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By Nikolaus Satelmajer, DMin, STM

It was cold, windy, and rainy, yet I had gone out of my way to visit this city. Others were also walking in the city center—individuals and groups stopping at various sites and taking pictures. When the rain came, we sought shelter in the church—the church where Martin Luther had often preached. We were in Wittenberg, Germany.

This year is the 500th anniversary of Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses at the castle church (located about 500 yards from the city church) on October 31, 1517. No one, including Luther, imagined the outcome of his act in Wittenberg, a city of some 2,000 inhabitants in 1517. Luther, a monk and a professor of the newly-founded (1502) university in Witten- berg, was asking for a debate by the theologians. The original notice was in Latin, but soon German translations were circulating. He was inviting a few to debate the issues, but to his surprise it seemed as if the whole world soon engaged in the debate.

The 95 Theses addressed several issues, but most inflammatory were Luther’s challenges to the sale of indulgences and to the power of the papacy. In fact, more than half of the theses dealt either with indulgences, the papacy, or a combination of both. The Roman Catholic Church promoted indulgences as a spiritual act, but the reality was different. Johannes Tetzel, a Dominican monk and indulgence seller, was not allowed to enter Wittenberg and sell them, but residents crossed the Elbe River to purchase them. Proceeds from the sales were divided between the papacy (for the building of St. Peter’s Basilica) and the Bishop of Mainz, who needed funds to pay for his position. (Mainz was also the city where Johannes Gutenberg, some 170 years earlier, developed the printing press and printed the Bible.)

Luther became an outlaw, and the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church were challenged as never before. The Holy Roman Empire, facing internal challenges, had to defend itself from the invading Ottomans. Hurled into a cauldron of European troubles, Luther’s very survival was at stake. That was then, but what about today? Does it really matter what happened 500 years ago? Those are some of the questions a group of writers are exploring in a book which Michael Campbell and I are writing and editing with some 25 individuals (scheduled to be released by Pacific Press Publishing in September 2017; Andrews University Semi- nary will hold a symposium October 12–14, 2017). Over the years Luther has received a lot of attention from Adventist writers. Ellen G. White, for example, devotes four chapters— about 12 percent—of The Great Controversy to Luther.

Luther addressed indulgences and the papacy in his document, but I want to focus on a theme that was important to him and that is important to Seventh-day Adventists. In Theses 54 and 55, Luther recognizes the importance of the Word of God and the Gospel. That was a revolutionary idea and Luther, in the coming years, became even more revolutionary by providing the Bible for the common people.

In 1521, Luther appeared before Emperor Charles V in Worms. Because Luther’s supporters were appropriately concerned for his safety, he was secretly taken to the Wart- burg castle. The time he spent there was difficult because he was removed from his friends and could not give guidance to the reforms taking place. In spite of the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges during his stay at the castle, he translated the New Testament into German. He completed this task within three months—an unbelievable accomplishment.

Why is Luther’s New Testament, first published in September of 1522, important? After all, nearly twenty German translations already existed. There are at least two features that set it apart from the existing translations. He used the Greek text as a basis for his translation. In other words, he used the original language and not Latin which was used by other translators. This was only possible because in 1516, Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus published a Greek New Testament based on the best ancient manuscripts available, and revised it in 1519. Prior to that historic event, translations were from the Latin Bible (Vulgate) that was more than one thousand years old. Language changes over years, but the Vulgate translation had not kept up with the changes and was not easily understood.

The other feature setting Luther’s translation apart was the language he used. He translated into the language used by the people—just as New Testament Greek was the daily language used in Jesus’ time. People understood the message in his translation. In fact, Luther’s translation standardized the language and is a basis for modern High German. Even though the translation is almost 500 years old, I read the facsimile I own with relative ease. (How I wish I had an original copy!)

The translation was a best seller. Some 3,000-5,000 copies were printed and sold out within a few months. In the next twelve years, almost ninety editions were printed. The print run was about 200,000 copies. (If we use the current population of Germany as a reference, it means that 1.6 million copies would have been sold today. Or, if we adjust for the United States population, that would be equivalent to about 6.5 million copies.) People were hungry for the Word of God and Luther fulfilled their need.

Luther made history and others followed him. Soon other translations appeared and the Reformation, started by Luther on October 31, 1517, spread. One translation was prepared for Muslims in the Ottoman Empire, though its distribution was limited. During the 1500s, the Ottoman Empire launched numerous attacks on Europe and its armies made it as far as Vienna, Austria. The Holy Roman Empire had great difficulty repulsing the invaders. Some Europeans, including Luther, in light of the limited military victories, thought it best to try to convert the invaders. These efforts had limited success.

Seventh-day Adventism started with intense Bible study. The Bible was central to Luther and it is central to our faith. If we ignore it, we lose our reason for existence. Without the Bible, there is no Seventh-day Adventist Church.

If Luther were alive today, what would he say to us?

Luther was a man of many words, but I will share a few that I believe reflect his views.

Use a good Bible translation: Choose a good translation, not a paraphrase. A paraphrase is similar to a commentary and can be used as such, but do not assume it is a translation. I wrote an article in the Journal of Adventist Education called “The Joys and Challenges of Choosing a Bible Translation.” You can find a pdf online.

If you are a preacher, preach from the Bible: All too often we search for support in the Bible for our ideas. Preaching is the presentation of the Biblical message.

Make Bible reading a significant part of worship:

I have preached in many churches around the world. I am surprised and disappointed that some churches do not have Scripture reading as part of their worship. Or some read only a verse or two. I follow the practice of having a significant number of verses read—usually a selection from the Old and the New Testaments. People need the Word of God, and for some, the Scripture they hear read in church may be the only Scripture they hear.

If you teach a Sabbath School class, focus on the Bible: I recall a class during which the teacher for the entire time kept repeating, “In my opinion . . .” He clearly valued his opinions, but the class heard very little from the Word of God. The Bible must be central in our teaching.

Choose reading material carefully: When we read material dealing with spiritual themes, we need to ask if the Word of God supports the opinions. The Internet, for example, has an avalanche of opinions, but the Bible does not support many of them. In spiritual matters, the Bible must be central.

If Luther were alive . . . He is not, but the Reformation he started is. And most importantly, the God of the Reformation and God’s Word are alive.

–Nikolaus Satelmajer, DMin, STM, is former associate ministerial secretary and editor of Ministry at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Email him at: [email protected]

By Zdravko Plantak, PhD

When Adventist church pioneers exercised their prophetic voice in the early days, it was not only to chart the timeline and give apocalyptic vision to the world. They dealt with the horrors and injustices of their time and spoke truth to power as they deemed responsible and necessary. It was incredibly courageous for John Loughborough to state plainly that “the United States is the two-horned beast” [1] and to describe its social evils of slavery and injustice to the poor and marginalized as one of the major reasons to portray the country in a beastly and morally apprehensible manner. [2]

Furthermore, Ellen White urged the church community that, “The work of gathering in the needy, the oppressed, the suffering, the destitute, is the very work which every church that believes the truth for this time should long since have been doing. We are to show the tender sympathy of the Samaritan in supplying physical necessities, feeding the hungry, bringing the poor that are cast out to our homes, gathering from God every day grace and strength that will enable us to reach to the very depths of human misery and  help those who cannot possibly help themselves.” [3] And yet again, the church finds itself among the muted crowd and silent observers as the cries of the poor and the immigrants are going heavenward, when millions are losing their basic access to healthcare, when foreigners are discriminated against on the basis of their nationality, culture, and religion, and when gender and racial minorities are being attacked and violated, and the disabled are being made fun of and laughed at. And in this silence, I can almost hear the echo of God’s voice resonating through the ages in the poetry of the prophet Isaiah: “What do you mean . . . by grinding the face of the poor?” (Is. 3:15).

