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07 Nov

Mile High Academy Teams Up With Project Linus

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Denver, Colorado… The Mile High Academy Lower School (LS) has partnered with the Denver chapter of Project Linus. Project Linus is a non-profit that teams with organizations across the United States to provide new, handmade blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, in hospitals or may have other needs.

As part of the CHERISH Core Values Program, LS students worked in groups of various grade levels and began making more than 17 no-sew fleece blankets. Students prayed over each blanket, asking that God’s blessings and love reaches the child who will receive it. Some students used their own money to purchase fabric and make more blankets at home.

“Each month, our Lower School students engage in an on-campus service project that serves local and global communities. Our students are recognizing the value of looking beyond self and to a world in need,” said Denae Yuros, MHA fourth grade teacher.

“Forming this partnership with Project Linus lines up with Mile High Academy’s CHERISH Core Values, and we are very excited about this ministry,” she added.

Plans are to continue making blankets through the school year.

—Denae Yuros, with Karrie Meyers; photo supplied

07 Nov

Church Mission Tops Pastoral Evaluation Process in RMC

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Denver, Colorado… During the last quarter of each year, pastors from the Rocky Mountain Conference participate in an evaluation process. Led by Ed Barnett, RMC president, and, Mickey Mallory, RMC ministerial director, the purpose of the evaluation process is to provide valuable feedback for the conference and the local pastor. Each evaluation includes such areas as, a Weekly Attendance Chart; baptisms/profession of faith chart, tithe and offerings chart, as well as plans for evangelism/and church growth.

Prior to the evaluation itself, a survey is mailed out to all of the pastors and local church board leaders in order to gather relevant information. The survey includes questions about the pastors themselves, their church, and about how they feel about the support of RMC.  The results of this survey are collated in a notebook and then shared with each pastor.

“A typical evaluation will last about an hour, and most of the meetings take place at the RMC office,” Mallory explains. “For pastors who live a longer distance from Denver, their evaluations take place at the Colorado Springs Central Church and the Grand Junction Church in Colorado and the Casper Church in Wyoming,” he adds.

Mallory says that, “probably the biggest benefit gained from the annual evaluation process is that each pastor is given the opportunity to celebrate what is working and receive counsel on areas that need growth.”

“Each pastor comes with questions and issues that are featured in a conversation. My overall impression is that RMC can truly be proud of our ministerial family. We learn how their families are faring and we look at challenges each of them is facing. WE need to uphold our ministers and their families in our prayers,” comments Ed Barnett.

“It is important for our Denver team to learn how we can best serve the needs of the field. We are richer by knowing how to boost our mission in our vast territory and the Adventist family of 18,000,” he added.

–RMCNews with Mickey Mallory; photos by Mickey Mallory

07 Nov

Campion Academy Week of Prayer Challenges Students “To Give Something Up”

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Loveland, Colorado… A Campion Academy week of prayer is always special. The 2019 program of the week was no different. It featured Benji Maxson, a former chaplain at Campion, who is currently pastoring in California, was the speaker for the week, October 28-November 1.

Commenting on the experience, Ireland Anthony reflected, that “this week of prayer was amazing. At first, I did not want to go, but the first time I heard the speaker, it made me want to stay for the entire week. I wasn’t at the best state with God at the moment, but when I was listening I could feel God’s presence surrounding the space.”

Maxson started off the first night with a relatable story about one of his first experiences as a pastor and how we all have different testimonies of how God has worked in our lives. Maxson held the student’s attention with his unique sense of humor. Student chaplains Madi Jordan and Nolan Eickmann also introduced the idea of giving up something for the week. Some chose to restrain from using social media or listening to secular music and were encouraged to use the extra time to commune with God through prayer and reading the Bible.

Each week of prayer comes with a theme song. This week of prayer’s song was “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong. The song had an overall theme of believing in who you are in the eyes of God. This theme was also carried on into the talks given by Maxson. Each night Maxson introduced a new story in the book of Mark and told an entertaining personal story to go along with it.

