NewsNuggets Page 16

Olivia Uphold – Loveland, Colorado … Students from Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, spent the day exploring Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) on September 13.

For half the day, students took a course from park ranges learning about the ecosystems that make up the park. Students were able to choose how they wanted to experience the park after the course had completed. Some groups went hiking, while others created music. Some even found a quiet place to sit and enjoy a book.

One group of students went on a six-mile hike in Hidden Valley in RMNP. Noeli Hernandez, CA student, shared her experience: “It was really peaceful climbing to the top of the hike and seeing the views was worth it.”

The Music Elements musical group, led by Naomi Fernandez, learned about making music with the materials provided by earth, and they also saw an assortment of animals. Senior student Jillian Frans commented, “It was so fun to spend the day with my friends. As we were making music, we saw three deer and many other animals near us.”

For new students coming from other states and countries, this was a new experience. Freshman student Ariana Martel said, “I really liked being able to get out of school and be in nature for the day. It was my first time being at Rocky Mountain [National Park], and I wish we could do these types of days more.”

—Olivia Uphold, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos by Vashty Segovia Santos and supplied.

Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Middle school students from Mile High Academy (MHA) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, took part in the annual Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Middle School Outdoor School at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, September 10-13. They were joined with other fifth through eighth graders from 10 schools across the RMC for an unforgettable four days of outdoor education and spiritual growth.

A total of 105 students in fifth to seventh grade participated in a variety of hands-on activities. Focuses for the sixth and seventh graders included a fire-making class, compass reading, and hiking with an emphasis on “leave no trace” principles by picking up trash along the way. Students also learned new skills such as juggling, building bracelets, and crafting boats. Soccer games provided an opportunity for fun and friendly competition.

The 52 eighth graders from across the RMC camped in the Pathfinder Village where they spent three nights immersed in nature, learning essential skills such as repelling, fire and shelter building, compass navigation, and basic first aid. They also had the opportunity to work with Union Adventist University’s International Relief and Rescue (IRR) program, gaining practical skills like blade safety and animal trap construction.

One of the highlights of the week was a joint service project where students from all grades worked together to build picnic tables for schools and churches across the Conference, further strengthening their bonds and learning the importance of giving back.

Layten Meyers, an eighth-grade student, shared, “I had so much fun getting to know students from other schools, camping out, and rock climbing. It was an experience I’ll never forget.”

The week culminated in a powerful worship session where students reflected on their spiritual journey and the lessons they had learned.

“It was great having all the middle school students together, learning to work as teams and grow in their relationship with Christ. The hands-on activities and worship really brought the group together in a meaningful way. We look forward to continuing this tradition in the years ahead,” said Paul Negrete, RMC Education associate superintendent.

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.

LifeSource News – Denver, Colorado … Heidi Carpenter was welcomed to the leadership team at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship (LAF) in Denver, Colorado, as an associate pastor. A special prayer was offered by Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) pastors Rajmund Dabrowski, RMC communication director, and Nathaniel Gamble, RMC religious liberty director, during Sabbath services, September 7. The RMC was also represented by Darin Gottfried, RMC vice president for finance.

The Carpenter family accepted a call to move to Colorado from California at the beginning of 2021 when Heidi’s husband, Andrew Carpenter, accepted his new ministry role as the principal of Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Daniel Birai, LAF lead pastor, of reached out and invited the Carpenters to connect with the LAF family: “[I] began intentionally praying that God would lead this family to serve at LAF.” Conversations between Daniel and Heidi began in January 2023 to bring Heidi on as lead of a short-term ministry training at the church. During the conversation centered on church growth and ministry, Birai got to know more of Heidi’s ministry experiences.

Heidi had given her life to Jesus at the young age of 16, and she began ministry almost immediately. She spent a summer as a literature evangelist, and, sensing God’s call into ministry, Heidi attended SOULS West, the Pacific Union Conference’s (PUC) College of Evangelism in Westlake Village, California.

Upon graduating, Heidi spent a year as a Bible worker in Milpitas, California, where she ministered to and studied with more than 35 individuals. She was given the call to work as an assistant in the Literature Ministries Department of Central California Conference (CCC) in the fall of 2007 training and supporting many Bible workers across the conference.

