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.