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By Becky De Oliveira

“Children are the heritage of the Lord, and unless parents give them such a training as will enable them to keep the way of the Lord, they neglect solemn duty. It is not the will or purpose of God that children shall become coarse, rough, uncourteous, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. The Scriptures state that this condition of society shall be a sign of the last days.” —The Signs of the Times, September 17, 1894.

The discipline of children has changed dramatically over the past few generations. My great-grandmother was a first generation American, the child of Norwegian immigrants who were, evidently, very strict. If she did anything worthy of punishment at school, she’d receive an extra beating at home that evening. When her older brothers am- bushed her with a hidden ski jump on her cross-country commute home from school and she fell, hurting herself quite badly and laughing with hysteria the way one some- times does after a scary injury, she got a good thrashing from her father. Foolish laughter was not tolerated; nor was inappropriate smiling. Even my mother, who was born in the late 1940s, attended a one-room school and her older brother— who today would have been almost certainly diagnosed with ADHD—was beaten routinely, sometimes with fire pokers and yardsticks.

By the time I started school in the late 1970s, corporal punishment was administered at school only if parents provided written permission. I remember one boy whose parents had evidently agreed that he could be spanked in school. The teacher paddled him almost every day because he couldn’t read. Sometimes she outsourced this task to another student, a young girl who was a proficient reader and who was given a paddle studded with holes and instructed to hit him if he stumbled over words or misbehaved during reading. My parents did not sign the spanking agreement, and so most of my punishments at school consisted of writing hundreds of sentences or even essays detailing my unfortunate behavior. At home, I was assigned unpleasant chores, had privileges taken away, or was sometimes told to go to the back yard and select a “switch” from the elderberry bush that grew near the tree house. This long thin branch made a whistling sound as it sliced the air on its way to contact with my bare thighs.

By the time my own children were born, corporal punishment in schools was mostly illegal, and today parents in many places can be prosecuted for striking their children. And regardless of the law, many parents have simply abandoned the practice. It seems like a quaint relic from a past in which people thought children would become better people if they were dealt with severely and without mercy. But even in this gentler age, most of us lack clarity about exactly how to raise children—how to avoid turning them into people who are “rough, course, uncourteous, disobedient.” And there are so many opinions! Absolutely everyone has a perspective about childrearing, whether or not they actually have children themselves. It’s hard to know exactly which methods will “enable [children] to keep the way of the Lord.” Most parents express regret about how they’ve brought their children up; nearly everyone wants a do-over. In a recent interview on NPR, even the famed novelist Toni Morrison confessed that the older she gets, the more she focuses on her mistakes as a mother. “Now that I’m 84, I remember everything as a mistake, and I regret everything.”

As Christian parents, we have every reason to take our responsibility seriously. It’s the most important job we’ll ever have. We believe we are, after all, preparing our children for eternity—to be “lovers of God.” The last thing we want is to make any kind of mistake that might put that at risk. Yet we all recognize that there is only so much control we can ever exercise over our children. Richard Lavoie, a well-known speaker and writer, notes the ineffectiveness of many of the ways we attempt to steer our children, most notably punishment, which “is effective only as long as the threat of punishment exists.” Children who are under the control of adults often “begin to misbehave the moment you leave the room or turn your back.” Obviously, Christian values have to be deeply instilled in individuals so that they develop a sense of ownership of these values. We have to raise our children in such a way that they will adhere to Christian principles even outside of our presence and in the absence of fear of punishment or disapproval.

How do we do this? My own parenting is still a work in progress—and I will not claim to have definitive answers, but I like this quote from Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Do something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn’t . . . do something else.” The important thing is to keep trying, to keep loving, to keep praying, to keep the faith. Ours is a faithful God, and he promises that, “I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save,” (Isaiah 49:25 NIV).

–Becky De Oliveira is a writer, designer, and editor who lives in Boulder.

By Barbara Parrott

Only a handful of people know the breadth of the services offered by the planned giving and trust services department at the Rocky Mountain Conference, but Margaret White is one of them. She discovered the department when she was invited to teach secondary school at Oke-Ode in Nigeria.

