Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

22 Oct

“CHOPPED” BRIGHTON ADVENTIST ACADEMY STYLE

By Melissa Hoos with Alana Hill – Brighton, Colorado …How do you successfully hold a school fundraiser when we can’t gather together in large groups? Of course, you host a version of the television show “Chopped” online.

Typically, one Saturday evening in October, the Brighton school holds Fall Festival with food, games, and socializing as an annual fundraiser. This year, that would not be an option. After brainstorming, parents Melissa Hoos and Alana Hill came up with a simplified version of the Food Network show, “Chopped.”

Show contestants are given a basket of roughly five ingredients to make a dish. Instead of a mystery ingredient basket, families paid $25 to get a BAA bag of 6 mystery ingredients. The bags also contained a can of a veggie, fruit or bean, with the label torn off for “extra” mystery.

Items included apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, corn muffin mix, instant potatoes, pop tarts, pudding, graham cracker crusts, mustard and saltines. Contestants had to use all the ingredients in one or two dishes.

The “Chopped” bags were handed out Thursday and families could make their dishes any time before Saturday evening.

In a Zoom version of the show, Saturday night participants shared their creation with guest judge, BAA Alumni/former teacher, Molly Santana, Campion Academy Girls’ dean.

Since tasting was impossible for Santana, winners for four categories were chosen based on presentation: “Best Overall Dish,” “Prettiest Dish” (two winners), “Most Creative Dish,” and the dish “Most Nervous to Try.”

Contestants did find willing, or unknowing, volunteers to taste their creations. In a video posted to BAA’s Facebook page, one of these tasters was heard “Alright, a little leery of this [smelling the dish several times]…its not bad….what’s in here?”

Students enjoyed the unique experience.

“I think it was really nice because I got to spend time with my family and I think my dish turned out delicious,” Brooklyn Hill, sixth grader said.

Irene Nishimwa, 6^th grader commented, “It was fun because we got to use our imaginations to make something creative.”

“I got to put black beans and sweet potatoes into the blender and bake it. I learned that it is really fun to cook,” Sienna Radu, third grader said.

The online fundraiser attracted 35 participants and BAA was able to raise a little over $1,000 for the student aid fund.

If you would like to see pictures and videos of the dishes our families came up with please visit www.Facebook.com/BrightonAdventistAcademy

—Melissa Hoos is Brighton Adventist Academy treasurer with co-Home and School Leader Alana Hill; photos courtesy of Brighton Adventist Academy Facebook page.

22 Oct

THREE YOUNG TIMOTHYS PREACH AT LITTLETON CHURCH

By Jon Roberts – Littleton, Colorado … “God is the One,” was the message presented by three young preachers to the Littleton congregation, highlighting the value of all generations, especially the youth.

Coinciding with the ongoing sermon series, “Will You Fight the Good Fight?” based on 2^nd Timothy, three young people presented short messages on Chapter 2 of the book.

“These young fighters didn’t just speak today. They powerfully preached 2 Timothy 2 verse by verse,” Andy Nash, lead pastor at Littleton said. He went on by calling them modern day Timothys referring to the biblical Timothy’s young age when he preached the gospel.

Speaking on 2 Timothy 2:14-18 Gabriel Fisher, a high schooler, shared how God is the one who changes us from the inside out. He used the parable in Matthew 7 which tells us not to judge others before we change ourselves.

Mitchell Nudd, a middle schooler, used an illustration of a fine china place setting to illustrate the message that God is the one who makes us into instruments of fine silver and gold, based on 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

In concluding the sermon time, Sydney Litchfield, a college student, explained that whatever you fear, God is there to pour His love into you. Referring to 2 Timothy 2:22-24, Sydney gave life examples explaining how she remembers her grandfather’s favorite saying in church, “big heart, little heart,” meaning God has the big heart and we have the little heart and He pours His love into our heart.

The congregation listened intently to each of the presenters, showing affirmation and appreciation by applauding at the end of each presentation.

Addressing the congregation at the conclusion, Russell Palmer, worship leader at Littleton said, “Wasn’t it a blessing to hear from our young people? Our leaders of our church, the young people, will lead the way.”

“Will You Fight the Good Fight” concludes on November 7 with Nash preaching on the final chapter in 2 Timothy, and Sydney’s grandfather from Tennessee will present a joint youth Sabbath School. His topic: “Big Heart, Little Heart.”

—Jon Roberts is RMC media/communication assistant; photos by Andy Nash

22 Oct

ALTER-EGOS ON DISPLAY AT CAMPION

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Campion sophomores lived out their English assignment by trying to be someone they were not for a day.

Students changed their styles for a fun alter-ego project based on the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” They were tasked with creating an “alter ego” of themselves, and then dressing up and acting as that person for the day.

