In countless meetings, I've encountered the recurring phrases: "We don't do it like that," "We've never done it this way before" and "We prefer the old approach." These sentiments are all too familiar within the realm of leadership. This resistance to change isn’t a new phenomenon. Even Joshua grappled with such attitudes among the Israelites as [...]
Two members of Walla Walla University’s Engineers Without Borders club and three faculty sponsors made their second assessment trip to Tanzania in early September 2023 as part of their long-term water supply project in the village of Manda. The team prioritized collecting data and forging strong connections with Manda locals. Intending to provide Manda residents [...]
In the Salem, Oregon, area, members of East Salem Adventist Church have been hard at work serving their community. “We’ve already completed 57 projects so far this year,” shared Derrick Teague, one of the founding members of the ACTS group. ACTS, which is an acronym standing for Affirming Community Through Service, takes inspiration from the [...]
“Our success will be in proportion to their belief in our belief in, and appreciation of, them.”1 If our primary objective is to make other Adventist believers, we will spend all of our energy making people conform to our theological opinions. However, if we believe that every human we encounter is worthy of receiving the [...]
Around Christmas 2022, my family and I were in Georgia visiting my brother-in-law, Jeff Sutton, who runs a mission training school in Belize called MOVE. We discussed ways to inspire young people to service while equipping them with skills to prepare them for wherever God would lead them. We also talked about our mutual desire [...]
What happens when a church leans into its members' talents? It creates programs with tremendous potential. In Seattle, many young adults don’t know the love of Jesus. Refuge Adventist Church designed its ministry outreach for young adults who didn’t grow up in a Christian environment. The church invests in the quality of the worship experience. [...]
Amidst the backdrop of a crisp autumn evening, the air buzzed with excitement as the community gathered not for a typical Halloween festivity, but for an alternative celebration that promised to be both meaningful and jubilant. Hallowed Be Thy Name, hosted by Sharon Adventist Church, created a family-friendly atmosphere that steered away from the traditional [...]
The doorbell kept ringing at my hosts’ house as a dozen guests arrived. In my recent visit to New England for a convention, I arranged to visit my family of faith who had supported me in my formative high school years. The gathered guests were a sampling of the people who readily accepted me when [...]
Upper Columbia Conference prayer ministries began a remarkable project that is impacting the lives of many of its constituents. The prayer blanket ministry began with the goal of providing a blanket to each church and school in the conference. “When the idea of this project was brought to me, I felt so impressed that this [...]
Pain and suffering are experiences that everyone on earth has in common. No one is immune to them. The attacks in Ukraine and Israel are causing incredible amounts of suffering and death. Our hearts should be moved to do something. We can support humanitarian relief. We can encourage diplomacy between the nations to help bring [...]
