OUTLOOK - June 2023

Practical Lessons of Grace

culture ofGenerosity

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OUTLOOK (ISSN 0887-977X) June 2023, Volume 44, Number 6. OUTLOOK is published monthly (10 months per year) by the Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 8307 Pine Lake Road, Lincoln, NE 68516. Printed at Pacific Press Publishing Association, Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE and additional offices. USPS number 006-245. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. Free for Mid-America church members and $12 per year for subscribers. ©2023 Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Unless otherwise credited, all images are iStock. Adventist® and Seventh-day Adventist® are registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

CONTACT us by email: info@maucsda.org or phone: 402.484.3000

“Giving to God provides your heart an opportunity to open up and start processing life in a spiritual manner.” —p. 9

ONLINE

A GENEROSITY RESET

As Adventist Christians, our giving has changed in recent years…because the world has changed. Post-pandemic, we have a variety of new methods and habits of giving. There are now over 1.5 million non-profits in the U.S. and the number is growing every year.

MID-AMERICA UNION CONFERENCE

President Gary Thurber

Secretary

Hubert J. Morel Jr. Treasurer

David VandeVere

Church Ministries

Tyrone Douglas

Communication

Brenda Dickerson

Education

LouAnn Howard

Hispanic Ministries

Roberto Correa

Human Resources

Raylene Jones

Ministerial

Craig Carr

Religious Liberty

Darrel Huenergardt

Women’s Ministries

Nancy Buxton

midamericaadventist.org

OUTLOOK STAFF

What Is the Role of a Church Treasurer? www.outlookmag.org/churchtreasurer-role

People today have many choices in regard to their stewardship of the property God has entrusted to them. So in our churches we must be intentional in our efforts to create a culture of generosity. We need to inspire and share a vision that invites everyone to participate in something bigger than themselves—a cause worthy of supporting.

In addition, giving has to be easy: for example, onestep online giving. And also collaborative, with project input from a variety of sources. “Personal” trumps “institutional.”

Editor: Brenda Dickerson

Managing Editor: Barb Engquist

Digital Media Manager: Hugh Davis outlookmag.org

DESIGN

Exploring Creative, LLC exploringcreative.com

CONFERENCE

NEWS EDITORS

Central States

Cryston Josiah josiah.c@central-states.org

913.371.1071 central-states.org

Dakota

What Can You Do with Three Dollars? www.outlookmag.org/threedollars

And, as always, we want to work with the Holy Spirit as we wait to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

ON THE COVER

Jodi Dossenko j.dossenko@gmail.com 701.751.6177 dakotaadventist.org

Iowa-Missouri communication@imsda.org 515.223.1197 imsda.org

Kansas-Nebraska

Six Ways to Encourage Members to Give www.outlookmag.org/ encourage-members-to-give

Dennis and Bastty Magaña live with their five children in Montrose, Colorado. More

Saul Dominguez sdominguez@ks-ne.org 785.478.4726 ks-ne.org

Minnesota

Savannah Carlson scarlson@mnsda.com 763.424.8923 mnsda.com

Rocky Mountain Rajmund Dabrowski rayd@rmcsda.org

303.733.3771 rmcsda.org

UNION COLLEGE

Ryan Teller ryteller@ucollege.edu

402.486.2538 ucollege.edu

BRENDA DICKERSON editor

Photo by Kasia Magaña

A Practical Lesson of

Grace

Come with me as I travel back in time. Not very far, just to 2019—pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Our lives as believers were fairly consistent and unvarying: working hard, six days a week, welcoming Sabbath on Friday evenings and then attending church with family members and friends on Sabbath morning.  Think back to that time. What was your favorite element of the worship service? Was it the challenging discussions of a Sabbath school lesson taught by an engaging teacher? Perhaps it was seeing the children have a special part in the Sabbath morning service. Maybe the time of musical praise where you were able to lift your voice with other believers in praise and gratitude to God stands out. Or it could have been a challenging sermon from God’s Word presented in a compelling manner by the preacher of the week who was used by the Holy Spirit to touch your heart.

I suspect, however, that in your thinking you would not have come up with when the offering plate was passed as a significant moment of the worship service. (Post-COVID, most giving is online.) Am I wrong on this? It may seem strange, but to me this is a highlight of the worship service, and maybe the most practical. Hang on, don’t turn the page with a shake of the head, saying, “Well, he is the union treasurer, so of course he feels that way!” Let me explain further.

The riches of God’s grace

You see, I believe tithe and offerings are all about grace. Grace? Really? Yes! Listen to what Paul writes in Eph. 2:6-9: “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Plainly, God is in the business of showing you and me the “incomparable riches of his grace,” primarily through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He so wants us to understand that we must trust in Jesus and His mercy—grace. This is how we are to be saved!

And how does He teach us? Well, one way is by spending Sabbath with Him. In so doing, we learn that by devoting 1/7 of our time (versus scratching, striving and exerting ourselves to either work for our survival or distract ourselves through entertainment seven days a week) that true rest, peace and wholeness can only be found in His presence.

I freely admit that I cannot take care of myself and my family with unceasing activity; rather I must rely on Him for a joyous and healthy existence. In the same way, by giving tithes and offerings, I learn God’s lesson of grace that He will take care of my material needs. I cannot adequately

take care of myself 100 percent, but He will take my lesser portion, and through His blessing provide me with all that I need.

How important is it to God that I learn this lesson? Listen once again to the ancient and well-known message of Mal. 3:10: “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’” says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be enough room to store it.’” Did you hear the challenge, direct from God Himself? “Test me,” He says. It’s the only place in His word where God invites me to test Him.

When I hoard 100 percent of the resources God has blessed me with, I am saying that I will depend on myself—my works—to take care of my needs. However, when I return tithes and offerings to God, I deliberately place myself in a position where I must receive His blessing for my needs to be met.

Thus, I have learned that my salvation is also dependent on grace; there are no works I can produce that will be sufficient to provide for my salvation anymore than if I retained all financial resources and tried to

adequately provide for my physical needs.

Finally, another aspect of this practice is that God trains me to live generously as a new creation and thus reflect the generosity of my Savior Christ Jesus. What a blessing and privilege this has been to me!

Experience stewardship

Let me share with you my personal experience. As I prepared to write this editorial it dawned on me that the divine lesson of grace in my stewardship of tithes and offerings had lessened over the last couple of years. As I thought about it I realized I had changed my giving process in a significant way.

During the pandemic I, along with many of you readers, took advantage of technology and began to return my offerings online. This was necessary because of pandemic-related church closures. Now church services have resumed, but my new practice of giving online remained. And, I have concluded that for myself the deep impression of God’s lesson in grace was somehow lessened when I simply contributed online when paying my regular bills.

So, I have gone back to writing a check for my tithes and offerings, and bringing it to God in person as part of my worship experience in church. (Yes, this is retrograde, and so I am not recommending, just sharing; and I do realize some might think that writing a check may not be the best environmental stewardship.)

My point? Give some prayerful thought as to how you might adjust to best experience the stewardship lesson of God’s grace.

I am not alone in finding joy in God’s grace of giving. In this issue you will be inspired by reading the stories of others who have learned through active stewardship that truly God’s grace is sufficient, not just for our daily needs but for salvation itself.

Thank you, Jesus, for your love and grace for me!

DAVE VANDEVERE is vice president for finance of

the MidAmerica Union.

Dennis Magana

Iam a fourth generation seventh day Adventist - .

I am also a pastor’s kid who went to church school all my life. Since we were old enough to talk, my two brothers and I have been involved in church work, whether it was setup and tear-down for Dad’s evangelistic crusades to holding concerts in different churches.

I was born in Belize, but I have lived in the U.S. since I was two. My wife and I are the proud parents of five kids, ages 19 all the way down to six.

There are two sets of people who had a great impact on our decision to be faithful to God. One set is my parents.They made it a point since as early as I can remember to separate their tithe first—it didn’t matter the circumstances. Then, whatever was left over was in God’s hands, and I can honestly say we never had a want. This is where I learned that God is faithful to His promises.

My dad also used to host financial seminars in different churches, and it amazes me that people still come up to me and tell me, “I remember how your dad always emphasized that God’s portion comes first. We tried it and have seen how God is faithful to His children.”

The second set of people who influenced us are my wife’s parents. They had six kids growing up in Mexico. But they have stories of always making sure God’s portion came first and how miraculously the propane gas did not give out, or how there was always food on the table and they had no unmet needs.

There have been moments when my faith has wavered; it is easy to look at rent and bills and want to use tithe money to pay these. In those moments my wife reminds me how God has been always faithful, and she encourages me to leave it in God’s hands.

It is impossible to not see how God has blessed and continues to bless our family.  With a large family there is more cost for food, clothes, shoes and more. Praise God, though, there has always been food on the table, clothes and shoes for all of us, and He even blesses us with money left over so we can take occasional vacations as a family. He has never left us alone. How can our faith not grow when we see how He takes care of us?

God says to “try Him”

In January of this year, we received news that changed our lives forever. My 39-year-old wife, Bastty, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. At the same time I had hip surgery and had to take time off work. My wife does not have insurance coverage, and we were told that her chemotherapy would be very expensive.

How not to stress as the bills continued to pile up? It is in those moments that your faith can waver, but also when you call on the Lord.

“Lord, You have asked us to be faithful to You and promised that You would provide. I am asking now that You provide.”

