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By Jon Roberts – Denver, Colorado . . . Sitting in my usual spot for worship on Sabbath, March 7, the pastor gave the closing prayer, and while the worship team played, the pastor said, “Have a great week, everyone–see you here next Sabbath!”

However, the week that followed was anything but normal. We went to bed in a semi-normal world on Wednesday night, March 11, and woke up Thursday morning to a society and way of life that came to a screeching halt. Overnight, our schools and colleges were sending everyone home for an undetermined amount of time. Then the following Friday, many churches hastily cancelled their services hoping to return in a few weeks.

Now, a couple months later, since our country hit the pause button on life, we as a group of faithful believers, have transitioned our worship services to virtual gatherings on Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. Yet, through these virtual spaces, ministry is still happening; even though we can’t physically meet together in our church building, our sphere of influence has grown tremendously.

Shayne Vincent, pastor of the Casper church, says, “The amount of views sermons are getting online is intense…at least around 600–700 … when you are normally only getting 60 – 70 people showing up for a service.”

In fact, this new virtual meeting place gives the opportunity for witnessing to happen more easily. Instead of having to invite a neighbor to get in their car, drive across town, and sit in an unfamiliar place, all we have to do is look to the right-hand corner of the screen and press “share now” and then let God use the video in our Facebook feeds.

We can’t give up this new way of reaching individuals for Christ, many pastors are now concluding. Throughout His life, Christ used the tools and techniques of first-century Israel to reach followers. So, in the 21st century many churches must also use modern-day methods, including technology, to reach others for Christ.  When society resumes, we can’t let our online presence decrease, but it must increase. “The ease with which we reach people online is incredible and it is so effective,” Vincent continued. “The traditional ways of doing evangelism need to be rethought.”

Eric Nelson, vice-president of administration for the Rocky Mountain Conference, says, “We are learning that some people are glad to connect through media who would never set foot in the door of our church. Sharpening our methods to reach them will be a new challenge.”

Creativity has become increasingly important in reaching the community. From Campion with their sidewalk art, to LifeSource holding youth drive-by parades of hope, to Pinon Hills providing food for their community through their drive-in pantry, churches have gotten creative with their outreach efforts as well as their worship services.  One new type of service takes you back to the time of drive-in theaters. However, this time it isn’t the latest Hollywood blockbuster at the drive-in, but a church event. Nathan Cranson, pastor of Montrose church where drive-in church is being held, said, “We are seeing some church members who haven’t been back for a while, attend … people who [members] have invited to church for months and years who have never come, are coming to the drive-in church.”

“People as never before have shown a real hunger for the Word,” Nelson says. “Bible study will continue to be the base of our message. How we carry that out may be very different.”

During this lockdown, one of the highlights of my day has been my local church, Littleton, where we provide nightly online worships at 7 p.m. This is something that the church didn’t do prior to the pandemic; however, in the post COVID-19 world, it has to continue. Every night, people are turning off their TVs and video games to listen to an interactive family worship from the church.

As the world slowly starts to resume, we as Christians are faced with questions about how to reopen our churches.  Will we be tempted to go back to business as usual or will we reopen with vigor and an energy never witnessed before in our faith?  “There will be a greater sense of community … more community building, appreciation,” Cranson says. “I suspect we are going to see a big influx of people coming back to church looking for that community element.”

“Certainly, this has taught us that these tools are not going away,” Nelson says. “They will be used more and more. They have been a tremendous help and can be used even more in the future. But that will require us to adapt in many other ways to still create community.”

The methods we use to reach individuals with the love of Jesus may change; however, the need for a group of loving Christians to reach the community in their time of need remains the same.  “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”  (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT)

—Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; photo by unsplash

By Miloš Tomić — Now, that our favorite travel destinations include a brisk walk to the shed or a romantic stroll to the fridge, it’s nice to recall some pleasant memories of real travel experiences. So, here is one.

Italy! As we were trekking Florence, a man on the street reaches to us offering something. I just wave my hand brushing him off. So many of them. Everywhere! 