So why are we silent instead of being “prophetic,” as we declare our community to be? When will the “prophetic community” act prophetically, therefore raising our voices for the marginal and being the voice for the voiceless and acting as a power for the powerless? When will the church “speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all the destitute [and] defend the rights of the poor and the needy”? (Prov. 31:8-9).

The soon-to-occur second coming of Jesus is a touch- stone for Seventh-day Adventists. We meticulously study prophetic passages and earnestly urge people to prepare for the Judgment Day. With a touch of smugness, we review the account of God’s judgment in Matthew 24 and 25 and shake our heads about the “goats” that God turns away from the Promised Land. With confidence we conclude, “I won’t be among the rejected.” But will we?

Unfortunately, many will. And it will be those who fail to see Christ in the alien in our land, and the refuge, the hungry and poor. As Edward J. Brady concludes, such Christians are “theologically underdeveloped and ethically insensitive.” [4] They are as ignorant as those who ask, “When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and did not feed you? Lord, when did we see you thirsty and did not offer you a drink?” And their failure to see the needs of the less fortunate affects their relationship with a God who does. “The people of God grow weak as they fail to hear the cry of the poor,” rightly suggests Jim Smith in his book, A Heart for the Poor. “For if we fail to hear that cry, we are failing to understand the nature of God, and consequently we are unable to live in his power.” [5]

“When I touch the body of the poor, I touch the body of Christ,” said Mother Teresa. This was more than a theological statement founded on Christ’s final story in Matthew 24 and 25 as He responded to questions about the timeline for his second coming. These words, suggested Brady, “point to the faith experience of countless Christians across the denominational spectrum who are active in combating hunger. For the Christian, hunger is about the person of Christ, who suffers in the hungry.” [6]

For those of us who truly believe in the cost of Christian discipleship as opposed to the nominalism of faith that is only written on paper, the fear (and accusation) of becoming “underdeveloped theologically and insensitive ethically” is serious and calls for a thorough look at God’s attitudes toward the poor. Many different passages of the Bible address the issue of the responsibility (“response ability” or “ability to respond”) to the poor and the disadvantaged in the world.

Deuteronomy 15 contains important references to the poor. First, in verse 11, we find the passage that Jesus quoted, “There will always be poor in the land.” But in verse 4, we read that because of the resources that God has provided to the world, “there should be no poor among you!”

There is only one way to reconcile these verses: poverty is not God’s will, but there will always be poor people because of human injustice. The continuing existence of poverty is not an excuse for inactivity; rather it is an argument for generosity.

Those of us who desire to be theologically developed and ethically sensitive will notice that the God of Israel emphatically wanted no poor on earth. Jesus addressed this issue in the same breath He described the signs of His second coming and outlined the way His followers would prepare for His return in glory. The true followers of Christ are theologically developed and know that in the smallest of the small and the poorest of the poor they serve Jesus Himself. They are ethically sensitive and humble enough to attempt to share love in practical ways on a one-to-one basis with the prisoner, the stranger, the disadvantaged, and the marginalized.

The challenge of being a true follower of Jesus can be found in St. John Chrysostom’s remark: “What is the use of loading Christ’s table with cups of gold, if He Himself is perishing from hunger?” [7] The bread of life that we par- take of in the Lord’s Supper must have an effect on whether we recognize Christ among those of our worldwide neighbors who are starving to death. In another place, Chrysostom imagines Jesus relating His crucifixion to Matthew 25, “I fasted for you then, and I suffer hunger for you now; I was thirsty when I hung on the cross, and I thirst still in the poor, in both ways to draw you to Myself and make you humane for your own salvation.” [8]

Consider the divine moral outrage described in Deuteronomy 15, and then imagine its magnitude today when 800 million are living in abject poverty and millions of children are dying of starvation, when over 60 million have become refugees as “global forced displacement hits a record high.” [9] God gives us theological provisions to underpin that divine ethical indignation.

God’s desire for the poor and the oppressed to be liberated is the prime concern of the true Sabbatical principle described in Exodus 23:11 and Leviticus 25:10. The extension of weekly Sabbaths to the sabbatical year and the year of jubilee almost exclusively emphasized humanitarian issues. The idea of the land resting (lying “unploughed and unused”) on the seventh year correlated to concern for the poor, the slave, the alien, the marginal, as well as rights which go beyond mere human rights to creation care and sustainable living while the whole earth is in environmental distress.

If one truly observes the Sabbath, one cannot remain satisfied only with one’s own redemption, restoration, and liberation. One must show concern for one’s neighbor and our common earth physically as well as spiritually.

The Sabbath doctrine does not involve only the Sabbath day; it concerns the other six days of the week as well. The atmosphere and the principles of the Sabbath will not only “extend beyond the worship service to the dinner table and the living room” [10] on the seventh day, but they would also become a part of the Sabbath attitude which ought to be practiced throughout the week. The moral Sabbatical concern, which extends from the weekly Sabbaths to Sabbatical years, is to teach us as it was meant to teach the Israelites about the needs of the less fortunate, the poor, the widows and the orphans. [11] In a similar way, Christians should develop a greater “Sabbatical” conscience for the poor, the immigrants, and all those that society marginalizes and shuns, the unfortunate, the unemployed, and the powerless whose basic human rights are denied. As Richard Rice suggests, “The Sabbath speaks against every practice that deprives human beings of their sense of worth and dignity. Oppressive economic and social structures, which make it impossible for people to provide for themselves, contradict the message of the Sabbath. Those who appreciate the meaning of the Sabbath will seek to eliminate such things.” [12]

Sabbath-keeping Christians should be among the first to advance the ideas of justice, equality, and freedom among all people. If they fail to do that, the letter of the law is observed but the spirit of the Sabbath-commandment is totally lost. “The sheep on Jesus’” right in Matthew 25 observed the Sabbatical principle of care and concern and they were rewarded accordingly.

The God of the poor and the Friend of the weak calls us to embody the Sabbatical attitude. While “There will always be poor people in the land” is an anthropological statement of fact due to human injustice and inequality, “There should be no poor among you” is an ethical statement that suggests God’s intent and desire.

