NN May 2023 – Page 4 – Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

03 May

TEN NAVAJO BELIEVERS BAPTIZED AT LA VIDA MISSION

Dorie Panganiban – Farmington, New Mexico … For ten new Navajo believers and the La Vida Mission Seventh-day Adventist Church congregation, the April 29 Sabbath became a truly unforgettable day.

Among those who stepped into the baptismal pool were five students from La Vida Mission, three temporary staff hired for emergency needs at the Mission this year, and two Navajo community members. Six of them have attended our Native Impact Bible Prophecy Revival in Crownpoint, New Mexico, during September 2022 series. Following the meetings, they expressed a desire to prepare for baptism and continued the Bible study series given by the Mission Outreach team and La Vida staff.

But this baptismal story unfolded as unexpected things happen to test our faith and our hold on God. On that Sabbath morning, one of the candidates, traveling with his family, had three flat tires, a mother of one of the students nearly ran out of gas, and our district pastor doing the baptism sent us a message an hour before Sabbath service saying he woke up running a high fever with a sore throat. He suggested postponing it until a later time, but the candidates for baptism and their families were coming from different places in the community and were already on their way.

Postponing it this late did not seem to be a good option. We had to try finding a pastor to baptize the candidates. The next chapter of this story unfolded with calling three other area pastors. But, with little time and short notice, none could be available. We prayed. I believe that the Lord impressed VJ, the church outreach director, that his father, Pastor Polly Panganiban, could do it being an ordained pastor. He asked him, but there was an issue to tackle.

Pastor Panganiban hasn’t baptized in La Vida since 2017 due to his physical disability. Seeing the great need, however, he was compelled and consented to do it. But he knew that he wouldn’t be able to lift the people back up from the water with his condition. A plan came together were VJ, his son, would join his father in the pool and assist him lifting the candidates. This plan was presented to our district pastor, and he was agreeable.

Pastor Polly said he was praying the whole time for God to give him strength during the baptisms, and the Lord worked everything out. It was very quiet, very solemn in the sanctuary during the baptism ceremony. The congregation prayed for both the candidates and Pastor Panganiban and were in tears seeing him do this with his son.

A La Vida staff member, who started attending our church 10 years ago and was baptized, said, “I was praying for Pastor Polly and also saying in my heart, dip me again in the water.” A Navajo woman that was also baptized said, “I had really wanted Pastor Polly to baptize me, and God granted my wish.” It all worked out well.

—Dorie Panganiban is the La Vida Mission office manager. Photos supplied.

02 May

ROCKY MOUNTAIN VEGGIE MEAT HAS A NEW OWNER

Trina Folkenberg – Franktown, Colorado … Since January 2020, Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat (RMVM)* has been providing meatless products after the closure of the Adventist Book Center (ABC) from the Rocky Mountain Conference office in Denver.

With Erin Houghton relocating, the ownership of RMVM has changed and the new owner, Trina Folkenberg, informs that orders are accepted at http://rmveggiemeat.com, (720) 257-9037, or [email protected]. She said that every effort has been made to make the ownership transition seamless for customers.

“As the product line expands, please let us know what items you’d like to see added to your future orders,” Folkenberg requests.

“Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat is proud to have the opportunity to continue providing the community with a variety of delicious vegetarian and vegan food,” says Folkenberg.

Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat carries 69 different products, many that will be familiar to the ABC customer, plus additional products carried by Sunbelt Natural Food. Two drop-off sites at the Conference Office and Mile High Academy will continue to be used.

—Submitted by Trina Folkenberg.

* Rocky Mountain Veggie Meat is an independent service not endorsed by, directly affiliated with, maintained, authorized, or sponsored by Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

01 May

MESSAGE OF HOPE LEADS TO THREE BAPTISMS AT MONTROSE SPANISH CHURCH

Dennis Magaña – Montrose, Colorado … “Marcas De Esperanza” (Marks of Hope) was the theme for an evangelistic outreach series presented by Elder Francisco Flores, from Montemorelos, Mexico, at the Montrose Spanish Adventist Church’ April 15-22.

Using well known biblical characters, Flores presented on and showed Jesus as our only hope. He challenged not only those visiting but church members as well to have a real relationship with Jesus.

Each night was filled with song, giving of gifts to visitors, and a small snack to socialize and get to know our visiting friends better.

On Friday night, the church received the amazing news that one soul wanted to profess her love of Jesus by getting baptized. Plans were made to have the baptismal service at the Montrose English Adventist Church Sabbath afternoon. When the congregation arrived for the baptismal service, two more souls requested to be baptized having heard God’s call to them. What a joy it was for the church to watch three souls entered the water and be reborn in Christ!

At the end of the baptismal service, the speaker made a call to the church to take care of these new members. He also entrusted the church to continue ministering to those visiting so that, one day soon, they could make the decision to get baptized.

