Story by Tiffany Doss
Catching butterflies, looking at worms under a microscope, constructing forest homes and digging in dirt happen to be part of the Virginia-based Manassas Adventist Preparatory School’s (MAPS) curriculum this year. As part of a pilot program, students in kindergarten and first grade are taking time to explore God’s second book of nature as part of a new forestry class.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Images by Eugene Simonov
The federal government shutdown at the end of 2018/beginning of 2019 stopped the paychecks of 800,000 federal government employees. Seventh-day Adventists in the DMV are working to lessen the blow.
Story by Buffy Halvorsen
The Ohio Conference recently hosted their Annual Prayer of Emphasis Day. Event organizer Buffy Halvorsen shared these tips for the day that you can use for a similar event at your church.
If prayer is the breath of the soul, we as Christians must breathe deep and often. Colossians 4:2 reads: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (ESV).
Below are suggestions to make this day memorable for all ages in your church.
1. Set up “Prayer Stations” around the church:
Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Photos by Andre Hastick
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 78 percent of the world’s population is unable to worship their God in whatever way they see fit.
Today, on Religious Freedom Day, local faith and civic leaders gathered at the North American Division (NAD) Headquarters in Columbia Md., for the NAD’s first Religious Freedom Prayer Breakfast. They celebrated the freedoms enjoyed in the United States and prayed for guidance in further fostering and sharing it with others.
Story by Dave Morgan
Photo by Gustavorezende on Pixabay
March 1 and 2, the Elementary Musicfest is open to students grades 5–10. This includes homeschool, Adventist school and public school students. Musicfest is under the direction of Lawrence Galera, director of music at BMA. The two-day event includes vocal and instrumental workshops, as well as group performance and an afternoon showcase of individual performance. For more information about how your school, student or co-op can participate, contact info@bma.us.
Story by Jose Esposito
After 49 years of uninterrupted service in ministry, Raúl Rodríguez (pictured) has announced his retirement. Rodríguez began his pastoral work in 1969 and became an integral part of Potomac Conference’s pastoral team in 1997.
Story by Andre Hastick
During the recent Reach Chesapeake coordinated evangelistic campaign, 23 Hispanic churches throughout the Chesapeake Conference participated in spreading the Adventist message of hope in their respective communities.
In preparation for the meetings, each Hispanic congregation engaged their community through small groups, says Pastor Orlando Rosales, director of Multilingual Ministries for Chesapeake. These Biblebased small groups met in members’ homes and focused on felt needs of friends and family members. After the small group gelled, members invited participants to an evangelistic series. This served as a natural bridge for recently connected newcomers.
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
Emil Peeler, pastor of the Capitol Hill church in Washington, D.C., felt that although there were a lot of solid Bible study resources available, there was need for a fresh, concise and simple approach. Consequently, FaithFacts (pictured) was birthed. “I specifically designed them to be used for baptismal preparation and as introductory studies for those new in their Christian journey,” says Peeler.
Story by Betty Klinck
Adventist HealthCare Washington Adventist Hospital is the first hospital in Maryland to offer an alternative approach to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a less invasive procedure to replace a damaged heart valve without open-heart surgery. The new method, called transcaval TAVR, will expand the minimally invasive benefits of TAVR to more people with valve disease.
