24 Aug

VIRTUAL VBS REACHES AREA INDONESIAN CHILDREN

By Rossaline Sitompul – Aurora, Colorado …Some 44 community children attended the virtual Vacation Bible School sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Indonesian-American church August 10 – 15.

The summer of 2020 was not like the one we had planned.  Prior to the pandemic, Rocky Mountain Indonesian-American church was planning to host VBS as an outreach for area children.  Having attended VBS training, church directors were eagerly waiting for this outreach.  Then the world went on pause when the pandemic hit in March and has remained on pause.

After discussing the changes and the restrictions brought about by the pandemic and whether the church could host a VBS this year, the idea of hosting an online VBS came up. Eveline Cornelius, VBS director, thought that they should open registration for all Indonesian churches in Colorado.

In late July, they began planning a virtual VBS zoom meeting, but had no idea if the local community would attend and how to actually host a virtual event.

Work began by building backdrops, rehearsing skits, and preparing craft bags to deliver to participants.

After many hours spent in prayer and discussion with the Rocky Mountain Conference children’s ministry director on how to hold an online event, the virtual gathering was set to begin.

Volunteers dropped off VBS materials at the homes of the preregistered children.

The young adults of the church made sure the technical aspects were covered.  They also served as hosts for the online event and produced the craft videos.

During the week, community children learned about how to be hero in their own way.  They had the opportunity to dive into Bible stories, learn about different types of animals, and enjoy making simple crafts.

A drive-through graduation was held at the church on August 15 to celebrate the children who attended the program. Church members attended to show the children from the community how proud they were of their accomplishment.

Rossaline Sitompul is children’s ministries director at the Rocky Mountain Indonesian-American church; photos supplied.

24 Aug

COVID-style “Class Scramble” at Campion Academy

By Haley Enochs –Loveland, Colorado … Even with the pandemic changing and canceling events, one event coronavirus couldn’t cancel at Campion Academy was the annual welcome back competition “Class Scramble”.

The Scramble is a chance for classes to compete in various games and have fun getting to know their classmates. Students bring an assortment of random items to the event and when Don Reeder, principal of Campion Academy, calls out an item (such as a cardboard box), students race to be first to drop the item at the designated center for their class. Between rounds, other activities are incorporated into the competition.

With social distancing guidelines in place, the Student Association (SA) developed new games and rules for the event to keep participants safe.

“Being on SA this year, we faced the challenge of creating new ways to social distance yet still have fun with our classes,” Kylie Wehling, SA Spiritual Vice President, said.  “Even though usual Class Scramble games like man-overboard and men-in-a-boat had to change, I think everyone still had tons of fun and enjoyed (the) bonding time with their classes.”

Everyone wore masks at this outdoor event, embracing safety by decorating their masks and finding creative ways to take pictures.

For the second year in a row, the senior class of 2021 claimed victory.

Milka Mendoza, Campion Academy senior, stated, “I was super glad we were even able to still hold the event, and thankful for the SA officers and staff who set everything up. It felt so good to win for a second time in a row! I’m super excited to see how our class can continue to make memories despite everything else going on. We did get a little scared of losing, but we pulled it off! It all worked out because we came together as a class.”

The other classes didn’t make it an easy win as it was a tight race between the seniors and the sophomores, who came in second.

Class Scramble is normally followed by a campus-wide picnic. This year, the low air quality from fires ravaging mountains in the area caused the picnic to be postponed.

–Haley Enochs is a senior at Campion Academy; photos by Jill Harlow

21 Aug

Wildfires Near Pacific Union College and St. Helena Hospital Force Evacuations

By Kimberly Luste Maran — Angwin, California … As of Friday, August 21, 2020, several Adventist entities and institutions in Northern California have been evacuated due to wildfires that began several days ago when an unusual heat wave and storms in the region produced more than 10,000 lightning strikes.

Reports reveal that the LNU Lightning Complex Fire has burned more than 200,000 acres with 7 percent containment. At least four Bay Area people have been reported as dead, and several others have been injured due to the blaze.

Many residents have been evacuated, including those living on and near the campus of Pacific Union College (PUC). St. Helena Hospital, part of the Adventist Health network, has evacuated patients to nearby medical facilities. The LNU Lightning Complex Fire is “group” of fires burning in the same region that were sparked by lightning earlier this week.

