Elisabet Kirkland

RMCNews with Marlene Poole and Eileen Field – Montrose, Colorado … Nearly 50 women gathered September 11-13 at Mountaintop Retreat near Montrose, Colorado, for a weekend of worship, prayer, fellowship, and spiritual renewal centered on the theme “Become the Fragrance of Christ” based on the biblical verse from 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NKJV): For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

The theme was woven throughout the weekend, including a unique campus-wide essential-oil challenge. Twenty-six different fragrances were placed throughout the retreat grounds, each assigned a number. Participants received a list and set out to identify as many fragrances as possible. This was a fun and friendly activity at the retreat.

The retreat opened Friday afternoon with a cooking demonstration by Eileen Field, a deaconess for the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church, followed by dinner and an evening presentation by Marilynn Venden, a hospice chaplain in Arizona and ministry partner with the “All About Jesus” programs. Venden presented throughout the weekend with messages encouraging participants to consider their personal worship experience and relationship with God.

Saturday morning began with a prayer walk and snacks before Allison Duncan, Montrose Church member and Sabbath School leader, presented the morning program. “She is a preschool teacher, and whenever we have her, everyone loves her,” praised Jerilyn Pester, co-event leader with Judy Kelly.

After brunch, participants gathered for another presentation by Venden and a Promise Bible Marking session led by Mona Fellers, Sabbath School secretary for the Torrington Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wyoming.

Prayer was woven throughout the weekend. Along with scheduled prayer walks, a dedicated prayer room provided a quiet place for women to pray, reflect, and journal. “Katheryn and I decorated the prayer room so ladies would step in and have time with the Lord,” Field shared. Marlene Poole, Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Women’s Ministry director, remarked, “It was set up so beautifully for prayer and journaling.”

Saturday evening included sundown worship led by Poole, bringing the women together for another time of reflection and spiritual encouragement.

While spiritual growth was at the heart of the retreat, organizers also made room for women to relax and enjoy one another’s company. A planned Saturday afternoon hayride was canceled after rain moved through the area overnight. The weather did little to dampen the weekend, however, as participants continued with prayer walks, free time, and other activities.

Saturday evening’s spa night became another highlight. The cafeteria was transformed into a place of relaxation and fellowship, where women enjoyed foot scrubs, hot wax treatments, manicures, massages, snacks, and conversation.

The women left Mountaintop Retreat with memories of worship, laughter, strengthened friendships, and reminders of God’s faithfulness. They left with a renewed invitation to be “the pleasing aroma of Christ” wherever God places them—in their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities.

“Women were enthusiastic and thrilled to be there,” commented Poole. “It was just a beautiful weekend.” “And the music,” reflected Field, “such beautiful music.”

—Marlene Poole is the RMC Women’s Ministry director and Eileen Field is a deaconess for the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church. Interviews conducted by Liz Kirkland, RMC Communication director. Initial article draft curated by ChatGPT based on interviews with additions, revisions, and editing by Liz Kirkland. Photos supplied.

Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … After a half day of classes, ninth through eleventh grade students at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, spent the afternoon and evening at Rocky Mountain National Park for Outdoor School, September 21. Split into multiple groups, teachers led students on various lengths of hikes before gathering together in the evening to observe the elk rut.

Students chose the length of hike or activity they wanted to do, ranging from five-mile hikes to taking a driving tour up Trail Ridge Road. They enjoyed sunny weather and vibrant yellow aspen leaves throughout the day.

Mya F., freshman student, selected the medium length hike to Emerald Lake and commented, “I really enjoyed the hike. It was very fun to get outdoors and exercise with my friends that were on the hike with me. We had an assignment on elk, and it really made me think about it. Also, my friends and I prayed up at the lake, and it was just really nice to get out and have the fresh air and see all of God’s creation.”

New this year, the students stayed through the evening to observe the elk rut. During the fall season the male elk will try to gather a group of females and fend off other males from their herd. They announce their presence with a unique bugling sound and will sometimes spar with other male elk.

Moses W., junior student, explained his most memorable part of the day “was when went out to the golf course and saw the elk doing their thing and making their special sound. It was cool.”

After the sun set, the students headed back to campus. Nolan S., sophomore student, shared, “I loved the view of the sunset. It made me feel happy and vibrant.”

—Jill Harlow is the Campion Academy Communication director. Photos supplied.

Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … Around 600 alumni showed off their Campion Academy (CA) pride by reuniting and reminiscing on campus in Loveland, Colorado, September 18-20. 

Organized by Toni Odenthal, CA director of Alumni & Development, the event included the Reeder Classic Golf Tournament, vespers and church programming, performances from the music department, time for honor classes to socialize, and alumni versus students volleyball and soccer games.