Although she wanted to go, she wasn’t sure how she would handle bill-paying from the other side of the world. A friend introduced her to Gerry Chapman, then director of the RMC planned giving department, who helped her do the paperwork to give him power of attorney to handle her payment of her bills.

Every month, he would pay her bills out of her bank account. Sometimes, he would send birthday money to her grandchildren or wire money to her in Nigeria. Because corruption is rampant in Nigeria,Western Union employees would always caution him, saying, “She’ll never get it.”

But Gerry Chapman was creative, and Margaret always received the entire amount of money sent and was able to serve in Nigeria for six years.

Another way planned giving and trust services helps is demonstrated in the story of a farming couple who, many years ago, requested a visit from a trust officer. They wanted help to make sure they provided for their children and for the Lord’s work. Because their two children were small, they chose a guardian who would take care of their children in the event of their untimely deaths.

The naming of a guardian is a major decision that parents of young children should put in writing. Without it, your state of residence will select a guardian for you. This individual may or may not be someone you would have chosen.

Many years later, after the wife had died and both children were married with children of their own, making the farmer a great-grandfather, he requested another visit from a trust officer. His hands bothered him when he wrote checks and he realized he needed more help to make sure his affairs were in order. His children lived in other states and he didn’t want to bother them. He hoped that a trust officer would come by each month to help him write checks to pay his bills, including checks for tithe and various church ministries.

When the trust officer arrived, the farmer explained that he only had four years of church school education because of eye problems that made it difficult to learn, so his parents decided he should learn about farming. In his four years of education, however, he had learned about tithing. He knew that tithing was not “giving,” but was returning to God what was already His. “Giving,” he said, is “an expression of thankfulness to God for His blessings.”

This dear brother has been sleeping beside his wife for many years now, but through his careful planning, along with help from our attorney and several trust officers over the decades, he left an example of good stewardship and his generosity lives on.

His faithfulness and stewardship continues to benefit and bless his children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren, his local church, church school, and the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Every individual has an estate. It is comprised of every- thing you own—your home, car, land, checking and savings accounts, investments, life insurance, furniture, and personal possessions. These things are only useful to you when you’re alive, but you would probably like to direct where they go when you die.

To insure your wishes are carried out, you need to provide instructions in writing indicating who is to benefit from your estate at the time of your death. You will, of course, want this to happen with the least amount paid in taxes, legal fees, and court costs. That is estate planning— making a plan in advance to provide for your family and the Lord’s work after you die.

Take advantage of this season in your life by planning for the rest of your life and the lives of those you love. This is what good stewardship is all about.

“It is the ministry of the planned giving and trust services department to help you develop a structured plan of giving,” explains Joanne Smith, administrative assistant for the department.

The service provided for conference constituents through planned giving and trust services facilitates your ability to provide for your family by planning for the distribution of your assets after death. It also gives you the ability to direct a portion of your estate to the program or mission that represents your interests or passions. The department staff is also trained and able to facilitate current giving, e.g. land, stocks, etc., so that you may support the missions of the church that you are passionate about during your lifetime.

The planned giving department staff has had the privilege of seeing the happiness, thankfulness, and blessings that comes from careful planning.

With the many banking and government regulations in place and the constant change in laws, it seems impossible for an ordinary person to know where to begin.

Our department employs the best team of experts in the entire conference territory. Our trust officers are required by the General Conference to be certified through an intense three weeks of classroom instruction followed by a one-week internship. Annual continuing education requirements maintain the certification.

“I am very grateful to be able to assist our members with the estate planning process,” states Daryl Davison, field representative and associate director of the department. “It gives me a chance to connect with our members and I am so blessed by our conversations.”

“Using the information collected by our field representative,” explains C.J. Cress, “I evaluate what is wanted and prepare the file, whether it’s a will, a trust, power of attorney, or living wills for the attorney to review. I love my work,” she enthuses.

If you would like to have our department help you with your estate plan or if it is time to review your estate plan, please contact our office. A trust officer will be happy to visit with you to see how we can help. Call our department at 303-282-3640 or feel free to email [email protected].

