OUTLOOK – October 2019 by OUTLOOK magazine

MID-AMERICA SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST NEWS & INSPIRATION OSHKOSH PATHFINDER CAMPOREE: CHOSEN FOR LEADERSHIP P. 5 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT2019

MAGAZINE OCT 2019 18 PERSPECTIVES 4

PATHFINDERS: A SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM Gary Thurber

FEATURES 6

OH WE ARE THE PATHFINDERS STRONG

10 NEWS 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 29

CENTRAL STATES DAKOTA IOWA-MISSOURI KANSAS-NEBRASKA MINNESOTA ROCKY MOUNTAIN MID-AMERICA UNION UNION COLLEGE ADVENTHEALTH FAREWELL INFOMARKET

“The most exciting moment for a group of believers is when someone is baptized ... the moment another disciple is born.” —p. 4

21 OUTLOOK (ISSN 0887-977X) October 2019, Volume 40, Number 10. 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 undeliverables to CFF. Free for Mid-America church members and $10 per year for subscribers. ©2017 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.

MID-AMERICA UNION CONFERENCE

ONLINE PATHFINDERS: BEST THING GOING

mag.org

NEWS AND INSPIRATION

Off to See America: Carol’s Travel Blog bit.ly/2jZvBpy

Divine Right of Kings vs Personal Freedom in Christ imsda.org/ historyandgovernance/part2

2019 was my first time to attend Oshkosh Camporee, and it was … amazing. I camped on the grounds with a local club and ate meals prepared by wonderful cooks who got up at 4:30 am. I took lots of pictures, marched in the parade, sang the theme song with gusto, and traded pins with people from around the world. During the five-day event I met many fascinating individuals, and the outstanding common factor among them was their spirit of generosity. Camporee requires thousands of volunteers giving hundreds of thousands of hours—all for the purpose of guiding young people along the path toward Jesus. Yes, there were plenty of activities and fun games. But the ultimate goal of Pathfinders is always a relationship with Jesus. Many people have observed that Pathfinders is one of the best things about Adventism. If your church doesn’t yet have a club, talk with your board and conference youth director for ideas on how to get started (for inspiration see p. 15).

midamericaadventist.org OUTLOOK STAFF Editor: Brenda Dickerson Designer/Managing Editor: Brennan Hallock Digital Media Manager: Hugh Davis outlookmag.org CONFERENCE NEWS EDITORS Central States Brittany Winkfield communications@ central-states.org 913.371.1071 central-states.org Dakota Jacquie Biloff jbiloff@icloud.com 701.751.6177 dakotaadventist.org

BRENDA DICKERSON editor

ON THE COVER

33 Ways to Rock Your Jesus Year outlookmag.org/33-ways-torock-your-jesus-year

President Gary Thurber Secretary Gil F. Webb Treasurer Troy Peoples Church Ministries Roger Wade Communication Brenda Dickerson Education LouAnn Howard Hispanic Ministries Roberto Correa Human Resources Raylene Jones Ministerial Mic Thurber Religious Liberty Darrel Huenergardt Women’s Ministries Nancy Buxton

Denison Sager, Youth Ministries director for the Iowa-Missouri Conference, baptized Ethan Blanchfield from the Des Moines Navigators club at Oshkosh. Photo by Hugh Davis

Iowa-Missouri Randy Harmdierks rharmdierks@imsda.org 515.223.1197 imsda.org Kansas-Nebraska Stephanie Gottfried sgottfried@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

PERSPECTIVES

PATHFINDERS: A SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM president at the North American Division, standing there on the boardwalk and just went up to him and hugged him tightly. Ken, who didn’t know the young man, was overwhelmed with emotion too. He didn’t even notice the Pathfinder’s wet clothing. He was happy just to receive the hug and celebrate the moment with this new disciple. How about you? What brings you joy? I once heard you can measure the quality of a person’s life by what brings Over 1,300 Pathfinders were baptized Aug. 13-17 during the International them happiness. Pathfinder Camporee at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. What are you doing in your journey that is evangerecently had the privilege critical piece of our evangekosh. Our kids know they are listic? The truth is, none of us are off the hook here. We of helping organize and listic work as a church. As we loved. Then—trusting that witness the baptism of 1,311 share with our communities they are loved—they are open are all called to make disciples for Jesus. Pathfinders at the Chosen Os- the marvelous revelation of to our invitations for them to We know in heaven there is hkosh Camporee. Now I know Jesus in the books of Daniel give their lives to the Lord. a party when someone gives some of you may be thinking: and Revelation, those whose CELEBRATING THE BIRTH their life to the Lord. If you “When you put young people hearts are open are amazed are deeply moved when you in a setting like that, emotions at what Jesus has done and is OF NEW DISCIPLES What do you think of when see someone make a stand for take over and they really don’t doing for us. They want to be you hear the word evanJesus, then I believe you have understand what they are part of God’s people! gelism? Public evangelistic the spirit of evangelism. committing to.” When Ellen White wrote efforts? Literature evangelism? As it turns out, Pathfinder about evangelism, she said Compassion ministry? Youth Camporee is an exceptional Christ’s method for winning ministry? The spirit of evanplace for young people to take hearts was to enter people’s GARY THURBER gelism should run through their stand for Jesus. A study lives armed with acts of love is president of the our veins no matter what is being conducted through and kindness. And after they Mid-America Union. role we play. And the most Andrews University with know we love them, we can exciting moment for a group the Pathfinders who were invite them to follow Jesus of believers is when someone baptized five years ago at Os(Ministry of Healing p. 143). is baptized … the moment hkosh, and to date 94 percent In many ways, that is what another disciple is born. of them are still active in their happens for our Pathfinders. I will never forget one church—praise the Lord! Pathfinder directors and staff Pathfinder who was baptized have chosen to give of their MULTIPLE KINDS OF at Oshkosh. I don’t know his time, energy and love. They EVANGELISM work with our youth week-in name or where he was from, When someone speaks of but when he was coming out and week-out, taking them baptisms and evangelism, of the baptismal pool, he was camping, doing community often public evangelism service, and spearheading the crying tears of joy. He saw comes to mind. This is a Ken Denslow, assistant to the efforts to get them to Osh-

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g n o r t s s r e d Oh w n e are the Pathfi

OUTLOOK magazine sponsored a contest and gave away mini-figures dressed in Pathfinder uniforms to our four winners.

The Mid-America pin set was a hot trading item during this Camporee. MAUC Church Ministries director Roger Wade brought over 2,000 pins and all were sold on the first day.

Pathfinders were able to complete all requirements to earn over 35 honors, plus partial requirements for many others. Some of the most popular honors were leather craft, kite making, space flight exploration, flags and endangered species.

Don and Chris Hill, Pathfinder coordinators for the Rocky Mountain Conference, came up with the idea for the hot air balloon theme for Mid-Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entrance and pins for trading. Chris created the balloons and Don built the entrance. The Hills have participated in every camporee for the past 25 years.

