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.