“Let’s buy something from him,” my wife said.

Oh, c’mon! – my thoughts were nagging at me, while my feet unwillingly turned toward a black, homeless-looking guy selling some thrifts on a cardboard box.

Then, inadvertently, our eyes met. And I saw it. Not just an urge to survive, not at all a desire to take few euros from me… but a desperate cry to be acknowledged.

At that moment I saw my own, long forgotten, eyes.

Long ago, while being stuck in a vertigo of endless immigration limbo, I faced those looks. Frowning looks that just saw me as something that’s in their way. And now, this man faced the same frowning look – in my eyes.

Tables turn… and we forget.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

Jesus presents something, almost extinct in our society – compassion. I say “almost extinct” because compassion requires caring for others first. And we have been so smothered with these odd circumstances that everything starts being a nuisance.

That guy coughing behind me, that lady without a mask, that hideous mother shamelessly bringing her child to the store, loneliness at home, no privacy at home, howling at 8pm…

But… if only… if we would only stop and ask ourselves if compassion of our savior lives in us, …really lives.

So, we got some bracelets from him, and gave him few euros extra. The bracelets will wear out, but I’ll keep a memory of a smile as he waved at us yelling “Ciao amici”.

But I walked away ashamed.

“Why didn’t we just give him some money?” I asked.

“Because that’s not what he needed, my dear,” my wife said.

But I didn’t see that being blinded by my own wants and needs.

As Mahatma Gandhi said: “Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use.” May God find us working out hard!

— Miloš Tomić is associate pastor for the Arvada church, Colorado

By Nate Skaife — Grand Junction, Colorado … “The training is very helpful to me. It makes me think on a much deeper level than ever before. I read the Word with added enthusiasm,” said Jean Coren from Grand Junction. She was one of 24 participants in the third Rocky Mountain Conference Lay Pastor Program training event for Western Slope, May 1-3.

Social distancing did not stop the program which began in the Fall of 2019. Meeting by Zoom “allowed these trainings to continue in spite of not being able to meet in person,” said Pastor Nate Skaife, senior pastor of Grand Junction Church, and principal trainer.

There are two training cohorts being offered, one on the Front Range, and one on the Western Slope. The Lay Pastor Program, scheduled for April 24-26 and May 1-3, continued as planned, but with a location change, and with 19 participants in the Front Range event, and 24 in Grand Junction.

Participants gain knowledge and resources to minister to their community more effectively, assist in growing a healthy and active local church, and minister alongside their local pastor.

These training weekends always have practical and theological components. The practical focus this time was on how we relate to other people – focusing on personality types and how that applies to ministry.

The program began by reviewing the personality assessments that participants had previously completed. Personality types were explained followed by breakout sessions where participants discussed how their personality type influences the way they interact and minister to others.

The presentations on Sabbath afternoons had several components, the first was being understanding the difference between Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ). The importance of understanding the impact EQ has in everyday life in how we relate to others was emphasized. It affects those we are ministering with and those we are ministering to.

Presentations about “the personality types were good. I enjoyed it, but the deeper study was what really intrigued and challenged me,” Corren commented.

Sandy Carosella from Grand Junction commented that the training made her more aware about her personality and how she “can work better with others and be more understanding of them.”

The second focus of the afternoon included talking about the differences between devotional Bible reading and in-depth Bible study. Both are important, but the latter often has much less time devoted to it. To practice some in-depth Bible study, the participants studied 1 Timothy 2:8-12.

The third emphasis of the day was Giving Engaging Bible Studies. This included discussions about us as individuals, not just the content of the studies. How can we use the understanding of who we are, our personalities, and EQ to better engage with individuals?

Sunday morning was spent on the theological focus of the weekend–the Godhead. Some of the discussions included questions on the “Sonship of Jesus,” and “When was Jesus begotten and what does that actually mean?”

“What I liked about this weekend is what I’ve always appreciated about the Lay Pastor Training meetings: the interaction with others, the solid biblical teaching and training, and the exchange of ideas and insights with others,” said Patrick Williams from Cedaredge.

