Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

09 Dec

JESUS AT THE CENTER OF THE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE TOP PRIORITY FOR HARRIS

RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … Diane Harris will become Rocky Mountain Conference director of education effective January 1, 2021. The RMC executive committee meeting on December 8 via Zoom voted unanimously to accept the RMC Administrative Committee’s recommendation of the appointment of Harris to replace Lonnie Hetterle, who is retiring at the end of the month after serving more than 25 years in RMC education.

Harris brings 20 plus years’ experience in education, having served as RMC’s associate superintendent since 2003. Prior to joining the education department, Harris taught second grade at Mile High Academy.

Education has always been a passion for Harris and she is excited about the opportunity ahead of her.

“The Rocky Mountain Conference is blessed with incredibly talented teachers who strive to show their students Jesus. I am so blessed to continue to work alongside them,” Harris said.

Outgoing superintendent Lonnie Hetterle said, “Harris is not only an expert in Adventist education, but also has a God-given ability to understand and to care for people of all ages. She is a licensed counselor and has a passion for all of God’s people, but especially for children and young people.”

“She has a tender and compassionate spirit and yet has the ability to have difficult conversations when necessary. Diane Harris has the confidence of the teachers and has the vision to lead our schools into the future. She is a consummate professional. I am so very pleased to welcome her to her new role and know that she will be a blessing to the Rocky Mountain Conference for years to come,” Hetterle concluded

Jesus at the center of the education experience will continue to be top priority for Harris.

“Together we can move forward in the effort to educate the children of Rocky Mountain Conference and, more importantly, make sure that each student gets to know Jesus,” Harris said.

RMC President Ed Barnett, commenting on the new role Harris will assume in 2021, said, “We couldn’t be more excited about Diane accepting the position as our new education director. She has been trained for twenty years to step into this new position. I believe she will continue to be a blessing to the Rocky Mountain Conference.”

–RMCNews

09 Dec

RMC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS 2021 PRELIMINARY BUDGET; DIANE HARRIS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … In their final 2020 meeting, December 8, the RMC Executive Committee reviewed church finances and approved the 2021 preliminary budget.

The October YTD financial report was presented by George Crumley, RMC VP for finance, who shared “how even with COVID, the Conference is only down roughly .5% on base tithe after adjusting for the extra Sabbath this year.”

Additionally, Crumley continued, “because of lower expenses and special assistance from the North American Division and the Mid-American Union Conference, we are actually tracking better than the 2020 budget had estimated for this time of the year.” He expressed gratitude to God for the “faithful support of our members in returning their tithes and offerings during these challenging times.”

“God has really blessed His church,” commented Ed Barnett, RMC president. In his President’s Report, he shared a number of missional activities and outreach challenges in the Conference, among them the evangelistic outreach of the Campion Church by placing a church plant in the Johnstown area. He remarked that though the number of baptisms is down, in line with the entire Mid-America Union, Mike Maldonado at Colorado Springs Central has welcomed 35 new members through baptism this year.

Crumley presented the Preliminary 2021 Budget, which was voted by the Committee. The budget projected a 1% lower tithe for 2021 and makes no provision for a July 1 cost-of-living pay increase next year. “Additionally, we budgeted lower income for Glacier View Ranch and the Summer Camp program not knowing the impact COVID would have by then. Because of the uncertainty of next year, we did rely on $119,000 of this year’s potential earnings to bring the budget into balance. Of course, we will take another look at this when we have ended the year and [will] present the Revised 2021 Budget,” Crumley said.

Roy Ryan, chair of our Audit Review Committee, presented a report stating that “for 2019, the conference had an Unmodified Opinion, which is the best opinion you can get. The Conference is in good financial health and being operated in a very responsible manner,” he commented.

COVID’s impact on RMC was reviewed by Eric Nelson, VP for administration. He shared that more than 10 pastors, three staff members in the office and a number of members have contracted the virus. “The virus is having an impact on the health of our members,” he said. Lonnie Hetterle, RMC education superintendent reported on how teachers are dealing with pandemic conditions, often switching between in-person and virtual classes. “’Adaptability’ is the key word. Most of our schools have had to adapts to teaching by distance learning for a day or a week due to the COVID tests impacting their students,” Hetterle, who is retiring at the end of the year, explained.

“All parents, teachers and students want to be in school. So, there are stringent guidelines being followed to be as safe as possible,” he added.

