Jon Roberts

17 Jul

#TinyTowns4Jesus: Outreach Initiative of Rocky Mountain Conference

By Carl McRoy – Columbia, Maryland … As we all know, every area of society and the Church have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The question is, “How are we responding to it?” One way that the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) is adapting their summer outreach is to refocus their student canvassers on fundraising to sponsor literature mail-outs to small towns in their territory. The initiative is called #TinyTowns4Jesus.

The mission was conceived by the RMC literature ministries director, Matt Hasty, in collaboration with the conference administrative team. The goal is to raise enough funds to send packs of GLOW tracts and copies of The Great Controversy to people living in small towns in Colorado. Why small towns? As Matt Hasty explains, “It’s easy to stay stuck in the city, but I like to try to squeeze in the small towns. When we get there, people probably have never had their doors knocked on. There’s probably no solicitation from any other groups. So when somebody opens up their door, they usually give you more time to talk. The people are really receptive and the kids love it!”

It’s easy for canvassing teams to “stay stuck” in larger cities for a couple of reasons. The first is housing. Student canvassing campaigns rely on churches to sponsor a place for them to stay—often at a church or church school. It’s usually the large churches in mid- to large-sized cities that are able to provide these accommodations. The second reason is that a campaign of 14 or more students needs a sizable field to work, or they will rapidly run out of people to meet. One time they finished canvassing a whole town in 30 minutes. Although, before the pandemic, Matt Hasty’s team had planned to canvass three small towns in one day, reaching these sparsely populated areas typically would have required more drive time and yielded less canvassing time.

Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the students as well as the public, RMC literature ministries isn’t running a traditional canvassing campaign this summer. That’s the lemon. However, they’re making lemonade by focusing on using their phones and social media to raise funds to send the gospel to thousands of people they wouldn’t normally meet. Instead of their ministry staying stuck in the city, they’re staying safe while reaching homes in towns with populations of 1,000 or less.

To be specific, Matt Hasty’s team has identified 163 small towns in Colorado with a combined population of about 84,000 people. Many of these towns don’t have Adventist churches or members living in them, but should we overlook them because of this? No. A lack of Adventist presence in these towns makes our mission even more important. Jesus himself was from a small town, so let’s not be like a certain disciple who initially wrote off the significance of Nazareth.

These young people can’t do outreach by themselves, though. They need our help. Check out their website and prayerfully consider how you can participate.

–Carl McRoy is NAD director of Literature Ministries; photo supplied

This article was originally published on the NAD website

16 Jul

WYOMING CAMP MEETING PARTICIPANTS CHALLENGED TO LIVE INCLUSIVE LOVE

By Jon Roberts — Cody, Wyoming … “’Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.’ I believe those words today ought to be near to the heart of us (all).” With these words Ed Barnett, RMC president, opened his challenging message for the attendees of Wyoming virtual camp meeting on Wednesday morning, July 15.

With an acknowledgement of the vast diversity present in the Rocky Mountain Conference, current affairs affecting the nation were at the center of the online messages. From COVID-19 to recent protests against racial division, which also took place in Casper and Cheyenne among other communities, were addressed in a series “How Jesus Treated People”. Examples of Jesus’ love and mission were given in the context of who we are as Seventh-day Adventist today.

“We as Christians ought to be living out God’s love for all people,” Pastor Barnett, stated. “Prejudice comes in many different forms. Sometimes we think it is only about an issue of color.”

He went on to state prejudice comes not only in color, the wealth of an individual, their gender, or any other differences. Barnett stated we need to learn to treat others as Jesus treated individuals.

The RMC president shared personal experiences growing up in a mainly Caucasian background and then having to face diversity when his family moved to a multi-ethnic portion of the country his junior year of academy. He shared the challenging obstacles he had to overcome and the different cultures he was exposed to.

The message continued with the story about the Samaritan woman at the well, sharing how she was not only judged because of her gender, but condemned by rumors in the community. She had to wait till the noon hour to go to the well to avoid being seen by the community. Barnett explained how Jesus didn’t ignore the woman or show prejudice against the woman’s circumstances, but instead engaged her in a life-changing conversation.