After working in CCC for over three years, she was invited to serve as the Literature Ministries director and coordinator in Southern California Conference (SCC). She spent eight years in that role working alongside pastors and teachers in discipling members and youth. With over 12 years of actively working in churches and communities in CCC and SCC, she had gained a wealth of experiential knowledge and training ability.

Birai was encouraged to hear of Heidi’s work with churches and schools, and he considered how to integrate this ministry paradigm at LAF. As their conversation progressed, Heidi shared that the most effective way to see lasting growth in a church was to engage in a long-term, embedded approach to ministry training similar to what she had worked with in the PUC.

Heidi accepted the role as a consultant in February 2023 and began coaching ministry leaders in their community-centered approach and assisting with the development of a year-round strategy for ministry events encouraging synergy among ministry leaders. When a pastoral opening occurred on their team, Heidi stepped in to fill key leadership roles in the Kids Sabbath School Wing. It was quickly becoming apparent that Heidi loved service and wanted LAF to thrive.

“Due to the nature of Heidi’s ministry at LAF and her passion for building church community, conversations began to adjust her role at LAF,” reflected Birai. “After talking with the church board, key leadership members, and the Rocky Mountain Conference, LifeSource voted to extend an offer to Heidi to serve as their associate pastor. She took time in prayer, along with her family, and sensed God leading her to accept this part-time position.”

“Heidi truly embodies what it looks like to live her life for Jesus,” he continued. “What you will see when you meet Heidi is a loving, disciple-making, follower of Jesus. For this, LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, along with Mile High Academy, Denver Metro Adventist Churches, and the Rocky Mountain Conference are deeply grateful to her, along with her family, for their service for Jesus.”

—LifeSource News. Photos supplied.

RMCNews – Ward, Colorado … Glacier View Ranch (GVR) came alive once again as a learning site welcoming students and teachers to a Rocky Mountain retreat near Ward, Colorado, September 10-13. The ranch became a large school venue for grades five through eight represented by 157 students.

It was evident that the RMC Outdoor School was enjoyed by the students. In the words of the RMC superintendent of education, Diane Harris: “Oh, my goodness, they love it. They have been so excited and looking forward to it. And so that’s been the best part, is that we had seen students reach out to other students from different schools to say, ‘hey, are you coming to outdoor school this year?’ So that they could know that they would see their friends.”

“We could not do this without the support of the teachers that are willing to come in and teach classes. And then the parents who were volunteering to be chaperones,” she said.

“It was fun,” commented Alexa from Mile High Academy (MHA) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. In an Orienteering class “you could find the directions we were going and walk in nature,” she shared.

Lilia, eight-grader from MHA, confirmed that the RMC Outdoor School offered “a lot of fun. It’s my first time coming here, but I enjoy it a lot. It’s fun to camp with a lot of people my age and all my friends. We just came back from building shelters, and that’s probably my favorite thing so far.”

For her, the experience was more than the activities: “I’m not really good at making friends, but it was really fun meeting new people. Actually, I have a lot of friends from different schools now, so I’m enjoying it a lot.”

Unlike the younger class students, who stayed at the main GVR camp in the cabins, the eighth-grade students tent-camped in Pathfinder Village. Marsha Bartulec, principal of Vista Ridge Academy in Erie, Colorado, explained that eight-grade students participated in activities, including rock climbing, first aide, GPS, blade safety, traps/hunting tools, shelter building, hiking, team building, and a service project.

Worship presentations by Brandon Westgate, RMC Youth director, for the grades five to seven showcased the theme “Summit Seekers: Step Up, Reach Out, Stand Firm” which dealt with humility and how Jesus and we reach out to people.

For the eighth-grade camp, Paul Negrete, RMC associate superintendent, shared valuable lessons for daily life. Marsha said, “The students learned in Biblical scenarios how the individual’s operating principle guided their decision-making. These operating principles guide our decisions in our life. The older we get, with more experience and understanding, we can conscientiously choose what operating principles we want to live by. The Holy Spirit can help us to process and understand what hidden operating principles are behind our decisions.”

