Michelle Morrison – Brighton, Colorado … Ever wondered how to get your non-Christian family members to cross the bridge to faith? Or how about the same in the raising of your children? The Brighton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brighton, Colorado, has been connected to a church school for over 100 years, the Brighton Adventist Academy (BAA).
Over half of the BAA school roster is comprised of families that are not members of a Seventh-day Adventist church. The relatively new Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs at Brighton Church seem to be that bridge of bringing those children and families into faith.
While the church has had both clubs in the past, participation in them had dwindled to nothing. “In 2022,” recalled Michelle Morrison, communication secretary for the Brighton Church, “two mothers of small children wanted to provide a way, for not just for their own kids, but the others in the church family and school to get together and grow in skills and relationship with each other and God.”
Nayely Terrazas and Lindsey Andrews needed a leader and found the needed help for the club ministries through Sandra Santos, 2022-24, and Evonne and Carl Syvertson, 2024-25. The Brighton Bluejay’s Adventurer and Silverwings Pathfinder Clubs were reestablished.
The first meeting in August 2022 started with 10 Pathfinders and 16 Adventurers. Bimonthly Monday after-school meetings with a monthly Sunday event comprised the rest of the year including such events as Inside the Orchestra, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Bike Day, Butterfly Museum, Karate Club, History Colorado Center, the Denver Zoo, and Christmas Blessing Bag Party.
The most recent bridge events were a Sabbath morning pancake breakfast, November 9, that fed into the following Sabbath’s Induction Ceremony on November 16, during the first half of the church service. Morrison commented, “How often do you get to eat breakfast together with CHURCH family? It was so awesome that no one wanted to go to Sabbath School!”
She continued, “And the Induction? What does that word even mean? Well, it’s when new members are welcomed into these fun and character growing clubs. Approximately 40 orderly, uniformed kids and staff marched in singing their club’s theme song and led in sharing their pledge and law to a full church sanctuary. The recent International Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, was featured in a short video, highlighting our Pathfinder club’s recent participation. Following the church service, a fellowship meal provided members a way to connect to the many families who stayed, yet another bridge to connect them with Jesus and us.”
Pathfinders and Adventure Clubs have a unique mission of connecting the children into the church’s fellowship who attend public school, home school, and church schools by uniting them in friendship with fun and spiritual character-building activities. These clubs create bridges of opportunities to connect people with Jesus and each other—isn’t that what we are all about?
—Michelle Morrison is the communication secretary for the Brighton Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos supplied.