PUC is currently under a mandatory evacuation with the surrounding Angwin community in response to the LNU Lightning Complex Fire in Napa County. The evacuation is a precautionary measure as the fire could pose a threat to Angwin, where PUC is located, if it moves south. A statement shared on the college’s website specified that “there is currently no immediate threat to the campus, and all faculty, staff, and students are safe and accounted for at this time.”

Twenty-five students were residing on campus at the time, all of whom were evacuated by 6:30 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Any evacuated students without a place to go have been placed in housing by PUC deans. Close to 300 PUC employees and their families were also evacuated along with the rest of Angwin’s estimated 3,000 residents.

College officials shared that at least twoPUC families have had their homes damaged or destroyed by the fire.

In its statement, PUC asks others to join them in praying for “our PUC family, our Angwin community, and our Napa County neighbors, as well as the Angwin Volunteer Fire Department and others responding. … Please pray for all those affected by the Lightning Complex fires.”

Adventist Health’s 151-bed St. Helena Hospital was also evacuated Wednesday night, Aug. 19, after Cal Fire issued a mandatory evacuation order. On its website, the hospital reported that “In accordance with the order, all surgical, lab, imaging and other procedures that were scheduled on the hospital campus are cancelled until further notice.”

All patients were safely relocated to other facilities, including Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley, Adventist Health Vallejo, Dameron Hospital, and Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

“Our patients are well cared for and safe. Please keep our team and their families in your prayers,” hospital officials said.

In addition to the hospital evacuation, more than 300 associates were evacuated from their homes. Adventist Health is providing emergency assistance to associates in need, and the Adventist Health Rapid Response fund is available. The fund was launched last year to help associates and communities in any devastating disaster or emergency, including the California wildfires. “Together, we can ensure our team of healthcare heroes receive the critical support they need,” officials added. Click here for more information.

Kimberly Luste Maran is an associate director for the North American Division Office of Communication; photos supplied

**This article originally appeared on the Adventist Review website

Patients are evacuated from Adventist Health’s St. Helena Hospital in California as wildfires near the area. Photo provided by St. Helena Hospital
20 Aug

WHAT IS YOUR CALLING?

By Nathan Cranson …The Coronavirus has brought with it so many challenges and difficulties, but it has also offered us so many valuable lessons.

How do we deal with inactivity, isolation and silence? How do we face ourselves, our families, and our kids? How do we remain spiritually strong without our regular Christian fellowship? We have had to face fear and uncertainty and I think many of us have begun to really examine our worship services and our relationships with God and His church. What are the essentials and what can we live without?

I have certainly been asking a lot of questions this summer. On August 1, I marked my fifth year in pastoral ministry and only in the last couple of weeks do I feel like I have grasped my calling.

My calling is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:12 ESV).

You see, for years I worked to minister to the saints not realizing that every saint is a minister. Anyone connected to the Head has something to contribute to the body. So, my job as a pastor is to lead people to Christ so that Christ can lead His people.

So, how do I do that? How do I connect people to Christ? This is where it starts getting exciting. It turns out that every single individual on planet earth has direct access to the throne of God, thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which has purchased every soul back from slavery to sin. Thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit every one of us can know Jesus personally and powerfully. What we often don’t realize is that the presence of the Holy Spirit is just as real as the presence of Jesus Christ some two thousand years ago. Jesus healed, taught, comforted and discipled His people. The Holy Spirit is doing all of these things today, but on a much larger scale. That’s why Jesus said that it was to our advantage that He go away, because if He goes away, He will send us the Helper, and when the Spirit of truth would come, He would lead us into all truth.

Have you ever wished that you could have been discipled by Jesus? Well, you can! Right now the Spirit of Christ is willing to disciple anyone that will give Him the time of day. Notice what Ellen White says:

All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed, will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts. (Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 58)

So, as a minister of the gospel, what is my job? To encourage every one of the members to spend a quiet hour with the Spirit of God every day. This is how we are connected to the Head. This is how we are equipped for ministry. This is how God will finish His work.

And the good news is, no number of masks or government mandates can separate us from communion with our Father, which art in heaven.

Nathan Cranson is pastor of the Montrose, Colorado District.

20 Aug

FINANCIAL CHURCH SUPPORT INCREASED IN JULY

RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … “We are thankful to report that our total tithe and base tithe, excluding windfalls, have strengthened through the month of July,” George Crumley, RMC VP for finance, stated to the members of Rocky Mountain Conference Executive Committee August 18.