“Jesus set a high standard for each one of us. As His disciples today, we must love as He loved. We cannot allow prejudice to be part of our lives,” Barnett challenged. “If you have a prejudiced thought in your mind or in your life, go to God and ask Him to cleanse your life of any prejudice that He can find.”

Attendees left with an understanding of how to live out, as Seventh-day Adventists Christians, the great commission of Jesus in loving everyone no matter what.

To view the entire message please click here.

–Jon Roberts is RMC communication / media assistant; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

16 Jul

THE FOUR GREAT QUESTIONS

By Glenn Sackett — “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

Lewis Carroll actually wrote it this way:

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

Reading the Bible is much like traveling; if we don’t care where we end up, any which way is good enough.

To illustrate: My Granddad started teaching me photography the summer I turned eight. His darkroom was magic! He taught me to self-educate too, reading about photography. Such “self-directed learning” could be like this song lyric: “It could help you find yourself or make you lose your mind…” One can get lost in arguments about who has the best camera. Or one can learn how what’s going in in the mind of a photographer is far more important than the brand of the camera in his or her hand. My granddad taught me to focus on what’s most important, both with the camera and with reading.

Reading the Bible with the right focus is more important than reading about photography with the right questions. The following Four Great Questions I learned from two theologians, Jack Provonsha and Graham Maxwell, and they transformed my experience with the Bible.

1. What does this passage reveal about the character of God? Ellen White says the greatest issue in “The Great Controversy” is about the character of God. Not about doctrines or “standards” … This is the greatest question to bring focus to my reading. “Theology” literally means “God knowledge.”

2. What does this passage reveal about the nature of humans? We humans have both commonly-shared tendencies and individual traits that must be overcome in our spiritual journeys. How am I like the character in this Bible passage? What’s the “human condition” explored here?

3. What does this passage reveal about the invitation or opportunity God presents? People can get all wound up talking about problems. God talks about problems only to get to resolutions, usually some kind of reconciliation. What is God’s invitation here?

4. What does this passage reveal about the choices I have and best response I could make? Neither you nor I can eat for someone else; no one can go to the bathroom for me. We may laugh, but can we read the Bible that way, as if we’re doing it for someone else? Sorry, that’s not how it works. What is MY best response here?

Using these Four Great Questions to focus our Bible reading, we are much more likely to receive the blessing God put in the “Good Book” for us.

I hope you find a blessing today that’s just right for you.

—Glenn Sackett, is chaplain at Centura Health Mercy Regional Medical Center, Durango, Colorado

16 Jul

Agriculture program still growing under new leadership

By Jill Harlow — Loveland, Colorado … Russell Branham, husband of Director of Development and Alumni Relations Darcy Force, has been hard at work planting Campion’s summer garden as the new Program Director of Acquainting Agriculture. Branham took over the care of the garden and produce sales as a volunteer last summer through this spring, including maintaining a winter garden. After Campion Academy procured a grant from AdventHealth this spring, he has been able to manage the garden as a part-time employee.

Branham has had previous experience working in greenhouses and gardens and has a personal passion for agriculture. “Long before I came to Campion, one of my personal goals has been to help teach people how to grow food for themselves,” he explained. “Agriculture seems to be a dying skill, and I think we need to get back to our roots. I’d like to see the young folks learn about growing and becoming self-sufficient.”

Without students or volunteers in the program this spring and summer (or the promise of a farmer’s market), Branham has kept the garden at a smaller, more manageable scale, and he plans to keep produce sales to our school and church community. Currently, he is growing crops such as bush beans, okra, brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, squash, radishes, turnips, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, herbs, and raspberries. He expects to have produce available for sale in mid-August. With a future sweet harvest in mind, Branham has also started a small peach tree orchard from seed with 35 saplings growing strong.

In early July, through the use of grant funds, Branham was able to purchase a BCS 739 walk-behind commercial tractor as a much-needed piece of equipment to increase his efficiency. The tractor has multiple implements and he is currently using it for tilling the ground and creating new rows for planting. He is working to improve the garden area overall for future harvests. “Right now, I’m focusing on the health of the garden. It was very overgrown with weeds and I’ve been able to get that under control. I’m working on squaring off the sections we are using for growing and tarping off the areas around to reduce the weeds.” Branham uses all-natural methods of weed and pest control without the use of chemical pesticides.

