Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

07 Apr

CAMPION ACADEMY MUSIC DEPARTMENT TOURS IN NEW MEXICO

Alexandra Cordoba – Loveland, Colorado … The touring ensembles—Koinonia choir, Handbells, and Jazz Band—from Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, embarked on their highly anticipated music tour, March 27-30, performing at schools and churches in both Colorado and New Mexico.

The first stop was a performance at Vista Ridge Academy in Erie, Colorado. Campion students delivered their Pop’s concert songs to an audience of middle school students. After this performance, they hit the road for the eight-hour journey to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A highlight of the trip was a stop for lunch at the Olympic Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the group had the chance to tour the Olympic Training Center.

The next morning, the Campion music groups performed for Sandía View Academy in Corrales, New Mexico. Their performance was so well received that the audience requested an encore.

Senior student Toby Quillin, who performed in all three ensembles, reflected on the experience: “I really enjoyed performing for everyone. It was inspiring to minister to others through music in three different ways.”

Following the performance, Campion students had the opportunity to unwind with four hours of fun at Main Event, a gaming center with an arcade, bowling, and laser tag.

Later that evening, they held a vespers concert for Albuquerque Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here they debuted Koinonia’s newest sacred song, “Moses.”

The next morning, students traveled to AdventLife Church in Santa Fe, where they led part of the church’s Sabbath service.

The tour wrapped up on Sunday when the group traveled back to the Campion Academy campus. Junior student Izuchi Nwankwo reflected on the experience, saying, “It was fun to journey for the Lord, keeping steadfast faith even when we weren’t sure what would happen next. It was a powerful experience that greatly strengthened my faith.”

—Alexandra Cordoba, Campion Academy Student News student Editor. Photos supplied.

07 Apr

ADVENTHEALTH LITTLETON RECEIVES SECOND MAGNET DESIGNATION

AdventHealth – Littleton, Colorado … AdventHealth Littleton is honored to receive its second American Nurses’ Credentialing Center Magnet designation from the Commission of Magnet. The Magnet designation is given to hospitals that are considered to be the gold standard for nursing practice and innovation.

AdventHealth Littleton was recognized for exemplary practices and outcomes including:

AdventHealth Littleton’s nursing leadership mentorship program was recognized for not only supporting new nurse leaders but also supporting retention. With the program, AdventHealth Littleton has seen a 92.3% nurse leader retention rate.
83.25% of registered nurses at AdventHealth Littleton hold a baccalaureate degree or higher.
AdventHealth Littleton’s efforts to reduce Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs) and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) have resulted in 100% of inpatient units outperforming the national benchmark for the majority of eight quarters.
AdventHealth Littleton also outperformed the benchmark for patients left without being seen in the emergency department, surgical errors in the ambulatory setting, and for its patient experience data.

The Commission noted that AdventHealth Littleton demonstrated the qualities of a Magnet culture with its transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, and an ongoing commitment to nursing excellence.

“A Magnet designation is an award that reflects our entire hospital, and I want to thank our nurses for taking the profession so seriously and for doing incredible work every day,” said Rick Dodds, President & CEO of AdventHealth Littleton. “Participating in Magnet is a way of saying we want to be better than average. It takes intentionality to be the best, and this designation is a reflection of AdventHealth Littleton’s work to become a preeminent hospital.”

AdventHealth Littleton is one of only 18 hospitals in Colorado to receive the prestigious Magnet designation. Congratulations on this incredible achievement!

—AdventHealth. Republished with permission from the AdventHealth The Newsroom website, March 24,2025, article. Photo supplied.

03 Apr

IGLESIAS HISPANAS DE RMC SE UNEN EN MILE HIGH ACADEMY PARA UN “DÍA DE LA HERMANDAD”

Hugo Guillén – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … El pasado 29 de Marzo del 2025 se llevó a cabo un evento especial que unió a varias iglesias de la obra hispana del área metropolitana de Denver.