Leonardo Jimenez, pastor at Montrose Spanish Adventist Church, thanked Elder Flores for his spirit-filled messages during the week and for showing everyone present that Jesus is our only hope.

—Dennis Magaña is Montrose Hispanic Adventist Church head elder. Photos supplied.

01 May

SABBATH SCHOOL LESSONS SEEN THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Rajmund Dabrowski – Boulder, Colorado … When I was growing up, I remember our Sabbath School class did not have a sophisticated approach to questions and answers. In those days, what also never changed was learning to memory a weekly verse.

These days, the value to study a designated weekly lesson has not diminished but how it is studied on a Sabbath morning has changed. There are congregations where Study Guides are simply read from the beginning of a weekly lesson to the last quote for Friday.

Gary Nowlan, who started the Contemporary Issues Class some 30 years ago, remembers the first Sabbath my wife and I came to worship in Boulder. “I remember when you joined our study group. And after hearing what your name is, I said to myself that I wanted to get to know you. My wife wrote a children’s book about the church’s first missionary to Europe, Michal Belina Czechowski, and you evaluated it,” said Gary Nowlan, an honored church member and a former head elder in Boulder.

I asked some of my fellow students why they have chosen this particular class as the choices are many. Currently, we study the “quarterly” booklet, but other classes opt for a variety of approaches to studying the Scripture.

“You come because of the people, who are very accepting. Also, because of the open discussion where everyone seems comfortable making one or more comments and no one is condemned for what they,” Gary commented.

Answering, Jackie Hayes repeated the question: Why do I attend the Contemporary Issues Sabbath school class? For her, there is more than one reason.

Referring to the focus of the class, to “explore contemporary aspects of Christian faith for the probing mind while following the topics of the Seventh-day Adventist quarterly,” she commented, “One factor is that the class seems to realize that merely a fine line separates the historical from the contemporary. Issues that have concerned followers of Jesus Christ throughout the ages are also current issues. Today’s understanding of the three angels’ messages is a nuanced understanding from the past, for example. Political and societal relationships are ever influencing our worship, regardless of the era,” Jackie explained.

She is also a longtimer. She added one other factor that keeps her a part of the class. What keeps me “in the same Sabbath School class for 20 years is the happy mix of challenge and acceptance I feel. I like that everyone in the class speaks freely and challenges my spiritual understanding often, at the same time welcoming and accepting me and each member as valuable.”

“I sense that I have grown spiritually after each class,” Jackie added. “I appreciate the opportunities we accept to put Jesus’ teachings into practice.

For Kathy King, “camaraderie and friendships in the class” is one of the reasons for being a member of the class.

Recognizing a mix of nationalities represented, “different viewpoints on thoughts that are shared in the class that stretch my brain—we have several who were born outside of the US—I love hearing these perspectives on life and God.”

She explained, “We don’t look at the quarterly and say ‘this is what all of us should believe,’ even though the quarterly editor appears to feel this is what we should do”

She considers the class a progressive thinking group, and “I like that. We also have some wit and humor in the class that is great for life.” No-doubt, but who the members are adds to its vibrancy and exciting discussion, after all, among the class members there is a geology professor, a physician, several nurses, a chaplain, a lawyer, an IT professional, as well as a minister or two.

“Our sharing time with what’s happening in life, prayer needs are great to continue to get to know each other in the class,” Kathy added.

The class offers itself to visitors, and some of them are intrigued by the very name, Contemporary Issues. The Sabbath School, part of the weekly church gathering, follows the sermon, and the regular Bible study is done in Adult Connect Groups. There is The Gathering and The Journey, and these offer themselves as “in person and Zoom” study classes. The Impact and Contemporary Issues are “In-person” only.

William Bradshaw is our latest regular class member. It was some six months ago when Alicia Patterson, pastor’s wife, met and chatted with William at Barnes & Noble bookstore. He decided to visit the church. Initially he did “class shopping” and found Contemporary class to be “his fit.”

When asked why this choice of the Connect Group, he says: “It feels right. I get a good return on my investment. I am surrounded by people who are not just wise but they love the Lord and [live] according to His purpose.”

Not a member of the Adventist Church, he participates in the discussion, but also asks questions about comments which are not “spoken in Adventese language.” He often asks: What does that mean?

Having his participation adds an important factor, a need to speak about our beliefs in a common language, says Tomas Bartulec, one of the class leaders. “Our Bible Study is vibrant and exciting to attend,” he added.

I love my class, says another regular, Betty Welch. “They are like a family for me.”

—Rajmund Dabrowski is editor of the NewsNuggets and member of the Contemporary Issues Sabbath School Class in Boulder Adventist Church. Photo by Rajmund Dabrowski.

NN May 2023 Page 4