Being at Campion again, Maxson related to many of the events on campus and had many stories to tell. Kendra Eickmann shared, “I liked how the speaker kept everyone’s attention by telling funny stories. The speaker was also able to connect his stories to life lessons taught by Jesus.”

The end of the week of prayer was closed with Vespers Deluxe, which is a special monthly Friday evening worship that is open to the community and includes an afterglow of doughnuts and praise time.

The year’s week had a very strong spiritual impact on the students. At the end of the last talk, Maxson made an altar call for students to accept Christ for the first time or rededicate their lives to Christ and more than half the student body went up forward.

—Megan Michalenko, Student Editor, This Week at Campion; photos supplied

07 Nov

Greeley Church and School Honor Educator and Pastor Ralph Darrough

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Greeley, Colorado… How do you serve God? The answer: one day and one person at a time. Ralph Darrough was honored on Sabbath, October 26 at the Greeley Adventist Church for living his life this very way – every day. Ralph was honored for his many years of service to his country and to his church. A medic in the Korean War, he later served in several Conferences as a pastor and educator, and most recently as treasurer for Adventist Christian School.

During a church service Ralph Darrough was honored by two principals, Jerry Groeneweg and Jodi Aako, who have worked with Mr. Darrough, as well as by aformer student and later a pastor Rex Bell. ACS Board chair, Dr. Jerry Powell, Greeley church pastor, Jason Logan, and RMC Superintendent Lonnie Hetterle also paid tribute to Darrough and presented him a commemorative plaque at the end of the service. The Adventist Christian School gymnasium was also renamed the “Ralph Darrough Auditorium.”

“Many lives have been touched by Ralph and his wife Lois Waters,” reported Jerry Powell from the Greeley church. It was “selfless dedication to God and country,” that stood out in many years of serving the church.

—Jerry Powell, text and photos

07 Nov

2019 NAD Year-End Meeting News

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Columbia, Maryland… The Year-End Meetings of the North-American Division, which started on October 31, ended on November 5. News coverage of the reports, discusions, and worship presentations are available at https://www.nadadventist.org/news. The NAD delegates voted new leaders – Bonita Shields as NAD General VP for Church Ministries following a retirement of Debra Brill. Michael Harpe from South Central States Conference was voted-in as stewardship director, which was Bonita’s position. Judy Glass, CFO of AdventSource was voted as new NAD under treasurer, replacing Mike Jamison who also retired.

 

07 Nov

Rival Academies Cheer for Each Other at Union Tournament

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Lincoln, Nebraska… Campion Academy and Mile High Academy are long-standing sports rivals, but at the recent Union College soccer and volleyball tournament, they decided to support each other’s teams.

Before the tournament, Campion volleyball coach Kelsey Cate encouraged her team to cheer on their sister school when they could. Ashley Halvorson, a senior volleyball player at Campion, then made a sign that read “Colorado Proud” so that the volleyball team could cheer on Mile High when they didn’t have a game. This led to both schools showing up to each other’s games to hold up the sign to cheer each other on and give high fives and hugs after the game.

Delanie Kamarad, a senior captain on the Campion volleyball team, reflected, “It felt empowering to cheer on Mile High. Not only did it make us feel good about ourselves, but I think that people on their team paid attention. One of the moms of the players came up to us afterwards and said, ‘Thank you so much. We really appreciate you guys and this means a lot to us.’”

Diane Harris, RMC associate superintendent of education, and a parent of a Mile High volleyball player, commented, that “our MHA girls were disappointed when they lost to Forest Lake and the CA girls were quick to encourage and pray with the team when the game was over. Also, the CA boy’s soccer team were our cheerleaders since both MHA soccer and volleyball teams were scheduled at the same time. They were louder and more positive than any other school!  Everyone played so well and I was proud of the character and CHERISH team spirit I saw in both our schools.”

—Ashley Herber, Student Editor at Campion Academy; photos by Union College (sign) and Diane Harris

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