A new feature of the RMC Outdoor School included support from the International Relief and Rescue (IRR) program at Union Adventist University (UAU) in Lincoln, Nebraska, where program students Calista Covel provided training with GPS/compass navigation, blade safety and carving, traps and hunting tools, and shelter building. Her training partner and fellow student, Christine Sturgill, gave instructions on blade safety and carving, first aid, hiking, and shelter building, and Allen Stafford, involved the students in rock climbing and fire building.

“It’s been so much fun,” said Christine Sturgill. “I think it’s been fairly easy to translate our skills into these classes, because, within our program, we do lots of hands-on activities. We’re out actually practicing these things all the time. So, we know what it looks like to be out in the woods and building a shelter. It’s not hard to be out here with the kids doing it,” she explained.

Among the chaperones at the RMC Outdoor School was Logan Earles, associate pastor from Littleton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Littleton, Colorado. “I’m enjoying this because it’s a good time to interact with kids that I don’t get to interact with often. It’s also fun because they’re learning skills that they wouldn’t learn in school. Like, right now, we’re watching them do fire making, and I don’t know how many of them have had a flint and steel in their hands before this. And now they have a fun opportunity to do that. So, it’s been fun,” he shared.

As you approached the Pathfinder Village, you smelled cooking. Cindy Roldan, registrar at MHA said, “We are cooking for outdoor school. [I am with] Heidi Carpenter, associate pastor at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, and we love it. Well, we think we both heard the same thing from the kids: they’re enjoying it, they love to be out with the IRR program, and they’re really learning a lot of useful things to take back into their everyday life.”

Heidi shared, “One of the sponsors was walking away from our kitchen site yesterday and she said they’re learning so many valuable things. And she almost had a look of surprise on her face.” Completing the comment, Cindy said, “she’s a first-time teacher, and it was her first time here. And so, she wasn’t aware of everything that they would be learning.”

“And one thing that we’ve really been focusing on during worship time has been focusing on mental strength and emotional intelligence. Because, you know, when you’re in the outdoors and you’re learning how to do these different things, and when you’re just walking in life in high school with your friends, or in middle school, learning how to be emotionally intelligent is key,” Heidi commented.

The value of being in an outdoor setting brought an important lesson. In Cindy’s words: “I have heard no complaints about the lack of technology. So that’s huge. There’s no internet here, and so it’s very healthy for them. And we’ve been blessed that we haven’t had any complaints.”

—RMCNews with Marsha Bartulec, principal at Vista Ridge Academy. Photos by Rajmund Dabrowski.

Kelly Loney – Parker, Colorado … If you have been to Newday Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado, you have probably met lead pastor, Lisa Cardinal. Full of smiles and energy, she tries to welcome each new face that comes through the door. This is part of her ministry, and she believes it starts with that initial step of saying “hi.”

Lisa has spent 17 years navigating the highs and lows of ministry with an unwavering commitment to her calling. As lead pastor, she ensures that Newday Church remains focused on its mission: developing passionate Christ followers who love God and serve people. But Lisa’s journey to ministry began long before her current role.

Over 25 years ago, she was part of a church plant that drew deeply from the spirit of the early church in Acts. Together with others, she prayed, read Scripture, and invited people into this community. They shared life, challenged each other, and grew together. This experience changed Lisa’s life and solidified her calling to ministry, and ultimately, shaping how she approaches leadership today.

As a woman in ministry, Lisa understands that her effectiveness stems from God’s blessing. She reflects, “I believe strengths in leadership and ministry are gifts given by the Holy Spirit to people.” When faced with challenges, Lisa turns to God directly and regularly spends time alone in nature—following the practices of Jesus. She finds looking back on lives touched through ministry brings clarity in navigating difficult times.

Mentoring others is key to her leadership. Lisa believes that empowering people happens through relationships—by spending time with them and offering opportunities to use their gifts. When it comes to mentoring women specifically, Lisa advises young women who feel called to ministry to know themselves—their strengths, weaknesses, and gifts—and above all, to know God’s voice and say “yes” when He calls.

For Lisa, ministry is not about gender but about responding to God’s call with faith and confidence. “Ministry is calling,” she says, “being clear and confident of that calling and knowing our unique strengths and weaknesses—our areas of giftedness—are the best ways to navigate the challenges and successes of ministry.” Her journey exemplifies a life lived in faithful obedience to that calling.

