Paulette Yaple

01 Jun

VET FROM CHEYENNE CHURCH HONORED BY THE STATE OF WYOMING

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By Paulette Yaple – Cheyenne, Wyoming … Robert Foster, 98-year-old Cheyenne Adventist Church member and WW2 veteran, was honored on May 23 by the governor of Wyoming and other state dignities for his service to Wyoming and the United States.

Foster was recognized for his service during WW2, for being the first black telephone installer in Wyoming with Mountain Bell Telephone Company, being a committed volunteer in the community and the Cheyenne Adventist Church, and demonstrating amazing strength of character and community involvement.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon declared that May 29, 2022 is Robert Foster Day in Wyoming to commemorate Foster’s 98th birthday and a lifetime of faithful service to God, country, and community. Gordon also presented Foster with a signed certificate and a commemorative gold coin with the governor’s name.

“With standing room only, everyone was so pleased to hear the proclamation from Governor Mark Gordon honoring our beloved Bob Foster,” commented Bill Nixon, Cheyenne church pastor.

Secretary of State Edward Buchanan also recognized Foster’s faithful service and presented him with a flag flown over the capital in his honor.

Attending the presentation were members of the Cheyenne church, Bob’s family, co-workers, and members of the National Guard.

After the event, Foster said that he was overwhelmed, emotional, and surprised to be honored in this way. His long-time co-worker and current Utah State Representative, Judy Weeks Rohner, organized the event.

–Paulette Yaple is the communication director for Cheyenne Adventist Church; photo supplied

06 Apr

PLAY NICE IN YOUR SANDBOX AT CHEYENNE ADVENTIST CHURCH

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By Paulette Yaple – Cheyenne, Wyoming … How to avoid conflict in work, home, and church relationships was the theme of the weekend seminar on March 19 at the Cheyenne Adventist Church.

The seminar featured Ron Price, author of the Play Nice In Your Sandbox books and RMC executive committee member. Price shared principles on preventing conflict in relationships, including how to speak and listen correctly and how to add more fun to your relationships. Attendees learned the catchphrase “Push the Pause Button,” which consists of taking time to choose your attitude in advance.

Price said, “I enjoy equipping people to manage conflict in a God-honoring manner. It really is not that difficult if you know a few basic tools, tips, and techniques.”

“Ron’s teaching on quickly and effectively dealing with conflict in relationships was invaluable! He has a way of presenting the most useful information in a very entertaining way. Our congregations were very blessed,” said Bill Nixon, pastor at Cheyenne Adventist Church.

Reflecting on the event, Meridee Mason, Cheyenne church clerk, said, “Both my husband and I received a real blessing [while] attending Ron Price’s weekend seminar. Ron has such a gentle, but great, way of dealing with the difficult people that are in our lives every day at work, shopping, or sometimes even at church. So good for all of us to remember to stop, take a step back and re-evaluate the situation instead of snapping back and then evaluating the situation,”

Nixon added that meetings had some attendees inquiring about the Cheyenne church. “After attending Ron’s series, one guest was so impressed with what he heard and how it was presented, he asked for information on joining our church and is now in Bible studies.”

–Paulette Yaple is communication secretary at Cheyenne Adventist Church; photo supplied

29 Jul

MEDIA ON THE BRAIN SEMINAR HELD AT CHEYENNE CHURCH

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By Paulette Yaple – Cheyenne, Wyoming … Did you know the first text message was sent in 1844? This was one of many interesting facts attendees of “Media on the Brain” seminar, held recently at the Cheyenne Adventist church, discovered.

The gathering, attended by some 34 visitors and 79 members, featured guest presenter Scott Ritsema, director of Belt of Truth ministries.

The three-part seminar included presentations titled: How to Escape the Pleasure Trap; Transformed by the Renewing of Our Minds; Conformed to the Counterfeit Reality.  The presentations focused on being careful with the media we consume.

“The Media on the Brain [seminar] was powerful because it was filled with facts and truth, especially for this day and age. There is media surrounding us constantly, and it is targeting children at younger and younger ages all the time. This is a very important topic for all ages. It shows that everyone is affected by media, unlike some who claim otherwise. And it is so helpful to have a godly world perspective on this popular topic,” Danielle Suckut, Cheyenne member and deaconess explained.

Bill Nixon, pastor of Cheyenne district echoed Suckut’s comments, “Scott Ritsema’s messages were both thought-provoking and eye-opening. Because our spiritual health is determined, in large part, by the media we consume, we would be a much stronger church if we heeded his recommendations.”

Cheyenne members have implemented a visitation program to follow up with the visitors who attended the seminar.

Who sent that first text message in 1844? Samuel Morse sent the message “What Hath God Wrought” via telegraph.

–Paulette Yaple is communication secretary for the Cheyenne church; photo supplied

03 Jun

GROWING A HEALTHY CHURCH IN CHEYENNE

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By Paulette Yaple – Cheyenne, Wyoming … What are the characteristics of a healthy, growing church?

This is the question Cheyenne church members have been asking over the last few months as they have been examining ways to engage in the RMC priority of “growing healthy churches.”

According to NADEI (North American Division Evangelism Institute) the aspects of a healthy church are effective structures, empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, holistic small groups, inspiring worship, loving relationships, need-oriented evangelism, and passionate spirituality.

The first step for the Cheyenne church was to identify the areas that needed to improve.  To accomplish this, Bill Nixon, pastor of Cheyenne church and 29 members took the NADEI Natural Church Development Survey.  After filling out the survey, the leadership team at Cheyenne formed an assessment committee to evaluate the results and shared them with church membership. The lowest score–empowering leadership–will be focused on first.

The next step was to conduct a focus group session with church members who were asked to write three reasons the church scored low in empowering leadership. The members chose a category or cluster to place it under: participation, training, relational cooperation, support, spiritual gifts, outreach, conflict resolution, administration, accountability, communication and legalism.

In the next few weeks, the assessment committee will evaluate the responses and determine “smart objectives” to establish measurable goals. The results, including the list of goals, will be shared and every member can choose one of three areas they wish to focus on. There will be two more meetings during the year to provide updates and address issues. After one year, the church will take the survey again to see if they have improved in empowering leadership. Then they will tackle the next weakest area.

This program gives numerical values of the church’s status illustrating areas where improvement can be made with church input and support. The NADEI program is a thorough, well-structured program according to a committee member. Another individual, commenting on the program said, if followed, it will help the church become a healthy, growing church.

If you are interested in using the Natural Church Development program in your church, you can contact NADEI at (269) 471-8303.

— Paulette Yaple is the communication director for the Cheyenne church; photo supplied