–Barbara Parrott is RMC planned giving and trust services director.

By Craig Carr

Identifying just what the priorities of pastoral ministry are can be overwhelming. Among the many duties that pastors perform are: leading, training, sermon preparation, preaching, Bible study, visit- ing, counseling, meetings, planning, prayer meeting, conducting weddings, funerals, dedications and baptisms, and a host of other responsibilities.

The skills required to perform these tasks include: listening, Biblical knowledge, life-long learning, excellent people skills, diplomacy, financial management, administration, motivational skills, communication, vision casting, teaching, preaching, conflict mediation skills, counseling, janitorial (yes), time management, social skills, public relations, and a knowledge of technology and social media.

These lists of job duties and skills are just the beginning when seeking to summarize what a pastor does, which can make the expectations of the job inexhaustible.

In an effort to bring focus and clarity to the role of pastors in the Rocky Mountain Conference, the ministerial department led a group of seven pastors* through a six-month process of identifying, prioritizing, and simplifying the role by establishing core values for ministry. The five-word acronym that summarizes these values is the foundation for the ministerial core values of Friendship, Adaptability, Integrity, Teamwork, and Humility.

These ministerial core values (F-A-I-T-H) embody the character attributes and leadership principles that can offer clarity and guidance on both a personal and professional basis. This is further demonstrated by the two-fold aspiration of “Living and Leading by F-A-I-T-H” in which pastors are invited to adopt these values in both their personal lives and their focus in ministry.

Approved in concept by the RMC executive committee, these core values have already been embraced by pastors in every region of our conference as the values take center stage for this year’s evaluation and planning process.

Over time, “Living and Leading by F-A-I-T-H” has the potential to bring greater clarity, consistency, and common understanding to the role of ministry among pastors in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

–Craig Carr is RMC ministerial director.

By Rajmund Dabrowski

Katie Morrison’s letter asking whether the RMC offered internship opportunities in communication indicated more than just an interest in spending 10 summer weeks in a professional, work-related environment. Katie knew exactly why she wanted to work in Colorado. She wrote: “Being able to work with the Rocky Mountain Conference in any capacity, would be an amazing learning experience.” She wanted to have “the opportunity to grow as an individual, and develop skills in every area possible.” And she wanted to be close to her family, too. Her dad, Wayne Morrison, is a pastor in Brighton, north of Denver, and just 28 miles away from the RMC office.

She came—and she conquered. August 6, 2015 was her last day with our team. As part of her responsibilities, Katie did news writing, and plenty of it, including 20 major stories. She also edited the NewsNuggets, prepared items for Mountain Views, assisted the conference with social media and related online tasks, and helped market various aspects of our communication programs.

As someone who has been a communication intern in my professional past, I was delighted to have an intern who could be trusted with a variety of tasks, and to witness the talents, skills, and work ethic for which we will remember Katie with fondness. Her internship included assisting with news development at the General Conference Session in San Antonio, TX—and it was of particular benefit to the North American Division, and the Mid-America Union Conference’s news coverage to have a Millennial’s frank appraisal of what was said and done.

“Katie has brought energy and an ability to help all of us look at things through different glasses. Her articles for publication always provided a different slant than we are used to,” commented Ed Barnett, RMC president. “She uses different words since she sees things through the eyes of a twenty-one year old.”

From San Antonio, Katie’s articles from the General Conference Session were shared with the church around the globe. “It was pleasing to hear our North American Division communication director comment that ‘we will keep our eyes on you when you are ready to graduate from Union College.’ We watched a young college student come into her own this summer. Personally, I want to thank Katie for a job well done,” Barnett said.

On her last day at the office, Katie reminisced: “I remember how I felt at the beginning of the summer, nervous and unsure of how I would fit in, and now that I’ve reached my last day, I can’t imagine not coming into the office tomorrow and seeing the people who have taught me so much these last 10 weeks.”

“My summer, which looked so dismal and boring in May, turned out to be one of the most impactful experiences of my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for what I’ve learned and the people who taught me,” she added.