Although participants were not able to meet in person for these weekends, we are grateful that we could continue with the Lay Pastor Program, said Pastor Skaife.

“The Zoom meeting saved me two hours of driving and allowed me to participate in a more relaxed setting. I missed the more personal interaction, but [being online] had its benefits. I used private chat with some of the participants, which captured some of that interaction,” said Wilton Helm from Aspen Park Church.

“Ministry is a vital part of each of our lives, and continuing to learn only enhances our ability to share Jesus in tangible ways to those around us,” Skaife added.

“This training has really been helpful to me personally. It has helped me tailor my Bible studies and sermons,” Augustine Sheriff from Colorado Indonesian American Church shared at the end of his cohort’s event.

The Lay Pastors Program is to continue with Denver Cohort scheduled for September 11-13, 2020, and Grand Junction Cohort to meet on September 18-20, 2020.

—Nate Skaife is Senior pastor of Grand Junction Church; photos supplied.

by Rajmund Dabrowski — Living in Colorado continues to be engaging and full of wonder for me, offering the awe of nature and the discovery that neighbors here are not as aloof as those we’ve encountered in other parts of the world.

We live in a blue-collar neighborhood among nice neighbors. We’ve discovered that a barter economy is well accepted—my wife grows lavender and other fragrant flowers; in exchange, we get jars of honey from two neighbors living next to us.

The neighbor across the street is a down-to-earth woman who often wears a gray T-shirt with “Proud Atheist” written across the front.

One day, I saw Beckie tending her front yard as I was about to mow our lawn. Already knowing her well, I greeted her with, “Hello, atheist!” She looked up and responded with a wide smile and the greeting, “Hello, Christian!”

Since then, we’ve bonded over our philosophical differences, respecting each other’s diversity of worldviews. We’ve talked about her reasons for not believing in God and my belief in the Absolute, who actually loves her too.

Over the years, we’ve talked about politics, saving the bees, and our common disdain for Nazism and hate speech. She and her husband warned us that we should expect snow in April and should not plant vegetables before Mother’s Day. We have exchanged books and discussed ways of making our neighborhood a better place to live. We’ve also argued, exchanging comments that reveal opinions not easily resolved. One day, she commented that she would love to see more Christians who are kind. “You are kind,” she said.

Something in her past took away the Christian light and put her on the road of disbelief. We have a wide terrain to traverse, I believe. If anything, practicing kindness and living love will move us all closer to the center to which we can always return as children of God.

Life in America, along with many other countries around the world, has changed with the sudden arrival of the coronavirus scourge. What has changed in my neighborhood is that now we talk while keeping a safe distance between us.

A couple of days ago, my wife received a text message from Beckie: “I am going shopping. Is there something I can get you?” Her unsolicited offer gave me pause.

Nothing seems to divide us, I thought to myself. In the era of a common enemy, diverse opinions, opposite worldwiews, cultural differences simply do not matter. What is left is our humanity. We are in this together—believers and unbelievers. We are all in darkness about where this pandemic situation will lead us and when we can start rebuilding what is being lost day after day after day.

If you wonder about my beliefs, I am an irreverent purveyor of hope, and I believe that my convictions are well lit. Being a child of Light, I know the road and where it leads me.

Reflecting on our current predicament, an experience etched in the recesses of my memory came to mind—a situation from my Warsaw childhood. It was evening, and I watched two people looking for a lost object. Our family lived on the second floor of a building that before WWII was a mansion owned by an aristocrat in the city center. I was lucky to have a room with a balcony, and I could watch city life on full display.

These two people were under a lamppost, walking slowly in circles, their heads bent downward, encouraging each other to search more slowly and to be more focused and thorough. “This is where it slipped from my wallet. It’s black and we won’t see it easily,” I heard the woman remark. They were lucky that their loss happened on a well-lit paved street. But it seemed that they were in the dark, nonetheless.

A common, comical allegory came to mind, making perfect sense. It’s usually darker under a lamppost.