The servants of God are we Ken Ellstrom and his wife Carol from Hutchinson, Minnesota, coordinated the official Post Office daily mail delivery of letters and small packages. Rain or shine, the mail must go through! Cloretta Lewis, codirector of the Umoja Squires Adventurers, and William Ward, director of the Umoja Knights Pathfinders, have been serving our youth for 25 years.

In a similar manner to the way that David was anointed by Samuel when he was chosen king, Pathfinders selected by their club directors were anointed for leadership positions during a special service in the prayer tents.

Mid-Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of youth leaders worked very hard to ensure that every Pathfinder they interacted with knew they had been chosen by God.

Fait hfu

g n o l a l as we march n e ss, truth d n i k n i and purity

Our Mid-America color guard did a masterful job in leading the parade and raising and lowering the flags. Five march and drill teams from three conferences in Mid-America entered the competition. There were three categories and three levels of placement. Our teams brought home 11 first place awards; two second place awards; and one third place award. Over 100 on-site activities were offered, including a climbing wall, escape room adventure, soccer tournament, digital photography, origami and metal working.

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OCT 2019 7

d l essage to r o e w e e r h f t s tell to u th that will set u r t A

Becoming Master Guides: A Family Tradition

TME Wise Believers Host Kenyan Guests

Master Guide Maria Johnson (left) invested her middle daughter, Alexis, at the 2019 Camporee. Her oldest daughter was invested at Oshkosh Camporee in 2014 and her youngest plans to be ready by 2024.

aria Johnson, mother, counselor and camp nurse for the College View Trailblazers in Lincoln, Nebraska, is completely sold on the benefits of Pathfindering. “I’ve been working with Pathfinders for 13 years now,” Maria says, “and before that I was a Girl Scout for 13 years and an Adventurer Club director.” Maria’s three daughters love Pathfinders as well and are following their mom’s example in earning their Master Guide rank. Her oldest, Aly, was invested as a Master Guide at the 2014 Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, and her middle daughter, Alexis, was invested this year. The youngest, Ashlea, is currently on track to be invested at the 2024 Camporee. “That’s the rule,” Maria says, laughing. “I tell them they cannot leave Pathfinders until they get their Master Guide.” Some of the things Maria appreciates about being a Pathfinder is how hands-on the activities and experiences are. “You learn a lot,” Maria explains. “And you learn how to exercise your knowledge in developing friendships and being a better servant.” In addition, Maria believes that one of the best things about Pathfinders is seeing the impact you can make through being a leader and a friend. “It’s amazing,” she adds with emotion in her voice. “You see a lot of miracles. I’m really passionate about Pathfinders because God has been so good to me and I want to share that. If I can inspire just one person to go beyond Pathfinders and be a missionary in our community, I will feel that I’ve accomplished my goal.”

bout a year ago Sarah Masikini, director of The Mountain Experience Pathfinder club from the Central States Conference, received a phone call from Kenya. “We want you to host us,” the director of the Pathfinder club there said. Sarah’s immediate response was, “Are you kidding me?” “We have 70 people coming to the Chosen International Pathfinder Camporee, and we need a club to sponsor us,” the leader explained. Sarah felt she couldn’t say anything but yes. “My parents would host everybody—even people they didn’t know,” she explains. “My siblings and I would complain to them, ‘You’re too generous.’ But as I grew up I realized this is right. You have to accept everybody and show them love and be kind as Jesus was to people.” Sarah took the request to her church leaders, and they voted in support of hosting the Kenyan club. Sarah’s club also raised funds by planting gardens and selling their produce— including collard greens, tomatoes, onions and pinto beans— to church members and the community. The two clubs rode together on the bus to Oshkosh, set up their tents, cooked Kenyan food, and headed out together every day to earn honors (their favorite activity).

Nearly 4,000 international guests attended from over 100 countries. This Mounds View, Minnesota, Pathfinder club of 21 members sponsored the largest number of international guests of any club at the Camporee! “It’s a blessing to have friends and visitors,” says director Sarah Masikini (center).

h t s e u Savior’s co ing back s e J g n i m K and me! u o y r fo Modeling, Mentoring, Mantling

New Honor Demystifies Blindness

Sue Bargas (second from right) believes that Pathfinders is the perfect model for developing church leaders.

taff members of Christian Record Services, Inc., the only official ministry of the church in the North American Division for people who are blind, are thankful that Oshkosh Camporee is taking steps to become more inclusive and welcome everyone to attend this international Pathfinder event. One way the CRS team is contributing is through launching a new honor where Pathfinders can learn about tactile reading systems, including Braille. “This is the first NAD honor geared toward Pathfinders that focuses on themes of compassion and engagement with individuals who are blind,” says Diane Thurber, president of CRS located in Lincoln, Nebraska. “Our goals with this honor are both to educate and to engage.” In addition to teaching the honor to over 800 Pathfinders, CRS team members also gave a trading pin to those who completed the class. The pin has the Chosen logo in a contracted form of unified English Braille. To their knowledge, it is the first Braille pin introduced at the International Camporee. The Braille honor has 10 elements and takes about 90 minutes to complete. It was created by Josh Kittleson, CRS member services liaison, in collaboration with Jeri Lyn Rogge, CRS editorial and outreach ministries director. It took over a year to develop, and it was “quite an ordeal” to gain official approval, noted Diane. “We actually have enough content now for an advanced honor,” she added. “It’s something we will have to look closely at for the next Camporee.”

ue Bargas, director of the Arvada Golden Eagles Pathfinder club in the Rocky Mountain Conference, does the work of 20 people, according to one of her former Pathfinders, Alonna Dickhaut. “She’s compassionate, selfless, and always puts Pathfinders first,” Alonna says. Sue started working with Pathfinders as an assistant in 1985, and became club director in 1994. She has brought her club (averaging 10 members) to every Camporee except one, and that was because there were no kids able to come that year. The Arvada Adventist Church is very international, including members from over nine countries. But Sue and her husband Al, the club’s handyman and inventor, are able to draw most of the youth into Pathfinders. Read the full stories online at outlookmag.org. Among those they have attracted and mentored over the past few years are sisters Akua Boatemaa Owusu-Ansah and Akua Pathfinders write their names in Braille using Frimpomaa Owusu-Ansah, both of whom are now directing Lego pieces. Pathfinder clubs of their own in separate locations. The eldest sister, Akua Boatemaa, is leading the Renton Warriors in the Washington Conference. The younger, Akua Frimpomaa, is directing the Fargo Falcons in the Dakota Conference. “The reason I stayed in Pathfinders was because of my TLT leadership position,” says Akua Boatemaa. “Now I am finding teen Pathfinders to start mentoring.” Alonna was also a member of the Golden Eagles club during the years these two sisters attended. Now she instructs the Tulsa Twisters drill team in the Oklahoma Conference. “I’m a junior staff, but I am still mentoring,” she says. Four years later, this diverse group of four Pathfinder leaders are still re-connecting at Pathfinder events, still learning from one another, and still focused on growing relationships for eternity as they pass on the mantles of leadership.