El Sábado, denominado como “Día de la Hermandad”, tuvo como propósito principal promover la educación adventista entre la comunidad hispana. El mismo Departamento de Educación de nuestra conferencia apoyó el evento con la presencia de sus directores y equipo de trabajo que estuvieron listos para compartir información importante con los hermanos interesados en registrar a sus hijos en una de nuestras escuelas.

Tuvimos la oportunidad de escuchar la predicación por parte de la presidente de la Universidad Adventista de Union, Yami Bazán. Por la mañana, se registró una asistencia de alrededor de 550 personas y aunque por la tarde fue solo una fracción de lo que fue por la mañana, aun continuo un espíritu de adoración, unidad e interés por nuestro sistema educativo.

El Departamento Multicultural de nuestra conferencia seguirá buscando la mejor manera de colaborar con todos los demás ministerios y departamentos de la Rocky Mountain Conference. Sabemos que los desafíos seguirán amenazando al pueblo de Dios, pero estamos seguros que unidos a Dios y unidos unos a otros, no tendremos razón para desanimarnos.

—Hugo Guillén es el director asociado ministerial y coordinador multicultural de RMC. Fotos y video proporcionados

03 Apr

RMC HISPANIC CHURCHES UNITE AT MILE HIGH ACADEMY FOR “DAY OF BROTHERHOOD”

Hugo Guillén – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … A special event took place that brought together several Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Hispanic churches in the Denver metro area, March 29.

The Saturday event titled the “Day of Brotherhood” aimed to promote Adventist education among the local Hispanic community. The RMC Education Department supported the event with the presence of its directors and staff who were ready to share important information with members interested in enrolling their children in one of the RMC Adventist schools.

“We had the opportunity to hear a sermon from the president of Union Adventist University, Yami Bazán,” remarked Hugo Guillén, RMC Ministerial associate director and Multicultural Ministry coordinator. “In the morning, attendance was around 550 people, and, although the afternoon attendance was small compared to the morning’s, the spirit of worship, unity, and interest in our educational system remained strong.”

“The Multicultural Department of our Conference will continue seeking the best ways to collaborate with all other ministries and departments of the Rocky Mountain Conference. We know that challenges will continue to threaten God’s people, but we are confident that by staying united with God and with one another, we will have no reason to be discouraged,” he concluded.

—Hugo Guillén is the RMC Ministerial associate director and Multicultural Ministry coordinator. Photos and video supplied.

02 Apr

COMMENTARY: I INVITED A FRIEND TO CHURCH AND SHE SAID YES

Lisa Cardinal – Parker, Colorado … Over a year ago, a couple moms in my neighborhood and I, along with our then fourth-grade girls, began a monthly Do Good Feel Good Group, where, in addition to good conversation as moms and daughters, we do good things for others.

As friendships grew, I became aware that these moms were unchurched, and I believed God put us in each other’s lives for more than just the Do Good Feel Good Group. I began praying for them and for the opportunity to invite them to Newday Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado.

What does an opportunity to invite look like? Would it be obvious? Would they ask me to come to my church? Knowing that Easter is one of the easiest times in the year to make an invitation to church, I wondered if perhaps Easter might be the opportunity. So, I decided when our next group meeting came around, I would invite them to Newday.

Here’s how it happened: we were sharing back and forth about our plans for spring break, when I asked about their plans for Easter. It was the usual Easter egg hunt, Easter baskets, and coloring eggs. “What about you?” they asked. “What are your plans for Easter?”

There it was. The opportunity. Because I had planned to invite, the opportunity was obvious. “Our Easter celebration involves going to church,” I shared, and I invited them to come to Newday with us. Their answer was a quick, “Yes.” It turned out they wanted to find a church to attend for Easter.