What can I say? One week after her diagnosis, she was approved for a program that is paying for the majority of her treatments. Also, when she was released from the hospital after staying one week, we were told she was leaving with a $0 balance. God has sent angels, disguised as normal people, to bless us, as we have not had a want or need since this ordeal started.

I am still not back to work full time and my wife continues her treatments, but we are secure in the Lord. I take comfort in Matt. 6:25-26: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

The Lord tells us to try Him. I encourage you to do so and you will see that He will open heaven’s storehouses and bless you abundantly.

Read the full story at outlookmag.org/dennis-magana

Dennis Magaña is a member of the Mostrose Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montrose, Colorado.

Ashley Schebo

northwestern Wisconsin. I grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family with my mom, dad and younger sister. I attended both public school and church school during my elementary years.

Iwas born and raised in the countryside of I would have to say that my parents definitely had an influence on me. It wasn’t easy financially, yet my parents always wanted to give back to God what was His. They showed me that staying faithful, even in the difficult times, is of utmost importance.

During high school I remained at the local public school but ended up at Union College for undergraduate studies. There I chose to study education, worked in South Korea as a teacher for a few years after graduating, and now have been teaching at a Seventh-day Adventist school in Iowa for the past six years.

God show’s His faithfulness

God has shown Himself trustworthy in countless ways throughout my life thus far. College definitely is a hard time financially for many people. But I still found it to be important that I paid tithe on whatever small income I might have during a month.

I remember one instance during my senior year. My roommate and I were living off campus in a tiny apartment. Pay day came around the same time that bill payments were due. So all the bills and my tithes were paid, and then the rest of the month I would need to be able to make it on whatever I had left in my bank account until the next month’s payday. For some reason, this month I had only $20 left in my account. During that month, I would still have to pay for gas, food and any other needs that arose.

So, I decided to pray. Very hard. My younger sister and I were planning to drive to Colorado that month to visit my aunt and uncle over Thanksgiving. But that didn’t look like it was going to be able to happen, according to my bank account.

One day, when I checked the mail there was a letter from my aunt, the same one we were going to visit. Inside the envelope was a card. When I opened the card, out slipped a check! It was enough money to get us to Colorado and back, plus some extra to help me make it through the rest of the month’s expenses!

In the card, my aunt wrote that she had just felt like she needed to send me this check for some reason, even though she knew it would be more than what we needed to pay for gas to get to Colorado. I was amazed!

What made it even more amazing to me was that my aunt is an atheist, yet I believe God gave her that nudge. Not only does God show us His faithfulness, He can even show it to us through those who deny His existence. Great is Thy faithfulness ...

Courtesy Ashley Schebo

Ashley Schebo teaches grades 2-4 at Andrews Christian Academy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Greg Boyko

m

I47 years old I was born in North Dakota ' .

and spent my early childhood here, growing up in the Adventist Church.

When I was in the fourth grade my parents moved us to Southern California, where I graduated from Mesa Grande Academy and attended La Sierra University for two years. Then I transferred to Andrews University, where I graduated with a bachelor’s in computer science.

While I was in college, my family had moved back to North Dakota so my parents could be closer to their parents and family. After college I moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where I met my wife, Gretchen, and we have resided here ever since.

My growth as a Christian has had many seasons, and I’m still growing. I was baptized at age 18, but I came to truly know and understand Jesus and His love for me at age 23, when I had a “born again” experience while reading through the New Testament (particularly the Gospels) one night into the wee hours of the morning, trying to figure out my own beliefs— rather than my parents’ or church’s beliefs. Since then, I have been an active member of the Fargo Adventist Church.

My parents were by far the most influential people in my life regarding decisions related to tithes and offerings—particularly my mother. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was a child, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I can still remember the emphasis Mom placed on returning tithes each month, and how both she and Dad would make sure we kids would always have a dime or a quarter to put in the offering plate on Sabbath morning.

Giving was always just a part of our lives growing up. I have taken these childhood lessons, expanded on them in adulthood, and have made giving and stewardship a part of who I am.

Giving: an inoculation against pride

Stewardship has become an important part of my holistic view of Christianity. God has placed us on this earth for a few short years and has given each of us a few resources to manage while we are here. But in the grand scheme of eternity and of a God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” our meager time and resources here on earth are meaningless if we’re not devoted to God.

God has given us the blessing of giving to help keep us humble and unselfish. It’s like an inoculation against selfishness and pride. The act of giving has helped me learn to place God first. And in doing so, my relationship with Him is more rewarding and more fulfilling; I in turn experience the blessings that come from blessing others.

The Bible story about giving that comes to mind first for me is that of the rich young ruler found in Mark 10. What I take from that story is not that God requires all of us to sell all our possessions and give everything to the poor. Rather, God requires us to place Him first.

There can’t be anything in our lives more important than God. But the good news is that there is nothing more important to God than us. He will never fail to provide for us and take care of us. And He loves us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus, to make a way for us to live with Him forever.

Jesus said, “... no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:29-31).

We give because God asks us to follow Him completely. He wants to be our Immanuel—God with us—forever. We depend on God wholly, and He provides for us and blesses us in this age, even with our present persecutions, and in the age to come.

Greg Boyko is an active member of the Fargo Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Dakota.

Courtesy Greg Boyko

Toni Horton

you’re not there they miss you.

I presently serve as the head elder and the assistant treasurer under our esteemed Elder Ben Steele, who is a force to be reckoned with as far as treasurers. He’s top shelf, and he’s training me a lot in that regard.

We’re in a good direction on budget and finance with Pastor Keith Hackle’s leadership, and that’s something needed in all our churches. It really is. God gave us the direction within His Word, the key importance of faithful stewardship; and that does not only relate to our personal return of tithes and offerings—our personal consideration of time and talents and treasure and temple—but it also relates to how we operate and lead and guide His church.

Holistic faithfulness

When I started living my life as an adult, I learned quickly that whatever stations in life are attained, and whatever assets are accumulated, they can easily go.

Whatever job position I had, I could lose it. And I lost a job at one juncture. It was devastating. Yet during the period that I wasn’t working, I never missed a bill. The lights stayed on, I had plenty of food, I was still able to do all that I needed to do. People would tell me, “I didn’t know you’d lost your job.” Then He blessed me with an even better position.

Adventist all my life. I was raised mostly in St. Louis, by Christian, God-fearing parents. I graduated from Oakwood Academy then I returned home and finished at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. I fell in love, married and had a wonderful daughter who has blessed us with a fabulous granddaughter.

My mom passed away while I was in academy, and after that one of the roles my dad held besides pastor was serving as the stewardship director for Central States Conference. Being a daddy’s girl, when I had opportunity I would travel to the different churches and listen to his stewardship lessons. I would hear the stories and see how he lived his life.

I’m a testimony to the promise in the Bible to raise the child up in the way they should go and even if they drift far off, the principles in their minds will bring them back. I’m so glad I was able to come back while my dad was still living, because he was faithful in every way.

Around the year 2000, I became active in church as an adult in the Agape Adventist Church here in University City, Missouri, where I live. And that church has been wonderful to me. I love the folks and they have loved me back all these years. And they’ve loved my family through the years. I’m very happy to be here. Agape is a smaller church family, and if

My commitment to stewardship helps grow my relationship with God because I recognize that He is the author of blessings in absolutely everything, including jobs and knowledge and life experiences. Giving to God provides your heart an opportunity to open up and start processing life in a spiritual manner versus a carnal manner.

And I’m learning more and more that my faithfulness covers not just me, it also covers my loved ones—even those who may not be faithful. When God brings out benefits, it’s hitting all around me, even to those who have not come to the place in relationship with Christ that they should. That’s beautiful, and a big encouragement to parents and grandparents about the long-reaching impact of the power of praying parents.

It hasn’t always been blessings, blessings, blessings. I’ve had my struggles and losses. But it’s all to shape us and transform us into obedience and love—not obedience to check the box, not obedience to try to get the tasks accomplished, but obedience to open our eyes, our hearts and our minds to what God is doing for us each and every day and to get in a place of appreciation and love.

Read the full story at outlookmag.org/toni-horton

Toni Horton is assistant treasurer and head elder at the Agape Seventh-day Adventist Church in Missouri.

Courtesy Toni Horton

Ive been blessed from birth I ve been an ' . '

Can You Hear Me Now? Relationship CPR #4

it’s funny how some ad campaigns

can remain in the public consciousness for years after they stopped airing. You might remember the commercial for a cell company in which a man repeatedly asked, “Can you hear me now?” That’s also a question we might ask of our friends, relatives, co-workers and church members from time to time.

Communication, as you have likely discovered, can be mighty challenging. While there are several possible explanations for this shared experience, I propose one of the main ones must be our inability or unwillingness to fully listen to others.

Many people confuse listening with hearing and assume they are identical. Trust me; they are not. Hearing requires little or no effort, while effective listening requires focus and intention.

In the Covey Seven Habits of Highly Effective People course, participants learn about five listening levels. In order from least effective to most effective, they are:

• Ignoring Pretend listening Selective listening

Attentive listening Empathic listening

Ignoring likely needs little explanation. Chances are you have had the experience of speaking to someone who had their mind on something other than what you were saying. It’s not an enjoyable experience.

The same can be said for when someone pretends to listen to you but does not. It’s not much better than completely ignoring you.

Selective listening occurs when someone listens to you but only for an opportunity to key in on what interests them. For example, have you ever started telling someone about a special memory or vacation and suddenly found yourself hearing about their event or vacation? If so, you engaged with a selective listener.

