Idaho

IDAHO CONFERENCE // NEWS

‘I WAS IN PRISON, AND YOU VISITED ME’ Grace Coneff stands in front of the South Idaho Correctional Institution, where she and her team members minister weekly to the female inmates. eridian Church members bring hope and healing to women in southern Idaho prisons.

“Our primary mission is to help them to heal and to come to know Jesus,” says Kathy Beagles Coneff, Meridian Church member. “It’s not about proselytizing but about introducing them to Jesus and about emotional and spiritual healing.”

“And Jesus is the one doing the healing,” adds Grace Coneff, Beagles Coneff’s mother-in-law. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Coneff responded to a call in 2018 by Dennis Parks of the Emmett Adventist Church for more volunteers in southern Idaho prisons. She was joined by Mary Kay Frey of the Eagle Church and a year later by Rebecca Welter of the Meridian Church. Beagles Coneff became part of the team soon after.

AN EFFECTIVE COMBINATION

Coneff’s ministry focus is healing prayer; Beagles Coneff is a teacher. During the months they’ve been visiting women in the South Boise Women’s Correctional Center and the South Idaho Correctional Institution, both located south of Kuna, they’ve established what Beagles Coneff describes as a “good balance” with the twofold approach.

Beagles Coneff’s teaching background came to the fore, and a format slowly evolved that draws more women to the meetings and encourages their personal engagement.

“I explored different versions of Steps to Christ to use with the women, including the coloring book version. But then Becky showed me there was a Steps to Christ: Recovery Edition already in print. I’d previously been using separate 12-step handouts to show the congruence of 12-step addiction recovery and Steps to Christ,” Beagles Coneff explains.

“The coloring seemed to be a Holy Spirit idea,” she adds. “Through the Adventist Book Center you can get a pad of beautiful coloring pages called ‘Colors of Inspiration,’ with an Ellen White quote on each one. The women just tear off a page they choose and color it while we read aloud from Steps to Christ. It has worked beautifully. … The coloring has really upped the attendance.”

Besides Coneff’s individualized prayers for emotional healing, the women also write their names on an index card along with issues they would like the team to pray for that week.

“When they write their prayer requests, they sometimes pour out their hearts a little more deeply than when they share verbally,” Beagles Coneff says.

VARIED BACKGROUNDS

About 10 to 20 women, with an average age of 30, attend the hour-and-a-half weekly meetings at each prison. About half of them, Coneff says, are “very churched” and grew up attending services every Sunday; others have little knowledge of the Bible.

“They come from every type of background, but they’re so loveable,” Beagles Coneff says. “They’re just like a bunch of girls in the dorm.”

“They’re just happy that we come and that they can be with Christian women who love them,” Coneff says. “And God can do what He wants to with that. He’s the One who knows their hearts.”

For more information, you can contact Grace.Coneff@gmail.com. Sandra Blackmer, Meridian Church communication leader M

KATHY BEAGLES CONEFF

Read more online at glnr.in/115-3-id_prison

IDAHO CONFERENCE // NEWS

IDAHO CONFERENCE 2020 CAMP MEETING his year, we had a camp meeting theme illustration contest among our youth. We asked them to graphically illustrate “Longing for Home!” Six students participated in sending seven entries. First place went to Sierra Davis, senior at Gem State Adventist Academy. She also took third place. Second place went to Ivy Baltazar, GSAA freshman. Prizes were awarded: $50 for first place, $25 for second place and $15 for third place.

The Victory Choir, a youth choir of Adventist refugees from Rwanda based at the Oasis Adventist Church in Boise will provide our Sabbath afternoon concert.

Currently, camp meeting is on the campus of GSAA, June 9–13. We are continuing our plans for camp meeting. Please watch our website IdahoAdventist.org and Facebook page @IdahoCampMeeting for updates. If circumstances require us to cancel, we plan to make that decision by May 4, 2020. Contact us at 208-375- 7524 or idconf@idconf.org. Eve Rusk, Idaho Conference communication director The winning Idaho Conference camp meeting theme illustration was entered by Sierra Davis, senior student at Gem State Adventist Academy. Sammy Schnell designed the text. Sierra Davis won first and third place in the theme illustration contest. T

SIERRA DAVIS/SAMMY SCHNELL

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Abel Pacheco, president of the Salvadoran Union, is the speaker for the Spanish language meetings each evening and on Sabbath. Beverly Sedlacek is the speaker for the health seminar. Dale Galusha, Pacific Press Publishing Association president, is one of the seminar speakers. Grant Agadjanian is speaking for the weekday morning worship and presenting a seminar on praying for children. The evening and Sabbath morning speaker is Hyveth Williams, Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary professor of homiletics and Doctor of Ministry program director. Jim Kilmer is the weekday worship and seminar speaker on the Holy Spirit.