“Since we are reading ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, which is centered on a man who creates an alter ego for himself so he can have an excuse to go to town, I thought it would be fun for the students to experience that for themselves,” explained Erin Johnson, Campion English teacher. “I wanted them to apply an old story to their lives in a creative way,” she said.

Pupils changed various aspects of themselves, such as dress, hairstyles, or the way they talked. Some took it further than others, one even shaving his head.

“It was crazy how everyone did so many different things,” said Haley Beckermeyer, Campion sophomore. “The village students went all out, and even some of the dorm students went crazy.”

The participating students enjoyed dressing up and altering their personality.

“It was a fun time because I got to experience my friends in a way I have never seen them before,” Melody Mambo, Campion sophomore, said.

While they had fun doing this for a day, students experienced the meaning of “The Importance of Being Earnest” in real life.

“I learned how difficult it is to be someone that you’re not, and how much better it is to just be who you truly are,” commented Faith Evert, sophomore.

—Jayce Treat, is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied

21 Oct

COOKING, JOB HUNTING, WOODWORKING and ROBOTICS AT MHA

By Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy students learn skills for life in elective classes.

Students can choose classes including: art, woodworking, life skills, outdoor survival, drama, yearbook, strategy games, robotics and Spanish.

Life skills class was formed with the purpose of providing students with an opportunity to develop skills needed for everyday life as well as problem solving and decision making including: how to look for a job, write a resume, fill out an application.

Pupils also discovered how to cook and how to integrate vegetarian options into the recipes and the importance of a well-balanced meal. They made guacamole, tortillas from scratch, quesadillas, banana nut bread, smoothies, spring rolls and mashed potatoes.

“I really enjoyed life skills because I got to learn how to cook – and eat it,” Mitchell Nudd, seventh-grader said.

MHA strives to provide students a well-rounded education, including unique elective class options for upper and middle school.

“Keeping the students involved and excited about leaning is a priority at Mile High Academy,” said Brenda Rodie, VP of operations, admissions and records. “The world as we know it is constantly changing and providing instructional and interactive elective classes help the students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that stay with them for a lifetime.”

Woodworking is offered to upper school students teaching how to safely use hand and power tools. Their first project was to make birdhouses. The students were tasked with creating their plan, cutting and building as well as painting. The birdhouses are almost complete, and they will be selling them to family and friends.

“I enjoy the experience of helping the students learn a hands-on skill and giving them the opportunity to plan and execute their own project from start to finish,” Brian Howard, woodworking teacher said.

Robotics is also a popular elective. The class of twelve is in its initial design phase of this school year’s robot. They are currently raising funds to attend a Florida robotics competition in April 2021, with an upcoming drive-in movie to be held on November 7.

— Karrie Meyers is Mile High Academy’s communication assistant; photos supplied

21 Oct

RMC ASSISTS WITH WILDFIRE RELIEF IN OREGON

By Cathy Kissner – Grants Pass, Oregon … Members of the Rocky Mountain Conference Adventist Community Service Disaster Rapid Response Leadership team were requested, on October 1, to assist the North Pacific Union Conference and the Oregon Conference in the recovery of the wildfires impacting the State of Oregon.

Their responsibility was to establish and oversee the opening of a multi-agency warehouse to assist the southern Oregon recovery from the wildfires, and to train members of the Oregon and North Pacific Union Conference.

“We were determined to complete the set-up in the time allotted,” Cathy Kissner, RMC ACS leader, said. “There were many obstacles that had to be met and overcome. The State of Oregon as well as the North Pacific Union Conference and Oregon Conference had never set up a Multi-Agency Warehouse.”

The group established the volunteer area, office, sorting, receiving, shipping and inventoried areas. The team wanted to make sure that when the operation of the warehouse was transferred to local leadership, they would be able to operate the multi-agency warehouse with minimal difficulty.

The team is concerned about the unfolding situation in Colorado and Wyoming with the ongoing wildfires.

“We are monitoring all the CO/WY fires. Larimer County has requested ACS DR to assist with donations management. The county is looking for a 55,000 square foot facility that can be used as a collection/distribution site as well as a staging area,” Kissner said.

To become a member of the Rapid Response Leadership requires classes in donation operation, multi-agency warehouse and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) classes on leadership. If you are interesting becoming a member please contact: Cathy Kissner at [email protected]

–Cathy Kissner is RMC director of Adventist Community Services; photos supplied

21 Oct

MHA STUDENTS WALK FOR FALL FUNDRAISER

By Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy students walked during the 2^nd annual walk-a-thon fundraiser for MHA’s annual fund.

The event took on a different look, due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions causing the daylong event to be divided in 90-minute block schedules for each cohort, with the event expanding over two days.

Laughter and cheers could be heard as the classes raced around the soccer field during the gathering held at the end of September.

