Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

25 Nov

Thanksgiving Reflection from RMC President

We all have had a very trying time this year with COVID and the many other unraveling developments in society in the United States. And yet God’s people have remained faithful across the Conference.

Now Thanksgiving is here, and I can’t help but say, “I am so thankful for how God has blessed Rocky Mountain Conference.” He has blessed you to pass on the blessings to people in your communities. With all that has gone on, our base tithe is down less than one per cent. Thank you for your faithfulness!

I want to give a special thank you to all of our members who have been on the front lines with COVID. You have saved many lives at the risk of your own. As we finish up 2020, let’s keep each other in prayer and may Jesus help us to stay safe and remain faithful as we live love!

Ed Barnett, RMC president

25 Nov

LA VIDA THANKSGIVING OUTREACH TO NAVAJO COMMUNITY

By Dorie Panganiban – Farmington, New Mexico …Amidst the ongoing pandemic, many in New Mexico, including the Navajo nation, may be asking what is there is to be thankful for, especially after the latest lockdown was announced on November 16.

La Vida Mission staff were asking themselves the same question after their school was required to hold classes remotely under the new guidelines, making a challenging situation even more difficult.

“All schools, including private systems, were mandated to transition to remote learning until December 6, which could be extended. As a result, we have temporarily suspended our face-to-face classes, a difficult situation as our students depend on it and benefit so much even from our one-day-a-week, face-to-face instruction,” Dorie Panganiban, La Vida outreach director said.

Staff immediately began planning their 11^th relief operation, knowing the new restrictions would make life very difficult for members of the reservation.

Stores, gas stations, and all other essential services on the Navajo Nation reservation operate now on limited daytime hours. People are struggling, some are complaining, and many are desperate as this virus seems to spread uncontrollably. “We have to keep doing what we feel we need to do to help alleviate the people’s plight,” Panganiban added.

For two days after the mandate, La Vida Mission staff organized pallets of fresh produce, donated through the Partnership with Native Americans organization. Navajo Strong also donated a hundred gallons of hand sanitizer to distribute and donors provided the funds to again offer free propane refills.

Upon arriving at the Crownpoint Flea Market, redesigned as a relief distribution center, 200 cars were waiting for assistance.

“As I looked at all those vehicles lined up and waiting for 4-6 hours for a propane refill, food, and other essentials, I told our La Vida staff, ‘If these people didn’t need what we’re giving, they wouldn’t stay this long in line to receive it,”’ Panganiban reflected.

The Navajo police, Crownpoint Reservation Chapter officials, and Crownpoint Fire officials joined the La Vida Mission staff prior to beginning the relief operation for a prayer of thanksgiving for the donated items and for the families receiving the needed items.

By the end of the of the day, La Vida mission had provided food, sanitizer, and propane refills to more than 250 families.

Panganiban left with a heart filled with gratitude, saying, “I thank God for many reasons that words can’t express.”

La Vida community is grateful for all the individuals who make the opportunity to minister to the Navajo reservation possible and would like to remind everyone during this season of Thanksgiving that there is so much to be thankful for despite the pandemic.

— Dorie Panganiban, is La Vida Mission outreach director and office manager; photos supplied.

25 Nov

Campion Academy earns #1 ranking again

By Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … “Campion excels at providing an environment where students can grow socially, physically, mentally, and spiritually,” Jayden Anggormas Campion senior said, reflecting on why Campion topped Niche.com’s ranking of annual best private school in Larimer County for the second consecutive year.

Niche.com, a nationally-recognized education ranking site, based this ranking on a rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, student-teacher ratio, and data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche users, and the schools directly.

“I love how it feels like a second home. When I’m here, I get homesick, but my friends always cheer me up. They keep me going and are the reason why I came back. Campion is a school that’s more than a place for you to learn; it’s a family,” Blet Htoo, Campion sophomore commented.

Reflecting on the spiritual aspect of the school, Sami Hodges, Campion senior said, “One of the things I really value about Campion is the inclusion of spirituality into everyday life. Teachers have worship and prayer before every class, which puts God first. Not only is spirituality incorporated into academics, but vespers and worship services allow everyone to grow closer to one another, and people form bonds here that will most likely last a lifetime.”