Eric Nelson informed the Committee of pastoral placements, elated to open districts. Geoff Patterson will begin in January 2021 as Boulder’s Senior Pastor. He comes from Forest Lake church in Florida, where he has been senior pastor. Bill Nixon began pastoring in Cheyenne in November after coming from Minnesota where he pastored five churches. As of this month, Godfrey Miranda assumes the pastorate of the Fort Collins congregation. He has been in RMC for the past four years. Two districts are still open–Castle Rock, Colorado Springs South, and Woodland Park, as well as the Golden, Denver West, and Lakewood Fellowship district. Pastor David Martinez returned to Castle Rock as chaplain.

Following the announcement of the retirement of Lonnie Hetterle, who has served more than 25 years in RMC and 20 years in the Office of Education, the Committee voted to appoint Diane Harris as RMC education director. She has served as assistant director of education in RMC for almost 20 years.

“Lonnie Hetterle has been a real blessing for the Rocky Mountain Conference as our superintendent of education. After twenty years in that position, he has decided to retire the end of the month. He will be missed by all,” said Ed Barnett.

He also commented on the Committee’s vote to appoint Diane Harris as RMC director of education. “She has been the associate for the last twenty years. We welcome her happily as she steps up as our new superintendent as of the first of January,” Barnett added.

–RMCNews

08 Dec

Counseling During the Holidays

By Claudio and Pamela Consuegra – Columbia, Maryland … Nine months into the pandemic, and with no end in sight, the holidays approach — and with them come the shadows of uncertainty, fear, loneliness, and depression. During a normal year, the holidays are a cheerful, happy time for a lot of us. But for many, the holidays can be a difficult time as we remember loved ones no longer with us. The natural aura of nostalgia that surrounds this time of the year can also cause deep sadness. Compounding things this year is the addition of the pandemic and its resulting toll of death and fear of contamination and illness. It has become more challenging and even risky for families to meet to enjoy the holidays together, thus adding to the somber feeling around the upcoming holiday season.

The North American Division Family Ministries department has compiled a list of Seventh-day Adventist counselors who can help you during times like these. “It is our most often requested service,” says Pamela Consuegra, Ph.D., associate director of the department. “Several times a month someone will contact us asking if we know of an Adventist counselor located in their vicinity.”

The directory of counselors provides contact information for Adventist counselors in many areas. You may find that listing at https://www.nadfamily.org/resources/counselors/. There are locales, however, where you will not find an Adventist counselor listed who services the area near where you live. In that case, you may click on another button on our webpage and it will take you to a data base of Christian counseling to assure that you receive biblically-based counseling.

If you are in need of counseling, please visit the site. If you are a pastor or church member and know of someone in need of counseling, please share this information with them. If you are an Adventist counselor, and would like to be listed in our database, please contact us at [email protected]. You provide an important service that many desperately need.

Remember, seeking help, when needed, is a sign of strength, not weakness! May God’s richest blessings be with you and your family and, despite the circumstances that this year brings, may we all find reasons to be thankful, reasons to celebrate, and reasons to, once again, seek the Baby born in a manger.

— Claudio and Pamela Consuegra, North American Division Family Ministries; photo by iStock.

This article was originally published on the NAD website.

08 Dec

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DIFFERENT ARE NOT DIFFERENT STUDENTS LEARN

By Abigail Hernandez – Colorado Springs, Colorado … Students in second through fourth grades at Springs Adventist Academy are learning about individuals who live with disabilities.

Pupils are engaging in the subject through a series of readings, research, guest speakers, and activities.

In the month of September, they were introduced to Dr. Mary Schlieder, Union College professor, and head of the “Circle of Friends” inclusion program at Lincoln Public Schools. Schlieder expressed that everyone has certain strengths and challenges, pointing out that we are all more alike than we are different.

In November, the class met with Erwin Velbis, a stroke survivor. He explained to the students that he experienced two strokes and how they drastically changed his life. He was a nurse anesthetist previously, and he discussed how he would get annoyed with stroke patients because they were slow and were difficult to understand. Now, Velbis, a stroke survivor himself feels what his patients felt and asked the students “to pray for those with disabilities.”

The elementary pupils also learned about a fifth grader who has cerebal palsy by reading the book “Out of My Mind” by Sharon M. Draper. The story takes the readers along the emotional rollercoaster of one who is physically disabled and not able to talk, yet is mentally sharper than most people.