Katie’s immediate plans are to spend a year learning Italian at Istituto Avventista di Cultura Biblica Villa Aurora in Florence, Italy. She will return to Union College next year to complete her B.S. in Business (Marketing) with a minor in Communication.

Viaggi sicuri, Katie—and thank you. You are missed.

 —Rajmund Dabrowski is RMC communication director.

By Katie Morrison

We all know the Golden Rule: love your neighbor as yourself. But Derek and Alicia White are taking this rule and making it their goal in life.

Back when they were dating, Alicia and Derek were already interested in serving their community. They got especially involved with refugees, namely from Burma and Sudan. “We always look for ways to build community,” Alicia said. “We want to live together and be a family to them.”

Everything this couple does is entwined with serving their community. Derek attended law school and immediately upon graduation, began volunteering for the Colorado African Organization, where he is currently employed. Alicia got her undergraduate degree in international studies before completing nursing school. In the last few years, she has also gotten involved with Bridges to Care, a group that targets frequent emergency room visitors, helping them overcome behavioral health issues and other barriers through sending specialists and nurse practitioners to their homes.

Three years ago, they were asked to take charge of the community garden in Aurora, Colorado. Derek provides legal services to refugees, including assistance with green card applications, and had already met quite a few Burmese families living in the area.

Many refugees used to work in agriculture and farming before they moved to America. “In America, there aren’t as many opportunities, especially if you live in a big city,” explains Alicia. “This is just one way we can connect with them and make this new strange place feel like home.”

Alicia is not a gardener. “I mostly talk with the families and play with the kids,” she laughs. “But many of the refugees have taught us different tricks!”

The garden has a chain link fence around its perimeter. Hanging about a foot apart are small wooden squares, each painted with different scenes, styles, and colors. As a way to include the children of the families who use the community garden, Alicia had them each paint their own square to be hung up. “It’s a way to make the kids feel more included,” she says. Unfortunately, they were all stolen a few years ago. Slowly they are being replaced by new pieces, but thieving and vandalism are still issues.

A while ago, a close friend of the Whites had grown some enormous watermelons. He was ecstatic, so proud of his fruit, and excited to eat them. He planned to let them sit a day or two more before picking them. He returned to the garden to take them and they had been smashed all over the ground. “He would’ve been okay if they had been taken to be enjoyed,” Alicia explains, “but they were just wasted and ruined.”

Recognizable produce, like watermelons and pumpkins, is often stolen or vandalized. In addition, the sizable shed that sits in the corner of the garden repeatedly ends up covered in graffiti.

“We try to have one work day a month where we have everyone come,” Alicia says. “We paint over the graffiti on the shed and we try to have a potluck. That’s kind of for selfish reasons because I love Burmese food!” The Whites strongly believe that a community garden’s purpose is for the community members to garden together, working in cooperation. But unfortunately sometimes it becomes prideful and individualistic, with everyone worrying about their own plots instead interacting with each other. The scheduled workday and potluck provide an opportunity to get together and garden at the same time.

“We were looking for ways to build community. We were uncomfortable with the idea of being benefactors. We wanted to live together, be a family to them. A great way to get in with the families is through the kids. They’re much easier to communicate with and very open,” Alicia says.

The garden, founded through Denver Urban Gardens, boasts quite a full roster. There are 36 plots and 10 raised boxes, a new feature that allows for some families to move off of the waitlist and get involved. Currently at least 45 different families work in the garden. Some families share plots, including Alicia and Derek. “I see new people I’ve never met here sharing with another family,” Alicia says. “The waitlist has about ten families on it now, but if we were to tell the refugees we had more space, we’d definitely be able to fill the garden again.”

The city of Aurora does offer free transplants and seeds that the gardeners have access too and many take advantage of that; but many also bring their own plants and seed, some completely unfamiliar to Alicia. “When we went to Burma last year, we tried to bring some seeds back and half of them got taken by security,” Alicia shrugs. “Apparently you aren’t allowed to do that!”

