Liz Kirkland – Highlands Ranch, Colorado …  Twenty-nine Pathfinder Club teams representing the six conferences in the Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) converged at Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, March 21, for this year’s union-level Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) after months of preparation. Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) was represented by the Aurora Las Aguilas, Ghanaian Golden Eagles, and Littleton Lights Pathfinder Clubs.

While getting to this next level of testing for the RMC clubs was minimal with it being held in the Denver area, the journey for some clubs came with extra challenges. Christine Armantrout, a director for Iowa-Missouri’s Sedalia Pioneers and coach for the Sedalia/Sunnydale Adventist Academy Pathfinder clubs, shared how a multi-club journey to the PBE became a powerful testimony of unity and faith as young people from different clubs bonded and encouraged one another.

“Our club has a coach bus, and we picked up the other teams along the way,” commented Armentrout. “The bus has screens and we practiced PBE questions on the way. It was remarkable how it didn’t matter what clubs they were in. They got together with small groups and were supporting and encouraging each other. They were like, ‘You’ve got this’!”

The ease of the trip was threatened by a bus breakdown while sight-seeing that, fortunately, turned from a crisis to a moment of prayers answered: “I called up one of our area coordinators and said that we need help. They had a bus that could fit all 27 of our kids. So, then we called a service guy who had a mobile hydraulic guy. He, my husband, and another parent got everything taken apart and back up, and we were back on the road before sundown.”

The Pathfinder Bible Experience, formerly known as the “Bible Bowl,” is the official North American Division (NAD) Pathfinder Bibe study program where teams with six members each study a book of the Bible. The first Pathfinder Bible Bowl began in RMC territory with the first event held in 1988 in Sheridan, Wyoming. Bible Bowl expanded throughout the Rocky Mountain Conference and beyond over the next couple of years before being adopted division-wide in 1993.

This year’s PBE focused on the Book of Isaiah for which each team answered a series of 90 questions. Each team present advanced to this event after receiving first-place marks, or a score of 90% or higher, at both local- and conference-level testing. The teams that scored a first-place ranking at the event will advance to the final division round being held in Hawthorne, Florida, April 17–18.

The United Central Pathfinder Club from the Central States Conference has participated in PBE for several years. When asked about how they prepare each year, club member Bradley commented, “We study hard. You don’t just read the verse, you memorize it. We love how we can learn about the Bible and know what God has done and what all of the Bible characters have done. It gives us a better point of view of what happens in the Bible.”

But PBE goes beyond just a Bible study program. Months of preparation with their local teams create opportunities to meet and connect with peers both locally and in the larger church community. “What I like a lot about PBE is meeting new people and spending time with friends,” remarked Damian from the Mount Rushmore Mountaineers Pathfinder Club of the Dakota Seventh-day Adventist Conference.

New to this year’s union-level event was opening with a full worship service complete with song service provided by a praise team from RMC’s Littleton Seventh-day Adventist Church and drum core provided by the RMC Ghanaian Golden Eagles team. The message was provided by Tyrone Douglas, MUAC Church and Youth and Young Adult Ministries director.

He began his message with the Biblical story of Samuel reminding the youth that the hope for them is that one day they will say, “Speak, Lord, for I am listening.” Douglas urged them to be in the right place, to be available, and to be ready to serve God.

“I really focused on the experience this year,” remarked Douglas. “I want the kids to come and not just do the testing and leave with a trophy, but I really want them to have an encounter experience when they come. And, today, we also want to include a ministry activity with it being Global Youth Day. That’s why we had the worship service the way we did it this year.”

Helping facilitate the event was RMC Club Ministries co-executive coordinators Sue Nelson and Eli Gonzales, RMC Youth assistant director Brent Learned, volunteer English language quiz master Vicki Khaler, and volunteer Spanish language quiz master JuanCarlos Montano.

After the testing had completed and lunch was served, provided by RMC’s Las Aguilas Pathfinder Club, the teams gathered back together for a service project decorating food delivery bags for Project Angel Heart,* a local non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado, that provides nutritious, medically tailored meals for those in the community experiencing severe illness.

Douglas opened the awards ceremony with the opportunity for Pathfinder club members and leaders to give praise to all of those that supported PBE efforts. Many lined up to thank club leaders, parents, and supporters that dedicate so much time and effort to their local teams.

Of the 29 participating teams, 18 scored first-place rankings, listed below, and will be continuing to division-level testing. Three conferences celebrated having all their participating teams continue: Iowa-Missouri, Kansas-Nebraska, and Minnesota Conferences.

Iowa-Missouri Conference

  • Ankeny Wisdom Warriors
  • Ankeny Son Seekers Knowledge Seekers
  • College Park Roaring for Christ
  • Springfield Thunderbolts Team 1
  • Sunnydale/Sedalia Team 1
  • Timberwolves Order of the Seraphim

Minnesota Conference

  • Heavens Crew
  • Heavens Crew Lions
  • Light of the World Glorifiers
  • Light of the World Warriors of Christs
  • Ostego Northern Star
  • Rangers Swords
  • Southview Sabers Bible Panthers
  • Southview Sabers Light of the Darkness
  • Southview Sabers The 6 Seventh-day Adventists
  • Rangers Valiants

Kansas-Nebraska Conference

  • Lenexa Panthers
  • Tribe of Isaiah

Douglas hopes to keep expanding the event in the years to come, remarking, “I would love to make it a weekend experience where, when [the Pathfinders] come, they’re refreshed and revived by the Spirit of God. So, we really want to focus on the experience beyond just the testing aspect.”

* Project Angel Heart is not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church nor the Rocky Mountain Conference.

—Liz Kirkland is the RMC Communication director. Photos by Liz Kirland, Daniel Sem, and Sean Lee.