A Liitle Can Do a Lot

This week has brought a mixture of news from across the conference.  The financial challenges of funding Adventist Education still remain solidly in place.  Enrollment continues to climb.  Thus the challenges do not appear to be going away anytime soon.  It’s time for another miracle.

Yesterday I was finally successful in changing the front page of the AZ Conference website donation page to include the Arizona Adventist Education Fund (AAEF).  I am hoping the “saints” will see the need and respond by sending some generous funds to help students seeking an Adventist Education who are willing in to commit to the discipline and effort it takes to succeed at the highest level.

On a side note, the concept of “customer service,” which is often neglected in our system, is beginning to take hold in certain pockets.  Customer service is the most inexpensive of tools for recruitment and retention, yet how often it is overlooked.  The historical landscape is generously sprinkled with the stories of people sent away with a less than favorable picture of our system due to the treatment they were given or the insensitivity conveyed to  their present plight.  We need to learn to care more.

Today is a big day at the Maricopa Village School.  I will be attending their board meeting tonight and sharing some good news with them.  It has been a difficult trek for this school on the reservation.  But God has miraculously provided some unexpected sources that will keep them viable and free them up to do some development for themselves.

Now, it’s time to see how God will do the same for the rest of our children in Arizona.  (225.7)

August Summary

In spite of my best intentions I failed again to establish a pattern of blogging.  Well, now it’s been more than three weeks since I last blogged. I will bring you up to date on a very busy month.

School stated on August 13-15, depending on how brave you were, considering the short prep time upon the return from the Nashville NAD Teachers’ Convention.  By the way, the convention was amazing, although I was too busy to really take it all in.  I’m kind of disappointed in the fact that I did not even make it to the exhibit hall.

School enrollment seems to be up across the conference.  That is truly good news.  Only two schools were not up from the same time last year, but the number of students enrolled is almost forty more than last year at the same time, which is very encouraging.  TAA alone may reach 150 by the time the dust settles after Labor Day.  The schools that are not at the number of students they had last year at this time are one or two away, and they are expecting students to enroll by Labor Day or soon after.  Of course, when the enrollment has settled, then the work in earnest begins.

Penny is busy providing on-site leadership at TCE in Scottsdale.  She is working more hours than she should be allowed to work—which is more amazing when you consider she is doing it as a volunteer.  The school year began with high hopes and the school community seems to be rallying around the new paradigm.

AWC is moving along.  I have had a chance to preach there three times in the last month or so.  I have enjoyed connecting with a local church, even if it is truly an outside-the-box community.  We need such communities of faith in the Adventist Church.  Of course, it’s been a while since I have been in charge of a church, but leading their church board meeting earlier this week was a delight.  They seem like they are looking for leadership to take them to the next level—or perhaps to help them recapture something they feel they have lost over the years.  In any case, I am trying to help them define who they are now and how they see themselves being as a community of faith.  It’s very exciting.

As you probably know, the Pacific Union Conference held a special constituency to deal specifically with the subject of women’s ordination.  Although the recommendation to change the union by-laws came up short one or two votes of the two-thirds majority required to change by-laws, the second motion regarding the actual ordination without regard to gender easily surpassed the two-thirds majority vote of the delegates.  It was a watershed event in the annals of Adventism, regardless on which side of the aisle you stand with regards to the ordination of women.

I, for one, believe the vote by the PUC may be the final push the World Church needs to address once and for all the impasse that has existed in the church on this matter.  The time has come for the church to be consistent with its own practice.  Women have been pastors since the church came into existence.  One of the founders of the church was granted an ordination certificate by the “brethren”—she was a woman all her life!  The church has made allowance for the commissioning and ordaining of female deacons where such a practice is accepted.  Furthermore, the church first allowed the selection of female elders in the church.  That was followed by the commissioning of these female elders.  Finally, the world church allowed for the ordination of female elders at the local church level, even when they knew this would not be accepted in certain parts of the globe.  Since the church has found no biblical basis for forbidding the ordination of women elders, why has it not taken the step of ordaining women who have felt the calling of God into the Gospel ministry?

It is not simply about doing the “right” thing.  It is about the church recognizing the gift of God on women who are doing ministry as was prophesied by the Prophet Joel.  It is time to move—in fact it is time to lead.  The church should lead society in matters of fairness, justice, and equality-- not vice versa.  We lose the right to the high moral ground when we cower in the face of opposition based on anything but the Word of God alone.  (227.2)

Nashville News II

It’s Friday night in Nashville.  I just returned to my hotel room with Penny and her sister, Rachael, after a wonderful evening at the home of a very special host named Connie, who happens to be the sister of associate superintendent in California.  The vegie-burgers were delicious and the potato salad was exquisite.  A group of friends spent some time welcoming in the Sabbath and learning more about each other.  We were all ready to head home at the end of our time together.  It is quite a group!