In October 2014, Alicia and Derek were able to indulge their love of travel and visited Burma. They met the families of many of their new Burmese friends from Aurora and got to develop new relationships as well. For years, one of their major life plans has been to live outside of the United States. Alicia studied abroad in Morocco when she was younger and Derek worked as an intern for the United Nations in Lebanon. Unfortunately, life has not allowed for that dream quite yet. Between school, legal cases, and now an adorable 2 1⁄2 month-old baby named Isaiah, the timing just hasn’t been right. “We moved to this area two years ago because this is where most of the refugees settle. While we wait for the timing to be right, we wanted to find ways to get involved in our city,” explained Alicia. “We do want to be open in regards to where we go. We pray lots and we’re just trying to see where God wants us to be. He doesn’t always say, ‘Go here!’ That would be too easy.”

When asked about how they juggle all their different commitments along with being new parents, Alicia laughs. “We’re figuring it out! We’re really blessed that Isaiah is so chill because I just carry him around.” She explains how important it was to her and Derek that their mission wouldn’t suffer as their family grew. “We want to give him that same mission. We bring him along as much as we possibly can,” she said. “We’re very busy and sometimes we overextend ourselves, but we did that before him too!”

Although they hope to move abroad in the next year or two, they’re making their current home welcoming to the entire neighborhood. “We want to live with people where they are. We like to have them over for meals, celebrate special events with them, like weddings,” she said.

Alicia told the story of a good friend, a refugee from Eritrea. Apparently she was the wrong kind of Christian and was put into prison. She was threatened and mistreated, but escaped the country with the help of smugglers. After flying from Russia to South America, she made her way all the way up and across the border. “Every time you talk to her, she says ‘God is good’,” Alicia says. “Her faith through all that is incredible.”

“We’ve met so many amazing people and have been so blessed by the relationships. We learn so much from these people,” she gushes. “Really it’s kind of selfish of us! We get to meet such amazing people. They teach us how to grow stuff and share their stories with us. We are lucky to know them.”

–Katie Morrison was RMC 2015 summer communication intern.

By Rajmund Dabrowski

Stories are all around us, claims Dustin Comm, whose eBook, The Media Story: Why Your Church Needs Media to Engage Your Local Community, was released on October 9. It aims to engage local congregations in telling stories of their faith communities in order to inspire and to witness.

There are perhaps billions of stories being told on earth today alone. These stories encompass our lives. In fact, all of us are part of the overarching human story, which has been going on for a long, long time. But sometimes, perhaps because stories are so much a part of our existence and pervade everything in our consciousness, we don’t even notice them. And yet stories are the most powerful vehicles to influence our communities. Is your church harnessing their power? Are you truly telling your story the way you want it to be received?

Engaged in many and varied mission endeavors, Seventh-day Adventists have been using a variety of media to proclaim the Good News. As a church, we take it for granted that media—the print, radio, TV, and the Internet with its numerous products—is an ally in Adventist evangelism. Observers of the church’s media interest and engagement as part of our mission efforts have also recognized us in these endeavors.

However, on a congregational level such interest is often generally considered to be the job of the corporate levels of the church. That media production is expensive and requires the engagement of experts is one reason often cited by those skeptical of local media efforts.

Dustin, who lives in Castle Rock, Colorado, and attends LifeSource Fellowship of Seventh-day Adventists, grew up in Sacramento, CA, and graduated from Pacific Union College with degrees in theology and television and film production. He has served in Calimesa, CA, as a pastor for media and youth ministry, producing creative media content for the congregation and local community.

“Knowing that church media folks may never get media experience outside the church, I decided that I need to gain real-world media experience and took an opportunity in broadcast radio at Mile High Sports Radio (AM 1510/FM 93.7) in Denver, CO as a producer/host,” he says.

Early in 2015, after a year of prayer and soul-searching regarding where God wanted him next, Dustin recognized that God was calling him to combine his passions for ministry and media. “In my research and study, it became clear that the church was missing a huge opportunity to engage its local communities at a deeper level by infusing media into their long-term outreach campaigns,” he says. “My passion is to help churches understand why and how to integrate media into their outreach,” he adds.