According to research from a variety of sources:

Sixty-three percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a friend or neighbor would be effective in getting them to visit a church
Eight out of 10 people will say “yes” to a personal invite to church
Seven out of 10 unchurched people have never been invited
Only two percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church

These are remarkable statistics! Think about it. Seventy percent of unchurched people have never been invited to church, and 80% of those people would say yes to a personal invitation! What if you knew the answer to an invitation to your church is likely to be yes when you invite your friend from work or the gym or your neighbor or a parent at your kids’ school?

Here’s what I believe: when you plan to invite, the opportunity will become obvious.

—Lisa Cardinal is lead pastor at Newday Adventist Church. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez of Unsplash.

02 Apr

CAMPION ACADEMY SKI CLUB EMBRACES END OF WINTER

Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … The ski and snowboard club at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, hit the slopes at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Frisco, Colorado, on their three-day trip, March 22-24. They were thrilled to experience both fresh powder and sunshine on Sunday and warm Spring conditions on Monday.

The Leadville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Leadville, Colorado, generously hosted the students in their basement and bunk room. After beating a snowstorm by driving up Friday evening, the students put on the church Sabbath service for the local members on Saturday. The Students with a Testimony (SWAT) trip is an annual ski club tradition, and the members enjoy fellowshipping with the students.

Another tradition of the trip is sledding after the church service. “Sledding is always one of the most enjoyable parts of ski trip for me, and that’s mostly because you get to see the ‘science’ skills of the students truly emerge as everyone puts their best efforts together to see exactly how far (and more importantly, how fast) the sledder can truly go,” explained Euan O’Keeffe, senior student.

This year, student Jack Jordan brought a collapsible shovel and created jumps for the tubes. After sending people sailing off the first one, they built a second jump further down the hill.

O’Keefe continued, “We truly sought to answer the question, ‘How many ramps is a reasonable number to go down?’ The answer was one. Of the three people who were able to get down to hit the second ramp, three crashed. Great memories!”

On the ski days, the students grouped up according to ability, and they all challenged each other to improve their skills and try harder runs.

Student Elin Sorensen, one of the expert skiers, shared, “On Monday, Jack, Zach, Addison, and I set a goal to ski as many runs as possible in the morning. It was fun because we were just going really fast, and we were able to touch many different runs on the mountain.”

New to Ski Club this year, Joshua Profir, a freshman student, commented, “The best part of ski club is getting to know people you’ve never really talked to before, then becoming friends with them, and then getting to ski with those friends.”

Overall, the days in the beautiful Colorado mountains offered a chance for the club members to improve their skiing and snowboarding skills while enjoying each other’s company.

—Jill Harlow is the Campion Academy communication director. Photos supplied.

02 Apr

DENVER SOUTH CHURCH TO RELEASE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION EASTER WEEKEND

Ken Griffith and Brenda Jones – Denver, Colorado … There is the Biblical recounting of the story of Easter: Jesus’s crown of thorns; Pontius Pilate’s choice to ignore Jesus’ innocence; a brutal crucifixion as Jesus hung between two thieves begging Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34, KJV). And the Roman soldiers, casting lots for his clothing as Jesus hung lifeless from the cross.

But how would today’s typical Jane or John Doe handle this earth-shattering event?

Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denver, Colorado, will present an original dramatic and musical presentation entitled “WHO IS HE,” April 19. Written by creative director Ken Griffith, member and audio coordinator for the church, the production will utilize the church’s own collection of actors and musicians.

Griffith hopes to take audience members on a journey that most of Christians say they want to experience but he poses the question of if they are ready for it.

“Finding unique ways to tell familiar stories is the aim of every script I write,” says Griffith. “We all know the hits: Christmas, Easter, Mary and the disciples; but is there another angle? How else could we approach this story?”

Specifically for this production, he says, “Is there a way to include humor in this serious story? That’s what I aim for: to maintain the seriousness of the message while keeping it light enough for all to enjoy.”

CLICK HERE for more information on attending the program.

—Ken Griffith and Brenda Jones write from Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church. Graphic supplied.