Moving up the chain, we get to attentive listening, which is far better than its predecessors, but still not ideal. While an attentive listener is, by definition, paying attention to the speaker, they are doing so from their own perspective. They might ask questions for clarification, but only to satisfy their desire for information rather than learning what the speaker wishes to communicate.

This brings us to empathetic—as opposed to the all-toocommon pathetic—listening. According to dictionary.com, empathetic listening is characterized by “the psychological identification with the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of others.” So,

it’s listening not only to understand the words of the other but also their feelings and what it means to them—not to you.

If you think of people you admire and like to be around, chances are one of their qualities is that they listen empathetically. By doing so, they show a genuine interest in you and what you have to say. They fully engage in the conversation and demonstrate sincere care and concern for you. Unfortunately, empathetic listeners are few and far between. You are fortunate if you have even a handful of people in your life who will readily suspend their thinking to focus solely on you.

Effort well spent

And yet, isn’t that how we, as Christians, should be? In Phil. 2:4, we read: “Don’t look out only for your own interests but take an interest in others too.” The well-known, but not always well-practiced, verse in James 1:19 tells us that we should be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

Can you imagine how relationships could improve if people practiced these verses regularly? What impact would that have on our homes, workplaces, or churches?

So, if listening is essential for healthy relationships, why don’t we do it more often? We could look at several reasons, but this is not the place for that. However, I want to challenge you to spend some time researching effective listening—effective communication, for that matter—and then look for opportunities to practice what you learn. You may ask a friend or family member to join you in this venture.

I’ve written more about effective communication in my PLAY NICE in Your Sandbox book series. You can find them on my website or email me at ron@ronprice.com for an OUTLOOK Magazine reader discount.

In the meantime, let me emphasize again the importance of empathetic listening as a vital component of Relationship CPR. It will require some time and effort, but I guarantee you will find it to be time and effort well spent.

is the author of three books and creator of Play Nice in God’s Sandbox video series.

RON PRICE

Mid-America Executive Committee Moves Mission Forward

The MAUC Executive Committee convened at union headquarters for a regularly scheduled meeting on April 20 for the purpose of receiving reports, voting ordination recommendations and approving the union’s budget for 2023. The 33 committee members in attendance represented all six conferences in the union.

The meeting, chaired by MAUC president Gary Thurber, focused on upcoming events, membership growth, financial considerations and reports from affiliated entities.

The tone for the day was set by Dean Coridan, president of the Iowa-Missouri Conference, who shared a devotional themed on “Living in the land of impossibilities” and trusting completely in divine power to fulfill God’s covenant and finish the work He has given us.

The numbers

Thurber’s presidential report highlighted upcoming events in our territory including the MAUC Hispanic Youth Congress in July, and the ASI International

Convention scheduled for the first weekend of August in Kansas City.

Hubert J. Morel, Jr., vice president of administration for MAUC, shared that during the fourth quarter of 2022, there were 314 new members across the territory who joined by either baptism or profession of faith, bringing the union’s membership total for 2022 to 65,243. “It’s evident that there is growth, though small, in MidAmerica,” said Morel. “We give God praise for that.”

The union’s financial report for 2022 showed a strong operating gain before consideration of a special capital appropriation for which funds had been previously set aside. MAUC vice president for finance Dave VandeVere began his report by saying, “What excites me is that in God’s grace, He takes care of us as we learn to trust Him through participation in the tithing process.”

Sam Huenergardt, chair of the Auditing Committee, reported that the General Conference Auditing Service has issued an unmodified clean opinion

for Mid-America Union following their annual review. The Compensation Review Committee, chaired by Central States Conference president Roger Bernard, also reported “no irregularities.”

The mission and ministry

During her Union College report, president Vinita Sauder shared details about the three new master’s programs being launched in 2023 and 2024 (see p. 24).

The Mid-America Union continued its strong support of Union College as VandeVere presented a check for $400,000 to President Sauder. Of that amount, $50,000 is in support of new academic programs and $350,000 for the Wellness Center. “I am so thankful to the Mid-America Union for this generous donation,” said Sauder. “It will make a tremendous impact in many people’s lives. Wholeness is part of our mission. It’s part of the Adventist heritage. And we want to practice what we preach.”

Dan Enderson, currently president of the Denver Metro Group in the Rocky Mountain Region, shared a report on AdventHealth’s disaffiliation from CommonSpirit. After more than 20 years of partnership in the Denver area hospitals, the two organizations are

assuming individual control of their respective entities. “There is a lot of unwinding to be done,” said Enderson. “Working through this will give us a better path for fulfilling our mission.”

In her departmental report, MAUC director of education LouAnn Howard focused on the upcoming educators’ convention in Phoenix, Mid-America’s School Consultation VersaCare grant, the NAD Australian educational tour, and school accreditation. “It is a joy to see the vast majority of our schools receive the highest level of accreditation, which is six years with a mid-cycle visit,” Howard said.

Discussion following Howard’s report centered around the teacher shortage and potential means of teacher recruitment.

The people

As part of its agenda, the committee approved six ordination recommendations for pastors, along with one application for an intern scholarship from the Central States Conference. In addition, emeritus or honorary ministerial credentials were voted for five individuals living in MidAmerica Union territory.

“There is so much value in the members of this executive committee,” said Gary Thurber as the meeting concluded. “We thank you for helping to carry out the ministry and mission of the Adventist Church in our territory.”

The next MAUC Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2023.

Brenda Dickerson is communication director for the Mid-America Union Conference.

Hugh Davis

MAUC vice president for finance Dave VandeVere presents a check to Union College president Vinita Sauder in support of the college’s new initiatives.

Morning Mercies

God recently brought back to my memory an experience I had a few years ago during the Easter season. On that still, chilly spring morning, I was supposed to drop my car off for repairs at an early hour. Did I grumble about having to wake up extra early and miss valuable youth-renewing sleep? Absolutely! But hoo-hah—the sights, sounds, smells which I stumbled into half asleep made for one of the most beautiful mornings I had experienced in a very long time.

Early quiet

There’s just something about the “early quiet.” It’s different than the hush of nighttime because nighttime feels like the silence of the sounds which reveal life. I’m talking about the morning hush which has undertones of soundscapes speaking loud enough that if you sit still, you can hear them. You can hear the dew glistening, the sun breaking through the darkness, the air crunching as it clears the mist from the cold and dew.

The moment

As I drove off for my appointment and my eyes veered to the left, I saw it.

The sunrise! The moment I saw the sun, I literally forgot where I was, who I was, my name, and my troubles. I felt so small and insignificant I simply was captured and drowned in the awe of the artistry, the gradient colors, the blend, and the transitions of orange, yellow and gold hues which only the Master Creator and Artist God could paint.

The meaning

We all search for deeper meaning to life’s experiences. God designed us with that thirst to search, hoping that our searches would lead to Him. That morning I woke up spiritually and realized that nature is tied to the revelation of God and His Word. Ps. 30:4-5 came back to my mind. It speaks about the end of our dark seasons and the joy which morning brings.

Psalm 30:4-5 (ESV)

4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

My prayer

This was my prayer in that moment:

“God! I praise you for the lessons for my life found in nature. I have witnessed that the cold will not stay because the sun brings a counter-existence of warmth. The dew will soon release its control on the ground and dry up from the presence of the sun. The fog will not withstand the sun and will bow down to its power, splitting to reveal clear air and clear stars. Thank you, Lord, for showing me your love through nature. Amen.”

Then I had to simply stop and rest in the realization that in my own life I can have the same transformative experiences with the presence of Jesus, the Son of God. The power the sun has on nature and temperature comes from the same power source—Jesus—who can bring light into my dark days.

The night is never fully dark because of Jesus. No cold experiences can harden me, no dew can dampen my spirits, no fog can cloud my vision—absolutely nothing

the night brings can remain when He rises in my life. His resurrection on that beautiful morning is the reason why.

My gratitude

I am grateful for the morning, but even more grateful for the early morning. If we sleep through this creation miracle, we miss the chance to experience fully the immense comfort and joy our entire body feels: the release of stress, the infusion of gratitude, the running away of depression and sadness, the all-important realization that there is someone bigger than our greater defeats and darkness.

Our call to action

Jesus must live in our lives and must have total control of every season of our lives. We must veer our eyes to the bigger picture, and we must acknowledge His majesty. He rises in our lives every morning with grace, waiting to cover our days and actions with His righteousness. And when He rises, we rise with Him. Why? because His promises are true.

• He rises with healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2).

• His glory pours down on us as He rises (Isa. 60:1).

• His rising calls for us to awaken from the dead with the blessing of Christ shining on us (Eph. 5:14).

• He understands our every movement and our ups and downs (Ps. 139:2).

• He rose guaranteeing our rise from death (Matt. 28:6).

• His mercy which we crave is full every morning and never ends (Lam. 3:22-23).

• From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of

the LORD is to be praised. (Ps. 113).

• The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-23).

When we rise early in the morning, we have the gift of more of the day to bask in the beauty of our Creator. I am not always able to accomplish this goal, but I do pledge by His grace to wake up early to

The Central States

experience the transitions of my darkness to light and warmth physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and spiritually.

Latoya Hazell-Alcide is an Adventist pastor and the mother of three young adults. She has degrees in Criminal Justice and Divinity. For speaking engagements contact her at www. simplytoya.com .

Read the full article at outlookmag.org/ morning-mercies .

Conference is looking for news stories, long or short.