God has provided the means to embody this ethical desire of the ages and the theological reasons have been supplied. The question is whether we will choose to be Sabbath-keeping Christians who care as seriously as God does about the world’s poor and marginalized. If we engage fully in this responsibility, we shall be counted as righteous as admonished by Proverbs 29:7: “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”

–Zdravko Plantak, PhD, is professor of religion and ethics at the School of Religion at Loma Linda University. Email him at: [email protected]

Notes
[1] J. N. Loughborough, “The Two-Horned Beast of Rev. XIII, a Symbol of the United States,” (Review and Herald, 1857): 50. [2] Ibid. See especially Loughborough’s powerful narrative of a slave, Jim, and his master, George, and an analysis of the Protestant Christians holding, acquiring, and justifying slavery through their false “faith-rhetoric” (pages 31–36). [3] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, (1901), 276. [4] Edward J. Brady, “Theological Underdevelopment and Ethical Insensitivity,” in William Byron, The Causes of World Hunger. (Ramsey, NJ: Paulist Press, 1982), 38. [5] Jim Smith, A Heart for the Poor, (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 1988), 31-32. [6] Brady, (1982), 47. [7] Hom. In Matt. 88, 3 (PG 58:778) as cited also in William Byron, ed., The Causes of World Hunger. (Ramsey, NJ: Paulist Press, 1982), 52. [8] Hom. In Matt. 15, 6 (PG 60:547-8) as cited also in Byron, ed., The Causes of World Hunger. (1982), 52. [9] Adrian Edwards, “Global Forced Displacement Hits Record High,” The UN Refugee Agency Report UNHCR Global Trends, (20 June 2016). http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/latest/2016/6/5763b65a4/global-forced-displacement-hits-record-high.html (accessed on May 14, 2017). [10] Sakae Kubo, God Meets Man: A Theology of the Sabbath and Second Coming, (Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1978), 27. [11] Ex 35:12-33. Gerald Winslow’s footnote 1 in his article “Moment of Eternity” states that “the Sabbath symbolism in the Bible extends far beyond weekly Sabbath . . . every seventh year was specified as a sabbatical year (Lev. 25:1–7). After seven sabbatical years, every fiftieth year, a special Year of the Jubilee was celebrated (Lev. 25:8-12)”. Winslow concludes that, “the more extensive symbolism of holy time as represented in these other “sabbaths” should also be kept in mind.” In Festival of the Sabbath, ed., Roy Branson, (Takoma Park, Maryland: Association of Adventist Forums, 1985), 94. [12] Rice, Reign of God, (Michigan: Andrews University Press, 1985), 370.

By Reinder Bruinsma

Recently I spent a week of vacation with friends. We went to museums and concerts and enjoyed much stunning scenery. But we also talked a lot about doubt. One of these friends had read my recent book about doubt. In fact, his eagerness to discuss this topic with me was the immediate reason why my wife and I had been invited to his home in southern France. In recent months, in particular, I have become even more aware than in the past, through countless reactions from my readers, that many Seventh-day Adventist Christians are beset by serious, even devastating, doubt.

Doubt: What and Why?

In itself, doubt is normal and healthy. We should try not to be too gullible or naive, and a certain degree of skepticism saves us from many mistakes and from embracing all kinds of dubious theories. But there are forms of doubt that can be very troublesome or worse. Some people have never been able to accept the Christian faith. They cannot over- come their doubt about God’s existence and about the reality of the Gospel. Others, who have been longtime Christians, have found it increasingly hard to believe in a supposedly good and loving God when they are looking at the world around them or trying to come to terms with tragedies that have happened in their own lives. Many Seventh-day Adventist Christians have left the church—and many others are dangerously close to the backdoor—because they have strong misgivings about a number of Adventist doctrines and/or the way their church is handling certain current issues.

The first thing to underline is that it is not sinful to have doubts—certainly not in the sense that doubting makes us personally guilty. Throughout history we find examples of great men and women of faith who went through periods of terrible doubt and many a biblical person faced the same experience. Just think of Elijah who thought he was the only person who had remained true to God, and wondered whether everything he had worked for was falling apart. Think of John the Baptist, who sent some of his followers to Jesus because, as he was the prisoner of King Herod, he was no longer sure of his faith in the One whom he had so forcefully proclaimed as the Messiah. And do not forget the apostle Thomas who had been with Jesus as one of his close companions. Before he became a great apostle, he was “doubting Thomas.”

God has not provided us with absolute scientific certainty about everything. Doubt is the other side of faith, and there is always room for doubt. Gary Parker wrote, in the book The Gift of Faith, “If faith never encounters doubt, if truth never struggles with error, if good never battles with evil, how can faith know its own power?” [1] Of all the definitions of “doubt” that I have come across, I like the one by Os Guinness perhaps best: “Doubt is faith being out of focus.” [2] This means that facing doubt is first of all a matter of refocusing our faith.

Facing Our Doubts

How does a Christian deal with her doubt? Many books have been written on this theme and a short article will therefore not solve all the issues. But the first thing I want to say takes the form of an urgent appeal. Whatever your doubts, hang on to your faith in God and do not leave the church! Even when God seems distant and when there are lots of things you do not understand, do not give up on Him, but keep on trying to believe that He does not give up on you! And even though the church may have all kinds of faults, remember that it is important to interact with other people of faith. You may criticize your church; you may at times be angry at it, but although faith is very personal, at the same time it is also a team sport—it is essential to belong to a community of believers.

The second thing I want to stress is that you do not have to understand (or even be interested in) all theological fine print. Millions of people around the world will be in the kingdom, even though they were unable to read or to understand everything the prophet Ezekiel or the apostle Paul said—however important their messages are! And, as far as the Adventist faith is concerned, I am firmly convinced that not everything in our 28 Fundamental Beliefs is equally important. That is, apparently, also the view of many of our church leaders, who enthusiastically participated in last year’s evangelistic outreach in the African country of Rwanda when more than 110,000 new members were welcomed into the church. These new Seventh-day Adventists learned about the basics of their new faith, but most of them will yet have to learn a lot about Adventist doctrines and practices.

Try to focus on what is really “fundamental” for your faith and to distinguish between “the pillars of our faith” (an expression Ellen White often used) and issues that are of a different level of importance. Just to give a few examples: Celebrating the Sabbath as an essential part of our worship of the Creator and our loyalty towards Him is much more essential than deciding whether a duck is a clean or an unclean animal. Living with the hope of Christ’s soon coming and of the resurrection is far more important than having the final words on the meaning of the seven seals or of the seven trumpets in John’s Revelation. Do not get overly concerned if there are some doctrinal issues you are unclear about or that you doubt, as long as you enjoy a living relationship with your Lord and are sure of the basics of the gospel message and of the “pillars” of the Adventist interpretation of the Good News.

And thirdly, unity is important. However, if a church community is to remain a living organism, it must necessarily change over time, and there must always be room for diversity. Unity is not the same as uniformity. Being united in Christ means sharing in the same fundamental desire to worship the Triune God and adhere to a community that wants to share the gospel of God’s grace and their assurance of their salvation through faith with those around them. But belonging to a worldwide church also means that we all bring our different cultures and histories to the table, and that we all contribute to the richness of diversity within the one fold of the great Shepherd.