Returning alumni especially enjoyed the time to reconnect with their classmates. In addition to the events planned on campus, many classes took the initiative to plan special dinners and events such as the 20-year reunion class of 2006. Nearly half of their 60-member class participated.

Elizabeth (Fagan) Webster, Class of 2006, shared, “Everyone seemed to easily and pleasantly reconnect in both our formal and informal events. Being able to hear about people’s lives for the past 20 years and share stories from days at Campion was amusing, enjoyable, and worth the drive!”

The class held their formal reunion lunch on the top floor of Hankins Hall which was restored a few years after they had graduated. “When we walked the halls of Campion, Hankins Hall had a storied past that felt almost like a whisper, but in reality, was a huge dusty, cobweb ridden storage unit. Being able to look around at the refurbished Hankins Hall was like filling in a blank in your memory you didn’t realize was there.”

The Class of 1976, celebrating their 50-year anniversary, had the largest turnout of 35 people.

The annual golf tournament on Thursday was held at Bella Ridge Golf Course in Johnstown and included 31 participants who raised money for the Worthy Student Fund.

Randy Barber, Class of 1966, shared the main message at church on the topic Homesick for Heaven. Current students also shared about their study abroad trip to Spain and their work in Campus Ministries during Vespers and Sabbath School.

Two alumni were given the Alumni of the Year Awards: Amy Gane, Class of 1986, for her service to Campion Academy and mission work, and Mary (Enoch) Hedger, Class of 1960, for her service to Christian education and her documentation of Campion history. In addition, Miriam Kittrell was nominated for the Alumni Hall of Faith for her dedication to students and staff in her 17 years of service at Campion Academy.

Many alumni demonstrated their competitive side by participating in the Saturday night games against students. For the first time in many years, the current students won the soccer game with a final score of 8-4. However, the alumni still beat the students in the volleyball game 3-2, after playing five close games.

An addition this year, a small group of alumni met on Sunday to discuss and support the Friends of Campion fund, which is for capital improvements. They are organizing a committee of alumni who will help fundraise and volunteer labor for campus projects.

Odenthal reflected on highlights from the weekend, saying, “It was wonderful watching the students visiting with the alumni honor classes both young and old. They were able to share with each other what is currently happening on campus and memories from the past. It was also amazing to have the Kittrell family and friends here to honor Mrs. Miriam Kittrell who meant so much to many alumni.”

—Jill Harlow is the Campion Academy Communication director. Photos supplied.

Steve Pester – Waterflow, New Mexico … The Waterflow Seventh-day Adventist Church in Waterflow, New Mexico, celebrated as they dedicated KJSS-LP 106.5 FM to Jesus and to the people of the Shiprock area, September 26.

The day began with a special worship service exploring the meaning behind the station’s call letters: “King Jesus Saves Shiprock.” Following the service, church members and guests enjoyed a fellowship potluck before traveling approximately 20 minutes to the radio tower site on the north side of Shiprock.

At the tower site, Dine’ Adventist Radio* (DAR) leadership welcomed everyone and opened the ceremony with prayer. The group shared in singing before DAR pastor Eric Bahnmiller presented a devotional that captured the heart of the new ministry.

Bahnmiller told the story of his father sharing treats with his children. Before becoming a father, he wondered if he would really want to share his treats. But when his children came along, he loved them so much that sharing became a joy.

“KJSS-LP is doing the same thing. Because the Waterflow Church loves the people of Shiprock and the surrounding area, they want to share their ‘treat,’ King Jesus, so others can experience His love and the gift of salvation,” remarked Steve Pester, DAR network manager.

Following the devotional, there was more singing and a time of testimony. Attendees shared their appreciation for Shiprock and their excitement about having another way to reach people with the gospel.

The group then gathered around the tower site for a special anointing with individual prayers asking God to use KJSS-LP mightily as an outreach ministry.

The dedication concluded with the DAR version of “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” with one of the verses: “Through valleys, homes and hogans, the message will be clear; That Jesus walks beside us, His love is always near … Go tell it on the mountain.”

Norman Hale, DAR Navajo content creator, then closed the dedication with a beautiful prayer in Navajo.

“It was an inspiring day of prayer, fellowship and commitment, a day dedicated not simply to a radio station, but to sharing King Jesus with Shiprock,” reflected Pester.

* Dine Adventist Radio and La Vida Mission are supporting ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church but are not affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

—Steve Pester is the Dine Adventist Radio network manager. Photos supplied.