A journey from darkness to light My First Year Teaching

efore I stepped foot in the classroom, I had this picture of the kind of teacher I wanted to be: kind, loving, gentle, patient, student-centered and caring. However, the source from which I was deriving the ability to live this out was misplaced. I was trying to achieve it myself, so what came out in the classroom was the opposite.

As the year began in August, I overflowed with excitement and energy. Fast forward to the week before spring break, and I considered quitting at least once a day. I was living in this dark mindset. I really didn’t like my job, and I definitely didn’t love it. I was discouraged by my mistakes and failures.

I was especially tough on myself when it came to making mistakes—I was my own biggest critic. I would say to myself, It’s your first year. It’s okay to make mistakes. But I never really believed it. I never actually heard myself. Why? Because of pride.

Here’s what I mean. I grew up in a classroom. My mom and dad are both teachers. I grew up surrounded by people who affirmed my career choice. As a result, I set the expectation on myself to be the most amazing teacher, and whatever people told me I would be.

When I didn’t achieve that, I was hard on myself and my students. I started over-correcting or feeling ashamed because of the pride I was living in. I knew I had made a mistake and had to do everything possible to fix it.

The picture of perfection I had built through pride was crumbling because I made mistakes. During my first year, I wasn’t living up to the expectations I set for myself. I now lacked the confidence to be the amazing teacher I wanted to be, but I didn’t see that. I was living in complete darkness to this lie. So, to remedy this lack of confidence, boost my pride and avoid the shame that would follow my failures, I searched for validation and affirmation from parents, students and my co-worker.

I always asked for feedback from them and took all their comments to heart. I wanted to correct all of my behavior so I could meet the expectations I set for myself. But really what I was doing was acting in fear. Fear of the shame and condemnation I thought I would get from all parties involved, including myself, when I made a mistake. I wanted the persona of “the perfect teacher” to stay intact. I wanted to keep my pride intact.

I had a lie-based mindset, which led to darkness that overshadowed my job. But then the light broke through. God used my mentor to speak truth into my life and

to reveal this lie I was living.

Graciously, I was given the chance to shadow my mentor in his classroom, and what I saw was what I wanted to be. It was a picture I had built for myself from the beginning. I saw his relationship with his students, how safe they felt and how loved they were. I saw it, I felt it, and wanted it.

Right before I left, he asked me for any thoughts, comments, or questions, and I started crying.

He said, “Good. This is good.” All I could think was, Wow! I am the worst. Then he replied, “No. Really. I think what you needed to see was that the teacher I am today is not the teacher I was my first year. It’s going to take time. You’re going to learn your craft.”

At that moment I truly, deeply received that statement. I realized that pride had been telling me I had to achieve a certain expectation set by myself before I started teaching.

I no longer believe that lie. Now I am excited to be on this journey of teaching. I know God says He’s proud of me and that I am a great teacher. And I know I will become better at my craft as time goes by.

I know I have room to grow. In the classroom, I now physically notice a difference in my countenance and attitude. I went from being a teacher of harsh expectations and rigid discipline to one of love, where there’s no record of wrong or unruly expectations.

I can see that the teacher I wanted to be is naturally flowing out of me. I am growing into the kind of teacher that is loving, kind, gentle, patient, student-centered and caring. I am not doing anything special except living in a new reality, no longer under the lie of pride. I am gentle and relationship-focused. Furthermore, I am sourcing my confidence correctly; my source is God. I have surrendered to His good work in me, and it’s all because I no longer live under the lie of pride.

I love this journey I get to be on as I grow into the teacher God created me to be. I now have a mindset of encouragement, rather than discouragement, and I have been transferred from darkness into light.

Annabelle Harper teaches upper grades at Rapid City Adventist Elementary School in South Dakota.

Jodi Dossenko

Courtesy Annabelle Harper

Answering the Call to Pastoral Ministry

open arms—or should I say open doors? Open air hugs? It was 2020, right in the thick of COVID shutdowns.

If pastoring churches during 2020 taught me anything, it’s that we Christians can be a little hard to work with when under stress. I thought the people part was going to be the easier part of ministry.

whether we are easy or hard to work with.

My first few years in the ministry have been quite the ride, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Before working in the Dakotas, I had the opportunity to practice preaching during college and was then blessed to have an internship as a youth pastor for a year and a half.

While these were amazing learning opportunities, I still felt extremely nervous about entering the pastoral world. The thing that made me most nervous was visualizing how I would come up with material each week to preach! Little did I know that sermon preparation was not the type of training God had in store for me at my first district.

Open air hugs

I was hired by the Dakota Conference in July 2020 to serve in the Black Hills District alongside Pastor Darren Purdy. This district includes the Rapid City, Hermosa and Spearfish churches. Thankfully, all the churches welcomed me with

Thankfully, I had good people to work with as well as a seasoned mentor pastor. It was also nice that the conference held training for the new pastors every couple of months.

Time management became a large subject for learning. For two years, my mentor and I juggled three churches—including their services, week-day meetings, Bible studies and visitations.

It makes me see single pastors managing districts of four or more churches and realize that God can do anything through us. Somehow God gets us to where He wants us exactly when we need to be there.

Conflict was, and honestly still is, the most difficult aspect of pastoral ministry. Church conflict can be one of the most tiring facets of ministry, and it can become quickly demoralizing.

However, through long nights and many tears shed, God showed me the value of people. The beautiful truth that became real for me in those moments is that Jesus died for all of us, regardless of

Do not misunderstand me. God calls us to live lives of joy, peace and kindness, but our mission is to share that joy, peace and kindness with those who are hard to work with. This fact didn’t solve my problems or make ministry easy, but it did clarify the purpose. We are here to serve everyone

Ministry goes on

Last August, I moved to the Bismarck/DAA church district and began working with a new mentor, Pastor Vernon Herholdt. During this time, I have been able to utilize what I learned and deepen my understanding of pastoral duties, as well as the

power of an intentional visitation ministry. Conflicts will always come and go, and our day will never have enough time to get everything done, but ministry goes on.

I’m happy to have officially started my pastoral ministry here in the Dakotas, and I’m looking forward to learning so much more as I continue to see what amazing things God does through these churches!

Marveen Gentillon is associate pastor for the Bismarck/Dakota Adventist Academy church district in North Dakota.

Photos: Jodi Dossenko

(right) Pastor Marveen Gentillon speaks to a group of students at Dakota Adventist Academy Church.

(below) Pastor Marveen Gentillon preaches at the Bismarck Church.

Elementary School Festival Celebrates Music and Art

In April, exactly 100 students in grades 5-8 came from across the Iowa-Missouri Conference to Sunnydale Adventist Academy for the IowaMissouri Music Festival. The theme this year was On Eagle’s Wings and hearts were lifted high as the families and school communities gathered together to see the children use their talents to sing and play praises to the Lord.

The choral guest clinician, Lawrence Galera, came from Collegedale Academy and spent time not only practicing the songs but also helping our students understand

more about music theory and choral practices.

Joseph Choi, the music director at Sunnydale Academy, conducted the band and gave many of our students their first experience playing in a band.

Students participated in this event in other ways as well. The conference Education Department holds an art contest prior to the event that allows students to express the theme artistically. This year, Cheyenne Small from Sedalia Adventist School drew the cover art for the program and Michaela Lawrence from Hillcrest

Adventist School in St. Louis, Missouri, created the design for the T-shirts.

During the intermission of the concert, conference education superintendent Melissa Morris presented pins of service to teachers who reached milestone anniversaries. Kori Cook from Hillcrest School in St. Louis received her 10-year pin. Valerie Haveman from College Park Christian Academy received her 15-year pin, and Sandra Blackburn was presented with a pin for 35 years of service.

The Music Festival concluded with a special rendition of the song On Eagle’s

Wings in which the choir and band played together. After the dismissal, students celebrated new friendships by signing their names on their friends’ T-shirts as a keepsake of this special event.

The Iowa-Missouri Conference is grateful for the support of teachers, chaperones who helped to make this event possible, and to Sunnydale Academy administration and staff for opening their doors to our elementary students.

Melissa Morris is education superintendent for the IowaMissouri Conference.

Photos Courtesy Iowa-Missouri Conference

How I Saw Jesus in India

My name is Jinelle Gallen. I am a senior at Sunnydale Adventist Academy, and in March of this year I had the opportunity to travel to India on a mission trip. We were there 15 days, and 10 of those days we held meetings in the small communities of West Bengal, near Kolkata. Our mission was to spread the word of Christ and introduce our villages to Jesus. But what I really want to tell you about is how I saw Jesus while I was in India.

Nature is the biggest evidence of God, and it is a testament to His love. Every morning my friends and I sat and watched the sunrise. There was an element of peace and contentment there.

One of our inside jokes became pointing at

something and asking each other, “Do you see this microphone? Do you think it created itself, or was it created by a Master Creator?” But eventually I started pointing out the stars and the trees and asking myself the same question. There’s no way everything on this Earth, everything we find beautiful, was a coincidence. And in that I saw the handprint of God in all the nature He created.

1 Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” My village embodied this text.

They are Hindu; we could hear them praying in their houses as we walked to our preaching site. But they came to my meetings with smiles and acceptance, and it made me question how I

would react if someone came to my home and preached about their religion. They came and they sat and they listened and they laughed with me, and they talked with me. And in that I saw Jesus. I saw the Holy Spirit actively working in each and every one of their hearts.

Lastly, I would like to tell you about a young mother I met: Laxmi. She was the light of my village. One night a man interrupted me. I found out he was saying, “Why are you even here? Go back where you came from.” I looked around, shocked and embarrassed. But at the back of my tarp sat Laxmi. She smiled at me and encouraged me to go on.