This diversity presupposes that we give others enough space when they think somewhat differently from how we think, and that we also allow ourselves the space we need for our own opinions, or our doubts, with regard to particular points.

Dealing With Your Doubts

There is no twelve-point recipe for dealing with doubt, but here are some pointers.

Try to read your Bible with an open mind. Do not jump from text to text, but read longer sections, and let the Word of God speak to you. Also try to find books that will help you in the areas of your doubt. And give yourself ample opportunity to think and to pray. Ask the Spirit, who inspired the Bible writers, to clean the lenses through which you read—not just to find confirmation for your own views— and expect the Spirit to assist you in hearing their message as it applies to our times.

It is important to find like-minded people with whom you can talk without being judged. Putting your thoughts into words will often help you to clarify issues for yourself and others may have insights that can be very helpful.

Do not try to solve all your questions and doubts at one and the same time. Focus on some issues and let other topics rest, at least for the time being. I have found this very important in dealing with my own doubts. If I try to face all my questions at one and the same time, I get confused and tend to panic. Temporarily shelving some of my doubts has helped me a great deal. And regularly reminding myself of my own limits helps me to continue to live with some doubts.

The church is the place where believers meet and worship together. It consists of all kinds of people: pleasant, tolerant people and narrow-minded, judgmental people. In most churches, I have found that the majority fall into the first category. You do not have to be blind to the church’s shortcomings, but find your place within the positive, non- judgmental segment of your church and contribute to its spiritual well being. Use your influence for positive change, wherever you can. Speak up when appropriate. But do not give up on it.

Throughout it all, remember that faith is much more than intellectual assent to doctrinal propositions. These have their place, but Seventh-day Adventist believers who struggle with their doubts should always keep in mind that we worship a living God rather than a church or a set of doctrines. A close relationship with the Almighty supersedes all other aspects of our faith!

–Reinder Bruinsma is a theologian, writer and former church administrator. His latest book is titled Facing Doubt: A book for Adventists on the Margins. It provides practical suggestions on how to deal with doubts. Translated to several languages, it is available at www.amazon.com. Email him at: [email protected]

By Jessyka Albert

It was Easter weekend at Boulder Church, and my brave ONEL1FE students (our youth group) rose to the challenge of running activities for the kids during the Easter concert Saturday afternoon. Quickly, we ate our lunches and began to set up tables at various stations: games, coloring, Play-Doh, crafts. At 1:30 p.m., everything felt perfectly organized. I even had a schedule for each station, each game, and even snack time. Everything was going to go as planned! (Maybe you’ve realized that I’m not a parent.) As 2 o’clock grew closer, parents began dropping off their kids. Slowly, and then all at once, my schedule was no longer my schedule.

Some kids wanted to draw right away. Others were already bribing the ONEL1FErs to give them goldfish and juice boxes. And who could say “no” to those puppy dog eyes looking up at you asking for a balloon? By no means do I regret my beautiful run sheet schedule, registration process, or the time I spent in organizing the afternoon. It provided safety, activities, and, overall, set up the environment for a fun afternoon.

As I watched the program that I had so thoughtfully organized begin to diminish, my eyes caught hold of some- thing so incredible. I witnessed one of the ONEL1FE boys surrounded by seven-year-olds filling up balloons, remembering, “You had a pink one, right?” when a girl came to him in tears because hers was stuck on the ceiling. I laughed as a group of teens and kids ran back and forth playing different animals in the most creative “Red Light/Green Light” game I have ever seen! My heart melted when I saw a soon-to-be senior in high school sit at a table with a two-year-old completely engrossed in conversation over Play-Doh and colored pencils.

As moving as these situations were, I still hadn’t completely shaken “the schedule” until five-year-old Ellie King grabbed my hand and said, “Pastor Jessyka, will you come dance with me?” I don’t care how old you are, what your religion is, or if you have two left feet, when a kid asks you to dance with them, you dance! As I twirled around with this little ballerina, I stopped worrying that it was now 3:00 p.m. (We were all going to have snack time together, but let’s remember, most of these kids already bribed the youth and had been snacking since 2:03 p.m.) As I spun in circles with Ellie, I was able to see what was happening around the entire room—connection. Teens connecting with kids. Playing, laughing, running, talking, eating, creating, and even dancing.

When was the last time you were asked, “Will you dance with me?” When was the last time you set aside your agenda to fulfill the agenda of a five-year-old? The Seventh-day Adventist Church has so much to offer. Your local church has so much to offer, but you have the most to offer a child when you decide to show up in their life. So often we fall victim to the trap of programming because it pulls kids, youth, young adults, people of all ages, together. Numbers look great! Pro- grams look great! But you know what really looks great? Watching teens interact with kids, learning their names, their favorite colors, watching what they learned in ballet class.

We’ve all heard that chilling statistic—that 60-80 percent of our kids will leave the church—but what about the 20-40 percent who stay? What’s with them? Researchers have found that one of the most common factors of those young adults who have chosen to stay in the church is this: Over the span of their childhood, they have had five or more mentors (non-family and non-church-employee) from the church who have invested in their lives.

The statistics of young people leaving the church are jarring, but we can learn from those who stay. The answer is not in more programs, stronger theological arguments, or “hipper” language. The answer is you showing up in the life of a kid. As a follower of Jesus, I have decided to dance. So, will you dance with us?

–Jessyka Albert is associate pastor at Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, Colorado. Email her at: [email protected]

By David Kennedy

I consider myself to be something of a novice golfer. I like to go out and play, at least in theory. I mean, the idea of going out to a beautiful course with good people and spend- ing time outside playing the game is very attractive, until I actually get there. I then spend a lot of time and money putting myself through misery!

I don’t understand why golf is such a difficult game. I don’t know why hitting that little ball with a golf club is so hard. The ball isn’t moving. It just sits there. And yet it seems to be the most difficult thing in the world. But here’s what really drives me mad: With golf already being so difficult, why do the people who design golf courses feel the need to make it harder? They put trees in your way. They put lakes out on the course to attract your ball. They have these things called “bunkers” that make it even harder to hit your ball. Many courses have deep, thick grass that eat your ball. You never see it again!

Why? Why make an already difficult game even harder? Are these people sadists? Do they find pleasure in other people’s pain?

It occurs to me that in the same way those who design golf courses make an already hard game even harder, many churches make becoming a Christian—something that for many is already very difficult—even harder by building unnecessary obstacles and hurdles. Is that the purpose of church? Is Christianity like golf? Do we take something that many consider to be difficult already and make it even harder?

This question led to one of the first controversies in the early Christian Church. For the first ten years of the Christian church, every Christian was Jewish, and that made things simple. Everyone talked the same, and thought the same, and ate the same, and worshiped the same. But as Acts 10 records, the Holy Spirit eventually fills Gentile believers too. As the Gentile believers began to worship with Jewish believers, things started to get very messy. These Gentiles didn’t talk the same, or think the same, or eat the same, or worship the same. This new diversity led to new questions. “What do we do now that the Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit? Now we need to make them Jewish, right? Now we need to indoctrinate them into all things Jewish, all things Old Testament. Right?”