We had already spent the better part of the day getting ready for influx of teachers that begins in earnest on Sunday morning.  Penny and I finished our shopping for the gift bags we were putting together for our teachers and special guests.  We finally received the keys to our booth after 2:00 p.m. and almost immediately set out to bring our supplies to the booth.  After a couple of hours we had finished the lion’s share of the work on the gift bags.  We still have considerable work left for Saturday night.

We were called into action to help the Southeastern California Conference Office of Education on their gift bags.  That took most of the remainder of the afternoon.  We were pretty tired after putting together over 300 gifts bags between the two conferences.  It was worth it when you think that the teachers will feel a bit more appreciated.  They work harder than most people realize. 

Tomorrow will be a full day of meetings and outings which we have yet to totally grasp.  Worship in the morning.  A lunch following for all those gathered.  The afternoon appears to be open, but we may get invited to join another group.  We’ll see.  Happy Sabbath!

Nashville News I

I am in Nashville, Tennessee, for the NAD Teachers’ Convention.  I am what you might call a scout, since I am here a couple of days earlier than most of the attendees.  I did see a few people who are here early, among them Randy Wisbey, president of La Sierra University, and Larry Blackmer, Education Director for the NAD.  I also saw Susan, principal from Calexico Mission School.  Before the weekend is done, over 6,000 educators will descend on the Gaylord Convention Center!

Things back home in Arizona are moving along—actually the pace is picking up as the school year is but a few days away.  School begins in most schools on August 13 & 14.  I hear encouraging news from across the conference.  Yuma reports more children knocking on their door.  Glenview, under new leadership, is very active in trying to reach more and more students.  They have established a high enrollment goal and are determined to reach it.  Thunderbird Academy is anticipating an increase in enrollment.  They have two of their teachers partnering up to make visits and calls to prospective students and their parents.  They spent considerable time at camp Yavapines in Prescott during summer camp.  It appears to have been a fruitful experience.

Thunderbird Elementary, as you already know, is also under new leadership.  Penny is doing a wonderful job at providing presence and leadership, crunching numbers, organizing, communicating, and providing resources, while I am working with the board, and working to create a direction for the staff and a new school community culture.  There are forces at work (as there are everywhere) that actively try to derail these new initiatives, but I trust God will deal with those sources of grief in His own time.  Needless to say, we are busy.  We are introducing a new Math curriculum in the lower grades.  We are working to spruce up the campus.  We are formalizing certain facets of administration that needed tweaking.  We are preparing for the first day of school.  We are determined to exceed, by God’s grace, the budgeted number of students.  I know God has some new student out there for us.

AWC (Adventist Worship Center—our new church) will be at their annual church campout in the relatively cooler ambience of mountainous regions of Arizona.  I will be preaching there on the 11^th when I return from Nashville.  Things are moving there too!  My co-pastor Chris is camping with them before he sets out for Nashville as well.  We are sharing the pulpit as we try to transition the church forward.  It is a unique church with a unique personality.  I say that as a good thing.  We could use more churches that were as accepting and open to struggling people.  The church needs pastoring and I am look forward to making this journey with them.  It has been a while since I had a church for which I was responsible.  I miss having a local church family—so it will be a good thing for me too.  I pray it will be a good thing for them.  Good is good!

I will try to keep you posted on the developments on the various fronts.  Pray hard! (227.0)

Super Meetings in the Sun

It’s Friday night and I am back in my hotel room in Henderson, Nevada.  This is a beautiful, albeit hot place near Lake Mead.  It is a recently purchased property by Westin on a development called Las Vegas Lakes.  The facilities are very nice although the pool closing at 8:00 p.m. seems a bit premature.

In any case, I am sharing the weekend with educational superintendents from across the Pacific Union.  We come to fellowship, share worship moments, pray together, and work.  Today we spent a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon visiting the Hoover Dam.  It is amazing place with an incredible story of hard work and cooperation.  I could not help but wonder the amazing things we could accomplish as a church and as a school system if we only made a conscious decision to work together and work hard towards a common goal.  Too much time is wasted in petty disagreements and grudges.  We spend too much energy on shooting and avoiding “friendly fire.”  We need to save the ammunition for the real enemy.