The Media Story is a community of churches who are innovating, experimenting, failing, and learning how to in- fuse media into their physical evangelism efforts. Dustin ex- plains that studies show churches engage their communities best when creating media in step with their outreach.

Your church is telling a story whether it realizes it or not, Dustin maintains. Consider these questions, “What is the story received by the community? Do you understand what your church is known for in the community? Do you feel pressure to use media in your church, but don’t know where to begin? Does your evangelism feel unnatural or forced?”

The Media Story teaches churches how to tell their story (the way they want it received) by creating media in conjunction with their community outreach.

The eBook is being released on Amazon for its Kindle platform, and in the iBooks store. On his blog, the author offers additional expert advice on a variety of aspects covered in his eBook.

As with any approach that involves the church in media, often the initial reaction may be to consider The Media Story as a “how-to for media ministries.” Dustin says, “This is not accurate, in my mind. To me a how-to means that it just covers the technical side of buying equipment, shooting church services, editing, streaming, broadcasting, etc. The Media Story is a philosophy for reaching the community outside the church walls by infusing media into the church’s outreach.” “The eBook is not a technical guide,” he adds. “That would be a misconception.”

The Media Story: Why Your Church Needs Media to En- gage Your Local Community, received pre-release praise from several media professionals, including Phil Cooke, filmmaker and media consultant. The author of Unique: Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social

Media, Cooke said “it’s time [that] churches and ministry organizations got serious about using media to reach their local communities. It’s the language our culture speaks, and the vast majority of your congregation and surrounding community are already telling their story through media.

If you don’t know where to start, I recommend Dustin Comm’s new book.”

Engaging in its presentation, Dustin Comm’s eBook can provide hope for many ministers and Christian communicators ready to be involved in presenting an Adventist story through media out of their local church. For more information, see http://www.dustincomm.com/themediastory/

–Rajmund Dabrowski is RMC communication director and editor of Mountain Views.

By Katie Morrison

After a lifetime of comfort and security, I have left the nest. I haven’t moved out of my parents’ house, haven’t graduated college, haven’t gotten married, and yet this year will prove to be challenging as I assert a form of independence. My younger brother and I decided to leave the country and study in Florence, Italy for a year.

The thought first occurred to me three years ago. During my freshman year at Union College, a friend told me of her plans to go to Spain the following year. I was instantly jealous and wanted to join her! I chose to wait, however, because of my personality—I’m a homebody. I’m a family girl. My dad reminded me of that this last summer, frequently mentioning how homesick I would get. In order to battle the homesickness that would undoubtedly accompany a year abroad, I suggested that my brother, who is two years my junior, come too. He said yes and here we are. After a month in Florence, I can proudly say we’re settling in. It’s easy to forget about what’s going on in the States or what we’re missing because there’s so much going on here! In our first four days in Italy, we took a day trip to Cinque Terre, a strip of coastal towns renowned for their picturesque beauty and hiking trails.

This region also happened to be on our bucket list of places to see while abroad, so you can imagine our excitement. In addition to that trip, we’ve spent a weekend at a mountain retreat in Poppi, a week on the southern coast (Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompei) and a day in Milan . . . and we’ve only been here for a month!

Despite the amazing things we’ve seen and eaten (pistachio gelato anyone?), the last month hasn’t all been a breeze. I know exactly one language and it isn’t Italian. My language courses are tough and church is the most confusing thing I’ve ever sat through.

For me, the culture is completely new and nobody told me you weren’t supposed to order a cappuccino after 11am! Being thrown into a new place with 35 new people you’re expected to call “friends” after knowing them for a day is especially trying for me as an introvert. The trips are incredible—but also incredibly draining. I missed my nephew’s fifth birthday and dejectedly watch texts come in on the family message thread about Thanksgiving plans.

I know what you must think: This girl is in Florence for an entire year and she’s complaining?! I’m not, I promise you! Every moment is something new and different and I relish each one. But it also isn’t always a bowl of ice cream with peaches on top (or gelato, whichever you prefer).