In the fall, he plans to work with students to plant winter crops both in the greenhouse and in the ground using simple row covers. Campion is currently still seeking a classroom teacher for Acquainting Agriculture in order to offer it as a class, but Branham will work with students in the field.

The grant received from Advent Health will cover the basic costs of employing Branham and a teacher for the program for the next year. However, the program will still rely on donations as it continues to get established. If you have an interest in helping the agriculture program please consider donating for the following needs:

High Wind Tunnel Kit – $2,800
Implement – Rotary Plow $1,495 (to be used with the new tractor)
Used livestock tanks (items to be turned into large planters)
Large water containers (used is also fine, as long as no chemicals were used in it. Food Grade.)

–Jill Harlow is communication director for Campion Academy; photos by Darcy Force

16 Jul

Boost your immunity: Tips from Campion’s nurse

By Jenny Gann – Loveland, Colorado … ‘You are what you eat’ is a phrase we toss around to encourage someone to eat healthier. But have you really thought about it? Does the food and drink we consume really affect our health, or is this just an old adage that is outdated and not true?

Health is on the forefront of many people’s thoughts due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that seven percent of Google searches are related to a health topic. The most common topic searched is boosting one’s immune system. So, if it is true that we are what we eat, what do I need to eat to make myself healthier?

Searching the research databases and the internet one common theme emerges regarding foods that boost one’s immune system: they are all plant based. Not one food listed, on any site, is processed. Also, if you look at the nutritional makeup of plant-based foods, they are inherently low in fat. So, a low-fat, plant-based diet will boost your immune system and help prevent you from getting sick. An interesting study looked at vegetarians versus non-vegetarians and their levels of white blood cells. The body requires white blood cells to make antibodies against bacteria and viruses. So, the higher your white blood cell count, the better your body will be at fighting against invading bacteria and viruses, and the less sick you will be. The study showed that those who ate a vegetarian diet had significantly higher white blood cell counts as compared to non-vegetarians.

Unfortunately, our society bombards us with advertisements for foods that are not low-fat and plant-based. Companies spend billions of dollars each year marketing unhealthy, ultra-processed, high-calorie and high-fat foods. One of the most common means used to sway you is through commercials. Fifty percent of commercials are promoting ultra-processed foods. How do these ultra-processed foods affect your body?

One common element of all ultra-processed foods is that they are high in sugar. Sugar has a negative effect on your immune system. Sugar acts like a stun gun on your body’s cells. It stuns them into a cell coma, and they do not do their jobs. So those oh so important white blood cells we talked about that fight off bacteria and viruses, well, they are out of commission after consuming high-sugar foods and drinks. So now your body’s defenses are gone, and the intruders have free reign to take over your body and make you sick. The effect of sugar on the cells can last for several hours. So, if you are consuming high-sugar foods or drinks several times a day, you are keeping your white blood cells in a permanent coma and they never have the chance to do their job to fight off the intruding bacteria and viruses and you get sick.

So, does what you eat make a difference in your health? I’d say the research is pretty strong supporting a diet that is low in sugar and processed foods and high in plant-based foods.

–Jenny Gann, RN, OTR/L is Campion Academy’s nurse; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

16 Jul

MILE HIGH ACADEMY TEACHERS CONNECT WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES DURING THE SUMMER

By Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy teachers and members of the administration are visiting student homes this summer with signs of encouragement.

Typical summers at Mile High Academy include home visits with current and new student families. This summer, those visits look different due to social distancing requirements.

MHA teachers and staff are still embracing the opportunity to connect with families, but instead of visits inside the home, these visits are taking place in front yards with signs reading, “This family is loved and prayed for by Mile High Academy”.

“I loved seeing the students,” Taryn Clark, MHA’s fifth-grade teacher stated. “It was fun to see their excitement, to have them show us their bikes, scooters, rollerblades, pets and all the things that have kept them busy this summer.”

“MHA’s teachers have missed seeing their students,” Jamie Frain, MHA’s principal commented. “For most, the last contact with their students was via Zoom. Handing out yard signs is an opportunity for teachers to have in-person connection with their students. While a simple gesture, the yard signs also share with the neighborhood just how much MHA loves its students and families.”