Along with these experiences, students are each researching disabilities and writing a short essay on one disability, including how to show empathy towards them. Along with the essay, they are preparing an art piece to create awareness in others that it is okay to be different.

The class work will be displayed in January at the Ruth Holley Public Library in Colorado Springs.

–Abigail Hernandez is second – fourth grade teacher at Springs Adventist Academy; photo supplied (students without masks in picture are under the age 10 and are exempt from the mask mandate.)

07 Dec

“WHY AREN’T WE REOPENING?” – COMMENTARY

By Evgeni Kovachev – Denver, Colorado … Individuals, church leaders, and even courts have been discussing whether churches should open again and if they can be restricted in any way. Recently, in a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with religious groups in a dispute over New York Covid-19 restrictions limiting the number of worshippers. At the same time, The Denver Post reports, Colorado COVID hospitalizations rose by more than 15%.

What do we do?

Who do we listen to?

During a recent sermon, I listed several reasons why it seems God might advise us to pause our plans for opening when COVID cases are increasing and hospitals are full.

JESUS IS IN CONTROL of our life.

There are different “seasons” in our journey that God has planned for us so He can achieve His purposes. Trust Him. In Genesis 8:22, God gives seasons as an assurance to Noah that He will be with him through everything. Solomon gives his famous “there is a time for everything” wisdom so we can be ready for unexpected changes in our circumstances. In Ecclesiastes 3:5, he says: ‘there is … a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.” Times change, seasons come and go; God is still with us and we can trust Him. Let’s enjoy what He is doing for us during this season.

JESUS LOVES PEOPLE and their safety and health are of the highest priority for Him.

In Leviticus (see 13:46), He gave multiple health and social principles for His people to follow so they ‘don’t have the sicknesses of Egypt.’ One of these was the distancing and quarantining of people with infections that can be spread. It was the responsibility of the priest to assess the symptoms of a person and decide if they should stay outside the camp (13:4). At some point, the king of Judah had to be separated into a different house and live there to the end of his life. His son took over the kingdom (2 King 15:5). David himself writes Psalm 38 while he is in isolation from his ‘friends and companions (who) must stand distant because of my [his] plague,’ and even his ‘relatives stand far off.’ (V.11). Jesus loves us and our safety and health are of the highest priority.

JESUS IS ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE and there is more to church than worship service.

In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the Sanctuary. His dwelling was separated by a curtain and had limited access in time and person, once a year only, by the High Priest only.

Jesus tore apart the ‘curtain’ that separates us from God. Now, where there are two or three gathered, He is there. While we miss seeing our dear friends in the church, we have Him, anywhere we go.

Jesus’ perfect plan for his disciples wasn’t just to spend time with Him in corporate worship; rather, His plan of discipleship was for them to enjoy deeper fellowship in smaller groups, to minister to the needs of others, and to introduce Him to those who don’t know Him (Acts 2).

We are called to focus on the mission, spreading the good news and serving those in need. We have fallen in love with bricks, mortar, and instruments. Jesus loves people and wants to make us accessible to those who need Him.

What can we do?

Continue to worship, build an altar, pray, invite family and neighbors to your place.

Continue to serve people. Find someone who is worse than you and help them.

The happiest people in the church are those who serve.

–Evgeni Kovachev is the senior pastor at Denver South Adventist church; photo by UnSplash

This article was adapted from an article originally published in the Denver South newsletter.

07 Dec

MONTROSE CHURCH MEMBERS DONATE BICYCLE FOR MISSION IN ZAMBIA

By Cheré Fisher – Montrose, Colorado … Members of the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church donated funds for a bicycle in support of evangelistic outreach in Zambia, according to Chere’ Fisher, operations officer for the church. The bicycle was purchased for Chabby Alfred Chabala, a lay missionary in Zambia, Africa.

Chabby is now joyfully loading Bibles and Christian literature on the bicycle, excited to have a new transport vehicle to replace one borrowed for many months.

There are many needy individuals hungering and thirsting for God’s Holy Word in Zambia, says Cherie’. Working with Chabby to send donated Ellen G. White books and Bibles to Zambia is www.empoweredlivingministries.org. They invite donors to support this missionary work, Cherie’ adds. Chabby is also organizing a group of local believers who plan to translate books into several local languages.