It wasn’t long before the mounting tension led to a debate in the church. It’s described in Acts 15. “Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved’” (Acts 15:1). So the issue they chose to focus on was circumcision.

Do Gentile men need to be circumcised? In other words, do they need to become Jewish in order to be saved? According to one group, the answer was, “Yes! Gentiles may be filled with the Spirit, but now it’s our responsibility to make them thoroughly Jewish so they can be saved.” Those of us living in the twenty-first century may shake our heads at the narrow-mindedness of the Christian Pharisees who would demand circumcision for salvation. But those of us who are

Adventist Christians have to ask ourselves how we would fill in that blank. “Unless you are ________, you cannot be saved.” “Unless you believe _________, you cannot be saved.” What would you put in the blank? What obstacle, biblical or otherwise, would you demand be upheld for salvation or church membership?

We can support what we put in our blank by arguing, “I have the Bible on my side. I’m only upholding the clear teaching of Scripture.” But the Pharisees had the Bible on their side too. The Old Testament clearly states that circumcision was essential for God’s people. (See Genesis 17:11-14.) You see, this isn’t a simple issue. Those who were demand- ing the Gentiles be circumcised had good reason to demand it. But Paul and Barnabas had another opinion. “This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question” (Acts 15:2).

And so here is the setup for a monumental game changer in the life of the church. Paul and Barnabas, together with other believers, go to Jerusalem where the church had its headquarters, and they call together all the elders and leaders of the church to figure out this pivotal issue. Are Gentiles required to be circumcised to be saved? Clearly, this was a much bigger issue than just circumcision. It had to do with what it meant to be a Christian. Did Gentile Christians have to become Jewish in order to be saved?

All the church leaders came together. After they debated the issue for a long time, the great apostle Peter got up and told of his experience with the Gentiles. He explained how the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit before circumcision, so why would God require circumcision after they received the Holy Spirit? He went so far as to say, “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are” (Acts 15:10-11).

Peter used some really strong language. He said that by demanding circumcision of the Gentiles, by making some- thing already hard even harder, they were “testing God.” In other words, it wasn’t pleasing to the heart of God. He said they were putting a yoke around the necks of the Gentiles. The yoke Peter spoke of was all of the laws of the Old Testament that they thought they had to keep in order to be in good standing with God. Yet that yoke was a burden; it led to bondage. So Peter asked, “Why would we put that on the Gentiles after we’ve been trying to get free from it ourselves?”

I think this has so much relevance for us today. It is convicting to me, as a pastor, to know that I have tested God by trying to put a heavy and unnecessary yoke on people. I’m not trying to be critical of my denomination when I say we’re pretty good at this as Adventists. Becoming a Christian is already difficult for most. There are intellectual obstacles, social obstacles, faith obstacles. Jesus asks us to give the rest of our lives to Him. That’s difficult for most.

As Adventists, we often add just a “few” more things before someone can be baptized and considered a part of the fold. You know the list: Stop smoking. Stop drinking. Stop eating pork and shellfish. Stop wearing this or that. Start keeping the Sabbath. If your job won’t let you take Sabbath off, quit. Thoroughly study the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, and be able to draw a diagram of the 2300 day prophecy. Change what you believe about where your deceased grandparents really are. I sometimes think it would be easier to be circumcised!

Let me be clear. None of that stuff is bad. Some of it is really important. But we’re faced with the same question today that these believers grappled with and settled 2,000 years ago. “Do people need to become Adventist before they can be saved? Do they need to become Adventist before they can be baptized, or admitted to the family?” I can hear the voice of Peter echoing down through the millennia, “Why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? It is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved!”

In the end, James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the Church, gave his verdict. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turn- ing to God.” The church’s decision is a game changer. “Let’s not make it difficult for the Gentiles. Let’s make it as easy as possible without compromising the gospel.” Yet this doesn’t mean the church threw out all standards. They didn’t say, “We’re saved by grace, so who cares what the Gentiles do?” They still acknowledge that Christians are called to lay down their lives for Christ. There will be many things we give up for the sake of Christ. James looked at his current context, and saw what things might hurt the church or inhibit the growth of Gentile believers, and he told them to “abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:20). An interesting list, but one that was relevant for that place and time. But here’s the overarching principle: “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles. Let’s make it as easy as possible for them!” This is the trend and trajectory of the book of Acts. Observe the following: Acts 2: The people asked, “What must we do?” What did Peter say? Jump through these hoops? No! “Repent and be baptized!” Acts 8: An Ethiopian in a chariot asked Phillip, “What hinders me from being baptized?” Phillip answered with his actions, “Nothing hinders you, and neither will I!” Acts 10: Racist Peter saw ethnicity as an obstacle that would keep people from coming to Christ. If they weren’t Jewish, they couldn’t receive the Holy Spirit. But then God sent Peter a vision, telling him three times, “Don’t call anything impure if I’ve made it clean!” All through the book of Acts, God removed obstacles, making the way to life easy for people!

So what does this mean for us today? What does it mean for us to “make it easy”? I believe what that means is that we make it as easy as possible for people to come to Christ without compromising the gospel. This isn’t easy. We have to think and process, “What is essential to the gospel?” We don’t promote sin. We don’t compromise our beliefs. We continue to uphold the truth of the gospel that God wants all of me, and he wants to transform all of me. But we do need to think and work and determine what is essential, what are the non-negotiable parts of our faith, and, conversely, what is unessential tradition and merely an obstacle keeping people from coming to Christ.

My prayer for our church is that we do not make becoming an Adventist Christian like a golf course. We don’t want to make something that is already hard, by its very nature, even harder. My prayer for our church is that we might join the early church by making it easy for those who so desperately need the transforming and saving grace of Christ.

–David Kennedy is lead pastor of Newday Christian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado. Email him at: [email protected]

By Deeann Bragaw

Taking a deep breath, the lean athlete focuses on the next obstacle, quickly deciding the best approach. Expectantly the crowd shouts, cheers, and then corporately groans as the contestant slips, falling into the water below. Another competitor starts the course. Again the crowd cheers. Excitement builds as obstacle after obstacle is overcome! Can this warrior make it to the final challenge?

Whether or not you’ve ever even heard of the obstacle course reality TV show American Ninja Warrior, it’s probably safe to assume that all of us want to have a warrior nearby when it comes to prayer. We want obstacles to be overcome, victories to be won, and the seemingly impossible to happen! We can shout and cheer and spur a prayer warrior on. We don’t want a prayer wimp! But to say, “I am a prayer warrior”? That’s a different thing altogether.

What makes a warrior? Are you born a warrior or do you become a warrior? Are you born a wimp, and if so, do you always stay a wimp? Those competing in American Ninja Warrior know one thing: whether or not you were born with natural athletic ability, you will need discipline. You will need perseverance. It will take sacrifice. It will take time. A warrior is willing to do what it takes for victory.