At the end of the meeting she came to hug me. Through my translator she said, “Don’t

worry about what the guy was saying. We love that you’re here. I hope you come back tomorrow.” In that hug, in that simple smile and that simple gesture, I saw a glimpse of Christ.

Eph. 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you …” I saw Jesus through nature. I saw Jesus through my village’s hospitality. I saw Jesus through the compassion of a young lady. And so I implore you to be an imitator. Be the person who people look at and see Jesus, because it is our mission to spread the gospel message any way we can.

Jinelle Gallen recently spent 10 days helping with meetings in the communities of West Bengal, India.

(below) Students from Sunnydale Adventist Academy in Missouri worked diligently to introduce villagers to Jesus.

Jinelle Gallen is a senior at Sunnydale Adventist Academy in Missouri.

Good Things Come in Small Packages, Sometimes Two

You have heard this saying before: Good things come in small packages. But Ms. Rita Blue, from the Piedmont Park Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, has taken it to heart. She has done this by sharing with those she meets a special treat she creates with love and fills with something sweet.

Blue has been a member of the Piedmont Park Church for approximately eight years, but when COVID struck and the church temporarily closed, she missed her fellow church members and friends. For this reason, she started creating custom-made cards to send to those she missed. Then, after several months she said to herself, This is just impacting the people within my church; what can I do to reach those outside the church? From that question, an idea emerged to create what Blue likes to call Little Treats.

These Little Treats are handmade, small, black cards with cute, colorful, circular paper glued on the top and bottom. Then she

stamps the verse Ps. 28:7 on one side and a cute animal or floral design on the back. Next, she colors in the design. When that is done, she tapes a peppermint patty inside and seals it with a small bow. Then they go into her purse for the day.

Blue said, “I always have some in my purse, almost always. So if someone does something nice for me I say, ‘Hello. Here, would you like this?’”

She continued, “I had a procedure done at one of the medical centers, and everybody who had a part in the

procedure, I gave them one. When the doctors came in, I said, ‘I got something for you too.’ They said, ‘What? No one has ever done this.’”

Blue said she chose Ps. 28:7 because it reminds her, and hopefully others, that you can’t just depend on yourself. She also said she included a Bible verse so the gift would be more than just a treat, and the people she gives them to will get two treats.

Smiling, she said, “If they don’t like the first treat, then maybe they will like the second one.”

When she gives them to people, it usually puts a smile on the person’s face. “I saw a lady at Walmart waiting for her family,” said Blue. “She was sitting there, and I said, ‘Would you like this?’” The woman responded, “Oh, thank you. Did you make this?” Blue said it seemed like it made the lady’s day.

Blue believes her creativity comes from her mom. She said her mom was good at any hobby.

Rita Blue is putting smiles on people’s faces by creating and distributing small treats.

Blue also loves knitting. She is still making custom cards but enjoys making her Little Treats. So far, she has made over 100. She also receives a few cards in return from people she has sent cards to, or sometimes a phone call. She didn’t think this would amount to anything, but seeing smiles on people’s faces has been a blessing.

Blue shared that one smile she will never forget is from Pastor Michael Halfhill’s daughter. “I think seeing some old lady give her something surprised her.”

When Blue gave her the gift, she responded, “Well, thank you!”

“I told the pastor about it, and he laughed,” said Blue. “He said his daughter told him I gave it to her and he was glad to hear she said thanks.”

Rita Blue is demonstrating through her small packages how we can each make a difference and show the love of Jesus to those within our church and our community.

Hugh Davis is director of Community Connections ministry at Piedmont Park Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Photos: Hugh Davis

Seth Gaskin Ordained at New Haven Church

eth Gaskin was ordained to the gospel ministry on March 18, 2023, at New Haven Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Overland Park, Kansas, where he has served since returning from seminary. The ordination message was given by Dr. Joseph Kidder, a seminary professor at the Andrews University Theological Seminary, and a special friend to both Seth and his wife Mary

The Kansas-Nebraska Conference administration was there to conduct the ceremony and a special charge was given by conference president Ron Carlson In his response, Pastor Seth shared his appreciation for all those who had attended and especially to his spouse, Mary. Seth’s story is a testament to God’s leading in his life and the calling that he has received to pastoral ministry.

Seth was born in Missoula, Montana, Oct. 26, 1990. It was in Montana that his parents first heard the Adventist message. Eventually moving to Texas to be closer to family, they found and attended a local Adventist church where Seth could go to Sabbath school and learn about Jesus for the first time.

Seth attended a public elementary school where he learned to share his faith while his friends challenged his beliefs and lifestyle. In 2002

Seth and his family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he attended and graduated from College View Academy. Although Seth had promised to follow Jesus in his heart years before, at 16 years old he committed his life to Him through baptism.

He enrolled at Union College where he initially planned to go through the accounting program. After his sophomore year, Seth took a year off from school to be a student missionary in the Philippines and served at a mission school in the jungle on the island of Mindanao. These experiences and interactions helped change the course of his life, and he changed his major to religion once returning to Union.  Back at Union, Seth met his future wife, Mary Erickson.

After graduating in 2015, Seth accepted the call to serve in the Kansas-Nebraska Conference. His first district

was the Iola, Chanute, Thayer, Coffeyville and Independence churches, where Seth and Mary served for two years before going to the seminary at Andrews University, completing his MDiv degree in December 2019.

Seth is grateful to now serve

the New Haven Church as the young adult pastor. Seth and Mary are also proud parents of two wonderful children, Layla and Barrett

Saul Dominguez is communication director for the Kansas-

Arlington Members Connect with Assisted Living Residents

Members of the Arlington Church kicked off a new outreach ministry at Bayside Manor in Gaylord, Minnesota, last February.

In the weeks leading up to our visit we had worked closely with the activity director to organize a monthly sing-along program in the assisted living center chapel.

We arrived 10 minutes prior to the agreed upon time but were immediately informed there had been a scheduling error. They had booked us an hour earlier. As a result, the residents who had come to the chapel were now back in their rooms or settled into other activities throughout the

building, and staff were no longer available to recruit and bring residents to the program. Trusting God would work this out, we asked if there was a way we could still perform.

A short time later we were led to a gathering area in the nursing home wing. As we entered the room there was a small family gathering, some who were resting and others passing through. Following our introduction, a few residents who were resting turned their wheelchairs toward us, and some of those passing through decided to stay. As we sang our first song those in the small family gathering began to look at us, and then a few minutes later

they joined us in singing.

God turned what appeared to us as a situation gone sideways into a blessing, as His Spirit drew an audience. It was amazing to witness as more and more people came down the hallways in wheelchairs, others came with walkers, and some came using the wall railings to make their way to us.

At the conclusion of the program most of the residents in that room were singing with us, some were

requesting songs, and nearly all were praising God by applauding His gift of music to them. Before we left, every person was greeted with multiple handshakes, smiles, words of encouragement, love and a promise to be back each month to share Jesus with them again.

Despite an initial challenge with scheduling, church members have made an impact on residents’ lives by their presence and their kindness.

Gene Yocum pastor of the Arlington Adventist Church in Arlington, Minnesota.

Courtesy Bayside Manor of Gaylord

Donor’s Giving Heart Blesses Duluth Members

Life keeps everyone busy, and sometimes people miss the small things that can impact their community. God is always searching for individuals who make themselves available to Him. He wants and is willing to do great things through people who allow Him to use their gifts and talents to transform the world.

Jesus is our perfect example in this, and when people demonstrate the love of Jesus, they can bless others with a simple act of kindness.

As senior pastor of the Duluth district, I recently witnessed the mighty hand of God working through people who allowed Him to use them. Not everyone can be a pastor, elder, deacon, deaconess or other leadership position. However, God can use anyone to make a difference, regardless of who they are in the community.

The Duluth Church has its fellowship hall in the basement. The stairs have several steps that lead to the entrance. This can be challenging for members with disabilities, particularly during potluck and social events.

Therefore, last year I suggested to the church board that we think about installing a chairlift to meet the needs of our members and guests with disabilities. After many discussions, the board tabled the idea for a later time, as they wanted to focus on other necessary projects.

Three months later, the Lord impressed me to preach

a sermon about doing what is right in the sight of God regardless of what other people think. If God shows someone what to do, this individual has received an assignment to make a difference.

As I stood at the door that day greeting everyone on their way out, one person asked me if I could spare some time for a conversation. I took the individual aside and was ready to listen. They shared about how challenging it must be for members with disabilities to go downstairs. They had the opportunity to witness the struggle of those with disabilities trying to get downstairs for potluck.

Then this person said, “Pastor Jude, I have a compassionate heart and a soft spot for disabled people. I care so much for them. No matter where I am, I always try to help if I can. I have been praying about this, and your sermon today was my confirmation. Therefore, Pastor, if you are willing and the church is okay with it, I would like to donate $10,000 toward a chairlift project. However, I must remain anonymous. It’s not about me, instead about God.”

Praise the Lord! I could not believe my ears. This individual knew nothing about what we discussed in the church board meeting regarding the chairlift. Indeed, it was a confirmation for me as well. All along, God wanted that chairlift for His church.

I could not wait to share that information with the church board. The board was amazed and praised the Lord for such a blessing. The church’s head deacon began the process by contacting the chairlift company. Then three days before the company installed the chairlift, this individual donated an extra $3,000 toward the chairlift project.