“Thank you for your kindness and concern for my missionary work here in Zambia-Luapula Province. You are [giving] a tremendous and miraculous support here,” said Chabby.

He explained that without help from Montrose, little would be accomplished in his province. “Let us be faithful and Jesus will come soon,” Chabby added.

— Cheré Fisher, is operations officer of the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photo supplied.

03 Dec

MY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY AFTER GOD’S MIRACLE

By Dorie Panganiban … A song I love to sing goes like this: “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me; The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory!”

In the sentiment of this song, I want to share my testimony of God’s miraculous working in my life and why, on Dec. 13, 2020, I will be celebrating my seventh birthday. Yes, my second chance at life. How can I forget that Friday? It was about 9 o’clock in the morning and I was walking from the parking lot of the La Vida Mission office to the pathway that leads to our church building to wrap and pack Christmas gifts for the community with my volunteers. That’s when I was run over by a big dually diesel truck. It backed up over me and then drove forward, running me over twice.

When the truck backed up on me, the tires stopped on my left shoulder, as if an angel was telling it to stop there so it would not crush my head and my face. When it drove forward, it left me lying on 3-4 inches of snow that had fallen the night before, which served as my cushion and prevented me from being completely crushed.

The first several minutes, it didn’t hurt, and I didn’t feel anything. But after an hour of lying on the snow-packed ground, the pain hit and I lost my sight for three days. Airlifted to San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico, I was subjected to various tests and X-rays, which showed that I had 15 broken bones, from my clavicle to my ribs to my pelvis, leg, and ankle bones. My kidney was also cut, and my left lung collapsed. In addition, I suffered PTSD for at least two months.

One alarming part of it was that I didn’t have health insurance. The workman’s comp insurance at the mission had expired and the vehicle insurance for the truck that ran me over, was minimal–certainly not enough for my almost $150k hospital bills, helicopter ride, and rehab expenses.

How was I able to pull through this whole situation, I was asked. God pulled me through these difficulties. I was weak and helpless and knew not what to do, except to cry and pray.

I was aware that many, many people from all over the world were praying for me. I received hospital visits, texts, calls, messages from family and friends, childhood classmates, and my Navajo community family—all assuring me they were praying for me. That was a great encouragement, so I trusted my God and depended on Him for healing and for financial and hospitalization needs.

And God did care for me. After being confined to the hospital for two weeks and being at the Rehabilitation Center for ten days, spending both Christmas and New Year’s away from home, I was on the road to recovery. Miracle of miracles, after four or five months, my hospital bills were all paid off and I was debt free!

It took almost a year for me to walk with no help, but my journey from hospital bed to wheelchair, to a walker, followed by crutches, a cane and finally my own feet again was truly a miracle of God’s love. For that, I give thanks and tribute to Him.

In all these things, I have come to know my God more and to trust Him more! Our God is not some fantasy or fairy-tale hero. Our God is real, and we can always depend on Him. Our God is omnipotent and all-powerful. There’s nothing that He cannot do.

It is not what we know but Who we know that makes the difference He gives peace and joy, color and meaning to our lives. Do you know Him?

– Dorie Panganiban is office manager and outreach director, La Vida Mission, Farmington, New Mexico

03 Dec

MINISTERIAL RETREAT FINDS A NEW HOME IN 2021

By Jon Roberts – Denver, Colorado … Scheduled for February 8-9, 2021, the annual ministerial retreat weekend at Glacier View Ranch, will transition to a virtual event due to the current pandemic situation in the Rocky Mountain Conference. A recommendation to hold it via Zoom was made and accepted at the ADCOM meeting in late November, according to Mickey Mallory, RMC ministerial director.

“With the current uptick in the virus and the failure to see any significant changes in the current COVID protocols two months from now, I felt it was best to move to a Zoom format,” Mallory explained.

Disappointed by the lost chance to fellowship and network together, Mallory has confidence the online meetings will give that opportunity yet.

“By now, our pastors have learned to make the best of the online platform. While it does not provide the opportunities that we would have face to face, it still gives us a chance to see each other and hear how everyone is coping,” Mallory said.

Shayne Vincent, Casper, Wyoming district pastor expressed disappointment in hearing the news, “These meetings are a source of encouragement and comradery as it is often the only opportunity to get to know one another. It will be missed.”