“Did you lose your keys here?” a policeman is said to have asked an inebriated man. “No, but the light is much better here,” the man answered.

There can be plenty of darkness under the light. In the era of COVID-19, our thoughts can easily push us into a realm of doubt. Is anxiety, along with fear and despair, the fruit of darkness?

Anne Frank offers a thought: “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.”

When my faith is lived out, I will be blessed unknowingly. One person at a time.

—Rajmund Dabrowski is RMC director of communication. Photo by Shutterstock. First published in Pacific Union Conference’s “Living God’s Love” blog, April 27, 2020. https://adventistfaith.com/blog/living-gods-love/2020/04/streetlamp/

By Seth Day —Denver, Colorado … The LifeSource Adventist Fellowship youth group decided they were all Zoomed out and needed a break from a virtual setting. So, what did they do?

They decided to bring a little hope to the church through a drive by ministry effort. Practicing social distancing, each youth stayed with their parents and no one was allowed to carpool. They decorated posters, bought fresh desserts from a local bakery to be shared with the people they were to visit, and formed a line of cars, holding out their signs and honking at the houses of church members. It was priceless to see the look on member’s faces as youth stuck their heads out the window and waved.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: It’s easy to say, “I can’t do much” because of Covid-19, or some other limiting circumstance, “but that’s not entirely true,” said Seth Day, youth pastor.

There is still a way to be creative even during this time of social distancing. We may not be able to give hugs and rub shoulders with our church members, but there is room to make a phone call, or drop off a poster on someone’s porch. It’s important to think outside the box during this unusual time in order to keep up the morale of our members. If we could only understand how much that small gesture could mean to someone, maybe we would be reaching out more than we do.

“This small outreach effort helped me realize that even during this time of isolation and hardship, I can’t always trust my feelings. The LifeSource youth have proven this concept true. They chose to serve, despite the circumstances around them. They chose faith over feelings,” said Seth Day.

On their red T-shirts are the words, “WE ARE TODAY” from the book Growing With, by Kara Powell, Ph.D., Jake Mulder, Brad Griffin. It’s the vision statement they chose from their youth retreat earlier in the year. It means that they don’t have to wait until they have a college career or are even old enough to drive. They can serve now, today even. Because they believe they are the church of today and not tomorrow. “I have learned so much from my youth group and I couldn’t be prouder to be their pastor.”

—Seth Day is youth pastor at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship; photos supplied.

By Brent Learned — Denver, Colorado … The RMC Youth Department hosted their first Greater Summit: Conversations event for our youth and young adults on May 1. This virtual event featured mental health expert, Dr. Tiffany Llewellyn from Johns Hopkins University, who gave a TED talk-style presentation followed by a live Q and A session on the topic of “Mental Health in Isolation.”

The statistics on mental health challenges facing young people today are staggering, she said. One in five young adults suffers from anxiety and more than 50 percent will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime according to cdc.gov and childtrends.org. The percentage of young Americans experiencing mental health disorders has risen significantly over the past decade, with no corresponding increase in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

In her presentation, Dr. Llewellyn addressed the impact of social isolation on all of us. She said, “What we are able to manage, what we have control over, is what’s happening with us in this moment of isolation. I what you to think about our conversation today as how can I manage myself in this moment even if I cannot control and manage the moment.”

She continued that “what happens when we experience anxiety or stress is that we worry because there is a threat to our mental and physical safety. There is something that is heightening our worry and heightening our fears and heightening that stress for us because we experience it as a threat again ourselves and against or safety in every single way. what is happening in the brain is that the brain sends signals and our cortisol levels go up and our executive functioning goes down so that we experience a heightened sense of worry, but we experience inability and a cloudiness of how to deal with that worry.”