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OCT 2019 9

CENTRAL STATES CONFERENCE

CSC Pathfinders Celebrate International Camporee Experience Photos Courtesy Central States Conference

ver the course of just a few days, an estimated 56,000 Pathfinders and Master Guides, along with staff and supporters, converged on the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the 2019 International Pathfinder Camporee. This event is the largest gathering for young people in the Adventist Church, and the second largest overall in the Adventist Church (next to the General Conference Session), with participation this year from over 100 countries. Of the massive number of attendees, the Central States Conference contributed roughly 240, representing every state in the Mid-America Union with the exception of North and South Dakota. Central States was also blessed to host

10 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

approximately 73 campers from Kenya alongside its own Pathfinders. This installment of the Camporee was especially important for Central States, which is currently in the process of building up its club ministry across the conference. For many, this was their first Pathfinder camporee experience, and it did not disappoint. There is much to do at the International Camporee without leaving the more than 400-acre campsite. Campers were able to choose activities from competitive sports to drilling and marching to rides, shows and even a petting zoo. The Gatekeepers from Ebenezer Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, took advantage of the sporting events with a solid run in

the soccer tournament. Those who looked for a more laid back camp experience earned honors, perused the extensive food court, or visited the many vendors and exhibits in Hangar A. The number one camporee activity by far was pin trading, which serves as a tool for encouraging social interaction between the many cultures represented. Some Central States campers were able to trade their conference pin with Pathfinders from places as far away as Mongolia, Pakistan, China and Dubai. With a couple days of rain, campers were privileged to get a complete camporee experience. The downpour resulted in wet campsites, wet tents and emergency trips off-campus to find ponchos.

Yet the rain wasn’t enough to bring down the spirits of the Pathfinders. Despite the weather, some Central States campers were able to go to nearby attractions like Six Flags Great America and Wisconsin Dells. Simply put, it was worth it According to the official website for the International Camporee, this event “exists to celebrate the importance and spiritual influence of Pathfinder ministry.” However, the myriad attractions, many miles walked each day, and numerous interactions did much more than that. Through the nightly reenactment of the story of David, the poignant messages

CENTRAL STATES CONFERENCE

About 240 Pathfinders and leaders from Central States Conference attended the International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In addition, a CSC club hosted 73 campers from Kenya.

by guest presenter Pastor Damien Chandler, and the counsel of the many pastors and church leaders who attended, something greater happened. Over 1,300 youth and young adults, including 15 from Central States, accepted that they were chosen, and chose Jesus as their personal Savior. The decisions saw a mass baptism that took place over multiple days. It echoed the move of God during the day of Pentecost. Sister Debbie Jackson from Park Hill Church in Denver summed it up perfectly as she watched some young people from her club walk to the baptismal pool. Simply put, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was worth it,â&#x20AC;? she said.

(l-r) Pathfinder leaders William Ward, Pastor Kory P. Douglas, Pastor Darriel Hoy and Rachel Banks inspire high standards for their clubs (bottom left). Central States Conference leaders celebrate with Pathfinders who chose to be baptized during the Camporee (bottom right).

Kory P. Douglas is director of Youth Ministries for the Central States Conference.

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OCT 2019 11

DAKOTA CONFERENCE

Phyllis Alexander: Ministering to Those in Need

hyllis Alexander of Rapid City, South Dakota, says she asks the Lord to open doors for her, but to not let her walk through them before she says a word for Him. However, things were not always this way. In 1932, Alexander was born to an Adventist family in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, weighing 3 pounds, 2 ounces. She was barely breathing and turning blue as her father prayed, “Thank you for giving us this child for the short time we have her.” But that short time turned into years, as Alexander took a deep breath of life. As she grew up, Alexander’s parents provided her with an

Courtesy Phyllis Alexander

Adventist education when it was available. She attended Bethel Academy’s final year before its closure, then went to Wisconsin Academy’s first year of operation, where she graduated in 1950. “I wanted to be a doctor after I graduated,” she says, “but I knew it would be too expensive, so I decided to become a nurse.” Even becoming a nurse was difficult, so she began by working for a doctor and took LPN classes by correspondence. She trained for her bachelor’s degree at Hinsdale, but had some unpleasant experiences. “I was very hurt,” says Alexander of her experience at Hinsdale.

While working the evening shift, she saw actor Jack Paar on the black and white television saying, “If you want to be loved, wanted and needed, join the Air Force.” So Alexander did just that. “I went to Chicago on the Burlington Railroad and joined the Air Force. I loved everything about it,” she says. However, her lifestyle changed, and she gave up on the Adventist Church. During this time, Alexander met her husband and married in March of 1959. I want to know more about that Thirty-seven years later, Alexander rediscovered her

relationship with the Lord. “My husband came down with leukemia in 1991,” she explains. He had retired after 26 years in the Air Force, and they were stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base outside of Rapid City, South Dakota. He was in and out of treatments and remission, but he eventually said to her, “We have to find a church so we can find a pastor to do my funeral service.” They visited several Sunday churches, but each time he would say, “There is something about that I don’t like.” Alexander said she was directed by the Lord to say, “How about I call the Adventist pastor?” As soon as she said it, she was upset with herself for saying it. She wanted nothing to do with the Adventist Church. They ended up contacting the Adventist pastor, and he came and left a Bible. Her husband’s reaction was, “I want to know more about that.” Pastor Dennis Shafter became their pastor, providing hope on her husband’s deathbed. One day while visiting her husband in the hospital,

During her time as Dakota Conference ACSDR director, Phyllis Alexander worked closely with South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Matthew Michels. 12 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

DAKOTA CONFERENCE

Alexander told her son and daughter to hold their father’s hand and recite the Lord’s Prayer. Alexander had not repeated the Lord’s Prayer in over 35 years. She had never taught it to her children, but they recited it. “When we said, ‘Amen,’ he took his last breath,” says Alexander. Alexander says she would attend church once in a while, but because she smoked three packs a day, she would want to leave before the service was over. However, Pastor Shafter did not give up encouraging her. It also happened that Shafter’s wife worked with Alexander at the hospital and they were good friends. The pastor asked if his wife could practice giving Alexander Bible studies. Alexander agreed. “By the fourth Bible study, I fell in love with Jesus—just like that. He was mine. He had taken care of me all those years.” Several months later, Alexander invited her mother for a visit. When her mother arrived at Alexander’s home, she asked, “What is wrong here? There’s something different.” Alexander explained that she was going to be baptized the next day. At the baptism, Alexander sang Mother’s Prayers Have Followed Me to her mother. In everything, a witness for Christ After she was baptized, the pastor asked Alexander what she would like to do in the church. “Just make something for potluck,” she responded. Before long, though, she became much more involved.

She learned about Adventist Community Services Disaster Response and became the federation president. Then she went to the Red Cross and asked about training and becoming a volunteer. There she became acquainted with the mayor, treasurer and emergency managers of the city. Soon she was invited to their conferences and became involved with the state as well, where she became friends with the governor and vice-governor. She also became involved with several other organizations, including Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and FEMA. The state of South Dakota even sent her to classes three times a year. “In all these places I got to be a witness for Christ,” says Alexander. After 21 years, Alexander retired as an RN in 1993 and began working full time with ACSDR. She became the director in the Dakota Conference and worked in Spencer, South Dakota, after a tornado; twice in Bismarck, North Dakota, after flooding; in Pierre, South Dakota, dealing with the aftermath of flooding; and spent six weeks in Keene, Texas. She also returned to work at the hospital in medical records, retiring again in 2017 due to health concerns. “Not being on site is one of the hardest things for me,” says Alexander. “But I am able to be a consultant for ACSDR.” She is grateful to Pastor Bob Forbes II, who has taken over the physical demands.