We serve an excellent, extraordinary, loving and caring God. The Bible says, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps” (Jer. 10:23). God has His clock, and His timing is perfect. Therefore, we have no reason to doubt Jesus’ love for us.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,

Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). That love stretches back before the foundation of the world. God desires to take care of us if we let Him. So, when we make ourselves available to God, He takes good care of us, and others will experience His love and compassion through us.

Here is a good reminder: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12).

We can make a difference in our community. Indeed, we praise our heavenly Father for His unconditional love and the wonderful blessing He has given to the Duluth Church. This chairlift reminds us of the compassionate spirit we must show one another and a heavenly Father who cares about every step we take, even going to the basement in the fellowship hall.

Jude Senatus is pastor of the Duluth Church in Minnesota.

Courtesy Minnesota Conference

A liftchair on the stairs has made it possible for church members and guests to safely and comfortably enjoy meals in the lower level fellowship hall.

Taking Leadership Seriously with NXTGEN

Walk into Newday’s NXTGEN Connect, and you will find highly engaged student leaders who won’t be disassociating from the church. Taking ownership of their relationship with Christ, students between the ages of 11 and 18 find purpose in the Newday NXTGEN community.

A 2019 study from American Perspectives Survey found that “Americans raised in homes with more robust religious experiences are less likely to disaffiliate from religion entirely.” Alternately, the Pew Research Center states that most Americans leave their childhood religion before they even turn 18.*

At Newday, dedicated spaces for each age group remind students that they are not an afterthought; instead, youth are

encouraged to participate in every aspect of church life. By providing a variety of worship experiences that help young people connect with God and one another, NXTGEN is a vibrant part of the Newday community.

Roam the halls and you will find students leading out in younger classes. At the drinks station, a couple of volunteers will offer up a hot drink on your way into church. Step into worship and you will see students helping with the audio/ visual team. And don’t miss out on the Front Row Club—a

dedicated and growing group of NXTGENs who choose to fill the front row for their personal worship experience.

At Newday, there is a true intergenerational collaboration. For example, there’s the NXTGEN student pastor: Gwen Loney, a junior at Mile High Academy, who has been in the role for over a year. Loney coordinates all NXTGEN’s events and helps the facilitator team build curriculum for weekly lessons.

She’s the first to tell you this is where she belongs: “I really enjoy it when I’m able to

look around and see all of our youth having fun. I also like it when I can take a moment and participate in events with my friends.”

From monthly Friday NVITE events to NXTGEN connect on Saturday mornings, there are plenty of ways young people can develop their spiritual life. The hope is this will be a generation that doesn’t become a statistic, but instead finds their own personal relationship with God. It’s the one-on-one connections, with adults and students themselves reaching out to each other, that are building true belonging in God’s family.

*www.americansurveycenter.org/ research/generation-z-futureof-faith

Compassion Ministry Features Adventist Quilters

Pictured (l-r): Kathy Aitken, Carol Marino, Ella Jean Albertsen, Eleanor Foley, and Naomi Sigler. (Not present: Eileen Blood, Mary Mehlenbacher, and Cheri Barber.)

Loveland Adventist Community Services has been actively involved in helping house local homeless families and provide quilts to these and foster families. You may say the LACS is a Loveland Church project, but the truth is most of the volunteers, both in the efforts to house homeless families and in the quilting area, are from the Campion Church. Loveland Church supplies the space and Campion Church supplies the labor!

Five quilts were recently shared with a family who

graduated from the Family Promise homeless program and moved into their own home (shown above). Campion Church donates money to house these homeless families for several weeks a year in motels.

In the last six months, 48 baby quilts were given to Little Willows, an organization that gives a box of clothing to a child put in foster care. This organization gave out 800 boxes in Larimer and Weld counties in 2022.

A label is sewn on each quilt that says: “A gift from

Adventist Community Services, Loveland, Colorado.” The patterns may not be the fanciest, but we do our best to select colors that compliment each other from the fabrics donated.

One quilt recipient, who recently moved into her new Habitat for Humanity home, shared, “Thank you! [The quilt is] so beautiful! The colors are just right for my new home.”

The project has been a blessing to the volunteer quilters as well. One quilter said, “It’s so nice to know we are doing something that makes a difference for others.”

And all have shared in fellowship, as one quilter said, “I appreciate the friendships I’ve made quilting.”

If you’re in the area and can tie a square knot, join the group on Tuesday mornings: Sadie Torrez or Ella Jean Albertsen at ejalbertsen@ gmail.com.

Ella Jean Albertsen

Ella Jean Albertsen is layout editor for Campion Connection newsletter.

Agape Hammond is communication director for Newday Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado.

Kelly Loney

Science: Not Just for Big Kids

cience class is fun!” declared Sebastian Garner, (first grade).

At Brighton Adventist Academy, kindergarten and first grade students were gearing up for the school’s Spring Program, which included science projects from the entire PreK-10 student body.

This year, our young scientists explored a variety of units, such as the plant kingdom, animal kingdom, human anatomy and physiology, healthy choices and several STEM units.

The enthusiasm was voiced daily in kindergarten class. “I liked making gooey and colorful slime,” said Gabriel Radu

“I liked to set up the balloon races and help the teacher. At first it didn’t work, but we fixed it!” reported Jose Santos (first grade).

“I thought our Chia seeds

would have grown better if we kept wet paper on the seeds so they could soak,” suggested Benjamin Villalobos

“I like doing stuff with everyone in class, even the science boards,” added Levi DiCamillo

“I like my science experiment. I also liked making the ping pong ball catapult!” announced Eloise Hablutzel.

“The exercise video was the best, when we studied healthy choices!” said Jackson Rego.

The young scientists completed their scientific method

presentation boards, which included an array of experiments involving M&Ms, Skittles, pennies, balloons, water droplets, eggs, flour and salt, aluminum foil, pencils and gummy bears. These thrilling projects enabled the budding scientists to learn about surface tension, static electricity, water displacement, calcification, surface area, acids, surface tension, refraction, polymers and much more.

Brighton Adventist Academy hosted the Spring

Program showcasing the students’ scientific presentation boards on May 11 in the new Brighton Church annex. This event also included musical presentations from the fine arts department: K-4 choir, 5-10 beginning band, 5-10 advanced band, and 5-10 hand chimes. In addition, grades 5-8 art masterpieces were on display.

FivePoints Life Church Models New Testament Experience

What started as a spur-ofthe-moment idea in the Rocky Mountain Conference office on the eve of the COVID era has become a nice-sized group of Millennials worshiping on their own terms for more than a year now.

Currently meeting in Posner International Development Center in the heart of the Five Points area of downtown Denver, this group strives to create a social and spiritual hub for this deeply diverse neighborhood.

Pastor Miloš Tomić says, “This is a startup ministry. If you’re expecting to find a churchy church, don’t. But if you’re willing to approach

a spiritual experience with an open mind, you might just find ‘your’ church. At the very beginning, our core group agreed on one thing— this meetup should resemble [the] biblical blueprint first, and a traditional and cultural one after.”

Replicating a New Testament experience means there is no pastor to preach, but everyone takes part in a spiritual exploration of the Scriptures. Sometimes they sing and sometimes someone has a testimony, but nothing is set in stone. Very often, Pastor Tomić moderates the discussion with a breakfast plate in his hand.

Consider this a blasphemy?

Perhaps somewhere else, but not at FivePoints Life Church.

“All we want to do is bring Agape dinners back in style again. If the New Testament church thrived with them, why wouldn’t we?” Pastor Tomić asks.

The best part is that Pastor Miloš turns 45 this year, and he is the oldest one in this group of worshipers. So much life and

amazing energy is reverberating at Five Points right now!

Find more info at Five-Points.life or facebook.com/ fivepointslifechurch.

RMCNews with Miloš Tomić, associate pastor at the Arvada Church

Jodie Aakko is principal of Brighton Adventist Academy in Colorado.

Young scientists at the Brighton Adventist Academy gear up for the school's Spring Program presentations.

Photos: Rocky Mountain Conference

Union Launching Three New Graduate Programs

nion College is significantly expanding the college’s graduate offerings with the addition of three new master’s degrees. Two of the new degrees, a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Leadership, will begin this August, while the Master of Occupational Therapy Program will launch in 2024.

“These new degrees signal a broadening of Union College’s scope as we continually seek to add value for our current students and anyone seeking additional higher education to advance their careers,” said Union president Dr. Vinita Sauder. “The programs build on Union’s strengths and continue our legacy of training top leaders in healthcare, the nonprofit sector and many other fields.”

Master of Public Health

An ideal next step for many seeking a career in healthcare, the Master of Public Health will train students to identify and solve health challenges facing communities. This fast-growing field overlaps a variety of industries with jobs in hospitals, nonprofits, corporations, government agencies and schools.

Normally a two-year program for someone with an undergraduate degree, the MPH can be combined with Union’s existing biomedical science or international rescue

Union’s new Master of Public Health is a great two-year program for healthcare majors who want to work in fields that impact the health of communities. Learn how to apply for August 2023 at ucollege.edu/publichealth.

and relief undergraduate majors. That means completing two degrees in just five years—three as undergraduates and two as graduate students. The degree may also be combined with Union’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies and completed in a total of four years, one year faster than taking the programs separately.

“I would recommend a master’s in public health

to anyone who is driven to reduce suffering at a community or population level,” said Ben Herzel, a Union College graduate who is completing a residency in emergency medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center. “In the emergency room, I can only address the needs of one single patient at a time. But the essence of public health is to focus on groups rather than individuals—which is where

real change can happen. The nature of that change can look like many things: promoting preventative healthcare, mitigating disease epidemics, training healthcare workers, improving the efficiency of testing and treatment strategies, and so much more.”

