NewsNuggets

On Sabbath, September 7, all of the students got on buses to go out and spend time in God’s second book, nature. Students could choose between three options during their visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. The first bus took people to a rigorous hike to Loch Lake. The second bus took people to Bear lake which was more relaxing, but just as beautiful. The last option took students to the top of Trail Ridge Road, where they climbed many stairs to the top of the peak. A few students shared their experiences of how they saw God while in the mountains.

Jordyn D., sophomore, says, “Pastor Goetz shared with us this verse, Psalm 121:1-2 which says, ‘I lift my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ It really helped me understand that God made the mountains, and created us to enjoy and marvel at all of his beautiful creations. It made me feel truly small compared to everything around me and I am so grateful that I was able to be in God’s presence while I marveled at his creation.”

Erick M., senior, says, “I took the bus up Trail Ridge Road and was able to get an amazing view at the top. Seeing all the huge peaks and deep valleys God has created made me feel pretty small and insignificant in comparison. However, being up there was an awesome reminder that God cares about and loves me deeply, no matter how powerless or small I feel.”

Beverly O., senior, says, “During mountain church, I had a wonderful experience. Hiking up the mountains with friends, and seeing the waterfalls made me see the real beauty and power of God. It reminded me of the verse Isaiah 43:2. That even in the deepest waters, God gave me rocks for stability in faith and in trust.”

Blessing S., sophomore, says, “Being in the mountains reminded me of how God is my rock and can hold me through any time. I could see how much of a great God he is. My God created the world and made wonderful things for me to enjoy. I loved looking into the waterfall. When I saw my reflection, it reminded me that I was made in his image, and I am a reflection of him.”

— Adrianna Campbell, Senior, Student Editor; photos supplied

There were some noticeable changes for students and parents when the HMS Richards staff opened their doors on the first day of school this month. Despite the fact that it had been summer vacation, if you drove by campus in Loveland, you may have noticed that the HMS parking lot was rarely empty. The elementary school staff spent countless hours this summer meeting with students and families, as well as cleaning up and remodeling several areas of the school.

Principal Paul Bragaw made it a goal this summer to meet with each student’s family to get to know them better, find out their desires for their children’s education, and pray with them. “I wanted to do this because it’s important to get a better understanding of who our students and families are by seeing another part of their lives,” Bragaw commented.

While Bragaw says he has been able to meet with just over half the families this summer, he plans to continue during the fall semester and revisit with families as often as possible. “Communication is everything,” Bragaw explained. “We’ve been able to realize the needs and desires of families and individual students, and this has inspired me to work harder to make a difference for these kids and their parents by making our school better.”

With enrollment numbers continuing to be strong this year having enough space in the building remains an issue. All of the teachers spent time during the month of June sorting through bookshelves and closets, getting rid of any unnecessary items. The large storage closet at the end of the hall was completely emptied and turned into a much-needed teacher workroom.

“We actually cleaned out every square inch of the entire building,” Bragaw said. “There are some storage areas that many people don’t know about where 40-50 years’ worth of stuff has been piling up. We have gone through it all, either throwing it away, selling it at the yard sale, or organizing it to make better use of space.”

One of the biggest changes that took place was the renovation of the seventh and eighth-grade classrooms. Last school year, a temporary partition was installed upstairs to provide an additional classroom for kindergarten in what was formerly the principal’s office and a storage area. Before leaving this summer, Davin Hammond, with the help of Kim Melanbacher and Ken Albertsen, was able to complete a permanent wall to separate the two classrooms.

Carey Jordan, the incoming seventh and eighth-grade teacher, along with her family and several volunteers, then spent weeks stripping and even re-plastering the old walls, painting, replacing ceiling tiles, purchasing new bookshelves and tables, and overall providing a complete face-lift for the classroom.

“It was really important to me to have a classroom environment that was well-organized and conducive to learning,” Jordan explained. “I enjoyed changing the space and making it my own. It’s been a really great start to the year, the students have responded well to the new classroom environment. It’s paid off; having a well-organized space has helped the students learn our procedures and we have been able to get started into real learning.”

School is now underway, and the halls and classrooms are filled with the happy chatter of children who are warmly welcomed by the HMS teachers who care so deeply about them and providing a healthy and Christ-centered learning environment. Please pray for our church’s school as we start the new school year.

–By Jill Harlow, photo by Carey Jordan

Summer months in the Rocky Mountain Conference did not slow down church activities. Reporting on past and current developments, Ed Barnett, RMC president, informed the members of the RMC executive committee, August 20, of his personal involvement with the largest to-date Pathfinder Camporee at Oshkosh, with more than 55,000 pathfinders participating.

“Not only that our conference young people were well represented, and we had nearly 600 of them there, but it was exciting to mingle with and meet participants from 100 countries,” he said. Over 1,300 baptisms became the most memorable feature of the camporee, next to old friendships revived and new friendships made.
Barnett also said that this year’s camp meeting season is coming to conclusion with the Hispanic Camp Meeting at Glacier View Ranch on August 30-September 2. “These meetings are important for hundreds of our church members who are being enriched spiritually and socially,” he said.

