Story by Lori Zerne
At Alumni Weekend this month, Highland View Academy (HVA) celebrates 70 years of existence where students can experience a quality Seventh-day Adventist Christian education. The school’s mission is to inspire and mentor students to excel in all Christ calls them to do. “We are committed to building on the dedication of those who came before to make sure our young people can have the best education possible,” says Erik Borges, principal.
The Columbia Union ended a two-year emphasis on evangelism in fall of 2018. Throughout this time, churches across the union hosted meetings and placed an emphasis on evangelism in our communities, celebrating 1,287 baptisms and professions of faith in 2018 alone.
As part of this emphasis, Columbia Union President Dave Weigley preached two series of meetings, one in Mountain View Conference’s Cumberland and Frostburg church district in 2017 and another in Chesapeake Conference’s Hagerstown (Md.) church in 2018. “It was so encouraging to see so many people from the community attend these meetings; there is a hunger for the Word of God in our world today,” he says.
Story by Visitor Staff
If you’re trying to grow your online ministry, you may run into a crisis and need to act fast before the news spreads.
“The digital age has brought about a few realities that have impacted how we handle a crisis,” says Celeste Ryan Blyden, vice president for Strategic Communication and Public Relations for the Columbia Union Conference. “Social media has redefined
the term ‘breaking news’ because while it is happening, people have their cells phones going, recording video or are on Facebook Live. They will take you to the event or situation in real time.”
In the Center for Online Evangelism podcast, Blyden shares tips on how your organization can prepare for potential crises in our changing world.
Story by Heidi Shoemaker
Story by Ophelia Barrizo
Beginning in the 2019–20 academic year, Chesapeake Conference's Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) will be joining more than 100 schools in the nationally recognized Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations (AOPA)—a high school aviation STEM curriculum. Students will have a unique opportunity to experience a one-of-akind, comprehensive, four-year aviation study program, aligned with rigorous math and science standards.
Story by Jaymie Pottinger
If there is one event Pine Forge Academy (PFA) students look forward to each semester, it is the Week of Spiritual Emphasis. During this time, faculty and staff make school a worry-free zone; students have no exams or major projects for a greater and nobler reason. The week is a time for spiritual enrichment to permeate the soul and offer some reprieve from the busyness of life at the boarding academy.
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
Allegheny East Conference's Baltimore Junior Academy (BJA) recently received two separate grants from the Maryland State Department of Education Nonpublic Aging Schools Program. The grants, totaling $38,000, will be used to improve the technology infrastructure of the school, allowing teachers and scholars greater access to the use of technology as a resource to support mastery of the curriculum
Story by Vanessa Guerrero (’19)
For the past 11 years, Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) students, staff, parents, churches and friends have banded together to help those in need by offering benefit concerts, organized as part of a gospel celebration during Black History Month. This year, LNAA student artists, vocalists, instrumentalists and guests dedicated their skills to a worthy cause for the 11th annual Gospel Benefit Concert.
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
Reginald Alexander, publishing associate at the Allegheny East Conference and a member of the Pine Forge (Pa.) church, has had cardiac sarcoidosis— a heart condition—since he was young. After two pacemakers, complete heart blockage and having limited cardiac output, his doctor declared that he needed a heart transplant. Alexander checked into the John Hopkins Hospital (Md.) in September 2018 to await a transplant.
Story by Bryant Smith
The youth of the Southeast church in Cleveland recently had the opportunity to make a difference. Members Angel and Ed Howard discovered that many times police officers cannot take a formal lunch because of their duties. Wanting to help, Angel came up with the idea to deliver snacks to the officers. She mentioned it to fellow member Tonyia Williams who agreed the youth could participate.