“Even from a distance, it was great to see the faces and hear the voices of our students and families. It makes me excited for a new school year,” Rebecca Berg, upper school teacher and chaplain reflected.

Mile High Academy’s administration and teachers are planning for the upcoming school year with the anticipation of welcoming students on campus August 17.

–Karrie Meyers is Mile High Academy’s communications, development & records assistant; photos by MHA teachers

**To keep up with the latest administration communication, continue to check MHA’s announcement webpage at www.milehighacademy.org/2020-2021-school-year-announcements/.

**Mile High Academy is also open for enrollment. If you or someone you know would enjoy being a part of the Mile High Academy family, please connect with the administrative team via the school’s Virtual Admissions webpage, https://www.milehighacademy.org/virtual-admissions/.

15 Jul

CASPER CHURCH shares FOOD BOXES with THE COMMUNITY

By Gabriela Vincent – Casper, Wyoming … The Casper church was able to distribute 100 food boxes to the community, thanks to a grant from Adventist Community Services.

Nancy Sybrant, local ACS leader, together with the Casper church, prepared boxes of food, each with enough for a family of four. Casper’s Home Depot donated the boxes, allowing for the purchase of additional food items for the community.

After advertising the food drive on the local Facebook classifieds, volunteers distributed the boxes to local residents. This allowed them the opportunity to visit and pray with the community.

“We could have just done a drive through, I know. It would have been much easier considering the amount of deliveries,” Shayne Vincent, pastor of the Casper district said. “It was such an incredible blessing to just visit and pray with people without an agenda. And it showed in their gratitude.”

“My husband and I had a very positive experience delivering food boxes to those who signed up online for them. We had some good conversations and were able to pray with several of the people,” Sybrant commented. “One gentleman said his wife worked at a home for abused women and her plan was to share the food with some of the ladies there. Going on God’s errands is such a blessing.”

The community was thankful for the visit and the food baskets. “Wanted to let you know that six people here in the building were helped by the generosity of your food box. Thank you very much,” said one recipient.

“Thank you so much for the box of food that was left. Absolutely perfect food for my grandkids. The generosity shown by your church and those who donated is so very much appreciated by us. Air hug, seriously, because words cannot convey the appreciation. I do have a question for you Seventh-day Adventists, do you worship (as a congregation) on Saturdays, as that is the seventh day of the week? Thank you, again,” commented another recipient from the community.

The Casper church would like to thank the NAD, RMC ACS, Casper ACS, Casper Home Depot, and all the volunteers who gave their time to make this community project a success.

–Gabriela Vincent is a member of the Casper, Wyoming church; photo supplied.

14 Jul

MILE HIGH ACADEMY 2020 SENIORS ENJOY DELAYED CLASS TRIP

By Jocelyn Aalborg – Lake Powell, Utah …It is without question that Mile High Academy’s 2020 senior class has had a school year unmatched by any other. The last quarter of their final year should be spent on campus making senior year memories. Instead, seniors were told to remain home and classes shifted to remote learning.

The seniors interacted via Microsoft Teams and Zoom sessions to end their academic year. Graduation events were a combination of virtual and prerecorded, culminating in a unique, outdoor graduation ceremony to abide by the COVID-19 directives in place at that time. However, the one event that, although delayed, could not be canceled was the eagerly anticipated senior class trip to Lake Powell.

“The administration, class sponsors and senior parents were determined to give this remarkable class their overdue senior class trip,” said MHA principal Jamie Frain. “We are pleased to share that the class enjoyed six fun-filled days in house boats on Lake Powell.”

Highlights of the trip included tubing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, swimming, cliff jumping, playing games and cooking. Cell phone service was not available on the lake, so the seniors had an opportunity to disconnect and enjoy being together as a class.

“The trip was a nice way to be together one final time before they leave for different colleges next month,” said Lisa Venteicher, Mile High Academy’s 2020 senior class sponsor and upper school teacher. “We all missed making those final memories at the end of the school year.”

When it came time to pack up and head for home, most students said, “they didn’t want it to end and wished they could stay longer,” Venteicher added.