“When we looked at our June report, base tithe was down 3.92 percent compared to the prior year. The good news is that our July report showed base tithe was only down .55 percent.  Now, lest we become overly elated, it is always important to make sure we are comparing apples with apples. As we looked at that report more closely, we noted that last year, three large churches were still outstanding when we closed our remittances for the month, whereas this year those churches were in on time,”

He further explained that “if you adjust the percentage as if those churches had been in on time last year, our base tithe would be down by around 2.00 percent as opposed to .55 percent. Still, with that adjustment, we have improved by almost 2.00 percent when compared to RMC’s June report.”

Commenting on the report, Ed Barnett, RMC president, said, “I praise God for what He is doing and the faithful stewardship of our members.” Crumley echoed his words, “We very much appreciate the faithful support of each of you in returning your tithes and offerings. Not only do these gifts support the Rocky Mountain Conference, but also your local church. Additionally, because of the sharing of our tithes within the Adventist Church structure, it advances ministry throughout the world.” He expressed hope that “we can continue to have funding to advance the gospel even in these difficult times. May the Lord continue to bless each of you in the days ahead.”

Barnett reported that though “GVR was unable to conduct summer camps, 16 young people worked this summer doing projects around the camp. They also provided services for small groups using the camp facilities.”

Referring to the effect of COVID -19, he expressed “great appreciation for the challenges met by pastors, teachers and principals during this time. They need our continued support and prayers.”

Addressing the situation of churches under pandemic restrictions, Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration, commented “that primary importance should still be placed on social distancing, cleaning churches properly, and cooperating with the mask mandates by the state of Colorado and New Mexico.”

In reference to pending Town Hall meetings currently under the COVID-19 restrictions, Barnett explained the process that will be used to “meet with the RMC church members, [though] it will not be possible to conduct area meetings” as before. “Yet we wish to comply with the requirement for annual events by receiving input and sharing reports with our conference membership.”

The plan includes recording a video presentation of the officer reports followed by addressing questions submitted by members. The video will be posted on the conference website on October 9 and may be viewed individually or shown in church meetings. Church members are encouraged to send their questions for administration to them by September 1.

The meeting of the Executive Committee concluded with a report by Lonnie Hetterle, RMC education superintendent, who shared an education update from around the Conference. He expressed appreciation for Cathy Kissner, RMC coordinator of community services and disaster relief, who obtained masks for churches and schools as well as hand sanitizer.

For the current academic year, 18 new teachers were employed within RMC, representing many school positions around the conference. For the majority of schools in our conference, Hetterle said most schools had a small drop in enrollments compared with the previous year. “Most [schools] were worried there would be a huge drop in enrollment. There was not,” he commented. Don Reeder, Campion Adventist Academy principal reported that Campion’s opening enrollment was 143 with the potential for more students to join the Academy.

–RMCNews

20 Aug

Community outreach brings new students to Adventist school in Grand Junction

By Jon Roberts — Grand Junction, Colorado … Community outreach is at the center of the education experience at Intermountain Adventist Academy (IAA) in Grand Junction, Colorado as it opens for the new academic year.

Adventist education has a strong presence among the community in Grand Junction. Classes at Intermountain Adventist Academy began on August 12 with 32 students enrolled, including five community children. The five families had a specific reason to send their children to IAA.

IAA head teacher Joel Reyes explained, “We have two (families) that are coming from public school. For them, when (education went) via zoom last year, in their opinion, the public-school system was a disaster for basic education. They were pretty impressed with what we did and how we handled it. They are afraid (of the results of another lockdown) and they would rather be with us.”

Outreach opportunities exists for pupils of IAA.

“There’s a Catholic community service here that has an outreach program for the homeless. They have daily lunches, and free laundromats for them. We’ve volunteered in the past with them.  The Catholics are wonderful,” Reyes added.

While the current pandemic has made volunteer opportunities nonexistent, hope exists that the school will once again be able to give back to the community.

“I’m trying to work something (with) the local Parks Department because I want to find something outdoors where student can distance,” Reyes said.

Educators are facing unique challenges in teaching while a pandemic ravishes the nation.

“It’s hard to stay apart. It’s hard to listen to kids read from six feet away even though they’re trying not to talk too loud,” Jami Simpson, 2nd – 4th grade teacher said. “The masks. We try, but they don’t always (stay on). I do wear mine. They don’t last that long on the kids.”

Temperature checks are performed on students each morning, and those students who wish to attend without wearing a mask are kept away from the others.

With 17 students in 5th – 8th grade, IAA moved the classroom to the fellowship hall of the Grand Junction Church while the gym was being retrofitted with audio absorption boards to maintain social distancing. Having a classroom in the church brings its own unique challenges, including moving all the desks and teaching materials against the wall after school on Friday and arriving early on Monday to re-assemble the classroom.