What makes a prayer warrior? Are you born a prayer warrior or do you become a prayer warrior? Are you born a prayer wimp, and if so, do you have to stay a prayer wimp? The truth is that to be a prayer warrior you will need discipline. You will need perseverance. It will take sacrifice. It will take time. A prayer warrior is willing to pray as long as it takes.

The bad news? Many of us may never become prayer warriors because we know the reality of our own present ability. We’re afraid we can’t possibly be warrior-strong, and honestly, we aren’t sure we want to work that hard.

The good news? Every single one of us is able, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to become a prayer warrior! Even prayer wimps.

Talk to those who have experienced American Ninja Warrior success and you’ll hear some common words of advice:

1. Train the mind.
2. Train the body.
3. Train together.

The toughest warriors will tell you that training the mind is just as important as training the body. Same thing with prayer warriors. While God is inviting us to a deeper relationship in prayer every day, the obstacles of priorities and time management loom large before us. The only way to train to overcome obstacles that originate in the mind is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds every day by having the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5, Rom. 12:2). We “have the mind of Christ” by spending time with Christ.

Obviously the body must be physically trained to become a ninja warrior. In the same way, we discipline our- selves to grow stronger in prayer by persevering even when we meet the same obstacles over and over, by not giving up, and by accepting training tips and motivation from our coach, Jesus (who has victoriously conquered every obstacle!).

Just as athletes improve individually by training together, joining together in united prayer increases God’s opportunity to work and brings greater power! Also, hearing the encouragement and prayers of others strengthens us and spurs us on when we feel like wimping out.

How do we know when we’re “warriors?” Just ask the dad in Denver whose videos of his five year old doing their backyard obstacle courses went viral! Warriors are found at every age and every ability level. The heart of a warrior is what makes you a warrior.

This week, why not enter into more intimate and vulnerable conversation with Jesus? Ask for the mind of Christ and the heart of Christ. Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit! As you do this, you’ll become a prayer warrior committed to praying without ceasing, praying without losing heart, praying with others, and keeping your eyes fixed on the author and true finisher of the race! Obstacles? Yes, there’ll be some—maybe even some which have to be met over and over again. That’s to be expected in the life of a warrior. Meet them in the strength of the One who began a good work in you, and who will be faithful to complete it! Warrior or wimp? Warrior all the way.

For help in deepening the conversation with Jesus: www.revivalandreformation.org

–DeeAnn Bragaw is RMC prayer ministry coordinator. Email her at: [email protected]

By Craig Carr

When a person follows God’s call into pastoral ministry, they are signing up for a 24/7 commitment. The sky is the limit as to the number and frequency of duties and expectations in ministering to congregations and communities. The actual needs are great, but the imagined expectations members have of pastors often far exceed what’s realistic. Thom Rainer discovered this with his board of elders in the church he was serving in Florida.

Around the boardroom table, Pastor Thom distributed a survey asking the twelve-member board to review a prepared list of 20 ministry responsibilities and to write their estimate of the minimum amount of time required for each area. “I’m not sure exactly what I was anticipating,” reflects Pastor Thom. “I just know that I was shocked when I tallied the results.” The conclusion would have been hilarious if it weren’t so ridiculous. In order to meet the minimum requirement of the resulting expectations from that simple inquiry, it would require the following each week:

Prayer at the church: 14 hours
Sermon preparation: 18 hours
Outreach and evangelism: 10 hours
Counseling: 10 hours
Hospital and home visits: 15 hours
Administrative functions: 18 hours
Community involvement: 5 hours
Denominational involvement: 5 hours
Church meetings: 5 hours
Worship services/preaching: 4 hours
Other: 10 hours

Total per week: 114 hours

Ridiculous, you say? Not far from it. An inquiry among our own pastors in Rocky Mountain Conference revealed that many of them average 55 to 70 hours per week. Is it reasonable to expect 10-hour days, seven days a week? Or what about 12-hour days with one day off per week? Clearly, no one can humanly meet all those expectations, yet the tension between “so much to do” and “so little time” weighs heavily upon every pastor.

So where does a pastor draw the line? And who has enough authority to quell the waves of expected productivity in order for the fatigued pastor to rightfully say, “Stop!” The answer is found in the Sabbath. One of the meanings of the word “Shabbat” is to cease or stop. Serving as a natural boundary against ceaseless labor, the Sabbath offers a weekly diversion from our normal labors and endeavors and strivings. In partial answer to the question, “What day is your Sabbath, Pastor?” let’s review just how different the Sabbath is meant to remain from the other six days of the week.

The Sabbath is Different

In the beginning, God divided the light from the dark- ness, the waters from the land. The Creator differentiated the grass, herbs, fruits, and trees, and divided the day from the night. God created a vast array of living creatures to fill the airspace and the land and the seas, each after its own unique kind. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; (and) let them have dominion . . .” (Gen. 1:26).

After this incredible process of dividing, defining, and distinguishing, God continued that activity in the creation of the Sabbath—a day like no other. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Gen. 2:2,3). The Sabbath stands in unique contrast to the other days and is characterized by God’s activity of “ending His work” as “He rested . . . from all His work,” as well as distinguishing the Sabbath as holy since “God blessed the seventh day.”

This brief review of creation week is a reminder of how God distinguished everything around us, dividing it into uniquely independent parts. This seems so obvious as we compare day against night, land from water, bass and bird and bear. And as unique as night and day are, the first six days of creation have no comparison with the seventh. Just as the fourth commandment “to remember” commands “six days you shall labor and do all your work,” showing that we are indeed to use our time in productive and meaningful labor on our “work days.” There’s no permission for lethargy or neglect of labor, but the Sabbath gives humanity permission to set aside the busyness of doing work and enter into the rest of God.

The Sabbath Reminds Us Who We Are

The Sabbath is both a memorial of God’s act of creation and His outstretched arm of deliverance from the bondage of slavery: a fitting symbol of humanity’s original identity and redemption from the slavery of sin. [2] It is by entering the rest of the Sabbath that humanity can find its truest identity in the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a weekly invitation to leave behind the clamor of this world, a refuge from the busyness and demands of productivity. The Sabbath is a divine invitation to a “full stop” from our labors; only then can we find the rest and blessing God intended to regularly quiet our souls and release us from the deception of trying to be Superman or Superwoman. Perhaps you will be equally challenged by this quote:

“Sabbath keeping is the linchpin of a life lived in sync with the rhythms that God himself built into our world, and yet it is the discipline that seems hardest for us to live. Sabbath keeping honors the body’s need for rest, the spirit’s need for replenishment, and the soul’s need to delight itself in God for God’s own sake. It begins with willingness to acknowledge the limits of our humanness and then to take steps to live more graciously within the order of things.” [3]

The challenge is that the distinctiveness of the Sabbath can become a bit fuzzy—not theologically, but in practice—in distinguishing between a “work day” and a “rest day” in the life and ministry of a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. The Sabbath is the busiest, most industrious, and most important day of the pastor’s work week. The practice of ministry dictates that pastors facilitate worship, teach and preach God’s Word, and lead out in a variety of activities and ministries every Sabbath, thus making it the most intense day of their week. From Friday night gatherings to the moment he or she wakes up on Sabbath morning, and until the final “amen” that afternoon or evening, the rigorous engagement of pastoral leadership requires the fullest of energies and commitment. “What day is your Sabbath, Pastor?”