Addressing the Zoom participants, she stated, “I want to leave you with today is how to be able to bring up your executive functioning, clear your minds, and manage what’s happening with yourself in the moment of COVID-19. What is happening when we are in that heightened worry, when our executive functioning is lowered, when there is a threat to our physical safety is we experience what we call fight, freight, or freeze. When we fight there is that irritability, that tension, our jaws tighten we really want to be able to fight that threat. Or for others there might be the flight. We might feel trapped we want to get away from this. We may me thinking, how do I escape this thing? There might be restlessness or feeling fidgety. Or for others there might be what we call the freeze. we freeze up. We are num or there is a stiffness. We really don’t know how to move. Knowing how you respond to stress is going to be really important to how I am able to guide this conversation and what sort of coping mechanisms may be most helpful for you. Remember, there is no one size fits all.”

A live Q and A session followed her presentation, and attendees asked Dr. Llewellyn questions about how to work through personal mental health challenges, how to recognize and help friends and family members work through mental health challenges, and when to seek professional help.

Among the questions posed by the attendees were, “How can we pinpoint specific       stress/anxiety triggers inside ourselves?” “What are healthy ways to address and deal with anticipatory grief?” “How does the Sabbath fit into the mental health conversation?” Also asked was the question, “What mental health resources such as apps, book, podcast, etc., have you, Dr. Llewellyn, found most helpful and would recommend to others during this difficult time of social isolation?”

The last part of the event was split into separate youth and youth adult Zoom “social spaces,” where 50 attendees had the opportunity to hang out together and engage in some fun small-group interaction.

During the social space small-group conversations, there was a palpable sense of appreciation for the information and inspiration Dr. Llewellyn shared during the event and hope that we will get through this pandemic together as a community and come out the other side stronger because of it.

A BIG shout out to the youth pastors and youth leaders from the Mile High MVMNT for hosting the zoom social space for the youth who attended the event.

—Brent Learned is RMC associate director; illustration supplied.

By Ardis Stenbakken — Loveland, Colorado … “Hey, some of us are meeting in the church parking lot at 5:00 to have a drive-by to encourage our pastors.” That was all it took for at least 23 cars to line up and drive by the Campion Church pastors’ homes, waving signs and posters, and dropping off cards, food items, and cheering gifts.

It all started that same Sabbath morning when Heidi Sorensen saw a Facebook posting from Sarah Schwisow. It was exactly what Heidi had been thinking: “Pray for and encourage your pastors and their families. Perhaps reach out to them today and let them know how much you appreciate their ministry.” The Facebook post continued, “Happy the minister who has a faithful Aaron and Hur to strengthen his hands when they become weary, and to hold them up by faith and prayer. Such a support is a powerful aid to the servant of Christ in his work and will often make the cause of truth to triumph gloriously.” (Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p. 92).

The Campion pastors had been working hard to hearten all the members, and then they found out that there was COVID-19 among the Campion Academy staff. Discouragement in the midst of a pandemic! “I thought they were bummed and needed encouragement,” Heidi said, and called Sarah. The idea of doing a drive-by took wings. By word of mouth the word spread, and at 5:00 the cars gathered, full of families and laughter. “It was so good to be out and doing something together even while keeping safe and social spacing,” said one of the participants.

The cars lined up and headed for Pastor and Mrs. Morss’s apartment. The caravan took two trips around the complex, leaving other renters standing in wonder as to what might be happening. Then they were off to the Soriano home; Nestor and Katherine were self-quarantining but stood in the doorway to see all pass by. Then the group was off to the Goetz’ home; Pastor Micheal and Melanie were in the yard, waving and taking pictures. The neighbor and children were in their own yard, watching. The lady was heard to tell the children, “You can wave but you need to stay out of the way. All these people are from their church.”

Madi and Olivia Jordan had spent hours that day creating large banners that said thanks to each pastoral family; a group of kids jumped out of cars and ran these and other signs and goodie bags to place them in from of each pastor’s front doors.

