Story by Debra Anderson
During the pandemic, volunteers from the Solid Rock church in Arlington, Va., engaged in aiding individuals in foster care and women’s shelters, as well as feeding those experiencing homelessness. Their efforts did not go unnoticed.
Recently, New Hope Housing—an agency in Northern Virginia that provides services to this population—named Solid Rock as its “Outstanding Volunteer Group” of the year for its ongoing assistance at the agency’s Residential Program Center (RPC).
Editorial from Jerry Lutz
Let’s admit it, shall we? Sometimes it’s hard to be thankful, especially when we find ourselves amid difficult, faith-stretching circumstances, particularly ones that threaten life and limb. When in dire, physical danger, we naturally, instinctively go into survival mode. It’s the fight-or-flight response, also known as acute stress response—a condition that refers to a physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically.
Story by Jaclyn Knight
At Potomac Conference's Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA), students build positive relationships with Christian mentors who truly care about them—a rare and valuable experience. Answering the call to a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school as a faculty and staff family means to choose a lifestyle in which the students are an integral part of your life. And that is what we cherish when it comes to living and working at SVA. The students are what make our life and work so special.
Story by Tracey Jackson
To honor the Allegheny East Conference Pine Forge Academy’s (PFA) 75th anniversary, leaders of the 46th Annual National Pine Forge Academy Alumni Association (NPFAAA) reunion recently converted the traditional three-day weekend event into a weeklong celebration. This hybrid virtual experience ended with an in-person reunion at Capitol Hill church in Washington, D.C.
Story by Andrew S. Lay
Following the Chesapeake Conference Highland View Academy’s mission to excel in all Christ asks, three alumni share their perspective on working as COVID-19 frontliners:
I began travel nursing during the first wave of COVID-19. I worked a crisis job in New Jersey, where the skin on my nose and ears began breaking down after wearing an N95 mask for 14 hours at a time.
During one shift, the non-breathable fabric of my full-body isolation suit stuck to my arms as I assisted in five separate emergency codes. Despite all interventions, some people didn’t make it.
Story by Sadrail Saint-Ulysse
At the end of the 2020–21 school year, the North American Division (NAD) Substantial Change in Program Visiting committee granted Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) the permission to operate a satellite education program this school year to offer grades 11–12 at the Waldwick Adventist School and grades 9–12 at the Vine Haven Adventist School.
Story by Visitor Staff
On November 11, members of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee elected Celeste Ryan Blyden as the new executive secretary, effective January 2022. She will be the first woman to fill the role in the union's 114-year history.
Blyden has served in her current role as vice president for Strategic Communication and Public Relations since 2014, when she made history as the first female vice president for the Columbia Union. She was re-elected at constituency sessions in 2016, and again in May 2021.
Story by Visitor Staff
On November 11, members of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee voted to promote four Columbia Union employees to new roles: two in the Information Technology (IT) Services Department and two in the Communication Department.
Greg Iverson, associate director of IT, was voted to serve as director, following the retirement of Harold Greene, current IT director, in February 2022.
Iverson has worked at the union since 2001, serving as both an assistant and associate director, with a portfolio that includes network administrator/system administrator.
Columbia Union Conference President, Dave Weigley, shared the following report about evangelism happening all around the union.
"As we emerge from the pandemic, we are more determined than ever to embrace traditional, creative and innovative evangelism opportunities. And we are inviting every member—men, women, boys and girls—to experience the mission of sharing our love for Jesus," says Weigley.
Editorial by Weymouth Spence
Christ’s example and teachings directly contradict the world’s aspirations toward always looking for wealth. In Christ, we see a Diety lowering Himself to human form to reach the poor, sick and struggling. Instead, His path is a path of lifting the brokenhearted and guiding His children to better horizons, whether that is financial or spiritual.
He said, “Whoever wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35), and “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” These aren’t the words that would indicate the priority is to search for wealth and let the benefits of your wealth trickle down to the masses. Instead, this is a call to dive into the masses and find those you can lift, heal and exalt.