Odalis Mata Campion senior echoed Hodges comment, “I really enjoy how I can be in a place where people are my age and they influence me to want to know God more and keep consistent in my beliefs.”

“For me, the best part about Campion is the amount of help the staff members give you,” Haley Enochs, Campion Senior stated. “In other schools, some teachers don’t care if you fail or succeed, but here, the teachers go above and beyond to make sure you succeed. They will give you their phone numbers, meet with you outside of class, and work with you when you are behind or struggling.”

Others find dorm life most rewarding at Campion.

“My favorite thing is the dorm life because I love how my friends and I interact with each other and still hang out even with COVID policies and with masks. We still make it work and have fun,” Mark Zelaya, Campion senior said.

There are currently 32 private schools in Larimer County.

–Jill Harlow is the communication director for Campion Academy; photos supplied.

25 Nov

GVR AND MSR COME “FULLY ALIVE” IN 2021

By Kiefer Dooley – Ward, Colorado … Summer camp returns to the Rocky Mountain Conference in 2021.

When the global pandemic hit the Rocky Mountain region, the RMC youth ministry department had to cancel their usual summer programs at Glacier View Ranch and Mills Spring Ranch, which were missed immensely.

“We thought that as summer faded to fall, we’d miss camp a little bit less. That hasn’t happened. We miss it more every day,” Kiefer Dooley RMC youth director said. “That is why we’ve been working extra hard to make sure that, regardless of what the pandemic throws at us in the Summer of 2021, we’ll be ready! So, mark your calendars, because with a few changes, summer camp is back.”

The week-long program will be a little different next year due to COVID protocols.

“All of our camp sessions (excluding Family Connect Camp) will operate on a Sunday to Friday schedule. Families should plan to drop off their campers at GVR or MSR on the Sunday their session begins and to pick up their campers on the following Friday afternoon,” Jessyka Dooley, RMC assistant youth director said. “This update to a Sunday to Friday camp is necessary for our team to clean, sanitize, disinfect, and ready the camp facilities in between sessions.”

Registration opens Friday, November 27, at rmcyouth.org/camp. Register early for a $50 discount on all reservations made the first week of registration between November 27 and December 4.

“We are opening registration at 50% of a normal year’s capacity and we expect space to fill up fast. The reduction in capacity will ensure that we can operate camp with appropriate distancing, group separation, and cleanliness standards,” Jessyka stated. “At this time, we’ll be allowing regular activity sign ups; however, there is a chance that ‘stable group’ requirements will void individual activity selections to be replaced with a system where your camper will rotate through all of our activities with a ‘stable group’ throughout the week.”

Kiefer Dooley added, “regardless of what 2021 throws at us, we’re confident that we will host a program that is safe, fun, engaging, spiritual, and best of all, allows kids to be active in the outdoors of the great Rocky Mountains.”

–Kiefer Dooley is RMC youth director; photos supplied

25 Nov

TRUE LIFE GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

By Bob Reynolds – Denver, Colorado … True Life Community church members gathered Saturday afternoon, November 21, to distribute 36 baskets they had filled with food and love to the community.

The project was spearheaded by the women’s ministry team who asked the congregation to bring food donations to fill the baskets along with family names that needed assistance.

Instead of organizing the food in usual cardboard boxes, the creative team purchased laundry baskets to fill.

Members helped organize donations and fill containers, which included a $30 gift card to King Soopers to purchase perishable items.

“It was a great event and we pray that our efforts provide many families a nice Thanksgiving Day,” Bob Reynolds, pastor of True Life Community church, commented.

Reynolds added that they hope to reach the community this holiday season with not only Thanksgiving food boxes, but the upcoming “Christmas For Kids” in December.

–Bob Reynolds is the pastor of True Life Community church in Denver, Colorado; photos supplied

25 Nov

CAMPION STAFF UNWINDS AT END-OF-SEMESTER TALENT SHOW

By Tiffany Dien – Loveland, Colorado … “Twas the night before finals, and all through the school, not a student was stressing; it was surprisingly cool…”

Laughter erupted throughout the gym as Campion Academy staff entertained students with skits and songs during the annual Staff Talent Show on Saturday night.