There are things in life you wish you didn’t do

Alexander received the Excellence in Action Award for Alexander lives indeCompassion from the Regional pendently but is restricted Health Hospital in Rapid City to an electric wheelchair. in 2016. In June 2019 she was “Gradually, I have had to put honored for having served in all these things in the Lord’s ACSDR 27 years, receiving hands,” says Alexander. “I a plaque from the Dakota have COPD because of all my Conference, appreciation cards, smoking. There are things in and emails from people serving life you wish you didn’t do.” in ACSDR, FEMA, North In April, she spent a month Dakota and South Dakota in the hospital fighting three government Voluntary Agency different pneumonias. “My Liaisons, and South Dakota children were called to my Voluntary Organizations bedside. The doctor said I Active in Disaster. would not live. I was very calm. Thank you, Phyllis, for In my mind I thought, Next your faithful ministry to thing when I open my eyes, I those in need. will see You. Well, He apparently still has something for me Jacquie Biloff is communication director for the Dakota to do,” says Alexander. Conference.

Dakota Conference Women’s Retreat October 25 - 27, 2019 Mandan, North Dakota Register Online at dakotaadventist.org Featured Speaker: Linda Shelton

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OCT 2019 13

IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE

Courtesy Iowa-Missouri Conference

Iowa-Missouri Conference Welcomes Four New Teachers

Julie Abrahamson

our new teachers have joined the Iowa-Missouri Conference for the 2019-20 school year. Julie Abrahamson is the new grades 3-6 teacher at Hillcrest Adventist School in St. Louis, Missouri. She taught at various Adventist schools in Iowa and Missouri from 1994-2017 and had previously served as teacher and/or principal at Hillcrest from 19982003. She and her husband, Kevin, most recently served in the Florida Conference before moving back to Missouri.

Joan Collins Joan Collins is the new principal and grades 3-6 teacher at Springfield Junior Academy in Springfield, Missouri. She served as a teacher and/or principal at Des Moines Adventist School in Des Moines, Iowa, and Westwood Junior Academy in Chesterfield, Missouri, from 1996-2001. Joan retired from the Arizona Conference and moved to the Springfield, Missouri area. Once she arrived, she felt impressed to continue serving and accepted the position at Springfield.

Marian Kelch Marian Kelch is the new principal and K-8 grades teacher at Muscatine Adventist School in Muscatine, Iowa. She and her late husband, Ray, previously served as a ministry couple at the Muscatine Church, and Marian taught at the school from 20112014. She, too, retired to the area and decided to continue serving as an educator once she arrived. Victoria Tobing is the new grades 7-10 teacher at Springfield. She’s a

Victoria Tobing California native but spent several summers in IowaMissouri as a member of the student literature evangelism team. Victoria is a 2016 graduate of Union College and most recently served as K-12 chaplain and academy religion teacher at Orangewood Academy in Garden Grove, California. Joe Allison is education superintendent for the Iowa-Missouri Conference.

In Other News There’s a lot more happening in Iowa-Missouri than will fit on these two pages each month. Visit imsda.org to read stories such as: • 3 Angels SDA Company in Belton, Missouri, Opens Food Pantry • Former Iowa-Missouri Education Superintendent Duane Barnett Passes Away • Gladstone Church Celebrates 50 Years of Ministry in Kansas City • Macon Church Moves Annual Health Expo to Recently Renovated Better Living Center • Nixa Church Upgrades Tech to Better Connect with Guests

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IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE

Miracle Allows Iowa-Missouri Pathfinders to Attend Oshkosh

he said. Anna agreed, having realized that the kids needed opportunities to experience something different. Aadesh invited five of his friends to join the group, and they came up with the name New Change for Youth (NC4Y). Friends invited friends, and before long Anna was leading a large group of kids. They played soccer together and won first place in a tournament. When Iowa-Missouri Conference leaders suggested starting a Pathfinder club, Anna hesitated. “The group isn’t associated with any church, and most of the youth are not Christian,” she pointed out. Some were Buddhist, some Hindu. “Besides, I don’t know much about Pathfinders!” That’s when she was introduced to Anne Wham, a retired youth director for Dakota Conference, who has a heart for all youth. That first year the club consisted of 36 Nepali kids. Soon there were 54 Pathfinders representing eight different countries. And miraculously, in answer to prayer, God sent families who spoke the

languages needed to join the leadership team. Dreaming of Oshkosh With a truly international club, the NC4Y team created a budget and realized they would need $36,000 to go to the 2019 Chosen International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin—enough for tickets, tents, uniforms, transportation and food. They had $10,000, so they still lacked $26,000. Again the staff prayed, wondering if going to Oshkosh was worth that amount of money. But Anna explained, “The environment where the kids live is full of crime, drugs and gangs. We felt convicted that a week away from this, seeing something different, could change their lives and help them know they belong to something big.” They decided that if God opened the door, they would

go. That’s when the CEO of AdventHealth Shawnee Mission told Anna about a couple in the Kansas City area who invest in young people. A meeting was set up for March, but by then the Camporee tickets had all been sold. “If God can provide the money, He can provide the tickets,” Anna’s mom told her. So they went forward with the meeting, and 24 hours later the couple completed the entire budget. Then, through much prayer and another miracle, the tickets were obtained. “Every step has been impossible,” says Anna, the missionary to Nepal and Kansas City. “But God provides at just the right time and when you need it most.” Lori Peckham is a communication professor at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Read the full story online at outlookmag.org.

Courtesy North American Division

uring Anna Coridan’s freshman year at Union College, she signed up to be a student missionary and God opened the door for her to go to Nepal. Her year there turned into an inspiring adventure, and she determined to return to Nepal after she completed her education. In 2014, after graduating from Union with a bachelor’s in nursing, she immediately landed a job at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Kansas. But she didn’t forget her love for Nepal. One Sabbath some friends strongly encouraged Anna to introduce herself to children at a park who were from Nepal and with whom they played soccer. As Anna began to talk to them, one Nepali girl introduced Anna to her mother, and they decided to get together the next day to cook some native Nepali dishes. After spending eight hours with that family—and feeling like she’d spent a day in Nepal—Anna began to cry. “Here I’ve been praying to go back to Nepal and not seeing the people in front of me,” she realized. New Change for Youth And so Anna began her next mission adventure—in Kansas City. She soon made another new friend, a teen boy named Aadesh. “We should start a youth group,”

See the NC4Y club in action. Adventhealth.com/ NC4Ypathfinders

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OCT 2019 15

KANSAS-NEBRASKA CONFERENCE

Kansas-Nebraska Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministries presents:

October 25 - 27, 2019 Welcoming Ages 14-114 Quality Inn & Conference Center Grand Island, NE