31 Mar

STUDENTS ACTIVE IN OUTREACH AT CAMPION

Addison Gann with Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … Students at Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, go to their classes, spend time with their friends, and learn life skills while the school’s staff try to show God in everything they do. This year, the students have also been more active in taking on projects to share the love of Christ with the community around them.

CA Student Outreach director Addison Gann has been planning monthly outreach events to meet different interests of students and needs of the community. The very first month, students weeded around a local horse stable and, afterwards, took a tour of all the animals there.

Next, students could sign up to go to a local park and hand out free cookies, lemonade, and GLOW tracts. The simple activity, however, turned into a powerful moment of connection: “Nothing too major happened until we moved to the skatepark,” recalled Jasmine Smittick, senior at Campion.

“We weren’t originally going to go there but we decided to because we had some time and extra supplies. But when we got there, we met someone who told us how he was nondenominational but studying. He told us he heard about Seventh-day Adventism and started asking us questions. We ended up talking for about half an hour. I just thought it was an amazing opportunity to talk to him and help plant a seed in someone’s heart!” she concluded.

In the Fall, students woke up early on a Sunday morning to rake leaves at a small local church, and they ended the morning with almost 30 bags of raked leaves.

To end the first semester, almost the entire student body at Campion wrote a letter of encouragement to a high schooler at another Adventist academy simply to uplift and encourage them for their finals.

For the outreach in January, the artistic students showed off their skills through rock painting. Once the rocks were given their finishing touches, they placed them around town to give someone a smile during their day.

In February, students made blankets for an organization called Project Linus.* Students went over to a faculty member’s house for a meal, and then they started the process of making 22 blankets. Students worked diligently for 3 hours, measuring, cutting, and tying to complete their blankets. Lillian Resz, junior student, shared, “Making blankets over this outreach really helped me connect and fellowship with people that I didn’t talk to all the time. It felt really personal to be able to make something that will be used and helpful to others. I know that it will make an impact!”

Students have been working on another letter-writing project in March to connect with peers at another Adventist academy.

The most exciting outreach activity, however, is yet to come! In May, Campion Academy hopes to be able to participate in its biggest outreach activity yet—a meal-packing event for those in need in our own community. They want to make 15,000 meals that will be distributed throughout Loveland and the surrounding areas.

The students are trying to raise $8,000 to cover the cost of all the meals and delivery. If you feel called to support this initiative, please consider donating. If you would like to donate, contact the Student Outreach director Addison Gann by emailing [email protected]

* Project Linus is not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church nor the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

—Addison Gann is the Campion Academy Student Outreach director with Jill Harlow, Campion Academy Communication director. Photo supplied.

26 Mar

PATHFINDERS’ DEDICATION TO BIBLE STUDY LEADS TO SUCCESS AT UNION PBE EVENT

Brent Learned – Minnetonka, Minnesota … Three Pathfinder teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) joined 20 other teams from the five conferences within the Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) for the union-level Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE), March 22.

The 23 teams converged at the Minnetonka Christian Academy in Minnesota to answer 90 Bible questions on the books of Romans and 1 Corinthians. Pathfinders from the RMC teams—Loveland Cougars, Aurora Las Aguilas, and Littleton Lights—studied their Bibles diligently for months in preparation for testing and had successfully progressed through area- and conference-level testing in February of this year to receive an invitation to participate at the union level.

Brent Learned, RMC Club Ministries director, commented, “PBE is a fun way for our kids and teens to engage in the scriptures; diving deep into the nitty gritty language of the text and often individually memorizing many chapters and collectively as a team of six, memorizing entire books of the Bible. I am proud of all three of our RMC teams for their commitment to Bible study and memorization.”