To kick off the night, the Student Association (SA) lip-synced “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson led by SA sponsor and talent show organizer Erin Johnson.

“It’s a fun event for both the students and the staff. The staff get to show a different, less serious side of themselves,” Johnson explained. “My favorite part of the talent show is [the] performing. It’s fun for me to get the staff involved, and to see how the students react.”

Principal Don Reeder’s act drew big laughs from the crowd. Three student volunteers, oblivious to his tricks, were told to race to name the type of sports ball hiding underneath a row of towels on a table. Little did they know, Bill Hay was hiding under the table with his head sticking up under one of the towels. The volunteers were shocked causing two of them to fall to the ground in surprise while the audience howled in laughter.

“My favorite part was when Nelly and Chrino fell [down] from screaming because it was funny to see my friends scream and fall,” commented Kevin Perez.

Next, Yves Clouzet sang the Hamilton song, “You’ll be back” with a twist. He impersonated Reeder and changed the words in a humorous performance about COVID-19 restrictions, including Zoom, sick list quarantine, and social distancing.

Cafeteria director Chef Allen and Mrs. Allen performed a rendition of the act “Who’s on First” as chef and assistant planner who misunderstood the names of workers who would fill a kitchen position.

Carlos Santana took students by surprise, busting out some beats in a Christian hip-hop rap. Students got down to the beat by waving their hands in the air.

The Great Helmdini–Dean Helm–never fails to awe the audience with his magic tricks. His mind-blowing card tricks leave everyone wondering, how? His final performance left students in amazement as he pulled a long length of toilet paper, once ripped and crumbled, from his mouth.

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

25 Nov

“The Dig” Dinosaur Research Project in Need of a New Field Station

By Tim Kosaka…The year 2021 marks Southwestern Adventist University’s Dinosaur Science Museum and Research Center’s 25th annual summer dig in Wyoming. Through the past quarter century, this special project has excavated and cataloged more than 30,000 dinosaur bones and brought together thousands of students and researchers at the Hanson Family Ranch in Wyoming. The project is the subject of Hope Channel’s six-part documentary titled “The Dig.”

As the research project has gained world-wide recognition over the years, the number of summer participants has outgrown the capacity of the onsite research station. The field station was originally built to accommodate 20 participants; however, the project has seen exponential growth — with as many as 200 onsite guests during peak weekends.

In 2018, recognizing increased interest in the project and planning for additional growth, the museum’s leaders and the Hanson family began making plans to build a new field station. The new facility will be three times the size of the existing facility in order to accommodate up to 120 people per day. Costing approximately $500,000, the new space is designed to increase the quality and reach of the project.

Unfortunately, a storm destroyed the aging field station this fall, expediting the need for this building project to commence ahead of the 2021 summer dig. “Our field station is an essential part of this project. It provides us with shelter from storms, a place to cook and serve meals, bathrooms and showers and most importantly, a hub for us to process our data using high-precision GPS units and advanced computing systems. The lack of an adequate field station will greatly reduce our capacity to perform our research and will present a significant challenge to supporting the hundreds of participants we receive each year,” shares Jared Wood, Dinosaur Science Museum director and curator.

Project leaders have begun fundraising with a goal to raise at least half of the $500,000 by the end of this year in order to begin construction in early spring of 2021. Through the generosity of supporters, the Dinosaur Science and Research Center will be able to provide the infrastructure needed to support continued research and education in the area of paleontology for decades to come.

To view blueprints, learn more, or support the Wyoming Research Field Station building project click here. Watch “The Dig” on Hope Channel’s website and learn more about the research processes through a lecture series by Art Chadwick, Ph.D.

— Tim Kosaka is director of Marketing & Public Relations for Southwestern Adventist University; photo supplied

This article was originally published on the NAD website.