Main Sessions: Courage for the Call Character for the Call Confidence for the Call Commitment for the Call

Visit www.ks-ne.org/womensministries or call 785.478.4726 16 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

KANSAS-NEBRASKA CONFERENCE

bout four percent of Boy Scouts make Eagle Scout, and the percentage of Pathfinders who achieve Master Guide is roughly the same. Both of these are daunting tasks. But don’t tell that to Chapel Oaks member Dakota Hancock. Invested as a Master Guide at the 2019 International Pathfinder Camporee, he has now completed the top rank in both the Boy Scouts of America and Pathfinders within the past two years. Thanks to his dedication and hard work, Dakota has become a leader in both groups. In Scouting he has served as Den Chief, and is currently a member of

the Order of the Arrow and Mic-O-Say. In Pathfinders, he is beginning his third year in the TLT program with the Explorers Pathfinder Club. Club director Jason Hansen says, “Now that he has completed his Master Guide, Dakota will be given more responsibilities leading out in club activities, and leading in the TLT training program.” Dakota says he has learned a lot from the two programs, with each enriching the experience of the other. As an official instructor of the Scouts’ Leave No Trace program, he was able to lead out in directing a similar program with Pathfinders. Looking at what he has learned about life through

Dave Fairchild

Hugh Davis

Hancock Achieves Top Rank in Scouts and Pathfinders

Dakota Hancock (pictured with his family), who was invested as a Master Guide at the 2019 Pathfinder Camporee, has completed the top rank in both Pathfinders and Boy Scouts of America. completing more than 120 Scout merit badges and more than 170 Pathfinder honors, Dakota says with a smile, “Youth programs give you an insight of what your future has the potential to be.”

With this type of leadership in place, the future of the church looks very bright. Dave Fairchild is a member of the Chapel Oaks Church in Kansas City.

Bread Ministry at Capitol View Church eresa Thompson rediscovered her love for kneading and baking bread in August 2018, which gave her the idea of starting a bread baking business like the one she owned 30 years earlier while living in Idaho. When she had owned her business in Idaho, though, her joy had come from baking the bread, not from selling it. So instead of selling her bread, she decided to give it away. Lucy Cisneros, the pastor’s wife at Capitol View Church, encouraged her in this. She reminded her that Ellen G. White said, “There is more religion in a good loaf

of bread than many think” (Counsels on Health, p. 117). Soon Thompson was giving away 8-12 loaves of bread every week. She used her bread to encourage visitors to return, thank people for their contribution to the church service, or just help members who maybe needed a spiritual boost that week—some even struggling financially. Pastor Hubert Cisneros began taking loaves of bread with him on his neighborhood visits, finding that doors open wide for a pastor who brings delicious bread. Church members have donated money for the

ingredients to keep this ministry going, and Thompson is determined to keep up with the baking. God continues to give her strength, and she believes there’s a need for this personal ministry at her church. Just like Thompson with her bread ministry, each of us can partner in ministry with God in some way by using our everyday skills to help build His kingdom. This article was written by a guest contributor from the Capitol View Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Courtesy Kansas-Nebraska Conference

Thompson has kneaded over 200 loaves of bread by hand this year. Her recipe is online at www.teresataste. blogspot.com. OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT 2019 17

MINNESOTA CONFERENCE

Minnesota Drum Corps Teams Compete at Pathfinder Camporee

ore than 600 Pathfinders, parents, staff and visitors from the Minnesota Conference attended the 2019 International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they enjoyed the spiritual atmosphere and wonderful social opportunities. “It was fabulous to see the campsite fill with our Pathfinders throughout the week,” said Minnesota Conference youth director Shelina Bonjour. As of Friday night, 23

people from Minnesota were baptized, with additional baptisms taking place on Sabbath after the evening program. “Our final numbers are still pouring in, and we praise the Lord that these Pathfinders have committed their lives to Him,” said Bonjour. The event was hugely impactful, with more than 1,300 Pathfinders baptized of the 56,000 people in attendance. On Wednesday, the MidAmerica Union Conference and other unions joined together to parade down

Celebration Way. Each club dressed in their Class A uniforms and lined up with their conference. “It was an incredible opportunity to see the formation and precision of all our clubs working together with the conference, the MAUC, and other unions from around the world,” shared Bonjour. A parade took place each day, with an average of 7,000 Pathfinders marching together. “As we marched down Celebration Way,” recalled Bonjour, “It was a

Photos Courtesy Minnesota Conference

The Minneapolis Prophets junior drill team and freestyle drill team both placed first, and their drum corps team placed second in the competitions at the International Pathfinder Camporee.

18 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

delight to see bystanders stop and cheer for the Minnesota Conference.” Because Minnesota has the only drum corps teams (Southview and Minneapolis First Churches) in the union, the MAUC asked the Minneapolis Prophets to lead the union in the parade. “As a thank you gift for their hard work, the MAUC gifted the members of the Minneapolis Prophets drum corps with white gloves,” said Bonjour. The drum corps, along with marching and drilling teams from throughout Minnesota, competed in the drilling competition on Friday afternoon. “The kids work on these drilling routines for months,” said Bonjour. “We got a sneak preview of their routines in May during the Pathfinder Fair, and it was a delight to see how much they improved.” Minnesota had three clubs compete: Faith Warriors, Light of the World and The Prophets. The Minneapolis Prophets, from Minneapolis First Church, had three teams competing in the drilling competition: a junior drill team made up of the Friends class, a freestyle drill team, and the drum corps. “Our club has had a tradition of competing at Oshkosh since we began the drum corps in 2009,” shared Zachary Migiro, Pathfinder club director. In 2009, the drum corps didn’t get

MINNESOTA CONFERENCE

Twin Cities African Camp Meeting Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

he Minnesota Twin Cities African Camp Meeting convenes each July. This year marked the 10-year anniversary for African camp meeting, and it was celebrated on Sabbath with special dedicatory prayers offered by Dr. Carlton Byrd from Breath of Life Ministries. This year’s camp meeting brought a record crowd, with a Sabbath attendance of nearly 3,000. The 2019 TCACM had nine speakers who presented on different topics. The topics focused on four specific areas: 1. Preaching: Dr. Baraka Muganda, former General Conference youth director, shared the daytime sermons, and Dr. Byrd

conducted a nightly evangelistic campaign. 2. Teaching: Pastor Leakey Nyaberi led a Bible study, Pastor Karen Lewis taught a sanctuary message, Pastor Michael Sims and Elder Joshua Ongoro championed a message about stewardship, and Sister Lenda George and Dinah Monyancha taught about family life. 3. Healing: Sister Deborah Ogeto presented a health program that affirmed Biblical principles of wellbeing of the whole person. 4. Discipling: Nineteen souls gave their lives to Jesus during a baptism on Sabbath. The children’s ministries also had a vibrant, weeklong

program with rotation stations focusing on Bible study, health, crafts, nature, games and outreach. We thank God for the 2019 TCACM, which was led by a team of board members under the chairmanship of