One of the things my parents said the night before we left America was about opportunity, but not the opportunity you might think. Dozens of well-wishers have waxed poetic about the food and the travel, the language and culture. Oh the things you’ll experience! they’ve said. But instead of reiterating that broken record, my parents had something a bit more meaningful to share.

“This year, you’ll be on your own in a way you’ve never been before,” my dad said. “You’ll have many adult decisions to make and no one but yourself to answer to. Your habits will reveal themselves—and that includes spiritual ones. So what spiritual habits do you want to make?”

I was struck in that moment, and for the next few weeks my mind repeatedly returned to this conversation. I’ve never been good at habits. My devotional life has the stamina of a ninety-year-old swimming in the ocean: desperate and quick to die out.

There have been periods throughout high school and college that I was hit with sudden motivation to wake up early every morning and spend time with God, but those times were fleeting and did not stick. Each time I felt like that was the routine that would last, that I was building something that would stay with me for decades to come. Each time, I would sleep late and forget a day. One day turned into two and soon I couldn’t remember the last time I read my Bible.

Italy can’t be like that, I decided.

In my few weeks in Florence, I’ve seen God in so many ways. I see Him in my morning devotionals, in Steps to Christ and His Word. I see Him in the kindness of my roommate and the patience of my language teachers. I see Him in my fellow classmates as we all do daily morning worships for the school and share pieces of ourselves, and encouragement with one another. I see Him in the new landscapes around me, in the mountains and the seas.

I count myself as lucky. I had been blessed to see Him before I decided to travel halfway across the world. I saw Him in my parents and my new church family in Brighton. I saw Him in my siblings and my school family at Union College. I saw Him during my internship, through the actions of everyone at the Rocky Mountain Conference and through my experience at the General Conference Session.

Even while I’ve been unreliable and unmotivated, distant and cold, God was putting blessing after blessing in my life and giving me the chance of even more experiences.

Please pray for me as I continue this year in a foreign place. I thank God every day for the people and support He’s put in my life and I count my home as a huge blessing. Thank you for being a glimpse of God for me!

Katie Morrison was RMC 2015 summer communication intern.

By Steve Hamilton

The topic of ministry to young adults in Rocky Mountain Conference comes up in conversation regularly in the youth department. Many of our discussions start with the question, “What should we do?” This is a complex question and there are few clear answers.

Research over the last few years indicates that the Adventist church in North America is losing more than 70 percent of young adults post-college. Some have suggested that even if the church ceased all forms of outside evangel- ism and simply retained its young people, the church would grow at a faster rate than it is today. This raises the alarming question, “What is going wrong?”

As a youth director, I have had opportunities to be part of discussion forums where this has been the topic. Interestingly, most of these discussions are being held by people over 40 years old (myself included) many of whom have been in youth ministry for years and have strong opinions on what the church is doing wrong with young adults.

Recently, at one of these events, I listened for more than an hour to an open mic forum where people involved in youth ministry waxed eloquent about the issues around losing young adult involvement in church. I thought, “If we had the answers, we wouldn’t be having this discussion!

Many of us have been involved in youth and young adult ministry over the fifteen-year period that research shows has brought the largest fall-out of our youth. We need better ways of interacting with young adults and asking them how the church can become more relevant in their lives. What issues are they facing and how can the church give support? Young adults have valuable perspectives and input. Consider the young leaders from our beginnings, most of whom were under 30 years old, who established our denomination. In this time of crisis, we are naturally asking, “What went wrong?” This important question must be asked by mature leaders who are willing to listen to the answers.

One important aspect of listening is an environment where individuals sense that there are no stupid questions and equally no stupid answers. Their input is valued.

As we get better at listening to young adults, we will better understand what has gone wrong. This important topic must become an agenda item for every congregation, every pastor, and all of us in the youth ministry.

A question that is equally important is “What has gone right?” I find us asking what has gone right less than what has gone wrong. Yet the answers to this question are important to consider. The answers are ones we look for and consider in the youth ministry.

Parents, teachers, pastors, and young adults, “What has gone right?” I believe we have as much to learn from this question as from the previous one. If we can clearly identify what has gone well, we can do more of it! And, by God’s grace, we can also get better at what we do. Culture is not static. It evolves. Concepts and contemporary world views encroach on the choices we all make, and the way we express ourselves today is different than it was just a few years back. There is much we can all learn when we listen more, striving to make our faith communities places where all are treated as gifted and where all are valued.

As a youth director, I have the privilege of seeing the results of youth and young adult ministries that seem to have gone right. Rocky Mountain Conference hires 70 young adult summer camp staff each season. These young adults are incredibly talented and passionately committed to serving God. They have a deep love and appreciation for what the church has provided for them. Many have benefited from church school, summer camp ministry, and Pathfinders, and have grown up in Sabbath School. Something must have gone right! How can we as a church learn from this and from these young adults?

In late October the youth department co-hosted a young adult ministry event attended by more than 50 young adults. It took place at Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church, and featured Walla Walla University chaplain Paddy McCoy as speaker. Looking out at the audience, I almost blurted out, “Why are you here?” Some of these young adults are incredible leaders in their local contexts. What went right?

We in the youth department wish to do more of that!

–Steve Hamilton is RMC youth director.

By Jessyka Albert

Over the past year I have heard the terms “Millennials” and “Gen Y” so many times my head is about to explode. This is partially my own fault, due to the fact that I read countless articles on the subject. I guess I’m just maintaining the stereotype that my generation is exceedingly self- centered. What I’ve found is that the way members of my generation understand themselves and the way those outside it think they understand us are strikingly different. Obviously, this shouldn’t come as a shock, but during my article perusing, I found a statement that seemed to bridge the gap.

The article, entitled, “11 Things You Should Know About Generation Y,” seemed to offer some good insights. I’m usually a softie for articles written from the perspective of Gen Y rather than about it, but I thought I would give this one a skim. As I was reading through this short list, I found each point to be glaringly obvious. Is this supposed to be a new observation? I thought. That was before I came to the very end. Number 11 put into words an explanation for why many observers feel that the Millennials are simultaneously the most connected and disconnected generation of all time.

According to author Sarah Sladek, members of Generation Y, “. . . Remain detached from institutions, but closely networked with friends.” This speaks volumes. There’s always an exception to a rule, and it seems like with this generation there are more exceptions than rules. Overall however, I believe this generalization holds true. Yes, there is still the puzzle of the person with 852 Facebook friends

but no one to grab lunch with, but I think the overarching problem isn’t that Millennials have shallow relationships; it’s that we just “relationship” in a different way.

If anything, Gen Y might be cracking the code to build- ing stronger businesses, communities and churches. Looking at the big picture is always important, but knowing the artist is even more impressive. Gen Y is moving away from establishments and, by starting at the source, getting to know those who are establishing, valuing individuals over institutions, and setting a new tone for building deeper relationships.

In my short time as a young adult pastor paired with my experience being a millennial myself, I have concluded that Generation Y, not to mention Generation Z following close behind, is not looking to be connected with a school, or a business, or even a church for that matter. From the outside, this looks disheartening to many, but what they don’t understand is that what Gen Y craves is individual connections. We would rather be introduced to a person rather than a place.

This gives me so much hope! Maybe this one article, one list, one number has gotten me too excited, but this observation reveals to me that my generation will focus more on personal relationships—both with individuals and with Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, the institution (church) is important! Eighty percent of the connections I see are within some context of the church. All the pieces are there, but it takes the personal connections to put the puzzle together.

Each relationship that forms intensifies the beauty of this “puzzle” revealing to us the Kingdom of Heaven. “Number 11” holds much truth, but I think it neglects to recognize that by closely networking with friends, we are building stronger institutions. Jesus built His Church relationship-by-relation- ship. Let’s continue to follow His lead and build up our churches in the same manner, by valuing the individual, and letting those relationships strengthen that of the institution.

—Jessyka Albert is young adult pastor at Boulder Adventist Church.