Faculty, staff and volunteers were on the sidelines, cheering the students and passing out prizes including: sunglasses, stress balls, stickers and ice cream.

Participants wore a blue tie-dye 2020 walk-a-thon t-shirt, encouraging them to remain #MHAStrong.

Following Douglas County health guidelines, parents were allowed on campus to volunteer with helping count laps, handing out prizes and fellowshipping with students and teachers.

“As a parent that has always been heavily involved in volunteering on campus in years past, this year has proven to be a huge adjustment. With limited access to be able to be on campus this year due to COVID restrictions, I was ecstatic to learn of the opportunity to volunteer in-person for the school’s annual walk-a-thon,” Abby Helm, parent of three students, said.

“I felt a sense of normalcy helping with the event, and the excitement of my children seeing me back on campus volunteering was nothing short of heartwarming,” she added.

Pizza parties were awarded to the classes who raised the most donations through the competition. Individual awards were also awarded. The walk-a-thon was able to raise around $16,000 for the annual fund.

“The MHA team worked hard to develop a plan for a safe, fun event, one the students could enjoy while taking pride in helping the school raise money,” said Jocelyn Aalborg, MHA’s vice principal of finance and development.

— Karrie Myers is Mile High Academy’s communication assistant; photos supplied

21 Oct

Free from the Pit

By Karen Fettig – Manderson, Wyoming … Sheyenne was missing, and we went looking for her only to find her stuck in a hole of soupy mud. We worked feverishly to free her, pulling brush out with the tractor, paying no mind to the thorns gouging our hands as we ran the log chain around the brush. She fought and fought but the mud held her fast.

Finally, we accepted defeat and watched as beautiful Sheyenne started to go into shock. We knew we couldn’t get her out by ourselves. A neighbor had a track hoe and he was called. He came driving in the dark with only a flashlight to light his way as his lights weren’t working. Carefully he scooped the mud from beside her, the large bucket only inches from her body. She knew not to move. Finally, we were able to roll her out of that spot only to have her stuck again. We literally had to pull her out with the bucket and a rope. We finally got her on dry ground, and I piled on the blankets. Sheyenne kept trying to get up and, 24 hours later, she got up and walked to the corral.

Sheyenne has been part of Beneath Our Wings—a ministry in Wyoming that raises awareness about human trafficking. She, along with two other mules, have traversed Wyoming and through Montana to Canada. The reality of that scenario sank in that night as we tried to free her from the mud.

I thought of the hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked for sex each day in the U.S. at a profit of more than $16 million a day. Children being trafficked have a life expectancy of two to seven years. Many do not escape from the pit which holds them fast. Often when they are “used up,” they are killed, and their organs sold on the black market. It isn’t until someone recognizes their plight and rescues them that they can have hope. One of the first things traffickers do is “break” them. The victims then lose the will to fight and run.

How do children get sucked into being trafficked? Familiar trafficking (by someone known) is very common. Social media plays a big part in traffickers targeting children. They are predators and can recognize the vulnerable children. They know how to flatter a child and many times isolate him or her. The statistics reveal that many trafficked children have been through social services. Many do not have parents that care. Runaways will often be picked up by a trafficker within 48 hours.

That brings us to the question about what churches can do to help fight this horrific crime? Like Sheyenne, there are hundreds of thousands of children stuck in a pit from which they cannot free themselves.

For more information or to host a seminar in your area or local church, please contact Karen Fettig at [email protected], or visit our website at http://beneathourwings.com.

—Karen Fettig is founder of Beneath Our Wings; photos supplied.

17 Oct

GVR EVACUATED; WILDFIRE THREATENS

***UPDATED 11:00 p.m. Thursday, October 22***

RMCNews – Ward, Colorado … Glacier View Ranch is currently evacuated out of abundance of caution, due to the nearby Cal-Wood Fire.

The Cal-Wood fire has grown to over ten thousand acres, according the Boulder County Emergency Operations Center website. The fire has not made any forward movements toward GVR.

GVR staff hopes to gain access to the property, before the weekend to shut off the main water line and drain pipes to prevent frozen pipes due to the forecasted cold temperatures this weekend. GVR currently has no electricity due to the power being turned off by the fire crews.

“As of 11:58 a.m. [Sunday, October 18] the camp is secured and no damage has been reported,” Dan Hansen, director of camp ministries, said.

“With fires close to Glacier View Camp we need our members to be praying for our camp and all the people who live in the area. We believe everyone has evacuated from the camp. Please make this a priority in your prayers,” Ed Barnett, RMC President said.

Leaving GVR, Jessyka Dooley, RMC assistant youth director felt “a deep peace that no matter what happens, God’s got us.”

“GVR is such a special place to many of us, but what really makes it special is the people,” Dooley added.