A Tithe of Time

Sabbath rest is a challenge in the lives of Seventh-day Adventist pastors. The question remains: if the Sabbath was meant as a sacred rest for all, but it’s the busiest workday of a pastor’s week, how can pastors receive the refreshment and rejuvenation of the Sabbath in their own lives? The answer challenges us to take a fresh look at another application of Sabbath in which it stands as “a tithe of time.” Remember Christ and His disciples as they returned from laboring for their Master, as recorded in Mark 6:31: “And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” The disciples had been working hard. “They had been putting their whole souls into labor for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and mental strength. It was their duty to rest.” [4] As much as it is our duty to work with Christ, it is also our duty to find rest in Him.

What concerns me for pastors is the temptation to take a “day off” to compensate for Sabbath during the week that turns into a day for errands, such as changing the oil in the car, mowing the lawn, or catching up on paying bills. These are all necessary pursuits that need to be done, yet I wouldn’t save those activities to do on Sabbath, would you? Somehow, amidst the clamor to get things done from week to week, we must also include time for rest, reflection, and rejuvenation. Pastors are encouraged to seek their own “Sabbath time” in addition to the seventh-day Sabbath so that their souls can find rest, renewal, and redefinition. In addition, just as the Sabbath day is one seventh of our week, perhaps we should consider implementing a similar fraction of time into our daily schedules. Instead of working ourselves to death all week only to collapse in exhaustion on Sabbath, perhaps we could learn to seek rest, reflection, and refreshment for a few hours each day.

To my pastor friends: take a moment to review the suggestions in the box below. Perhaps you can incorporate a few more of these into your life and ministry. The rest and spiritual refreshment of Sabbath is essential, but you may need a bit of courage and humility to truly claim it. To my church- attending friends whose work days and rest days are more distinguishable: the next time you see your pastor, I challenge you to ask, “Which day is your Sabbath, pastor?”

–Craig Carr is vice president for administration for the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Auburn, Washington. Email him at: [email protected]

By Steve Nelson

Courage is something we often wish we possessed more of. Sometimes, when you least expect it, God brings circumstances into your life that inspire you to be courageous for Him.

It was a Friday morning and my wife and I had gone to a convenience store to pick up a part for our car. As we neared the exit, we were faced with an unexpected crisis. Across the parking lot, we saw a car with someone leaning into the back- seat, their fist pounding on a person inside the vehicle.

I didn’t have time to think about how to react. I only felt a flood of emotions begin to well up inside of my soul as I saw what was apparently a young girl being beaten by a man. Almost before I could think, the instincts kicked into high speed as words came pouring forth out of my mouth. I yelled so loudly, I almost startled myself. “Stop it!” I screamed.

Rushing across the parking lot toward the vehicle, I stood next to the door as the person who was inflicting pain stepped back, straightened up, and turned around to face me.

His size and body mass dwarfed mine. “Cut it out!” I screamed. The anger in his voice compounded by the disdain on his face spoke volumes about the hatred in his heart. “It’s none of your business! Get out of here!” he said.

Not looking for his approval, I returned the reply, “You’ve made it my business because you’ve done it in front of me.”

His next words were a threat—promising to beat the living daylights out of me if I didn’t leave him alone.

While I realized the danger I was in, I also knew that if I backed down, there would be no hope of helping the young woman he was abusing. I looked him square in the eyes and said, “If you do that, it will be the last thing you do before you go to prison.”

Standing next to me, my wife tried to rally her support, but his anger was so great it seemed impossible to turn the tide of emotions that was pouring from his hateful heart.

In the backseat, a young girl was weeping and her grandmother in the front seat echoed the abuser’s tirade, telling us this matter was none of our business and we needed to stay out of it.

Often family dysfunction goes so deep that everyone participates in the dynamics of abuse. A young girl is beaten because of something she says or something she won’t do and everyone rallies behind the abuser. Why? They’re afraid if they don’t, his anger will be released on them.

What seemed like an eternity was probably only a few minutes before the store manager came out to see what the commotion was and to ask what they should do. “Call the police,” I shouted. A few minutes later, the police car arrived, but during the interval my wife had the opportunity to give the young girl our phone number, assuring her that if she needed help, we would be there for her.

There are no passive Christians. You can’t serve Jesus without actively enlisting in Heaven’s warfare against the onslaught of evil that is pressing against God’s children.

Doing nothing is still doing something and when you see someone who is being abused or hurt, you have a responsibility, a moral imperative, to take action—to do everything within your power to intervene.

You may not feel comfortable with getting involved, but certainly the person who’s being hurt is not feeling comfort- able either. It’s not up to us to decide if we should act. We are commissioned to defend and shelter the defenseless victims of abuse. God expects his children to help others when they are being hurt—to act as we would want others to if we were in their shoes.

We never heard from the young woman, but I like to think that perhaps as she goes through life, that day will stand out in stark contrast to many others. That day will be a reminder that someone she didn’t know cared enough to speak up for her. That, because we cared, she might begin to see herself as more valuable than what her physical and emotional scars told her she was worth. My prayer is that, by God’s grace, the actions of strangers would instill in her heart the value that Heaven places on her and to see for herself the real potential she already has and can achieve to an even greater degree if she sees what God sees in her.

When you speak up for those who can’t speak for them- selves, you echo the words of your Heavenly Father who says, “I love you so much that I gave everything so that you could live!”

Commit today to live your life so others can see in your actions a connection to God’s transforming love.

–Steve Nelson is a pastor in Wyoming and has a passion for reaching the lost and hurting for Jesus. Email him at: [email protected]

By Carol Bolden

She abhors human trafficking and her faith fortifies her resolve to fight it. That’s the story of 19-year-old Katie McTavish from Newday Christian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Parker.

Katie was 14 years old when her church held a fundraiser for International Justice Mission, a global organization that protects the poor from violence in the developing world. Moved by statistics, shared by Pastor Dave Kennedy, indicating that the average age of a sex-trafficked girl was 14 years old, she was struck by the thought, “That could be me!” Then she says she “heard the voice of God saying, ‘Katie, fighting this injustice is what you were made for.’”

As a senior at Valor Christian High School, Katie, along with six other students and a teacher, wrestled with what they could do to raise awareness. Their first step, they decided, would be to organize a fact-sharing conference.

So began SHIFT, Empower to Prevent,* a grassroots organization that recognized from the beginning the importance of not only hearing about an issue, but making the shift to doing something about it. Following their name, they SHIFTed into action, recruiting people from six organizations to speak at their first conference. Student organizers were surprised to see almost 300 people in attendance and excited to discover that other schools were interested in doing the same thing.

Several members of Newday Church are involved in fighting for justice, says Pastor Kennedy. Among them is Kirk Samuel, founder of Free Indeed and a contributor to the Justice Conference. “Katie and Kirk are examples of passionate Christ followers who love God and serve people in tangible ways,” says Pastor Kennedy. “They use their gifts to fight oppression and set the captives free.”

