Aakko – Brighton, Colorado…My friend Bob Goodman and I were more than 200 miles into our 350-mile bikepacking trip in southern Colorado when a freak accident snapped my spine in half. Bikepacking is like backpacking, except with a mountain bike. A typical day of bikepacking for us consists of 60 to 75 miles on remote gravel roads.

We woke up that morning to temperatures in the low 20s on July 1, 2020. We were camped at 9,000 feet and set forth in the pre-dawn twilight, heading for the summit of Cochetopa Pass, where the early-morning sun had risen. An hour and a half of rapid pedaling, brought us to the 10,000-foot summit where a brilliant sunshine and 50-degree temperatures greeted us. After eating a light breakfast at the summit, we said a prayer and began our descent on the southern side of the summit. Our goal for the day was to ride a total of 75 miles south to the town of Del Norte. The anticipated reward for a long day of riding was a restaurant dinner of pasta, salad, and garlic rolls.

Minutes into our descent, the accident happened. Despite a wide rubber strap around the front fork of my bike, which was holding my water bottle, the bottle became dislodged and wedged between the front tire and frame. The jammed bottle halted my motion instantly. I was catapulted over the handlebars and landed on my head and back. The helmet cracked and the exterior plastic shell melted from the sliding impact.

I did not know it at the time, but the accident completely snapped my T9 spinal vertebrae. I thought my kidneys and ribs were damaged because of the intense pain in my back. It was extremely difficult to breathe. On my hands and knees for more than an hour, I was finally able to stand with Bob’s help.

Other than the severe pain in my back, I had not broken my neck, arms, pelvis, or legs. I also had not injured my head—miracle number one! I asked Bob if my front wheel was damaged, and he replied that my bike was rideable with no damage to the wheels or spokes—miracle number two. As we had to self-rescue, Bob helped me onto my bike and we rode down the gravel road for about four miles to a paved road—all the while with an unknown serious spinal injury—miracle number three. As we descended, Bob prayed silently for help. Within seconds of reaching the road, two vans approached, and we flagged them down. The vans were driven by two brothers who agreed to help. Although the brothers were heading south, they were gracious enough to go north, taking me to Salida, more than an hour out of their way—miracle number four! As we headed to the hospital and made our introductions, one of the brother’s said his name was Miracle. I couldn’t believe it.

A CT scan was performed to look for internal damage. I was in too much pain to sit for long or lie down. The doctor came in the room and told me that my spine was broken, and I was in immediate danger of paralysis. The doctor said I would be airlifted to Centura St. Anthony’s trauma hospital in Denver.  Normally, it takes several hours for a helicopter to arrive. However, on this day, a helicopter was fueled and waiting on the helipad. Within minutes, I was flying towards Denver—miracle number five.

At the hospital, the trauma staff told me I was very fortunate because I was going to have the top neurosurgeon secure my spine. Surgery was scheduled shortly after my arrival. After the surgery, I asked the surgeon if I was lucky to not be paralyzed, or if divine intervention was involved? He replied that it was not luck, saying I should have been paralyzed early in the accident, especially with riding a mountain bike down a bumpy gravel road–miracle number six.

Three weeks after my accident and surgery, I am freely walking about outside with only moderate pain—miracle number seven! The surgeon said I should make a full recovery and be able to ride my bike in six months.

–Eric Aakko is an avid cyclist, certified plant-based chef educator, public health practitioner, and adult Sabbath School teacher at the Brighton church.

***For a short YouTube about the trip, including the daily smoothie Eric created for his recovery, click here.

28 Jul

ADVENTURE “AIR HUG” THEIR MEMBERS IN ISOLATION

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By Lee Lee Dart — Greeley, Colorado … After community Bible study earlier in July, members of the Adventure church visited those members who have been in isolation since March.

Stan and Jane Bedan, longtime faith believers are residents at Brookdale Assisted Living facility, and have been cut off from the world since COVID-19 reached Colorado, causing the center to lock their doors to visitors.

Members created signs saying, “We love you” and “We miss you” and decorated them with hearts and bright letters. The signs, held outside the window of their room, brought big smiles to the Bedan’s faces. The members sang and offered air hugs, producing even more smiles.

“Covid stinks! It is so tragic being in a nursing home or assisted living home right now.

The isolation is heartbreaking,” commented Lee Lee Dart, pastor of the Adventure church.

“They (the Bedans) were faithful churchgoers each week sitting near the front. Stan would pass out candy and Jane would give us that big smile. Stan and I loved to tease each other. I miss them,” Dart added.

Jesus sought out the marginalized in his community. He found them and spread the cheer of His presence and healing power. The church has healing power just like Jesus did and can spread His healing power.

Pray for the lonely individuals in these facilities and pray that in-person visits can resume soon. Let us lift up humanity.

–Lee Lee Dart is pastor of the Adventure church in Greeley, Colorado; photo courtesy of the Adventure Facebook page.

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