By Lonnie Hetterle

“It takes a village” is a phrase we’ve all heard suggesting that one parent, one family, one teacher, one pastor, one whatever can’t do it all. Its application to raising and educating our children is apropos. We need everyone working together to ensure that each of our children receives the love, the direction, the instruction that he or she needs. This has never been truer than it is today. The ready availability of all types of perversion, ugliness, and deceit assails our children on every side.

Now empty nesters, my wife and I can tell you how quickly those childhood years fly by. If there is one thing, I would like to impress on today’s young parents from my own sometimes hard-knock experience, it would be to relish every day with your child and make certain they are surrounded by the very best environment possible.

According to North American Division (NAD) president Dan Jackson, speaking at the 2019 year-end meetings, “You cannot separate education from the work of the church. [Some of our] best evangelists are often teachers.” More baptisms, he explained, come as a result of Adventist schools than evangelistic meetings. It is part of who we are genetically and spiritually. You cannot separate education from the work of the church. “If you kill the educational program (you) will kill the church,” Jackson stated, emphasizing the tremendous importance of Adventist education in the lives of our young.

Operating our schools, however, is a challenge. The financial part is always a stretch, but our biggest concern is the spiritual welfare of each child in our schools. I believe the devil works harder on our young people than on any other demographic in the church. That’s why it takes a village. That’s why we need to make sure caring, committed, and dedicated adults surround our young. Where else but in our own Seventh-day Adventist schools can our children find this? Where else can they be daily encouraged and instructed? It is in the sacredness of our classrooms that the Plan of Salvation can be fully explored and where the youth can make sense of a world of chaos and confusion as they shine the light of the Great Controversy on the moral decay they see. It is in this environment that each student can be loved, encouraged, disciplined, and guided toward productive adulthood and become a candidate for eternity.

While teachers and principals pour their heart and soul into the teaching of our children, administrators are left with the challenge of ensuring financial stability for our schools. The cost to educate a young person is never fully paid by tuition. If that were the case, our schools would become exclusive, an occurrence that flies in the face of our basic philosophy. Our synergistic efforts can accomplish things that are impossible individually.

Here is our challenge: The Rocky Mountain Conference has 116 organized churches of which approximately 27 are officially constituent churches for our schools, contributing to the support of their schools. That leaves 89 churches with no official involvement in providing Adventist learning for our children. Many of these churches are small, facing their own financial challenges. I must mention that several small churches contribute occasionally to Adventist education, for which we are grateful.

If each church or family would regularly do their part in supporting the education of our kids, they could make the difference in a child being able to attend our schools and grow into a future leader rather than being excluded from the influences of a Christian education. “There is no ministry more important than the education of our children,” states Ed Barnett, RMC president. I am proud of the work going on in the RMC schools.” Adventist education is a vital element of the church and one very worthy of our time, energy, and money.

If you don’t have a school near you, choose one near you or designate your help to either Campion Academy (our boarding school) or Mile High Academy (our only K-12 school) or another school of your choosing. Rocky Mountain Conference is currently faced with the challenge of raising just under one million dollars for worthy student funds. The funds you sacrificially give will be used carefully and responsibly, and your generosity can make a real difference in the life of a child. Thank you for including Adventist education in your giving plan.

–Lonnie Hetterle is RMC education superintendent. Email him at: [email protected]