 In any case, so far it has been a great time with people who are quickly becoming more than colleagues.  We share many of the same challenges and disappointments.  We also share the privilege of serving many people and the opportunity to convey the need to educate our children in a way and place that will lead them into a closer walk with Jesus and a passion for the mission and unique message of the Adventist church.  

I will have more to share tomorrow.  It is hard to get back into the habit of blogging regularly after you have lapsed for a while.  There are a lot of interesting developments in the educational landscape of the Arizona Conference.  Pray hard! (224.6)

Wednesday Wanderings

I will be leaving to Tucson in a few minutes.  I have a school board meeting at the Saguaro Hills School tonight.  There are some serious challenges there as they head towards the next school year.  Tonight will be a very important meeting as they count the cost of making next year a success.

Penny is busy at TCE, where she is my on-site administrator (for no pay).  She is enjoying herself and is not bored beyond belief as she would have been if she would have not had a project to keep her busy.  She will still be traveling with me to all my meetings, but she will be quite occupied at TCE the rest of the time I am at the office.

I will be preaching my first sermon at the Adventist Worship Center (AWC) this coming Sabbath. My title is “The Prodigal Planet.”  I am pretty excited about preaching it.  I plan to sing at the end of my sermon—a song titled “When God Ran.”  It is and it is not about the parable of the Prodigal Son.  It is the parable with a twist.

It seems like staffing is complete across the conference—elementary and high school.  There are some amazing providential stories related to all the people hired this year.  We were sad to see some people go, but we are delighted to have strong team members come take their places.  There are new teachers at Saguaro Hills, Desert Valley, Glenview, Holbrook, and Thunderbird (Elementary and Academy).  I am looking forward to the great things God has in store.  I am constantly amazed that God works through my feeble efforts, but He does.  And He provides!

I am off to Tucson! (227.0)

One Month Recap!

Well, well, well… it has been more than a month since I last blogged.  This is indeed a travesty!  The truth is that since that fateful day in June the following events have taken place:

1)      Performed a funeral for a cousin.

2)      English Campmeeting begins and ends.  Amazing time!

3)      Spanish Campmeeting begins and ends.  Wow!

4)      Was the evening speaker for Adults II Campmeeting opening week-end.  Dick Duerksen had to shorten his commitment.

5)      I was song leader for main meetings at English Campmeeting.  Enjoyed it immensely.

6)      I played piano for Cradle Roll during English Campmeeting.  The upper range of my skill level.

7)      I sang special music for English Campmeeting—alone and with the Campmeeting Quartet (Abi, Tony, Chris, and me).  Great fun!

8)      Was in charge of both Sabbath School programs for English Campmeeting.  The second Sabbath guest speaker cancelled the Friday before the second Sabbath. 

9)      Raised about $6,000 for the Youth Service Project during English Campmeeting.  Awesome project.

10)   Laid brick pathway leading to the Little red School House.  Back-breaking!

11)   Was Junior department speaker during Spanish Campmeeting.  Much fun!

12)   Sang Special music for Spanish Campmeeting.  Not ready.

13)   Traveled most of the night after Spanish Campmeeting.  Tired beyond measure.

14)   Sang in an outdoor wedding in Fallbrook, California.  Beautiful location with lots of greenery.

15)   Had a serious bout of allergies leading up to the moment of singing “The Prayer.”

16)   Caught a summer cold!  Still recovering

17)   Traveled to Mexico.  Sick.

18)   Traveled to Mammoth Mountain on the Eastern Sierras in California.  Was sick.

19)   Traveled to Yosemite.  Pulled a trailer-load of supplies for a family group of over 70 people.

20)   Fished with my sons…caught nothing…again!

21)   Climbed Half Dome.  12 excruciating hours!

22)   Swam and rafted down the Merced River.  Very low water level!

23)   Cooked for 70 people!  They survived.

24)   Visited family in Fresno. 

25)   Got caught in post-4^th of July weekend traffic coming up the Grapevine.

26)   Unloaded a trailer-load of supplies upon arriving in Riverside.

27)   Returned to Scottsdale.

In the midst of that whirlwind I was involved in securing the final personnel pieces in the elementary schools system, Thunderbird and Holbrook Indian School.  I launched a major one-year intervention involving a key school in the system.  I officially welcomed my wife, Penny, into a partnership involving an intervention at a local school in the system.  I signed on to co-pastor the AWC Church  for 12 months to facilitate the transition of a teacher into pastoral ministry and mentor given teacher for the next few months as the process solidifies. 

               I thinks that’s all…I’m going to bed!  (229.0)