Although we typically think of human trafficking as something that happens in countries like Cambodia or Greece, it has sadly become a problem in the United States. Denver is a human trafficking hub. “We’re in the middle of the country, and that makes us a destination state, but also a transit state,” writes Brandy Simmons in an article titled, “Inside Colorado’s Underground Sex Trafficking Empire.” “With I-25 and I-70 connecting us to the coast or to the borders, we sit right in the middle of a lot of action,” she notes.

Now a freshman majoring in communications at Colorado Christian University, Katie has a pretty heavy schedule, making her participation with SHIFT less involved than last year, but she did attend the second SHIFT conference held in March, joining 60 young volunteers from several high schools in the Denver area to continue educating, empowering, and motivating the fight for justice.

The lineup of speakers reads like a list of Who’s Who in the fight-against-human-trafficking. They came from Dalit Freedom Network, Hope Academy, and A-21. They arrived from Free Indeed, Girl Above, Tall Truth, and Joy International. There are at least 70 organizations in existence today battling this human rights scourge.

“Human trafficking is the third largest global criminal enterprise, exceeded only by drug and arms trafficking . . .” shared Laura Lederer, a leading State Department official on human trafficking at a Washington conference.

Held at Valor Christian High School, SHIFT’s second conference provided attendees with a bag of information flyers, along with a SHIFT bracelet and water bottle. As many as 20 vendors set up booths peddling their wares to benefit victims.

With featured speakers and breakout sessions, attendees were bombarded with information and challenged to help. A head deputy from the police system in Denver—part of the FBI—spoke about what they’re doing to stop human trafficking in Denver. In existence since 2012, they participated in Operation Cross Country IX, which was conducted in Colorado and Wyoming. Twenty under- age victims were recovered in Denver, according to FBI officials.

The culture at Newday, explains Katie’s associate pastor Lisa Engelkemier, is geared toward “relieving human suffering in every way within our ability. Several thousand dollars of our Christmas offering went to organizations that are on the ground to end human trafficking.”

“Katie’s work to create awareness of and bring an end to sex trafficking brings purpose and passion into her life,” explains Lisa. “We celebrate young people like Katie, who follow Jesus’ example of serving the least of these.”

After the conference, Krisa Van Allen, founder of Girl Above and a speaker for the conference, spoke with Katie and her sister, Laura, also an avid supporter of the push for justice for victims of human trafficking. “Can I take you guys to coffee before I go to the airport?” Krisa asked, evidently impressed by their enthusiasm.

“The conversation we had over coffee was an answer to prayer,” shares Katie. “I’ve been wondering what to do with this passion and this call.” She fired questions at Krisa and received answers for things burning in her heart: What should I take in college? What is one of the hardest times and what is one of the most rewarding times you’ve had working in this field?

Her answers were encouraging, Katie says. Krisa explained that some days she sits in her office working on spreadsheets, while other days she finds herself working with victims in Greece. “She encouraged me to finish my education and to step into volunteer opportunities.” Looking to the future, Katie explains, “I would love to work for International Justice Mission.” She appreciates their effective approach toward working simultaneously on several important strands—preventing human trafficking, rescuing victims, restoring survivors, and strengthening justice systems.

“Freedom,” Katie says, “is a fundamental, God-given right. Sex trafficking is completely against who God is. If we say we love God, then we have to love His people. We are called to justice, to be a voice for justice.”

Full freedom, Katie says, comes only in Christ. Someone could be rescued from the sex-trade industry and still not be completely free. But, she continues, “If we come in and res- cue them and tell them they’re loved, valued, and unique because Jesus does this, then we can give them ultimate freedom.”

Calling to action the people of the church, Katie says, “Today’s Christians have to realize the need for justice in the world and that it is something God calls us to do. Our congregations need to talk about these things. A lot of poverty as well as human trafficking is based on messed-up justice systems and corrupt governments. People can’t get out of poverty or out of human trafficking, without help.”

–Carol Bolden provides administrative support for the RMC communication department. [email protected]

By Becky De Oliveira

Adventist schools across the country are struggling with enrollment and many have closed their doors in recent years. While the reasons for this are complex and vary from one region to another, closures are not always an indicator that a school lacked a viable market. Sometimes local people are simply unaware of Adventist schools as options for their kids. The board and staff at Vista Ridge Academy (VRA) feel that the school has a lot to offer parents in the northern Denver metro area—especially those who are dissatisfied with public schools and want a smaller environment with personalized attention and an emphasis on arts and music.

Marsha Bartulec, VRA’s full-time marketing director, is optimistic about the future of the school after just one year of intensive marketing efforts. We caught up with Marsha recently to ask her a few questions about her work over the past year.

Mountain Views: What are some of the things you’ve done to market Vista Ridge Academy?
Marsha Bartulec: These are a few of the things we have worked on this year that I feel have been beneficial in building the framework to be able to successfully market our school. 1). We streamlined and implemented a new admissions and re-enrollment process for new and current parents; 2). We promoted the school using Facebook; 3). Clear Summit Productions produced a promotional video for our school; 4). We are members of the Erie Chamber of Commerce and Metro North Chamber of Commerce, and had a ribbon cutting for our preschool program and hosted a business after hours; 5). We have had booths at several community events in Erie; 6). We hosted several events on campus—including a new parents breakfast, pastor appreciation brunch, and grandparents day; 7). We set up our bus ness and search settings on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other directories.

MV: What have been the biggest challenges for you in increasing public awareness of Vista Ridge Academy? MB: One of the biggest challenges is human resources. One person cannot promote Vista Ridge Academy alone. It has taken a lot of human resources to make this effort successful. We have had help from our board members, teachers, staff, home and school team, parents, and many other volunteers. Everyone connected to Vista Ridge Academy has the awesome opportunity to be an ambassador for the school.

Word of mouth is the number one way to market, so it is our goal to build strong relationships in our Adventist Churches and community. We want people to refer families to Vista Ridge Academy. Every marketing effort we have done has been based on building connections and relationships. If people have a great experience with us and feel a connection, we feel they will tell others about the great things our school has to offer.

MV: What can the average Adventist who wants to see our schools succeed do help support marketing efforts? MB: If members of all our Adventist churches believe in Adventist education, they could demonstrate this by participating in school programs, funding special projects, and being an ambassador for the school. I also recommend the following: 1). Take a tour of the school; 2). Use social media to promote the school; 3) Volunteer at the school—helping with the hot lunch program, cleaning, or have a student read to you, etc.; 4) Participate in school fundraisers, such as Box Tops, Amazon Smile, King Soopers Gift Cards, etc.

Marsha says, “I would love to see the schools in the RMC work together in a marketing effort. We have 20+ schools and have been educating for over 100+ years. How can we join together to make a big impact in our communities?” This is a question we should all be considering.

–Becky De Oliveira is a college instructor, writer, editor, and graphic designer. She also works as director of communication for Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, Colorado. Email her at: [email protected]