“This is a particularly special senior class,” Frain commented. “It is such a blessing for them to celebrate this milestone with their classmates. We wish them the best!”

—Jocelyn Aalboarg is Mile High Academy VP for finance and development; photos supplied

14 Jul

RMC TEACHER’S CONVENTION GOES ONLINE

By Lonnie Hetterle – Denver, Colorado … The 2020 RMC teacher’s convention, in August 3 – 4, will be held online.

This decision comes as Denver metro still has restrictions on large gatherings and the Conference made a commitment to limit expenses for the remainder of 2020.

The camaraderie and fellowship are always a blessing, and for that reason it was decided to move forward with the gathering online. The meetings are also a time to renew friendships, introduce new team members, as well as provide professional development. This will give the opportunity for the educators to come together even though separated by hundreds of miles.

The convention will cover the following topics: COVID-19 preparations for the classroom, training on a new testing system, and building relationships among teachers in RMC.

Part of the professional development will be training on the new MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing system. Instead of once a year analysis with the I.T.B.S. (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) the student will be tested three times during the year. This MAP testing is a shorter test but more thorough, and will be a computer-based test. It will give quicker results to teachers so they can modify plans to better meet the individual needs of the student. “MAP testing is well researched and will come with a wealth of useful information that will greatly enhance the learning for our students,” Hetterle commented.

Concerning COVID-19 and the uptick in cases in Colorado, RMC schools are planning to open in person next month. While tentative plans are ready, the education department is finding that the guidelines are needing to be modified on a regular basis.

RMC covers a large geographical area and some local modifications may be needed as local health regulations vary from county to county. The department is currently in the process of obtaining supplies such as hand sanitizer, washable masks, and non-contact thermometers for all of our schools.

“The world we find ourselves in today is different as we continue to learn to live with the pandemic. I invite you to pray every day for our children, young people, and their teachers as we strive to be good citizens of this country and most importantly, a leader of young lives at the foot of the cross. Thank you for your faithful and continued support for our RMC Schools,” Hetterle finished.

–Lonnie Hetterle is RMC education superintendent; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

14 Jul

Newday Hosts Third Annual Free Farmer’s Market

By Lisa Cardinal — Parker, Colorado … Three summers ago, the idea of a Free Farmer’s Market was just a dream. It became reality when Parker Task Force, one of Newday’s community partners, enthusiastically agreed to ensure that all summer long, our Free Farmer’s Market would have the best produce that could be found.

The final piece needed to make the Free Farmer’s Market a reality was a location. Managers of an apartment complex in the perfect location gladly agreed to let us use their space and Newday’s Free Farmer’s Market was born in the summer of 2018.

Today, Newday’s Free Farmer’s Market continues to provide high-quality fruits and vegetables at no cost to neighbors in our community, who otherwise would be unable to enjoy summer produce.

The Free Farmer’s Market season normally begins with a barbecue lunch at the apartment complex hosted by Newday where church members and residents of the apartment complex have opportunity to get acquainted, enjoy good food together, and take home beautiful produce. Neighbors return each week and, in addition to free produce, they are offered a recipe with ingredients using at least some of the produce of the week, along with samples of the recipe.

Throughout the summer, friendships develop, conversations take place, and prayer and other kinds of help become part of the Free Farmer’s Market experience. On the final day of Free Farmer’s Market each year, Newday puts on an ice cream party.

As the summer of 2020 approached with the complications of COVID-19 and subsequent health department guidelines, Newday discovered that the need for the Free Farmer’s Market was greater than ever. Parker Task force committed to partner again with Newday and the apartment complex warmly welcomed us.

A safe, socially distanced option for the Free Farmer’s Market was designed so that instead of neighbors having the opportunity to select produce themselves, they would wait in socially-distanced lines to be handed produce Newday had pre-bagged — one bag of fruit and one bag of vegetables for each family.

Truly, the need has been great and truly, neighbors are grateful. While Newday is unable to eat or socialize with our neighbors or build friendships during this summer’s Free Farmer’s Market, the church members are grateful for the opportunity to do good in a way we believe Jesus would if He were here today.

–Lisa Cardinal is executive pastor and interim lead pastor at Newday; photos by Julie Collett

Jon Roberts Page 83