The mission for the yearly retreat, taken from 2 Peter 3, hasn’t changed: “To inspire and equip pastors with tools that they can use to help their churches and communities grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18

The theme for the 2021 retreat, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” will feature Michael Harpe, NAD stewardship director giving a seminar titled “Stewarsdhip, Revolutionary Generosity & Life Management”, and Dr. Ranko Stefanovic, Andrews University seminary professor will be sharing some practical tips on how to interpret and teach the book of Revelation with Jesus Christ as the central focus.

—Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant

02 Dec

HOW TO RESOLVE SANDBOX FIGHTS AT CHURCH

By Jon Roberts – Denver, Colorado … “I have often said that the title PLAY NICE in Your Sandbox at Church has to be among the dumbest titles you have ever heard. Do we really need a book that tells Christians they ought to get along with each other?” Ron Price wrote in the introduction of his latest book.

Price, an RMC executive committee member from Farmington, New Mexico, and conflict resolution author, recently released his third book in the series Play Nice in Your Sandbox.

His latest book deals with conflict resolution at church and between one another as believers. This topic shows some believers running and hiding, pretending conflict doesn’t exist, while others use membership transfers to solve conflict instead of dealing with the root issue.

Ed Barnett, RMC President, in a forward to Price’s book, wrote, “As I read this book by Ron Price, I thought to myself, “It would be nice to buy a copy for every member. Ron has a great sense of humor and just the right mix of quotes, both from the Bible and other writers, to make the book interesting and enjoyable. He really gets to the bottom of the issues in getting along at church.”

As Price explains, this book is not typical as it is designed to be read in sections instead of all at once, very similar to other self-help books.

With sections titled: Pray, Pray, Pray; Love Yourself as You Love Your Neighbor; Choose to Remain Civil and Christlike; and Embrace Conflict as Opportunity, there is advice for resolution and healing of the majority of conflicts that exist in churches and between members, though it may not solve the debate between green and blue carpet. Each chapter concludes with a challenge, as well as advice on going deeper with the subject matter covered.

The need for this book was very clear for Price.

“As a mediator for over 30 years, I’ve seen my share of disputes and disagreements. In my humble opinion many of these situations were unresolvable, while many others I felt could be resolved or even prevented from ever having occurred. Disputes in workplaces and at home are understandable, but disputes in churches between children of the same God,” Price said.

It was not only addressing the issues at church, but also an offer to training church members in conflict resolution. “While most people say they dread conflict, most have never been trained or equipped to prevent or resolve differences they will have with others. That belief drove me to do my part to help people be more confident in their ability to address conflict in a mutually-satisfying manner. I like to say that while conflict is inevitable, damaged relationships are optional,” Price added.

PLAY NICE in Your Sandbox at Church can be found at many of your online retailers including Amazon.

–Jon Roberts is RMC media/communication assistant; Photo by Jon Roberts

02 Dec

SHAVING CREAM AND CANDY KEY TO LEARNING CREATION AT HMS RICHARDS SCHOOL

By Haley Enochs – Loveland, Colorado …Taking advantage of in-person school this semester, Kristie Smith, a kindergarten teacher at HMS Richards school, is helping her students explore the story of creation in a fun, interactive way.

The activities she has presented to her students include constructing creation scenes out of candy, drawing events with shaving cream, and talking about why each part of creation was essential to the world. “It was a very big, messy project,” stated Smith.

Due to the uncertainty 2020 has brought, Smith wanted to encourage reading the Bible and building a closer relationship with God among her charges. However, for kindergartners, it can sometimes be hard to focus their attention on the Bible, but hands-on activities keep them engaged.

Smith explained, “I feel like this year with COVID, Bible class is a very important part of the curriculum because, while we don’t know when Jesus is returning, there are so many signs right now that He will be returning soon.”

In Smith’s classroom, helping students connect to God isn’t just limited to Bible class. Throughout the day, when students bring up personal concerns, she teaches them to stop and pray. “We’ve seen miracles already happen in our class,” explained Smith. “We’ll pray about something and, many times, just a few minutes later, we can see how God has answered us.”

Because of the pandemic, it is always a question if schools will be able to stay open for in-person learning.

“Every day I go in, I know it’s a blessing that I’m there with my kids and we’re not meeting online,” said Smith. “It’s just really neat to be with them and laugh with them. Every day is a miracle and my kids know that too. We thank God and pray that we can continue to stay open.”

–Haley Enochs, is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied