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14 Nov

Global Health Initiatives Team Meets Colorado Governor in Katmandu

In

Katmandu, Nepal… A Global Health Initiatives team was honored to meet with Colorado Governor, Jared Polis, as well as US Ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry, also a Colorado native. The meeting with Governor Polis was a social event organized, November 8, at the U.S. ambassador’s residence to present a new exhibit of American artworks from Colorado, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Polis was with a small group of business people from Colorado on a trade mission to India and Nepal.

The Centura GHI team on a trip, November 6-18, from the Adventist Hospitals, included several members of the Denver and Front Range area Seventh-day Adventist churches.

Among them were Dr. Dave and Sandy Watson, members of the Newday Adventist Church, Sissel Jacobs, Lynda Kithil, and Greg Hodgson, members of the Boulder Adventist Church, as well as Dr. and Mrs. Dorr from Littleton Adventist Hospital. The Centura Health trip was to provide free surgeries to vulnerable women and training for local providers to decrease maternal and child mortality in Nepal.

“The Governor and Ambassador confirmed their support for GHI’s partner hospital in Nepal, Scheer Memorial Adventist Hospital, and the support that Centura Health has given to Scheer over many years,” Greg Hodgson, director of Global Health Initiatives, Centura Health, reported from Katmandu.

—Kim Kennedy with Greg Hodgson; photo by Sandy Watson

10 Nov

Pueblo Adventists Condemn Planned White Supremacist Attack on Jewish Temple

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Pueblo, Colorado… Joining the community of Pueblo, Seventh-day Adventists issued a statement regarding the planned bombing of Temple Emanuel, the Jewish temple in Pueblo, and delivered it to the synagogue leadership on Friday, November 8.

At sunset, a dozen Adventist church members and leaders attended the Shabbat Eve Service in solidarity with the Jewish community. Rabbi “Birdie” Becker led out during this gathering of the largest congregation in Pueblo since Temple Emanuel’s opening in 1900. The synagogue that can accommodate 180 people, had standing room only with many of the supporters standing in the foyer and outside.

“We stand in solidarity with you and the city of Pueblo in condemning the attempt to take lives and cause a deep wound in the fabric of our city,” stated Anton Kapusi, pastor of the Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Federal authorities in Colorado have arrested a man who is being accused of plotting to blow up a synagogue in Pueblo, the second oldest synogogue in Colorado, and listed on the National Register of Historical Places. The suspected bomber used several Facebook accounts to promote violence and show support for the Holocaust, writing in a private message in July, for example, that he was “getting ready to cap people,” the federal documents said. He is in custody and charged with a hate crime.

The Adventist statement expressed rejection of hate and planned violence toward the Jewish community, and was addressed to the Rabbi of the Temple Emanuel and its members.

“We, at the Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church, a part of the Rocky Mountain Conference in Colorado, Wyoming, and northern New Mexico, are deeply disturbed by the hate and planned violence this week on our fellow brothers and sisters in Pueblo’s Jewish community here in Colorado.”

The statement continued, that “as Christians and followers of Jesus, we stand with Him in condemning white supremacist groups that spread racism, violence and fear.”

“We pray that divine protection and peace would abide in you all, your homes and your synagogue and we pray for the day when all of God’s children, of all races, would treat each other with love and respect, rejecting bias and hate,” Kapusi wrote.

“It was a blessing for our church to express our solidarity with many different Christian denominations and religions. It was a joint social statement against hatred to stand with many others from our Pueblo community. Temple Emanuel undoubtedly lived up to its name ‘God With Us!,’ Kapusi said after the Friday meeting.

–RMCNews with Anton Kapusi; photo by Tom Kai.

07 Nov

Mile High Academy Teams Up With Project Linus

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Denver, Colorado… The Mile High Academy Lower School (LS) has partnered with the Denver chapter of Project Linus. Project Linus is a non-profit that teams with organizations across the United States to provide new, handmade blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, in hospitals or may have other needs.

As part of the CHERISH Core Values Program, LS students worked in groups of various grade levels and began making more than 17 no-sew fleece blankets. Students prayed over each blanket, asking that God’s blessings and love reaches the child who will receive it. Some students used their own money to purchase fabric and make more blankets at home.

“Each month, our Lower School students engage in an on-campus service project that serves local and global communities. Our students are recognizing the value of looking beyond self and to a world in need,” said Denae Yuros, MHA fourth grade teacher.

“Forming this partnership with Project Linus lines up with Mile High Academy’s CHERISH Core Values, and we are very excited about this ministry,” she added.

Plans are to continue making blankets through the school year.

—Denae Yuros, with Karrie Meyers; photo supplied

07 Nov

Church Mission Tops Pastoral Evaluation Process in RMC

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Denver, Colorado… During the last quarter of each year, pastors from the Rocky Mountain Conference participate in an evaluation process. Led by Ed Barnett, RMC president, and, Mickey Mallory, RMC ministerial director, the purpose of the evaluation process is to provide valuable feedback for the conference and the local pastor. Each evaluation includes such areas as, a Weekly Attendance Chart; baptisms/profession of faith chart, tithe and offerings chart, as well as plans for evangelism/and church growth.

Prior to the evaluation itself, a survey is mailed out to all of the pastors and local church board leaders in order to gather relevant information. The survey includes questions about the pastors themselves, their church, and about how they feel about the support of RMC.  The results of this survey are collated in a notebook and then shared with each pastor.

“A typical evaluation will last about an hour, and most of the meetings take place at the RMC office,” Mallory explains. “For pastors who live a longer distance from Denver, their evaluations take place at the Colorado Springs Central Church and the Grand Junction Church in Colorado and the Casper Church in Wyoming,” he adds.

Mallory says that, “probably the biggest benefit gained from the annual evaluation process is that each pastor is given the opportunity to celebrate what is working and receive counsel on areas that need growth.”

“Each pastor comes with questions and issues that are featured in a conversation. My overall impression is that RMC can truly be proud of our ministerial family. We learn how their families are faring and we look at challenges each of them is facing. WE need to uphold our ministers and their families in our prayers,” comments Ed Barnett.

“It is important for our Denver team to learn how we can best serve the needs of the field. We are richer by knowing how to boost our mission in our vast territory and the Adventist family of 18,000,” he added.

–RMCNews with Mickey Mallory; photos by Mickey Mallory

07 Nov

Campion Academy Week of Prayer Challenges Students “To Give Something Up”

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Loveland, Colorado… A Campion Academy week of prayer is always special. The 2019 program of the week was no different. It featured Benji Maxson, a former chaplain at Campion, who is currently pastoring in California, was the speaker for the week, October 28-November 1.

Commenting on the experience, Ireland Anthony reflected, that “this week of prayer was amazing. At first, I did not want to go, but the first time I heard the speaker, it made me want to stay for the entire week. I wasn’t at the best state with God at the moment, but when I was listening I could feel God’s presence surrounding the space.”

Maxson started off the first night with a relatable story about one of his first experiences as a pastor and how we all have different testimonies of how God has worked in our lives. Maxson held the student’s attention with his unique sense of humor. Student chaplains Madi Jordan and Nolan Eickmann also introduced the idea of giving up something for the week. Some chose to restrain from using social media or listening to secular music and were encouraged to use the extra time to commune with God through prayer and reading the Bible.

Each week of prayer comes with a theme song. This week of prayer’s song was “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong. The song had an overall theme of believing in who you are in the eyes of God. This theme was also carried on into the talks given by Maxson. Each night Maxson introduced a new story in the book of Mark and told an entertaining personal story to go along with it.

Being at Campion again, Maxson related to many of the events on campus and had many stories to tell. Kendra Eickmann shared, “I liked how the speaker kept everyone’s attention by telling funny stories. The speaker was also able to connect his stories to life lessons taught by Jesus.”

The end of the week of prayer was closed with Vespers Deluxe, which is a special monthly Friday evening worship that is open to the community and includes an afterglow of doughnuts and praise time.

The year’s week had a very strong spiritual impact on the students. At the end of the last talk, Maxson made an altar call for students to accept Christ for the first time or rededicate their lives to Christ and more than half the student body went up forward.

—Megan Michalenko, Student Editor, This Week at Campion; photos supplied

07 Nov

Greeley Church and School Honor Educator and Pastor Ralph Darrough

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Greeley, Colorado… How do you serve God? The answer: one day and one person at a time. Ralph Darrough was honored on Sabbath, October 26 at the Greeley Adventist Church for living his life this very way – every day. Ralph was honored for his many years of service to his country and to his church. A medic in the Korean War, he later served in several Conferences as a pastor and educator, and most recently as treasurer for Adventist Christian School.

During a church service Ralph Darrough was honored by two principals, Jerry Groeneweg and Jodi Aako, who have worked with Mr. Darrough, as well as by aformer student and later a pastor Rex Bell. ACS Board chair, Dr. Jerry Powell, Greeley church pastor, Jason Logan, and RMC Superintendent Lonnie Hetterle also paid tribute to Darrough and presented him a commemorative plaque at the end of the service. The Adventist Christian School gymnasium was also renamed the “Ralph Darrough Auditorium.”

“Many lives have been touched by Ralph and his wife Lois Waters,” reported Jerry Powell from the Greeley church. It was “selfless dedication to God and country,” that stood out in many years of serving the church.

—Jerry Powell, text and photos

07 Nov

2019 NAD Year-End Meeting News

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Columbia, Maryland… The Year-End Meetings of the North-American Division, which started on October 31, ended on November 5. News coverage of the reports, discusions, and worship presentations are available at https://www.nadadventist.org/news. The NAD delegates voted new leaders – Bonita Shields as NAD General VP for Church Ministries following a retirement of Debra Brill. Michael Harpe from South Central States Conference was voted-in as stewardship director, which was Bonita’s position. Judy Glass, CFO of AdventSource was voted as new NAD under treasurer, replacing Mike Jamison who also retired.

 

07 Nov

Rival Academies Cheer for Each Other at Union Tournament

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Lincoln, Nebraska… Campion Academy and Mile High Academy are long-standing sports rivals, but at the recent Union College soccer and volleyball tournament, they decided to support each other’s teams.

Before the tournament, Campion volleyball coach Kelsey Cate encouraged her team to cheer on their sister school when they could. Ashley Halvorson, a senior volleyball player at Campion, then made a sign that read “Colorado Proud” so that the volleyball team could cheer on Mile High when they didn’t have a game. This led to both schools showing up to each other’s games to hold up the sign to cheer each other on and give high fives and hugs after the game.

Delanie Kamarad, a senior captain on the Campion volleyball team, reflected, “It felt empowering to cheer on Mile High. Not only did it make us feel good about ourselves, but I think that people on their team paid attention. One of the moms of the players came up to us afterwards and said, ‘Thank you so much. We really appreciate you guys and this means a lot to us.’”

Diane Harris, RMC associate superintendent of education, and a parent of a Mile High volleyball player, commented, that “our MHA girls were disappointed when they lost to Forest Lake and the CA girls were quick to encourage and pray with the team when the game was over. Also, the CA boy’s soccer team were our cheerleaders since both MHA soccer and volleyball teams were scheduled at the same time. They were louder and more positive than any other school!  Everyone played so well and I was proud of the character and CHERISH team spirit I saw in both our schools.”

—Ashley Herber, Student Editor at Campion Academy; photos by Union College (sign) and Diane Harris

31 Oct

Campion Academy Participates in International Recruiting Fairs in Asia

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Loveland, Colorado… Over two weeks in October, Campion Academy’s Vice-Principal of Finance, Dean Helm, and May Forshee, an independent agent, marketed Campion’s international program at educational fairs in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Seoul, South Korea; and Bangkok, Thailand. They traveled with International Student Network, Inc. (ISN) and over 5,000 students, guidance counselors, and international agents attended the events.

Helm and Forshee manned a booth for Campion Academy complete with interactive activities, Helmdini magic, Campion gear, and brochures outlining the international program.  Campion was the only high school that traveled with 19 universities representing their programs.  While the expos were mainly marketed for students interested in universities, a large percentage of the attendees expressed interest in Campion’s high school program.  “When visitors found out we were a private boarding high school from the U.S., we had a great deal of interested students, parents, and agents wanting to find out more about our program,” explained Helm.

“You could visibly see faces light up repeatedly as they realized what we were all about.  We had a prize wheel at our booth that drew interest from nearly everyone who entered the fair location,” he added.

The recent tour visited countries where Campion has not previously marketed its program. Helm explains, “I was very satisfied with the overall reactions and support that we received from interested parties, as well as from the universities we traveled with.  I would consider the trip a success.  This was the first step in opening up new international markets for us, which I feel supports our overall mission of our school.  Relationships are very important as the school seeks to find students from around the world to minister to, while they seek out educational opportunities.

According to the Campion recruiters, “this trip created new relationships that we intend to keep developing as we walk through the doors that God opens for us.  When we receive actual applications from potential students, it will be easy to gauge the success of this trip in human terms.  But until we see actual applications, we will continue trusting God to touch lives through us in ways we can’t measure.”

Campion Academy has been intentionally building its international program over the past five years and currently has students from China, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Mexico, and Japan.  Principal Don Reeder explained that Campion Academy has a goal of having about 20 percent of its student body to include international students.

“Campion sees recruiting internationally as part of our mission of telling the world about Jesus,” Reeder commented. “I believe that having diverse cultures in our school enriches the experience of all of our students.  It is important that all students learn that God is the Father of all nations and He seeks to reach the whole world. Students who attend and graduate from Campion Academy will be prepared to live and work together in this world where cultures are so intertwined,” he added.

—Jill Harlow, text; photos supplied

31 Oct

Appreciation Luncheon in Casper Church Surprises Their Ministers

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Casper, Wyoming… The Casper Adventist Church is blessed not just with one pastor, but 3 pastors, of which 2 are retired and attend the Casper Church: lead pastor of the Casper Wyoming district, Shayne and Gabriela Vincent, pastor Weldon and Janine Treat, as well as pastor Gordon and Mary Henderson.

On Friday, October 25, Mountain Road Academy surprised the pastors and their spouses with a Pastor Appreciation Luncheon. Under the leadership of teacher Traci Pike, and her assistant, Lynette Huber, students and parents decorated the MRCA gym and prepared a delicious brunch, which included: omelet (made out of freshly homegrown eggs from the Huber farm), country fried potatoes, cinnamon rolls, fruit, orange juice and a few other dishes!

The pastoral families are blessed in so many ways by the love and continued support of the Casper Adventist Church, MRCA, its wonderful students and their families.

Pastor Appreciation Month was established in 1992 by a group of pastors and church leaders to honor those who serve in ministry. They grounded the celebration in Paul’s words to Timothy: “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).

Ministry is an amazing call, full of great joy and significant moments in people’s lives: officiating weddings, presiding over funerals and seeing first-hand how lives are changed for Christ. But it’s also a 24-hour job, where the pastors and their families open their homes for church gatherings and even prioritize church family events over their own personal interests. Everyone needs a little encouragement now and then, pastor’s included.

—Gabriela Vincent, text and photos

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