24 Nov

Creating Family-Friendly Churches

By Dan Martella …For many families, Sabbath is the toughest day of the week. After the grueling demands of a full work week, a few extra hours of sleep feels good. Once everyone is finally out of bed, there’s the mad scramble to get breakfast on the table, the kids dressed, and last-minute diaper blowouts cleaned up. There are shouting matches all the way to church, squirming kids to settle during the service, and long-winded preachers who leave our poor kids starving to death. Like I said, for many families, Sabbath is the toughest day of the week.

Sabbath can be especially daunting for young families who do not attend church, but decide to give it a try. They don’t know anyone. They don’t know their way around the campus. They are not sure about leaving their kids with total strangers for an hour-long Sabbath School class. Is that even safe? And then there are the worship songs – they’re new and maybe even a little weird. The preacher uses words that only church people have ever heard of: Sister White, PUC, hermeneutics, eschatology, missiology, haystack dinners, and all the rest. The big-sugar breakfast has got the kids bouncing off the walls. Roll all this into one meeting, and the whole thing can leave guests wondering when the whole awful ordeal will be over.

Every Adventist church I know wants to grow. Every Adventist church I know especially wants to attract more and more young families into church membership. We want moms and dads and kids, grandmas and grandpas, and everyone else to feel welcomed, loved, and accepted. We want our churches to be inclusive so that kids, teenagers, and young adults are just as much a part of the worship, ministry, and fellowship as the old timers. We want our churches to be places where our kids grow up in the faith and stay in the faith; a place our kids can always call home, even when they have grown up, moved away, and have their own families. We want our churches to thrive with all the gifts, talents, and energies rising from the generations of believers. That’s what we want!

So what does it take to become a family-friendly church? That’s the question a lot of us are asking today. As I have turned this matter over in my mind, three essentials for growing healthy, family-friendly churches have come into sharp focus for me.

Family-friendly churches, first of all, know how to convey a warm welcome. When church families and guest families come through the door and move through the Sabbath morning experience, they experience love. They are embraced with joy. Newlyweds, young families, and empty nesters – seniors and singles – strong, healthy people and the disabled – people who are just like us and people who are very different from us are all welcomed with love and joy.

Many years ago, a college kid with a wild bush of hair on his head, a holey t-shirt, ragged jeans, and bare feet wandered into a conservative, upscale church. The worship service was already underway, and every seat was full. So, Jack made his way down the center aisle and sat down on the floor near the front. The prim and proper church members were aghast and wanted him out.

Suddenly a shuffle could be hear from the back of the church. George Harlan, a silver-headed deacon in his eighties, wearing a three-piece suit, began to make his way down the aisle. Old George was a godly man. He was also very dignified, and everyone held him in high respect. “This is good,” they sighed. “Brother George will throw the bum out.”

And then the most unexpected thing happened – George shuffled up right next to Jack, dropped his cane on the floor, folded his arthritic legs, and sat down on the floor by the young man for the rest of the service.

Family-friendly churches really know how to love people. In family-friendly churches parents with fussy kids never get the evil eye. In family-friendly churches people see teenagers, and not just the unusual clothes or haircuts they may be wearing. In family friendly churches the overworked CPA who is deep into tax season, and utterly exhausted, and falls asleep during the sermon gets some understanding. In family-friendly churches people smile a lot. Laugh a lot. Talk a lot. People hang around the sanctuary and halls long after the worship service is over. In family-friendly churches the members make it a point to connect with guests, welcome them, and invite them back before they get around to huddling with their friends. In family-friendly churches no one gets left behind.

Healthy churches, growing churches, family-friendly churches know how to really welcome people. They know how to really love them. It is no wonder then that Jesus says, By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35 NIV

Dan Martella is the administrative pastor for the Paradise, California church

This article was originally published on the NAD ministerial website

23 Nov

Helping Elders Preach Effectively

By Rodney Osborne Jr. … “Pastor, I wish that we could hear sermons from you more often,” says a church member.

While you appreciate the words of affirmation, you can also sense what is not being said: When you aren’t preaching, people are not receiving the same level of spiritual nourishment and encouragement.

