Story by Jackie Smith
With camp meeting approaching, it was clear that something needed to be done about the cratered dirt road leading into Camp Mohaven—the conference’s summer camp and retreat facilities, located in Danville. The cost to repair it was $10,000, with no funds in the budget available. Prayerfully, the conference moved forward on the project, not knowing where the money would come from.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9, NKJV).
As I write this, our world is in turmoil. Nightly protests still rage around our country after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. In this new reality, I wondered what Google could teach me about peace. A .51-second search revealed 1.34 million hits! People are hungry for peace!
As I glanced over many of the summaries, I learned there are articles about the Peace Corps, peace prizes, peace poles, a peace college, peace endowments, peace gardens, peace institutes and peace protests. There are women for peace, Jews for peace, Buddhists for peace, religions for peace, musicals for peace and children for peace.
Story by Edward Marton
The Ohio Conference Youth Department has entered its second year of “Growing Young Adventists”—a church transformation process designed to foster intergenerational worship, fellowship and service.
Ten churches journeyed through the Growing Young process at the beginning of 2020, bringing all generations together in Christ and in service for the community. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and disrupted many of the churches’ plans. In stride, they adjusted to other ways of reaching youth and young adults through digital means. Of the original 10 churches, eight have decided to continue on the Growing Young journey, and four new churches have joined to form a new yeartwo cohort.
“Not giving up meeting together... but encouraging one another— and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25, NIV).
“Scripture is full of examples of how the most insignificant and humble acts of faith become the spark that releases the miraculous acts of God’s power,” says Ramos. “There are no circumstances so dark and overwhelming that God’s people, advancing under His command, cannot overcome.”