Dave VandeVere – Denver, Colorado … Hello, friends! Mission Summit is just a few days away, and I’d love to see you there. Rocky Mountain Conference’s (RMC) annual gathering begins Friday evening, October 2, and continues Sabbath, October 3, at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, 6200 W. Hampden Ave., Denver, Colorado. Come for a special time of worship, prayer, encouragement, practical training, outreach, and—most importantly—the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. And please bring a friend!

Why come? Mission Summit continues the story we see in the biblical book of Acts. Under Jesus’ authority and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the early disciples shared the good news of God’s kingdom and of Jesus, our victorious Lord and loving Savior. We’re called to do the same. In uncertain times, we can offer our friends and neighbors real hope: the promise of Jesus’ soon return and heaven’s invitation to become God’s children, center their lives on Him, and worship Him rather than trust the false security our culture offers.

Acts repeatedly shows believers gathering, worshiping, praying, sharing stories of God’s saving grace, and receiving the Holy Spirit so others can be reached. We’ve built Mission Summit around those same elements.

We’ll begin Friday at 6:00 p.m. with worship and prayer, followed by encouraging stories from RMC ministries connected with churches, schools, and hospitals. On Sabbath morning at 9:30 a.m., Dr. Gary Krause of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists will share stories of lives being changed by the gospel around the world. We’ll also hear more stories from across RMC. During morning worship, an episode from Jesus’ ministry will invite each of us—and our churches and schools—to renew our Kingdom purpose and put it into action.

After an international Sabbath potluck, we’ll gather again at 2:00 p.m. for more stories, hands-on training, and actual outreach. Vespers with Jesus will close our Sabbath experience at 5:00 p.m.

For more details—including games and fellowship at Mile High Academy after sundown—visit the Mission Summit website. I’m looking forward to worshiping, learning, serving, and spending this meaningful time with you!

—Dave VandeVere is president of the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

RMCNews – Monte Vista, Colorado … After reconnecting with the Seventh-day Adventist Church through his grandmother, Roy Antencio recently chose to be baptized.

His grandmother had reached out to Ted Williams, district pastor of the Trinidad, Alamosa, and Monte Vista Seventh-day Adventist Churches, and Antencio and Williams began meeting regularly at a local restaurant. During one of their conversations, Roy shared his desire to be baptized.

Although his grandmother had taken him to church as a child, he had never been baptized. Antencio was baptized at the Alamosa Church, since Monte Vista does not have a baptismal, and received his baptismal certificate at the Monte Vista Church, his local congregation, the following weekend.

He plans to continue attending church as he begins this new chapter of his faith journey.

—RMCNews. Photos supplied.

Denali Sager – Loveland, Colorado … Walter Rogers, pastor and chaplain at Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, presented “Evidence for God,” a series of short messages focused on giving students solid answers to many common questions or doubts, September 7-11.

Week in Spiritual Emphasis (WISE) kicked off on Monday with the story of Rogers’ formative years, and how the choices he and his brother made led to the brothers having starkly different opinions of God.

Julia P., junior student, said, “My favorite part of WISE so far is how Pastor Walter includes the students in his illustrations. He calls people up and plays Uno and makes pancakes. My favorite sermon was Tuesday’s because it made a lot of sense.”

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Rogers spoke on the topic of “random chance.” Beginning the talk with a deck of “Uno” cards, Rogers illustrated the possibility but high improbability of all eight “Wild” cards being drawn in a row and compared those statistics to the improbability of perfectly matching the genome of the simplest bacteria. Another favorite illustration came when Rogers created “random chance pancakes” with a given correct probability of 1/45. Students drew papers with ingredients and measurements randomly.

On Thursday, students learned the evidence for Jesus and His miracles being true and factual versus being a legend, lie, or fairytale. Rogers compared the stories of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) and Jesus to give students a sense of scale when comparing timelines, witnesses, and historical accuracy.

Danilo de A., senior student, said, “One thing that stuck out to me was the backstory of Santa Claus. It was interesting to hear the true story and to learn how the story changed. It was very different from what I thought. It showed how little the Bible changed in comparison.”

Friday morning, Rogers taught how the book of Daniel was proven as a prophetic book by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Additionally, he spoke about other prophetic timelines and several of the many prophecies foretelling Jesus’ birth, life, and death.

This year, Week of Worship was renamed Week in Spiritual Emphasis (WISE) to be more encompassing of the programming.

Rogers said, “My goal for WISE week was to provide an intellectual foundation for the students to build their faith. I wish to foster an environment focused on students’ retention of faith through high school and beyond. I don’t want students to be sucked into faith just because it sounds good emotionally. I want them to have a strong, defendable basis of faith.”

—Denali Sager, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos by Josh Profir.