first place, but after a few years of hard work, they took first place in 2014. As it is five years between camporees, it is rare the club will have Pathfinders who attended a camporee continue to be in the drum corps at the next camporee. “This year, we started from zero. We had no kids who carried over from before,” said Migiro. “Additionally, the previous drum corps director moved away, so we had to find a parent to take over.” During the school year, the drum corps and drill teams practice one to two times per week. “It takes a lot of time from both the kids and the parents,”

said Migiro. “During the summer, in preparation for camporee, we held a sixweek boot camp. The kids practiced Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week.” The marching and drilling competition is graded similarly to Pathfinder Bible Experience. The teams are scored against a rubric and receive a placement based on how well they complete required tasks, such as saluting, marching in sync and turning either in flank or column march. This year, the Minneapolis Prophets placed first with their junior drill team and their freestyle drill team,

and placed second with their drum corps team. “It was a positive experience overall,” said Migiro. “Having a drum corps helps kids in the church get excited about joining the Pathfinder club.” The Minneapolis Prophets also use the drum corps as an outreach tool. Each year, they march at the Minnesota State Fair. They marched in Class A uniform on Aug. 25, and marched in their club T-shirts on Sept. 1. “We are invited to other community events as well,” said Migiro. “We cut it down during camporee years, though, because it gets to be too much otherwise.”

Pastor Eric Mokua. The 2019 TCACM was one of the best camp meetings we have held. Nelly Torori is secretary for TCACM planning committee and a member of the Mount of Blessings Church.

The TCACM mirrors a tradition practiced in Africa where churches convene daily for one week each year.

Shelina Bonjour summarized the 2019 Chosen Camporee by saying it was a fabulous experience. “We saw our youth meeting Jesus and giving their lives to Him,” she said. “We saw our kids learning new skills, meeting people from around the world, playing together, learning together and having a wonderful time celebrating the fact that they were chosen by God. We’re already fired up for the 2024 Believe the Promise Camporee!” Savannah Carlson is assistant director of communication for the Minnesota Conference.

OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT 2019 19

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE

GVR Staff Build Culture of Home for Campers

ummer camp is finished for the year, but Glacier View Ranch staff members often think back to their best memories of the summer. For many, that begins with training week. Multiple icebreakers and team-building exercises break down barriers, helping to create the feeling of “home,” which was GVR’s theme. Hannah Kern, GVR’s camp nurse intern, said the best part of training week was getting together and seeing what type of culture would be created. When the campers come, it is an amazing experience, but training week and the culture created then has the ability to make or break the rest of the summer. GVR was blessed this year with amazing staff, and those staff members took it upon themselves to make the camp the best it could be. The staff members left camp this year knowing they reached kids for eternity and made lifelong friends.

Boulder Church Continues 140year Legacy

oulder Church recently marked its 140year anniversary. It was organized in 1879, making it the oldest Adventist congregation in Colorado. Members initially met in the home of Henry Pierce at 905 Arapahoe Avenue. The present church was built in 1949 on the southeast corner of the original Boulder-Colorado Sanitarium and Hospital property.

Students Make a Difference in Kenya

ent Kast led a group—including five Campion Academy students and more than 30 others—on a mission trip of a lifetime to Nairobi, Kenya, June 20 to July 2. Their primary purpose was to complete the walls on the second floor of Imara Daima Adventist School, located in a poor neighborhood in Nairobi, which enrolls about 700 students.

20 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

Photos Courtesy Rocky Mountain Conference

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE

Fifteen RMC Pathfinders Baptized at Camporee Jamie Mira was baptized at the International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh along with more than 1,300 other Pathfinders from around the world.

he 2019 Chosen International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, brought together over 56,000 young people from throughout North America and 100 countries, making it one of the largest gatherings of the church. Among them were 581 Pathfinders from Rocky

Mountain Conference. Baptisms were one of the biggest features of this extraordinary event. Jamie Mira, a Pathfinder from Denver South Hispanic, was among the more than 1,300 baptized at the camporee. Jamie’s parents have been Pathfinder area coordinators for many years, and her older

sister Betsy was one of RMC’s teen reps. Betsy was baptized at the previous International Pathfinder Camporee. “Jamie has been like a granddaughter to us since she was born. She loves Papa Don so much, and he was honored to baptize her,” said Christine Register Hill, who is Papa Don King’s wife and

co-Pathfinder director for RMC. “Also, one of the RMC Pathfinders was baptized by her grandfather, and many were baptized by their fathers,” she added. Stories on these pages provided by RMCNews. Read the full versions online at outlookmag.org.

Prayers and Donations Keep Worland’s SonShine Academy Open

he Worland Church has approximately 20 attending members, yet by God’s grace the church has been able to operate a school

for the past 30 years. The question of how the school will remain open reappears each year. But God hears their pleas and provides in

miraculous ways. This summer Traci Pike, a member of the Casper Church, felt impressed to make an appeal for SonShine from the pulpit at Wyoming camp meeting. Hearts were moved, and pledge cards were filled out and turned in. Even after camp meeting was over, SonShine Academy continued to receive pledge cards in the mail. “Our church family has been moved beyond words,” said Annette Treat, teacher at Sonshine Academy. “Because so many

individuals listened and responded to the Lord’s call, SonShine Academy has been able to keep its doors open and witness to the children and families in our community.” Currently, only two of the nine students enrolled are Adventists. Gratitude goes to the churches in the Big Horn Basin who have given sacrificially to SonShine Academy. “Above all, we are grateful to the Lord. He is good and faithful to those who serve Him!” added Treat.

OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT 2019 21

MID-AMERICA UNION NEWS

Bad Weather Brings Compassionate Responses Serving others during times of disaster

Jody Dickhaut

his spring the Midwest experienced unprecedented levels of rain, resulting in one of the longest lasting Mississippi floods in our generation. The river didn’t reach record-breaking height levels, but it has shattered all its length of time records for being at or above flood stage. As of July 1, the Mississippi River was at or above flood stage for 107 consecutive days, breaking the previous record of 104 days in 1993. As flood waters from the Mississippi River moved outside its banks, rose up flood walls and crept across fields and valleys, millions of acres of farmland were covered, bringing many farms to a devastating halt, putting levies and communities at risk, covering roadways and causing mass evacuations. While Missouri saw devastation from the Mississippi River, other states saw

22 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

disaster from their own waterways. And although catastrophe has cut many people down, church families in Mid-America have been able to help each other—and their communities—up again.