In his report, Barnett welcomed Becca Brown who has joined the Communication Department after Carol Bolden “decided to enjoy her retirement” after many years as a member of the RMC office staff. For Fritz Krieger, pastor of Montrose, the committee meeting was last as its member. He is retiring by the end of August.
George Crumley, RMC VP for finance, reported that RMC’s total tithe through the month of July was $10,162,765, a 9.10% increase over the prior year. “The major reason for such a strong tithe is that we have received unanticipated tithe, which we call windfall tithe. Even though our tithe has had a good increase so far in 2019, our RMC Advance offerings are down by 13.89%. This is an important offering to support because it provides money for many areas that we cannot use tithe for,” Crumley said. “Because of the increase in tithe so far this year we have a good bottom line increase. This allows us to provide for areas of ministry that are critical” to our mission, he added.

The committee expressed gratitude the Lord for the Mile High Academy debt reduction from cash and pledges that were reported in NewsNuggets on July 12. “A number of committed individuals worked together to make this a reality which we are deeply grateful for,” Crumley commented.

As the Adventist Book Center winds down operations, the committee voted to move ahead in the first part of 2020 with a “Total Health, Support and Resource Center” which will be housed in the space that the ABC will vacate. This will be a ministry where health coaching, seminars, training, and screenings can be presented. The proposed center will be run by volunteers and overseen by Rick Mautz, RMC health director. “We are hoping this will be a great blessing to our community and the conference as a whole,” Crumley said.

Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration, informed the committee about an ongoing search for church and district pastoral needs for Craig/Steamboat, Montrose, Denver-South, Eden Valley congregations. The following pastoral positions were filled:
– Gillette district welcomes Lester Bentley,
– Canon City welcomes John Davidson,
– Arkansas Valley/Lamar welcomes Ted Williams,
– Boulder welcomes Jennifer Ogden, and
– Franktown is to welcome Michael Luchak as an associate pastor in the month of December.

The committee voted Don Lopes and Milos Tomic to be recommended to Mid-American Union Conference for ordination.
RMC education superintendent, Lonnie Hetterle presented a report on the developments in the area of RMC education. New teachers are being welcomed in several school locations. All teaching and school administration staff attended an annual three-day in-service Teacher’s Convention held at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship church in Denver. He affirmed that Mile High & Campion Academies are beginning the new academic year with strong enrollment. He also shared that three schools – Pueblo, Durango and Glenwood Springs – will not be operating this coming year. However, these churches have the vision to open again soon to minister to young people in their area.

The committee was also informed that 140 years ago, on August 2, 1879, a Seventh-day Adventist congregation was established in Boulder, first in the state of Colorado, just four years before the Colorado Conference was organized.

The next meeting of executive the first committee is planned for October 8.

—RMCNews; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

A three-day In-service Teachers’ Convention brought over 100 Rocky Mountain Conference educators to LifeSource Adventist Fellowship in Denver, August 4-6. The group represented 17 elementary schools and two academies. The convention began with an orientation for the six teachers new to Rocky Mountain Conference.

The spiritual tone for each day was set by LifeSource pastors, Andy Nash and Seth Day. Expert educator, and a vice president at Southwestern University, Steve Stafford, was the featured speaker for the in-service convocation. Stafford’s presentations concentrated on “teacher self-care” and being “the best you, you can be”. His passion and fun-loving spirit were contagious, providing the RMC teachers with much-appreciated thoughts and tips.

As part of the agenda, teachers were challenged by two officers from Denver Public Schools on the topic of school safety. They presented several practical ideas to help our schools by providing the safest place possible for students and staff. Johnnathan Ward, head of Ministry and Mission, and head chaplain at Avista Adventist Hospital presented “Compassion Fatigue,” a topic important to all caregivers, including teachers. The teachers returned to their schools better prepared to recognize and manage stress throughout the school year.

Jessica Eubanks, a new teacher at Colorado Springs, commented, “I was very impressed with all the speakers at this year’s teaching convention. The information given was relevant, personable and up-to-date. I loved the self- care attribute that the whole conference seemed to be based on. As teachers, we live to serve others, our students, our parents, and our co-workers and staff, but we don’t always remember to take care of ourselves. If we don’t take of ourselves, then we are not able to serve others.”

The 2019 convention final session included pastors of local Adventist congregations who joined a discussion about the current challenges and opportunities involving issues which relate to the LGBTQ community, which impact both Adventist schools and churches.
Ed Barnett, RMC president concluded the convention with a challenge and a prayer of dedication for our teachers as they begin the new school year.

Pat Chapman, administrative assistant in the RMC education department, who attended RMC teacher’s conventions for more than 20 years, said “this was one of the best and most relevant I have been part of. We have incredible, committed teachers, who spend every day reflecting Jesus to the students they teach, being supported, affirmed and cared for in an educational culture that reflects our Adventist values and belief system.”

—Lonnie Hetterle, photo supplied