Union College is currently accepting students to start in fall 2023. To learn more or apply for this in-person program, visit ucollege.edu/ publichealth.

Jeremy Jacob/Union College

Master of Science in Leadership

A close cousin to the MBA, the master’s in leadership will focus on understanding human behavior, effective communication, managing complex systems, and creatively solving big problems. The master’s builds on Union

College’s undergraduate leadership minor which, for the last 20 years, has allowed any Union student to add credentials focused on creative and effective leadership.

This one-year master’s program (including a summer trimester) pairs well with most undergraduate majors and provides a next

The Master of Science in Leadership is a one-year program (including summer) that is perfect for any graduate in any field who plans to pursue a career in leadership and management. Learn how to apply for August 2023 at ucollege.edu/leadership.

step for anyone who wants to advance their career into management. The program is available in person or an online synchronous format.

“A master’s degree is very important as you advance your career, especially if you want to move into leadership,” said Amanda Maggard, Union College graduate and president and CEO of AdventHealth Zephyrhills and AdventHealth Dade City

hospitals. “This master’s in leadership provides a broad base of learning. Regardless of your industry, I believe it’s a benchmark you need to have if you’re going to seek a leadership role.”

Union College is currently accepting students to start in fall 2023. To learn more or apply for the program, visit ucollege.edu/leadership.

The Master of Occupational Therapy program will allow occupational therapy assistants to complete a master's degree in just two additional years. The program will start in fall 2024.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and will allow students to complete both an associate’s and a master’s degree in a total of four years.

Master of Occupational Therapy

This unique bridge program allows occupational

therapy assistants to complete a master’s degree and practice as an occupational therapist. The new master’s will pair perfectly with Union’s

About Union College

The MOT program will enroll its first class in fall 2024. Union will open the application within the next calendar year. Courses will be offered online with clinicals conducted in person.

Union College offers active learning in a vibrant Christian atmosphere where students are empowered to find their purpose and unlock their potential. Founded in 1891 in Lincoln, Nebraska, Union is an accredited, comprehensive college enrolling 700 students from nearly every state and around the world. Union offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, minors and emphases in 24 fields of study—and now four master’s degrees. With a focus on student success, every freshman is paired with a life coach for their first year, and tutoring is available to every student in every class at no extra charge.

Expanding graduate programs

These three programs will greatly expand Union’s graduate offerings. Since 2008, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies has been the college’s lone master’s degree. The 33-month program currently graduates approximately 30 students per year into a field consistently ranked one of the best careers by Forbes magazine and other publications.

“Union College professors will bring the same rigorous instruction paired with the quality personal attention to each student that Union is known for,” said Sauder. “For students who value an institution dedicated to their success and with extensive experience in healthcare and leadership education, then Union College is the perfect fit.”

Ryan

Teller is executive director of Integrated Marketing and Communications for Union College.

Scott Cushman/Union College

Scott Cushman/Union College

June Is Men’s Health Month: Time to Take Charge of Your Health

Many people know the basic tips it takes to stay healthy: eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, get at least 120-150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly, sleep well, avoid tobacco products and alcohol consumption, and know your health risks. However, there are some differences between how men and women approach personal wellness.

Kirsten Lampe , a physician assistant with AdventHealth Medical Group Primary Care at South Overland Park in Overland Park, Kansas, provides some great tips about how men can stay healthy throughout the year.

According to Lampe,

an important first step is staying up-to-date on health screenings and disease prevention by seeing your healthcare provider annually. For those without an established primary care provider, it’s important to look for one now. Regardless of age, everyone should have regular wellness visits.

“I would encourage men to find a healthcare provider with whom they feel comfortable sharing their story,” said Lampe. “The more willing you are to share your health history and goals, the better a provider will be able to assist you in meeting those goals and improving your health risks.”

Remember, there’s a high chance your provider has treated many others with the same concern.

To effectively share information with your provider, it’s important to know your family medical history. Lampe finds that men often may not know their medical history, which is critical information needed to identify a person’s risks and help improve their health.

“Our genetics greatly influence our overall health,” said Lampe. “If you can, it is important to openly speak with your family members about their past and current health issues. Make sure to get specifics. Write it down, keep it somewhere safe and share it with your children and healthcare provider.”

Another important part of your overall health is your mental health, which is just

as important as physical health. According to Lampe, men often hide emotions in part due to society and cultural norms.

“It is alarming how many men feel ashamed to seek medical help when they are struggling with thoughts of sadness, depression, hopelessness, anxiety or worry,” said Lampe. “Never feel ashamed about having these thoughts, but instead be open about it.”

Our mental health is also greatly influenced by sleep habits. Speak with your provider if you are sleeping less than seven hours per night and feel fatigued when you wake. Not only does lack of sleep negatively affect our emotions, but your insomnia could be due to an underlying illness.

If you are looking for a primary care provider in the Kansas City area, visit MyHealthKC.com to find an AdventHealth provider right for you.

Jackie Woods is a freelance writer and project manager for AdventHealth in Kansas City.

Battling the Stigma: Importance of Men’s Mental Health Care

en are more likely to die by suicide, experience homelessness and substance use issues, yet they are much less likely than women to seek the help they need,” said Michael Driscoll , integrated behavioral health consultant at Centura Health and licensed professional counselor.

The resistance for men to seek mental health resources stems way back to past generations, where hyper-masculine culture calls on men to always be stoic and rarely show emotional needs or sensitivity.

“These cultural attitudes have been passed down from generation to generation and often lead men to believe that they need to handle their struggles and hurdles on their own, in silence,” said Driscoll. “Men often tell me that they feel alone, not cared for or noticed unless they are being recognized for their productivity.”

While engrained cultural practices likely play a role in whether a man seeks mental health help or not, so too may the fact that most therapists are women.

“We find that men choose to see male physicians and that having a male physician recommend that they seek help from a therapist in our clinics adds a layer of trust and relatability,” said Darci Harvey, director of integrated behavioral health at

Centura Health. “In addition, having male therapists also helps men feel more comfortable. Since I’ve joined the integrated behavioral health team, we went from having zero male therapists on staff to hiring five, over the years, and that can certainly be a factor in the increase in males we are treating.”

Removing the barriers

The IBH team at Centura Health is embedded in primary care clinics across Colorado. This means when a patient comes in to see their primary care provider for a wellness visit, they can easily be referred to the IBH team. It also allows IBH clinicians immediate and easy access to help patients on the spot.

“Being right there in the clinic, we get more referrals and can really focus on more preventive work,” said Harvey. “This ensures we can address the patient’s mental health care needs right in the moment rather than having the patient go home and battle the common barriers to seeking mental health care like calling therapists who may not be accepting new patients or that don’t take their insurance.”

Additionally, the IBH team asks that every clinic screen their patients for depression at every wellness visit. This gives the team the opportunity to engage and start the

conversation rather than relying on the patient to bring it up to their provider.

It is this work, coupled with the increase in public conversations—from athletes and role models to male family members and friends—surrounding mental health and sharing personal struggles that clinicians believe is helping to slowly break down that long-standing stigma tied to men seeking mental health care.

“I think we are certainly moving in the right direction,” said Driscoll. “I see men of all ages come in wanting to discuss their mental health.”

Some of the biggest causes for men to seek mental health care are tied to work, finances and health. It’s that last one, health, that gets them to see their physicians in the first place, and from there the conversations with the IBH team can begin.

“At the end of the day, it’s

really just about being human, and as a human we have physical health and we have mental health, and there is no shame in how we need to take care of either,” said Harvey.

Friends and family can also help reduce the stigma by offering an opportunity to talk, ask questions and listen, in addition to looking for the signs of depression. With men, clinicians say it’s often a short temper and anger that comes through rather than the sadness and withdrawal signs seen in women battling depression.

“Keep talking, having these conversations with your male friends, colleagues and family members,” said Driscoll. “Probe, ask direct questions, and ultimately let them know it’s okay to take care of their whole health—body, mind and spirit.”

Brianna DiPilato is a writer for Centura Health.

Anderson, Fannie Dail, d. March 23, 2023 in Grand Junction, CO.

Andreassen, Elaine, b. May 21, 1946. d. Feb. 25, 2023. Member of West Plains (MO) Church. Survivors include husband Ross; 2 children; 1 grandchild.

Binder, Charlene Ann (Scholl), b. June 10, 1940 in Vermillion, SD. d. March 28, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. Member of College View (NE) Church. Preceded in death by daughter Sherrie. Survivors include husband Roger; daughters Debbie Unterseher and Susan Malloy; son Dale.

Fickkbohm, James Virgil, b. April 4, 1996 in Yankton, SD. d. Feb. 13, 2023 in Sioux Falls, SD. Member of Sioux Falls Church. Preceded in death by 1 infant brother. Survivors include 2 sisters; 2 brothers.

Gesellchen, Michael, b. March 13, 1942 in Bismarck, ND. d. March 29, 2023 in Goodrich, ND. Member of Goodrich Church. Preceded in death by 4 sisters; 2 brothers. Survivors include wife Delilah; daughter Carlene Adolf; sons Kalon, Dean, Michael “Scott”; 1 sister; 1 brother; 9 grandchildren; 4 great-granddaughters.