DJ Mundung, from the Littleton Lights Pathfinder club, remarked, “It has been a fun experience, fun to learn about God and the scriptures.” Genna Miranda, also a member of the Littleton Lights team, commented, “The Pathfinder Bible Experience has strengthened my relationship with God in the past three years. I feel like whenever I dive deep in God’s word, certain things in the text stand out and speak to me with what I am dealing with in the moment. It’s like God is speaking directly to me, and this brings me closer to Him.”

Ines Salazar, director of the Aurora Hispanic Las Aguilas Pathfinder club, said, “Our Journey began five months ago, and we thank God because, although the journey has not been easy, it has been with His (God’s) help and blessing.”

“Each of the Pathfinders on the team has given their best, investing long hours of dedication and commitment in their studies,” he continued. “They have testimonies of how the Word of God gives them tools to testify for the truth, for their Savior. We, the staff and parents, pray that their faith will be strengthened for we trust that the fruits will be seen in eternity! We will continue preparing for the last round, remembering to do our part and leaving the outcomes in God’s hand. We believe that faith honors God and God honors faith.”

Both Loveland Cougars and Aurora Las Aguilas Pathfinder teams earned first-place ranking at the event and have been invited to test one more time this year at the North American Division (NAD) PBE-level event in Battle Creek, Michigan, April 25-26. Littleton Lights Pathfinder club earned a very respectable second place standing, especially given that they just started their club last fall.

“As Pathfinder leaders,” Learned reflected, “we are excited about the number of churches within our conference who have recently started, or are in the process of starting, an Adventurer and Pathfinder club and participated in PBE events where the study and memorization of scripture is encouraged and made exciting for our young people.”

He continued, “In the RMC Youth Department, which includes Club Ministries, our mission is ‘Making it easy for kids to know God.’ PBE is an important tool to encourage kids and teens to spend time in the scriptures and grow strong in relationship with Jesus and with each other. I think Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 (ESV): I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel.”

“I love it when our young people get into the word, and the word gets into them,” closed RMC Youth director Brandon Westgate.

—Brent Learned is the RMC Youth assistant director and Mills Spring Ranch manager. Photos by Venus Douglas and Yamiley Gonzalez.

26 Mar

CHRISTIAN RECORD SERVICES PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Christian Records News – Lincoln, Nebraska … After a tenure of more than nine years marked by creativity, collaboration, innovation, and dedication to mission, Christian Record Services (CRS) president Diane J. Thurber announced a late July 2025 retirement during the organization’s Board of Directors meeting on March 17.

Under Thurber’s leadership, CRS achieved significant milestones, including the following:

Implementing Board-directed restructuring and relocating to new headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Formalizing agreements with Church and industry-leading publishers to increase the availability of materials to be converted into accessible resources for people who are blind or have low vision.
Acquiring and integrating PhoneFaith, a telephone outreach for the blind and low-vision community, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reimagining National Camps for Blind Children by offering collaborative partnerships with Adventist camps and retreat centers.
Guiding the organization’s 14-member team to provide consistent services to members in North America, utilizing new communication technologies and distribution processes.

Thurber’s guidance proved essential in stabilizing and driving the organization forward, creating opportunities for lasting impact on the blind and low-vision community.

“Our president gave the Board quite a shock in announcing her plans to retire early. The Board regrettably accepted her resignation after extending great appreciation and gratitude for her remarkable and exemplary leadership,” said G. Alexander Bryant, NAD president and CRS Board chairman. “Diane has taken this ministry from a point of almost closing to thriving today. Under God, we owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Upon receiving Thurber’s announcement, the organization’s Board of Directors voted to engage the services of Faith Search Partners to assist in locating a new president for the 126-year-old ministry. Additionally, it appointed Board members to serve on a search committee to bring a recommendation for its consideration in the coming months.

About Christian Record Services, Inc.

For more information about Christian Record Services, Inc., a 501(c)(3) ministry of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, providing free accessible services and programs to people living with blindness or low vision, visit www.christianrecord.org or call 402.488.0981.

—Christian Record News. Republished with permission from Christian Record News & Events post, March 18. Photo supplied.