Since the breach, there have been manhunts to find missing persons, cleanups to bring homes and basements back to functionality, water trucks bringing in water from nearby farm wells, and rebuilds. Rolling in just days after Dam breach leads to the disaster, however, was Stuff the Bus event a group of Christians from On March 14, due to Skyview Learning Academy high levels of precipitation near Lincoln, Nebraska. The combined with snowmelt dam breach occurred early on and ice breakage affecting a Thursday, and by Saturday the Niobrara River, the morning at 8 am, Mick and Spencer Dam was breached Michele Ray, founders and in the early morning hours. administrators of Skyview The dam breach resulted Learning Academy, were at in an 11-foot wall of water a local Super Saver grocery that destroyed or damaged store with a 72-passenger bus everything in its path, includ- and eight volunteers. ing homes, roads, bridges They planned a Stuff the and businesses. The water Bus event, advertised it for pipeline running beneath one day, and showed up the Niobrara River bed was early Saturday morning. By destroyed as well, and the 10 am, the bus was halfaffected 2,000 citizens are filled, and they were calling without potable water—and for more help. expected to remain without Throughout the day, volwater until Christmas. unteers from local churches,

friends, colleagues and even strangers trucked donations to a nearby staging area as carts filled with donations came in. Volunteers accepted, sorted, and moved goods ranging from cases of bottled water, paper towels, toothbrushes and more piece by piece with no pallets and no forklifts. Thanks to local television and radio stations, the community of Lincoln had a tangible way to help the people of Lynch, Nebraska, the rural town selected to receive the goods. By the end of the first day, one load of supplies went to Lynch in a single pickup truck pulling an enclosed trailer. The next day they were ready to send a semitrailer full. Students of all ages helped load and unload donations, fill semis, haul cases of water and more. Together with Lynch residents, the Skyview team unloaded and organized

MID-AMERICA UNION NEWS

Photos Courtesy Skyview Learning Academy

goods, building friendships with complete strangers. When the community of Lynch was overwhelmed with donations, they were sent to neighboring communities, including Spencer, for which the dam was named. A week after the dam breach, Michele Ray approached a local Menards home improvement store and was given permission to host a donation event at their location. This began the push for rebuilding materials for the affected communities. By the end of May two semi loads of carpeting were sent to Nebraska communities, following sheetrock, work equipment, and retail gift cards to help the community work toward normalcy. The Rays laugh when looking back on this project, which began as a quick brainstorm and rapidly grew into something larger than either of them expected. Together they reminisce about how many aspects of the whole project were only made possible through God’s will. Some of the drivers were people they had never met and didn’t even know their names. Many of the cash donations were pressed into

their hands by strangers in a supermarket. From that first idea to the companies and crews who volunteered time, equipment and products, God’s work was seen by everyone. In all, 222,000 pounds of disaster relief items were collected and distributed and $4,000 was donated to the Lynch Volunteer Fire Department.

water and personal care items to put together 300 kits for Jefferson City victims. These kits include everything a person needs to care for their personal hygiene for a number of days. Jefferson City mayor Carrie Tergin traveled to the Iowa-Missouri camp meeting to express thanks on behalf of the capital city for the disaster relief efforts of the Adventist Church. During the camp Partnerships benefit meeting week, everyone in residents after Missouri attendance was able to help tornadoes and floods by bringing items with them The same conditions which which the youth department led the Niobrara River to assembled into 250 flood swell and breach the Spencer cleanup buckets. Dam also wreaked havoc in Adventist Community Missouri and Kansas. Rains Services also made the news that came often and heavy in June when the Inside the left Missouri Adventist Walls concert was canCommunity Services director celed at the Missouri State Jody Dickhaut very busy Penitentiary after tornado last spring. Missouri ACS damage made the event Disaster Relief has particimpossible. In its place, ipated in various efforts to Missouri ACS partnered with benefit flood and tornado the United Way to collect victims since April, including donations at the Jaycee multi-agency resource cenFairgrounds. ters in Rock Port, St. Joseph, The MOACSDR team, led and Mound City, Missouri, by Dickhaut, is one of the where they have served over most active ACS departments 1,200 families. in the Mid-American Union In addition, the Greentree and often works with other Christian Church in Rolla, relief agencies to reach the Missouri, collected enough most people. One example of

this partnership is a distribution and donation site in Jefferson City that continued to serve tornado victims in Central Missouri from late May until mid-July. To date, the MOACSDR operations have secured nearly $750,000 in donated items to help Cole and Miller county residents in the wake of flooding and tornadoes this spring and summer. At this point in the process, agencies begin to move from relief to recovery, focusing on whatever the people need to rebuild and recover, just like those in the Nebraska flooding. We have this hope When someone loses all they have on this earth, when health is threatened, or when disaster strikes, whether through natural order or at the hands of men, you have an opportunity to show God’s love too. You may be the hope that your neighbor needs to see after their personal or public disaster. Rachel Ashworth lives in Sikeston, Missouri, and regularly writes on a variety of topics for outlookmag.org.

The MOACSDR operations have secured nearly $750,000 in donated items to help Cole and Miller county, Missouri, residents in the wake of flooding and tornadoes (opposite page). In addition, 222,000 pounds of disaster relief items were collected and distributed and $4,000 was donated to the Lynch Volunteer Fire Department through Skyview Learning Academy’s Stuff the Bus event. OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT 2019 23

UNION COLLEGE

A Calling That Led Back Home

ome moments in our lives leave indelible marks on our memories. If we close our eyes, we can recapture the feelings they invoked. For Jason Woll, answering the call to ministry is one of those vivid memories. “One night when I couldn’t sleep, I stayed up all night praying,” said the 2019 graduate. “I prayed, God tell me what to do.” The next morning God did. Before this call to ministry, though, Woll was certain of his path. He enjoys working with his hands, and he likes cars. After finishing high school, he planned to attend a trade school and become an

auto mechanic. But God had another plan. When Woll bought a car of his own and began working on it, he realized he wasn’t called to be an auto mechanic. Like many of us, he faced the big question: What am I going to do with my life? This crisis brought on that sleepless night when he cried out to God for guidance. God answered—immediately. The very next morning, Woll’s pastor suggested he enroll in an online ministry program. But the prayer God answered wasn’t just Woll’s. His decision to accept God’s call was an answer to

North Dakota native Jason Woll was offered a job as a pastor in the Dakota Conference after completing a pastoral internship at the Bismarck Church during his senior year.

24 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG OCT 2019

a much older prayer as well. Two pastors in the Dakota Conference prayed for years for a student who would return home to minister. God’s answer to Woll seemed instantaneous, but in reality God spent years preparing him. During Woll’s sophomore year in high school, Brad Gienger, the pastor at Dakota Adventist Academy, saw something special in him. Gienger recognized Woll’s heart for ministry, and spoke with him about the possibility of studying to be a pastor, but Woll wasn’t ready to listen yet. God is patient, though, and when Woll was finally ready to listen, God called again. Even after Woll realized the online ministry program wasn’t the right fit, he recognized the voice of God calling him to ministry. After high school, Woll enrolled at Union College and began his degree in theology. Throughout his four years at Union he never once questioned his calling. “Friends would ask me,” said Woll, “‘If you could do anything else—anything you wanted—what would it be?’ I had no answer. I knew I was called to ministry.” His choice of schools was also God-led. Like all of Union’s theology majors, he was required to do a semester-long internship during his senior year. Union’s groundbreaking pastoral internship program immerses seniors in a community for an entire semester where a pastor/mentor is

assigned to guide the student. Many students complete their internship close to Lincoln, Nebraska, but Woll knew he wanted to return home to the Dakota Conference. He was placed in the Bismarck Adventist Church in North Dakota, where he assisted Pastor Tyler Bower. The conference provided a duplex on the academy campus 15 minutes from the church. “It was great to be off Union’s campus,” said Woll. “I found it extremely beneficial to focus on ministry and not worry about school.” Woll’s semester spent in ministry was edifying. Pastor Bower guided him and allowed him to lead. He gave Woll opportunities to experience the life of a pastor—and it’s not all potlucks and preaching. “Pastor Bower was open and honest about the issues and conflicts that happen in the church,” admitted Woll. “It was eye-opening, and I learned a great deal.” His pastoral internship didn’t simply teach Woll about the job and its challenges; it gave him a glimpse into his own heart for ministry. That semester was a time of self-discovery and personal growth. He found he delighted in one-on-one Bible studies, and his passion for youth ministries was reinforced. “One of my favorite experiences was with a student from Dakota Adventist Academy,” Woll said. “Once we started the Bible study, it was exciting to see the