–Jon Roberts is communication/media assistant for the Rocky Mountain Conference; photos by Rajmund Dabrowski

**To view a video of the first day of class for IAA please click here

Pictured is Joel Reyes
20 Aug

AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER AT GVR

By Jessyka Dooley – Ward, Colorado…You might find yourself wondering, “What does a summer camp do without kids all summer?'”

Although Glacier View Ranch was not filled with the energy and excitement that flows from our campers and staff, GVR had the incredible opportunity to hire 16 young adults as summer camp staff and two youth volunteers.

Throughout the summer dreams for GVR, that had seemed so far off, became reality. Pump Tracks were built, the camp store renovated, activities developed, and worship resources created thanks to an incredible team who sees and believes in the vision of GVR.

Check out our summer recap video to see these projects in action and hear from our team! (https://vimeo.com/449353138)

–Jessyka Dooley is Rocky Mountain Conference assistant Youth Director; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

20 Aug

STUDENTS ARE WELCOMED BACK TO MILE HIGH ACADEMY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

By Karrie Meyers –Highlands Ranch, Colorado… Mile High Academy opened the 2020-2021 school year on August 17 by welcoming 198 students back to the campus for in-person education.

“We appreciate the support from the Mile High Academy community as we reopen our doors to in-classroom learning for the 2020-2021 school year,” Brenda Rodie, vice principal of Operations, Admissions and Records said. “It’s good having the classrooms filled with student voices. While this is a journey that could change at any moment, we are thankful to have our family together again.”

Registration was held online and MHA hosted its first virtual back-to-school night, where parents and students “met” their teacher(s) through Zoom sessions and toured their classrooms online.

Campus was closed to families for the traditional first-day-of-school activities. MHA’s prayer walk has been a highlight for parents and students to start the year in prayer. This year’s prayer walk was confined to classrooms and teachers prayed together and a meet-the-staff video played in the classroom.

Many exciting changes have been put in place to address the challenges social distancing brings. Changes include wearing masks in the buildings, social distancing in classrooms, and temperature checks. Wristbands are worn to show the student has passed the drop-off screening process. Other changes include students separated into grade-level cohorts, with lunch and recess staggered in zones around campus to allow for social distancing; plexiglass installed in areas where social distancing isn’t an option; and the flow of traffic in stairways and hallways rerouted to limit unnecessary exposure.

When asked how the new procedures are affecting the classroom, Christiana Hernández MHA middle school teacher said, “The hardest challenge so far is talking with a face covering. I miss seeing all the smiling faces.”

“I’m very thankful to be at school with the students and seeing their eyes sparkle with happiness. We have an amazing family of students who aren’t complaining about all the new policies. The Lord has blessed me by allowing me the privilege to serve at a time such as this,” Hernandez added.

A cleaning service is sanitizing restrooms, sink stations, and other high-traffic areas during school hours. Dismissal of students is done safely, with parents staying in vehicles while students stay in classrooms to be released when their family number is called.

Teachers are prioritizing spending as much time outdoors with their classes as possible.

Students are enjoying being back together with their friends and meeting new classmates. “I’m so glad that we’re able to be on campus,” Allyson Rasco, MHA senior said. “Even though there are changes, we will get used to them. The teachers are doing the best they can to help make this transition go smoothly for us.”

The Meet the Staff video is available for viewing on Mile High Academy’s YouTube page at https://youtu.be/V_E9eQ6Jtfk.

–Karrie Myers is Mile High Academy’s communication assistant; photos supplied

19 Aug

NAVAJOS TAKE TO THE AIR WAVES

By Alan Steele and Rajmund Dabrowski – Farmington, New Mexico … Adventist church member Kyle Boyd is sensing that God has given him a special opportunity to reach out to his fellow Navajo tribal members. “Our people are desperately searching for hope,” he says. Recently, he was able to realize his dream of sharing God’s message in a very special way.

About a year ago, he heard from members at his home church in La Vida Mission of an idea to establish a radio station to reach the Navajo Nation with God’s last-day message. He immediately volunteered and discovered that the Voice of Prophecy had produced programs in Navajo many years ago. That source, with updated scripts from long ago, forms the basis of his ministry. On August 2, his voice was heard for the first time around the huge reservation, the largest in North America, and his ministry was launched.