You prepared that sermon after spending time at the feet of Jesus in prayer and Bible study. You know He gave you a clear word to preach. You stepped into the (physical or virtual) pulpit humbly, yet confidently, trusting God to bless. You delivered the sermon with conviction and power. The Spirit of God used your words to touch hearts, and their response was desire to commit to Jesus.

Then came that comment, on one hand, you do not want the church to become pastor-dependent and expect to hear a sermon from you every single Sabbath. On the other hand, you wish that there was a way for church members to hear a powerful, practical message each Sabbath, no matter who is preaching.

As a pastor serving in the second multi-church district of my ministry, I’ve experienced this struggle before. Perhaps you have too. I learned very quickly that it is extremely difficult (impossible!) to be in two different places at the same time. On any given Sabbath, local elders and lay leaders across our field are also tasked with the important assignment of faithfully preaching God’s Word.

I firmly believe the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts “to each one individually as He wills,” 1 Corinthians 12:11. I also believe that spiritual gifts, including teaching and preaching God’s Word, can and should be cultivated (see 2 Timothy 1:6). Below are a few practical suggestions to assist you in cultivating the spiritual gifts of elders and lay leaders in the area of preaching.

Build personal relationships with elders and lay leaders.As a new pastor, I keenly remember conference leadership telling me, “Visit, visit, visit!” I took that counsel to heart, and do my best to get to know members, and more specifically, the elders and lay leaders, in the districts that I serve. As I do so, I am able to learn their strengths, passions, spiritual gifts, and even their struggles and weaknesses. Building such relationships is the foundation u to have spiritual conversations with elders and lay leaders, including (but not limited to) how they can grow in the area of preaching.
Be compassionate toward elders and lay leaders.It might be tempting to be critical of, or frustrated with, elders and lay leaders who may not preach as effectively as you do. But take a step back and ask a few questions: Is there a deeper issue that needs to be addressed? Is it possible that no one has taken time to instruct them on how to prepare an effective sermon? If the latter is true, you could gently ask them if they would be interested in feedback, resources, or instruction in the area of sermon preparation.
Seek to learn from elders and lay leaders. There is a saying that goes, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” No matter how ineffective you feel a sermon was, I can guarantee they did something right. If the sermon was recorded, listen to it and let them know how they did well, and how it blessed you. You might also ask elders and lay leaders for feedback on your sermons. This helps create a culture of accountability and constructive criticism. Taking these steps can help lead to deeper conversations where you are able to disciple (and learn from) them in this area of ministry.
Hold training sessions to equip elders and lay leaders to preach effectively. In the previous district where I served, I held a preaching workshop for our local elders and anyone else interested in growing in their ability to preach. The workshop went through biblical principles of preaching, how to structure a sermon for success, using illustrations, and the appropriate use in the pulpit of Ellen White’s writings, among other principles. These instruction times can benefit elders and lay leaders as they minister to their audiences during the sermonic moment of the worship service.
Share powerful, effective sermons with elders and lay leaders that have personally blessed you.It is said that “some things are caught, not taught.” In other words, we can sometimes learn more by watching a behavior in action, rather than simply being told how to do it. The same is true of preaching. There are many gifted, Spirit-filled preachers within our denomination. Some are older, familiar voices; others are younger, up-and-coming preachers. Expose elders and lay leaders to powerful preaching by periodically inviting guest speakers. Do your best also, by the grace of God, to model powerful, effective preaching in your own pulpit ministry.

It is true that preaching is not the only aspect of gospel ministry. However, God still uses preachers and teachers to communicate the message of the gospel and to help His people experience unity and spiritual maturity (see Ephesians 4:11-16). May God bless your efforts to empower elders and lay leaders to preach with clarity, conviction, and Christ-centeredness.

–Rodney Osborne, Jr. serves as the district pastor of the Ankeny and Nevada Churches in the Iowa-Missouri Conference. He is the author of Preaching Made Practical: A Step-by-Step Guide to Powerful Sermons, a resource geared toward equipping elders and lay leaders to preach effectively. Photo supplied.

This article was originally published on the NAD Ministerial website.