Graham, Charlie Wayne, b. June 10, 1941 in Big Cabin, OK. d. April 3, 2023 in Haysville, KS. Member of Wichita South (KS) Church. Preceded in death by 2 brothers. Survivors include wife Gwendolyn; daughter Maryanne; sons James, William, Steve, and Dan; 1 brother; multiple grandchildren.

Johnson, Katharina, b. June 26, 1936 in Tofu, Hungary. d. Oct. 8, 2022 in Dickinson County, IA. Member of Spencer (IA) Church. Preceded in death by husband Merlin; 1 sister. Survivors include children Gary and Jeff.

Klemek, Mayla (Eskuri), b. Oct. 8, 1957. d. March 13, 2023. Member of Fergus Falls (MN) Church. Survivors include husband Tim; children Andrew and Jillian Herman.

McPherson, Marion “Mac,” b. May 6, 1936 in Woodworth, ND. d. March 25, 2023 in Jamestown, ND. Member of Jamestown Church. Preceded in death by 1 sister; 1 brother; 1 grandchild. Survivors include wife Betty (Job); daughter Cyndi; sons Mike, Mitch, and Mark; 12 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Poe, Calvin, b. Aug. 9, 1944. d. March 25, 2023. Member of West Plains (MO) Church. Survivors include wife Bonnie.

Reinke, Alma (Kungel), b. Dec. 22, 1930 in Kulm, ND. d. March 31, 2023 in Aberdeen, SD. Member of the Kulm (ND) Church. Preceded in death by husband Marvin; 2 sisters. Survivors include daughters Marveleen Dewald, Geraldine Dodds, Joeline Harmon, and Eileen Larson; son Bruce; 8 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandson.

Ruffing, James E., b. Dec. 15, 1946 in Crawford, NE. d. March 3, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. Member of North Platte (NE) Church. Preceded in death by son Peter Joseph; 1 sister. Survivors include wife Sharon; 1 brother; 3 grandchildren; 1 great-granddaughter.

Stearns, Sandra “Sandy” L., b. Oct. 10, 1945 in Aberdeen, SD. d. March 20, 2023 in Lincoln, NE. Member of College View (NE) Church. Survivors include husband Roger; 1 sister; 3 brothers.

Tarasen, Gary, b. Dec. 13, 1947 in Minot, ND. d. April 15, 2023 in Minot, ND. Member of Dakota Conference Church. Preceded in

death by wife Star. Survivors include daughter Breezy Schmidt; sons Dustin and Thad; 3 sisters; 5 brothers; 7 grandchildren.

Trammell, Evelyn E., b. Oct. 17, 1930 in Jefferson City, MO. d. March 22, 2023 in Centralia, MO. Member of Mexico (MO) Church. Preceded in death by husband William; daughter Barbara Jones; 1 brother. Survivors include daughter Shirley Miller; son Larry; 3 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Widicker, Kathleen “Kathy” (Holweger), b. Dec. 17, 1946 in Aberdeen, SD. d. March 30, 2023 in Bowdon, ND. Member of New Home (ND) Church. Preceded in death by 1 grandson. Survivors include husband Gary; daughter Heidi Tast; sons Heathe and Hans; 1 sister; 6 grandchildren.

June 2023

How to submit an obituary

Please email Barb Engquist at Barb. Engquist@maucsda. org Or go to outlookmag.org/ contact

SERVICES

Earth Burger: Adventist-owned, plant-based fast food restaurant Earth Burger is now franchising. Sabbath closure is approved. All territories are currently available. For inquiries, visit www. earthburger.com/franchise

Free app: discover stellar faith-building, Bible-based and Christ-centered radio programs for all ages. LifeTalk Radio streams all music at LifeTalkMusic.net and awesome kids programs at LifeTalkKids.net or listen to talk radio at LifeTalk.net. Download our handy FREE APP from: LifeTalk.net.

Move with an award-winning agency. Apex Moving & Storage partners with the General Conference to provide quality moves at a discounted rate. Call us for all your relocation needs!

Adventist beliefs uncompromised. Contact Marcy Danté at 800.766.1902 for a free estimate. Visit us at www. apexmoving.com/Adventist.

Summit Ridge Retirement Village: An Adventist community in a rural setting that offers affordable homes or apartments and caring neighbors with a fellowship you’ll enjoy. On-site church, planned activities and transportation as needed. Also, Wolfe Living Center offering independent living and nursing home. Website: www.summitridgevillage. org or call Bill Norman at 405.208.1289.

FOR SALE

Adventist coin dealer: Yes, I’m still open. No, you haven’t sold me those coins yet. 531.333.6858 or email lawrencejlee42@gmail.com. Dr. Lawrence J. Lee, World Coins and Medals, PO Box 6194, Lincoln, NE 68506.

Shop for new/used Adventist books: TEACH SERVICES offers used Adventist books at www. LNFBOOKS.com or new book releases at your local ABC or www.TEACHServices.com. AUTHORS, let us help publish your book with editing, design, marketing, and worldwide distribution. Call 800.367.1844 for a free evaluation.

EMPLOYMENT

The Lincoln SDA Credit Union has an immediate opening for an experienced branch manager. The manager is responsible for member relations, expanding membership, managing a small team, accounting, asset liability management, compliance and risk management among other responsibilities. Interested parties please send an email to info@LincolnSDACU.org

Sycamore Academy: Looking for Certified Teachers to join us in Christian online education (grades 1-12). Work part-time from home tutoring “live” in a Zoom environment. If interested, please call us at 817.645.0895.

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time faculty in the area of Counseling for School of Education/Psychology. A doctoral degree in counselor education from a CACREP-accredited program is required. For a full job description and desired qualifications please visit www. southern.edu/jobs.

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time teaching faculty member for the School of Business in the area of finance and economics for face-to-face classroom instruction. Qualified candidates will have an earned doctorate degree in Economics or Finance. For a full job description and desired

qualifications please visit www.southern.edu/jobs

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time teaching faculty member with pediatric expertise to join the School of Nursing. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate pre-licensure child health and simulation. For a full job description and desired qualifications please visit www.southern.edu/jobs

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time program director to launch a new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. The ideal candidate will be proficient in managing the CAPTE accreditation process, new program development, and teaching graduate physical therapy courses as well as clinical practice. For a full job description and desired qualifications please visit www. southern.edu/jobs

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time teaching faculty member for the School of Religion. The position would involve assisting in the Institute of Archaeology, including with its publications. For a full job description please visit www. southern.edu/jobs

Southern Adventist University seeks a full-time Engineer teaching faculty member for Physics and Engineering Department in the areas of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. For a full job description and desired qualifications please visit www.southern. edu/jobs

Souther Adventist University seeks qualified candidates for the following staff hourly positions: Cafeteria Floater, Cafeteria Worker, Cook Coordinator, Deli Floater, Procurement & Merchandising Assistant Village Market, The Garden Eatery Assistant Manager, Housing

Technician, HVAC Master Technician, Painting Technician, S.A.L.T. Outreach Coordinator for School of Religion, Academic Advisor for Graduate and Professional Studies/Adult Degree Completion Program, Institute of Archeology/Graduate Program Office Manager, Office Manager for School of Education and Psychology, Vision Trips Coordinator for Office of Ministry and Missions.

Southern Adventist University seeks qualified candidates for the following staff salaried positions: Marketing & University Relations Director, Food Service Director.

Union College is accepting applications for a Computer Science and Mathematics Professor. The individual in this role will teach upper division programming classes and lower division math classes. A PhD in Computer Science or Mathematics is preferred, Master’s required. Please direct inquiries to Bruce Forbes at Bruce. Forbes@ucollege.edu or apply online at ucollege.edu/ employment.

EVENTS

Join us for the Edgeley Church 50th Anniversary July 29, 2023: Heaven-bound. Edgeley Adventist Church, Edgeley, North Dakota. Sabbath school: 9:30 am; church service 11 am; catered meal.

Oak Park Academy Alumni Weekend Sept. 29-30, 2023. All alumni, former faculty and staff are invited to attend this special reunion weekend. The 2023 Honor Classes are: 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978. Location: Gates Hall, 825 15th St., Nevada, IA. For more information: Allayne Petersen Martsching, 402.312.7368 or email: allaynemartsching@ gmail.com. Afternoon service: 2 pm.

Coming Together to Better Serve Others

AdventHealth, through its Global Missions program, has created partnerships with Adventist hospitals across the globe. One of these partnerships is located in Juliaca, Peru, with the hospital Clínica Americana.

The partnership, started in the early 2000s, has led to expanded training, installation of new equipment and mission trips focused on providing care to local underserved communities.

During one of the most recent mission trips, Clínica Americana celebrated 100 years of service. And as part of that celebration, leaders across AdventHealth contributed $100,000 to help fund a new hospital wing, including three new operating rooms and an intensive care unit.

Thanks to this partnership, AdventHealth is able to help extend the healing ministry of Christ to more communities.

To learn more about the AdventHealth Global Missions work in Juliaca, Peru, visit AdventHealthKC.com/GlobalMissions.

Leaders and staff from Clínica Good Hope in Lima, Peru, and Clínica Americana in Juliaca, Peru, gather for the ribbon-cutting of the new hospital wing: (left to right) Dr. Davi Reis Lopes, director of Clínica Good Hope; Dr. Fanny Ricardi Cotrado, internist at Clínica Americana; Luz Elizabeth Loja Carhuamaca, ICU coordinator at Clínica Americana; Dr. Daniel Saito Roncal, medical director of Clínica Good Hope.