News | Seventh-day Adventist Church

January 1, 2021: Put God First

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33, KJV).

During my early teenage years, this verse became very special to me. Shortly after my baptism at age 13, my father died, and I was left to navigate life virtually on my own. The local Seventh-day Adventist church became a central part of my life, and I decided to live to please God in all things.

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? For me it means to make God’s priorities mine and to incorporate the principles of His Word in every aspect of my life.

Hispanic Ministries Delivers 40,000 Boxes of Food

by Andre Hastick

The Hispanic Ministries Department of the Chesapeake Conference recently started a weekly food bank, in partnership with 4MyCity, a nonprofit organization. During that time, they helped distribute 40,000 boxes of food throughout the southern, northern and eastern regions of the conference.

“This has been an enriching experience,” says Orlando Rosales, Hispanic Ministries director for the Chesapeake Conference. “You get to see and feel the gratitude of the people, as well as their interest in knowing more about our church. People are asking for intercessory prayer for their needs, and, so far, seven families have begun attending our worship meetings.”

G. E. Peters Student Receives Safety Patrol Award

by LaTasha Hewitt

Kiera John-Lewis, a sixth-grader at the G. E. Peters Adventist School in Hyattsville, Md., was recently chosen by the American Automobile Association (AAA) School Safety Patrol program as an outstanding safety patroller in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area. As a patroller, John-Lewis had the opportunity to “play an important role in helping young pedestrians learn and fulfill responsibilities regarding traffic safety,” according to the program’s website.

When John-Lewis heard she would be receiving the award, she was pleas- antly surprised and grateful: “I was astounded to have received the award.
It means a lot to me knowing that my work is greatly appreciated, and I’m thankful for the support I received to accomplish this award.”

En la Reunión de Fin de Año, la Unión Informa el Impacto Continuo del COVID-19 en los Ministerios, la Educación y la Atención Médica

Historia de V. Michelle Bernard

El presidente de la Unión de Columbia, Dave Weigley, inauguró hoy la reunión de fin de año del Comité Ejecutivo de la Unión de Columbia y señaló que la misión continúa a pesar de las restricciones pandémicas por el coronavirus. También compartió que el liderazgo de la unión espera celebrar el 2021 como el Año de la Biblia, con recursos y un evento especial planeado en febrero.

El impacto de la pandemia en los ministerios se vio en la reducción de la matrícula educativa, el despido de 10 educadores y el cambio de planes, pero la dedicación de los miembros a la misión también se vio a través del evangelismo innovador, la plantación de iglesias, la atención médica y más.

Advanced Technology Enhances Care at Kettering Medical Center

Story by Kettering Adventist HealthCare Staff

Kettering Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the Midwest to use Brainlab Cirq® Robotics arm for minimally invasive spinal surgeries. The robotic arm is a lightweight, surgeon-controlled device designed to increase precision in navigated spinal surgery procedures.

The robotic arm easily mounts directly onto a standard operating room bed rail to provide an avenue for precise spinal drilling and pedicle screw placement. Patients that have an operation using the robotic arm have several advantages for their recovery including lower surgical complications, smaller incisions, less exposure to radiation and a lower chance of needing additional surgeries.

Adventist HealthCare Honored for Excellence

Adventist HealthCare has been honored as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers 2020 by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

The award comes as Adventist HealthCare navigates COVID-19, ensuring a safe and stable working environment for its 6,500 team members, many of whom have been on the front lines of the pandemic. While COVID-19 has taken an

economic toll on the healthcare industry, Adventist HealthCare has retained its full workforce and enhanced programs to support the emotional and financial well-being of its team members during these challenging times.

The recognition falls in line with a key Adventist HealthCare organizational goal of being the “Best Place to Work and Grow.”

Campus Stays Together as Family

Story by Andrew S. Lay

In March 2020, Highland View Academy (HVA) faced a dilemma—how to keep their campus family of faculty and students connected as they faced an uncertain future with a pandemic quickly taking over school and personal life. What started as a canceled Week of Service, followed by the inability for students to return after spring break, turned into a nightmare of Zoom classes, what ifs and unpredictability about the future. Using all known tools to maintain communication seemed to be the answer: emails, Facebook and Instagram posts, phone calls and mailed care packages to HVA students and parents.

Navigate Uncharted Territory Together

Editorial by Rick Jordan

As we reflect on the extraordinary events of 2020, we understand our lives have dramatically changed. The pandemic shut down the economy, prohibited public gatherings and closed churches and schools. Leaders everywhere scrabbled to stay connected—who would have thought Zoom, face masks and social distancing would become part of everyday life?

Trenton Spanish Prays, Cares for the Hurting

Story by Yelitza De Leon

The Trenton Spanish church is a large family that cares for its surrounding community. In these recent times of uncertainty, many turned to Trenton Spanish for financial and spiritual help, and leaders gathered to create a plan of action.

At the beginning of quarantine, Trenton Spanish distributed funds to members and nonmembers who needed food, medicine and more. With the help of other contributing families in the community, members gathered and distributed truck-sized food donations to families that were in need. Leaders formed prayer chains three times a day, and many felt supported and loved.

The Great Commission Is Not in Quarantine

by Jorge Aguero

From the moment the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, we began to experience a global crisis. Some parts of the world were in lockdown and quarantined. Phrases like “stay at home,” “wear masks” and “social distance” were and still are our new normal. For a period of four months, churches were closed, and some will not reopen for the rest of the year. But the focus is on the reopening of business, malls and restaurants, with the message: “Come in. We are open.”