19 Nov

RMC COMMUNICATOR RECOGNIZED FOR DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE

RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … The 2020 Excellence in Communication Ministry award was presented on Wednesday, November 18, to Rajmund Dabrowski, RMC communication director, at the communicators year-end meeting of Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Introducing the award Brenda Dickerson, MAUC communication director said, “the Mid-America Union Communication Department is pleased to present its Excellence in Communication Ministry award during our gathering today.”

“This award is being given annually to an individual in our territory based on their dedication to fulfilling the mission of the Adventist Church, their creativity, collaboration, and innovation in addressing communication challenges.”

Already displaying photographic skills, Rajmund began his journalism career more than 50 years ago by joining the editorial team of his high school student paper in communist Poland, which was, at the time, a difficult yet cutting edge production. From a young age, he had a passion to serve others and to treat others as he would like to be treated.

“My love was for the Polish language and for history and it seemed being a part of history [in Poland] and being involved in communication was a natural thing,” Dabrowski reflected on his beginnings. “When the first student issue came out, we were proud of our achievement. We walked with our heads held high and pretended to be real journalists. Once a month, we went to a well-known café to plan for the following issues. At a table next to ours sat a gentleman who, we discovered, was a famous journalist. He introduced himself to us and asked what we were editing. As we chatted, he gave us tips on how to survive the stormy weather under communism.”

Rajmund begin his ministry in the Adventist church as editor and manager of the Signs of Times Publishing House located in Warszawa. After 13 years in publishing, he was elected to serve as communication director for the Trans-European Division. In 1993, he was invited to the General Conference as communication director, where he served till 2010.

His excellence in communication and his love for others and for service is evident to the many who have worked with Dabrowski over the years.

“Working with Ray Dabrowski has been one of the highlights of my church employment. If there was one word to describe Ray, it would be ‘professional.’ Everything he does is executed at the highest level. His passion for pushing the Adventist Church in the area of communication is exemplary. The high standards he holds for himself and the organization he represents is a model for all communicators,” Dan Weber, North American Division communication director said. “Congratulations, Ray, for being honored by your colleagues. There is no greater honor.”

Weber’s comments are echoed by many of Dabrowski’s current and former colleagues.

“Congratulations Ray! Polish fantasy and American style, is a recipe for success,” said Jan Kot, director of Hope Channel Poland.

Kermit Netteburg, former North American Division communication director said, “Well deserved, my friend. You have been a standard bearer for excellence in communication for a long time.”

“I’m privileged to not only work with him, learn from him, but most importantly, I’m honored to call him a friend,” Jon Roberts, RMC media/communication assistant.

“Ray’s list of professional accomplishments is long and impressive, and it is an honor to add to his collection of awards this token of our appreciation for his dedicated and creative service in the Mid-America Union,” Dickerson commented.

“I admire Ray so much as a communication professional,” said Andy Nash, who worked with Dabrowski at the General Conference as well as Rocky Mountain Conference. “I love his sense of balance, his respect for all people, and the way he’s mentored so many young people through the years.”

“Working for Ray was the highlight of my career,” expressed Carol Bolden, RMC communication assistant before her retirement in 2019. “He creates a camaraderie in the workplace that promotes creativity and freedom yet maintains a high standard for the art. His productions are always on the cutting edge of Adventist culture as he encourages readers to think and to represent Jesus more fully. A number of young people in communication today were mentored by him and are making their own mark on the field. We’re all indebted to his vision.”

Ed Barnett, RMC president said, “Congratulations, Ray. We are proud of you for the tremendous job you do for our conference. I am not surprised that you received this prestigious award. We see your excellence in communication, we are enriched by the global vision you bring to us, we see the quality that you put into all of the different communications the church releases, whether it be the Mountain Views, the weekly NewsNuggets or the items you put on Facebook. Ray you are a blessing to our conference. Well done!”

Dabrowski is humbled by the dozens of comments left on his Facebook page. “Naturally, it was a nice moment to experience, especially a recognition to aim for excellence in what one does in communication. This is a recognition of those who helped me to aim for excellence, and of those young professionals who make us ‘present-truth’ Christians,” he commented

–RMCNews; photo by Jon Roberts