—Kelly Loney is the director of communication at Newday Adventist Church. Photos by Agape Hammond.

Brayden Marroquin – Ward, Colorado … The Senior Class at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, grew closer over the five days of Senior Survival, camping in the woods of Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, August 28-September 1.

Tristi Ramos, senior class sponsor, reflected, “Senior Survival created opportunities for the class to interact and build trust across social circles.”

Students brought sleeping bags, pads, or hammocks, but, as a part of their survival experience, they couldn’t use tents. Each pair of students were given two tarps and rope to build a shelter to protect against the elements. They used their creativity to design their unique shelter to live in.

“Building our own shelter and living in it was a very interesting experience,” reflected senior student Jack Jordan. “We had to search the forest for lots of logs and haul them back to our camp for our makeshift log cabin. It was tall enough that we could stand up in it; however, during the night, we had a little bit of a draft flowing through our cabin.”

Groups were given a bucket of food and necessities to create their own meals. Student Janey Padilla-Reyes recalled, “I enjoyed making my food because it reminded me of when I camped as a child; my favorite meal that we made was the stew after a very cold day.”

During the days, students were divided into groups to complete team-building activities, including a trust fall. Aaron Oster, senior student, commented, “I learned that most of the activities you couldn’t do alone; you needed support from fellow friends. It was hard at first, but, once we came together as a group, it worked.”

On the evening of August 30, students sat around the campfire and shared their testimonies. “I felt more connected with my class as we all shared about our experiences when we first came to Campion [Academy]. I was able to express how I first felt at Campion and how I ended up enjoying the company of my class and making lots of new friends,” commented student Yolanda Han.

Michael Fresse, a new senior, said his favorite part was “getting to talk to everyone in the class and developing relationships with them.”

—Brayden Marroquin, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos supplied.

Jose Briones – Ward, Colorado … Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, became a haven for spiritual renewal and fellowship at the Campestre Hispano, August 31-September 1. The camp meeting, which unfolded against GVR’s breathtaking natural backdrop, focused on the profound theme of being “Baptized in Fire by the Holy Spirit.” This theme resonated deeply with the 600 attendees, guiding them through an enriching journey of faith.

The event featured insightful talks from renowned speakers Felipe Andino, pastor in the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and Aneury Vargas, pastor in the New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Their sessions delved into the role of the Holy Spirit within the family unit and how to lead a Christian life that authentically mirrors the beauty of Jesus. Their messages were not only spiritually uplifting but also practical, offering attendees actionable advice on nurturing their faith and living out Christian principles in daily life.

For the youth, the camp meeting was particularly engaging. Leonardo Balaguer, from the Texas Conference, delivered inspiring talks that spoke directly to the challenges and opportunities faced by young believers. His sessions were designed to motivate and empower the younger generation, encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and to find joy in their spiritual journey.

The weekend was not just about spiritual growth; it also included a range of social activities that fostered community and camaraderie among attendees. From outdoor games to group discussions, participants had ample opportunities to connect and share their experiences. The highlight of the social events was a concert by Anita Peña and Arlen Balaguer. Their performance, rich with gospel-centered music, was a powerful reminder of the connection between music and worship. Peña’s and Balaguer’s soulful melodies and uplifting lyrics helped deepen the attendees’ connection to Jesus, creating an atmosphere of praise and reflection.

The Campestre Hispano at Glacier View Ranch was more than just a series of talks and activities; it was an experience that brought people together in their shared faith. Through meaningful discussions, dynamic speakers, and inspiring music, attendees left with a renewed sense of purpose and a stronger bond with their Christian community.

“The weekend’s events underscored the significance of the Holy Spirit in personal and communal life,” commented Jose Briones, a pastor in the Rocky Mountain Conference, “making the camp meeting a memorable and transformative experience for all involved. Hispanic Ministries hopes to continue reaching those thirsting for the Gospel within the Rocky Mountain Conference and delivering the good news in any language.”

—Jose Briones is pastor for the Colorado Springs, Greeley, Nueva Esperanza, and Fairplay district. Photos supplied.