UNION COLLEGE

A Soldier Fights for His (New) Life

aleb Woods, a military veteran and freshman international rescue and relief major, tells about his first day at Union College.

college campus. During freshman orientation, the speakers talked about finding our path and discovering our purpose. It was a strange sensation to sit among People always ask me what 18- and 19-year-old students while many declared that this makes me most nervous was their first time away from about starting college. I home. There was so much usually say moving to a new place by myself. innocence and hope, but I In reality, being in school couldn’t help but feel like I’ve and sitting in a classroom already lived out my purpose. more than 10 years after Something Rich Carlson high school terrifies me. As wrote in his first “Good a 30-year-old and a combat Morning Union” message veteran, I don’t think I’ve ever stuck with me, though, and felt more out of place than I can’t shake it despite my sitting behind these multicol- ongoing resistance to everyored (and undersized) desks thing religious. He wrote: here at Union. I pray that you will take this I’ve been to war several first day experience and use it times. During the years I as an opportunity to, in a way, was deployed, it felt like I got start over; start again; stop to know Afghanistan better fretting over the past and look than I know my hometown of forward to an amazing future. Chicago. It’s hard to explain, These are simple words, but and it doesn’t make sense to they impacted me more than most people, but I feel more I expected. I’ve been living in comfortable under enemy fire the past, dwelling on what I than in the relative safety of a used to be instead of what is in

As a career soldier, Caleb Woods found facing a new calling far scarier than any combat situation. student’s growth. It was great for me too, because I was able to feed myself for the day through the Bible study. Throughout the experience, I saw growth in the student and in myself.” Woll’s time at the Bismarck Church prepared him for a future in ministry. “It was an amazing experience,” Woll shared. “I appreciated the opportunity to learn what

actually happens in a church. Being in a classroom is great and important, but being able to apply those things in the field was invaluable.” Woll’s enthusiasm and commitment to ministry did not go unnoticed. When the president of the Dakota Conference came to talk with the junior and senior theology majors, he offered Woll a job. Woll was the student

front of me. My thoughts have been consumed with the military every waking moment of every day since I enlisted. I will never forget what I learned in the army, and I’ll never forget my experiences in Afghanistan—both good and bad. I’m doing my best to move forward, though, and begin “cultivating a life of the soul,” as my dad puts it. My palms are a little

sweaty, and my hands are shaking because I’m not usually one to tell how I feel. But I’m doing my best to follow Pastor Rich’s advice, and I’m doing my best to let go of the past and look forward to an amazing future. Caleb Woods is a freshman international rescue and relief major at Union College.

Photos Courtesy Union College

the two pastors had prayed for years to return home and serve in the Dakota Conference. Jason Woll graduated in May 2019 with a B.A. in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Languages. His life in ministry began this fall when he was assigned to be associate pastor of the district in central North Dakota including the Mandan,

Turtle Lake and McCluskey churches under the mentorship of Pastor Harold Chin. His advice to theology students approaching their senior year is, “Go off campus for your student pastoring. It is so beneficial.” Trena Reed is a Union College graduate and freelance writer based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

OUTLOOKMAG.ORG

OCT 2019 25

ADVENTHEALTH SHAWNEE MISSION

Spiritual Ambassadors Bring Comfort and Hope at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

heresa Watkins began emailing her team members this year to ask for prayer requests. A radiology data coordinator at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, she and others in the department divide up a list of 150 radiology staff to make sure everyone is prayed for every quarter. They let their team members know that they’ll be praying for them and asked if they had any special requests. “People are so appreciative that someone is there for them,” says Watkins. “I had a couple people tell me the email came at an opportune time, because they had a struggle in their lives or with their families.” Watkins reaches out to her fellow team members as part of the Spiritual Ambassador program at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission. Through the program, she helps give

spiritual ambassadors and helped to advance the hospital’s mission in extending the healing ministry of Christ. “They saw themselves as ambassadors to come alongside people’s journeys and be able to minister through prayer and spiritual counseling,” says Torres. Today, Torres estimates there are about 5,000 spiritual ambassadors at AdventHealth facilities. He visits the hospitals to help provide training and guidance for those who Getty Images volunteer for the program. Spiritual ambassadors are emotional and spiritual supencouraged to find ways to port in times of need. serve the needs of team mem“Our goals are to build bers as well as the community. trust, create community “It’s about building intenand foster hope,” says Mark tional relationships,” says Stoddart, administrative Torres. “That means listening director of spiritual wellness to other people’s stories and at AdventHealth Shawnee being a part of their journey Mission. “A spiritual ambas- so when they’re in a difficult sador works to facilitate a moment, they know they have safe place where people can someone there for them.” be themselves.” During the presentations, Torres talks about serving Coming alongside three basic human needs: spiritual journeys trust, belonging and hope. “We have to earn the The program was started 17 respect of others in our relayears ago at AdventHealth’s tionships,” says Torres. “A spirflagship hospital in Florida, itual ambassador should be AdventHealth Orlando. Back someone who has an outlook then, nurses at the hospiof peace and joy to create a tal approached their chief positive, enriching experience nursing officer to ask if they for team members.” could pray for those who Spiritual ambassadors needed spiritual support, should also be trustworthy says Sergio Torres, manager and make all team members for spiritual ambassadors feel like they belong, he adds. at AdventHealth. Those That starts with accepting 25 nurses became the first differences, including religious

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OUTLOOK – October 2019

Articles inside

A Soldier Fights for His (New) Life

Spiritual Ambassadors Bring Comfort and Hope at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission

Oh We Are The Pathfinder Strong

Prayers and Donations Keep Worland's SonShine Academy Open

Fifteen RMC Pathfinders Baptized at Camporee

Students Make a Difference in Kenya

GVR Staff Build Culture of Home for Campers

Twin Cities African Camp Meeting Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

Minnesota Drum Corps Teams Compete at Pathfinder Camporee

Bread Ministry at Capitol View

Hancock Achieves Top Rank in Scouts and Pathfinders

Miracle Allows Iowa-Missouri Pathfinders to Attend Oshkosh

Iowa-Missouri Conference Welcomes Four New Teachers

Phyllis Alexander: Ministering to Those in Need

CSC Pathfinders Celebrate International Camporee Experience

Pathfinders: A Spirit of Evangelism