The threat to the camp changes frequently as the Cal-Wood fire remains unpredictable in its movements. “It’s really too soon to say what the threat to camp is. We are not in a good location when you look at the fire maps. It really depends on how the wind blows and how much those on the front lines can contain,” Dooley, said.

“The threat to the physical camp is pretty high, but the threat to what camp really is, the ministry of camp, is nonexistent,” Dooley continued.

GVR will remain closed until further notice.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as soon as more details are available.

–Photos courtesy of Boulder County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page and Kiefer Dooley

15 Oct

WHEN MINISTRY IS CHALLENGING – AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

By Nathaniel Gamble — My words below reference pastors, but my message is meant for all Seventh-day Adventists, including lay members and leaders. It is a stark-but-necessary wake-up call that we need to be more interested in passionately and deeply loving Jesus than in hating and bullying each other. According to Jesus, the clearest witness to his deity and union with God is the unity and love of the Church (cf. John 17). When we lack these attributes, we become the best evidence that Jesus isn’t real. By the mercies of God, let us embrace the Advent mission to love Him and each other.

I am the pastor of three churches: a dying church, a church that is missionally paralyzed, and a church that has been divided since its inception – which, unfortunately, describes a large number of our churches. For each of these churches, I have spent the last two years working on refocusing their attention on Jesus so that He can give them increased love for Him, increased missional purpose and activity, and increased unity, respectively.

But my ministerial efforts have met with frequent challenges. In addition to the usual fights among church members over congregational resources, positions, and power, I have faced more insidious pushback to my ministry for the last several months: threats of death or bodily harm from church members about every other week (recently down from once a week); parishioners undermining my pastoral authority and Christian witness to get their way; efforts to spread lies and misinformation about me to other Adventist congregations and even to people who are not members of our church; belligerent messages from a sizable minority in my churches to stop talking so much about Jesus; and a general unwillingness by many to change, give up control of their lives and their churches, and allow Jesus to shape them into passionate disciples.

All of this can be very depressing and discouraging for a pastor. So, what am I doing to respond to these challenges, and what can you do if you’re facing similar challenges in your churches?

First, focus on what you can change, not on what you can’t. You might have made mistakes in trying to deal with these issues, but you are not the problem; these issues existed in your churches long before you got there. You can’t control other people or these situations, but you can control how you will respond to other people and these situations.

Second, preach the gospel to yourself. You tell others God loves them and wants a relationship with them, so sit under your own preaching. Copiously remind yourself that. God loves you, He thinks you’re pretty great, and He wants to spend time with you. You are what He thinks of you, not what others think of you.

Third, turn your churches over to Jesus. Jesus is the senior pastor of your churches, not you, so get out of the way! We Adventists love Jesus, but we sometimes love other things even more. Only Jesus can give us greater love for Himself, which means Jesus needs to be in control of you, your ministry, your people, and your church.

Finally, share your struggles with others. If you trust your Conference, tell them; if you trust your pastor cluster group, tell them. Don’t share to vent or get advice. Instead, share with people who you know love and care about you, so that God can use them to love you through the dark times and unite their prayers for you with those of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 8). And be thankful, which is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. God bless.

–Nathaniel Gamble is pastor in the Rocky Mountain Conference. Adapted from article initially published in RMC Pastor’s News, October 9.

15 Oct

WHIPPED CREAM, KARAOKE, FILMS, AND MEMORIES AT CAMPION FALL GATHERING

By Tiffany Dien – Loveland, Colorado … It was a “sea of flannel” as students gathered for fun, films, and food at the annual Campion Academy student association (SA) fall party.

The party centered around a short film festival where students watched both funny and serious videos complied by those who had gathered and focused on the theme fall and rise.

“Odalis and her team’s video was my favorite because it had a lot of meaning behind someone going through rough times, and Odalis was a really good actor,” said Lexi Davenport, Campion freshman.

Students lined up for popcorn and cotton candy.

SA members prepared games, including corn hole, gunny sack races, whipped cream eating competition, and glow-in-the-dark tic-tac-toe.

“The games were so much fun! I liked getting candy for participating even though I didn’t win. Also, I had a five-minute winning streak in the whipped cream competition. It was so fun and yummy,” said Airi Nomura, Campion junior.

The photo booth was a popular stop as friends commemorated the night with memories to cherish.

Andy Obregon, Campion senior, commented, “My favorite part of the party was the picture taking. Most of us seniors like to take our precious time with the photos and the whole process of taking one. One photo was the funniest part of that night.”

The evening concluded with karaoke as students took turns trying to sing-along to their favorite songs.

The senior class kept the Campion tradition alive when they took to the stage to sing Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again.”

Nelly Salinas, senior, said, “I was so happy our entire class sang together; it was also sad because I realized that this is my last year with these amazing people who have changed my life.”

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