—Ardis Stenbakken is Campion Church’s communication department chair; photos by Heidi Sorensen and Carey Jordan

By Theron Treat — Loveland, Colorado … This past month, staff and student volunteers have assisted English Language Learning (ELL) students by holding Zoom meetings with them so they can continue to grow their English skills. Sami Hodges, a student volunteer, described her meetings with Airi, who is currently in Japan, “Every Monday and Wednesday evening, I set up a Zoom meeting and we just talk for about 20-30 minutes. Sometimes we use sample conversational prompts, but other times we just spend time visiting and getting to know each other more.” Despite not being paid for helping, the volunteers plan to continue to spend time faithfully with the ELL students over the rest of this school year.

Campion Academy principal, Don Reeder, has been a part of this program as well. “They [Victor and Yan] are improving their English language skills,” says Reeder. “It has been fun to talk with them even while they’ve been in Brazil. I am so glad technology can keep us connected.”

Despite being thousands of miles apart, students can learn English with others as if they are in the same room together. This helps students retain their knowledge of English so that they don’t lose what they have gained during their time in the United States.

A number of Campion ELL students spent only a few months in the U.S. before having to return to their home countries. Victor, from Brazil, is one of those students. “In the beginning, I only understood what the teachers said, and I knew how to answer only the basics. With the conversation classes, I learned to improve my English and today, I talk to students and teachers in a much more relaxed way.”

The Zoom meetings with volunteers have been essential in helping the students continue to make progress in English and will help them be ready for classes when they return to Campion in the fall. If you would like to volunteer in this program through the summer, contact Jill Harlow.

—Theron Treat, text; photo by Samantha Hodges

By Karrie Meyers — Highlands Ranch, Colorado … If teachers had been asked at the beginning of the 2019/20 school year about plans for the weeks leading up to Mile High Academy’s graduation, responses would have included classroom parties, the annual Senior Walk, field trips, completing lessons and preparing final tests. Instead, the hallways are empty, void of laughter and displays of recent student work. But other than the new normal of “seeing” their students through a Zoom classroom, MHA teachers are hard at work looking for unique ways to make remote learning fun while still providing an exemplary, Christ-centered education from a distance.

“It has been difficult for our teachers to only be with their students remotely since Spring Break,” said Jamie Frain, MHA’s Vice Principal of School Culture. “But they have hit this challenge head on, without hesitation. The teachers have remained focused while continuing to find solutions to ease the challenges of remote learning for students and their families. It’s inspiring to work with the dedicated teachers we have on this team.”

Since this week (May 4-8) is Teacher Appreciation Week, MHA’s Parent Teacher Organization and school community wanted to make teacher gifts special, something not only showing them how much they’re loved, but that expresses the uniqueness of the year. Each teacher received a personalized book, made just for them and filled with memories, thoughts, thank-yous and pictures from their students. They also received #VirtualEducator t-shirts, toilet paper rolls with the message “thank you for rolling with us this school year,” water bottles, chocolates and gift cards.

MHA parent, board member and alum Brodie Philpott has experienced first-hand the extra mile these teachers go to make sure their students are receiving the best education possible. “My favorite thing about MHA is being part of a community that supports my family and kids,” said Philpott. “The teachers really care and check in with us to see how our family is doing in addition to asking how school is going. Because of their concern and the extra steps, they have taken, the switch to remote learning has gone seamlessly for our family.”

Upper School parent Mara Espinosa expressed similar gratitude. “The teachers at MHA invest in their students, going above and beyond what is asked of them. This is a unique time for all of us. And before remote learning even started, the teachers had already sent communication and plans about how they would work towards every objective during remote learning. When I shared with my friends and neighbors about the plans MHA already had in place, they too were very impressed. And the teachers have continued to work hard to made the educational process as streamlined as possible. We are thankful to have such amazing, God-loving teachers at our school and in our sons’ lives.”

While in the midst of graduation and end-of-the-year planning, thoughts are already shifting to the next school year. “A certain amount of uncertainty will remain as Mile High Academy continues to maneuver through the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Frain. “However, one thing is certain. Our teachers are ready to face whatever challenges may arise. They love their students. They work hard to support students in many different areas. They will continue to make Mile High Academy different!”

— Karrie Meyers; photos by Jocelyn Aalborg