The original dream of Navajo church members was to acquire their own radio station. However, a plan to participate in a radio license auction scheduled earlier this year was foiled by the Federal Communication Commission when the Coronavirus epidemic hit America and the auction was postponed.

They saw the postponement, though, as a mere delay, and their strategy changed to the concept of a trial run on KTNN, the most powerful station on the reservation. Thanks to numerous private donations and a sizable contribution to the project from Adventist World Radio, the group had enough funds to buy airtime on “The Voice of the Navajo Nation.”

They had no expectations for receiving feedback from listeners after their first half-hour on the air, but four listeners called for the study course that was offered. That was three weeks ago. Three programs on, five more people asked for Bible studies.

Kyle Boyd is assisted by Michael Mace, a volunteer at La Vida Mission who was previously involved with setting up a studio. He is a nine-year French missionary veteran who has worked in Adventist broadcasting internationally. He came to La Vida Mission not knowing that he was to be involved in radio ministry. “I just applied and God’s will had to be done, right? So, now I know that there was a radio behind [God’s plan], but I didn’t know that before I came.” Michael set up the studio and serves as an engineer.

Pastor Steve Gillham, director of La Vida Mission, said, “You see we have been having this dream of winning the reservation for Christ. We just kept asking ourselves here on the front lines, “What can we do?” and we talked it up when we were around others.” They got Allen Steele’s ear, and “we talked to others involved, and in God’s providence, word came from AWR [there was] interest in a Navajo station,” he shared.

The rest is history. Programs are on the air and Bible studies are being requested. La Vida Mission has increased its outreach among the Navajos.

The early surprise response has energized the program producers in their new work of preparing radio programs and follow-up that the requests have generated. To prepare programs, three church conferences with territory in the Navajo Nation agreed to make programs possible by installing small production studios where tribal members can conveniently record their radio messages.

The Rocky Mountain Conference helped fund a studio at La Vida Mission in San Juan County, New Mexico. The Arizona Conference installed a studio at the Adventist Church in Window Rock, the national capital. The Texico Conference installed a studio at its Gallup Church in the western part of the state. Holbrook Indian School in eastern Arizona also has a studio and hopes to involve students in the programs. Thanks to a weekend of training by Allen Steele, a former AWR vice-president, a dozen volunteer program producers were ready to go into action.

Until the next opportunity arrives to acquire their own station, the trial run has convinced church members that radio ministry is the best way to reach out to the huge desert expanse of their territory that straddles three states: Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

–Allan Steele with Rajmund Dabrowski; photos by Rajmund Dabrowski and Alan Steele

Pictured is Steve Gillham

 

Holbrook studio
Photo credit: Allen Steele
19 Aug

La Vida Mission’s First Drive-In Church Service

By Dorie Panganiban – Farmington, New Mexico … For the first time since March, La Vida Mission Church welcomed, August 8, some 25 community members on to worship together again.

While New Mexico eased the restrictions on gatherings in June, the Navajo nation remained under a stay-at-home order on weekends to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

On August 6 when restrictions were eased, places of worship were allowed to resume Saturday gatherings since the lockdown was still in place from Saturday evening through Monday morning. The gatherings, however, had to be drive-in services.

La Vida staff immediately began to plan and organize the first-time-since-March event to welcome the community back to the mission. Word of the gathering began to spread around the reservation.

The staff received an early morning text message on Sabbath asking if church was still happening.  When an affirmative reply was sent back, a new message was received: “We’re coming. When I told my husband that La Vida is doing a drive-in church service, he jumped in and said, ‘We’re going’”.

As cars arrived for this unique event, their occupants were greeted by the sight of a flat-bed trailer used as a platform. With a portable sound system installed and a keyboard configured, La Vida worshipped God amidst the surrounding nature.

“I feel so blessed that I can worship with my fellow church members even if it’s just in my vehicle. I’m so happy to be able to sing again and listen to a live sermon,” a community visitor said.

When an offering appeal was made, people left their vehicles one at a time and dropped their offerings in the basket on the flat-bed trailer.

During the service, people waved their hands out car windows and honked their horns to show appreciation for once again being together to worship their Creator.

After the worship service, fellowship lunch boxes were given to attendees allowing them to fellowship together even if they couldn’t sit around the same table, but remained in their cars.

The La Vida Mission Church plans to hold drive-in services through the month of August.

When hearing how the staff talked about the August 8 Sabbath service, you could not miss an excitement in their voices about seeing their fellow faith community believers together and worshiping as a family once again.

–Dorie Panganiban, is La Vida outreach director; photos supplied.