Story by Andrew S. Lay
Elijah Ramjattan, new campus chaplain and recruiter, recently joined the faculty at Highland View Academy (HVA). He and his wife, Jo-Anna, a registered nurse, both received degrees from Weimar University (Calif.) and look forward to changing lives in youth ministry at the academy.
Story by Frank Perez
The board of the Good Neighbor House (GNH) in Dayton, Ohio, recently announced the appointment of Michelle Collier as executive director.
Collier has been with the agency for the past five years. She was hired as the chief operating officer, but added more responsibilities as the 28-year old operation acquired more programs to help serve the Miami Valley and beyond.
Good Neighbor House serves all areas of their community through their pantry services, dental clinic, multi-programed medical clinic which includes medical care, counseling services and a dispensary. Three times, in the history of this faith-based organization, there has been a push to add more room to help answer the need of our community members. Twice, this was done by relocating.
Story by Tiffany Doss
In an effort to go “beyond the walls”—the conference’s new initiative—administrators recently met with Staunton, Va., city officials. “[Our] office has been in the community over the past 50 years, but many people don’t know who we are or what we do,” explains Charles A. Tapp, president. “We wanted to meet with city officials to ... let them know we are here to build relationships, help our neighbors and reach out to those in need.”
Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff
In 2021, Adventist HealthCare’s The Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Health was awarded a five-year, $2 million dollar grant to implement Family Attachment-focused Services, Treatment, & Training (FASTT) in Montgomery and Prince George’s County.
The grant was awarded from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the University of Maryland School of Social Work will serve as a third-party evaluation and assessment partner.
Interview by Michelle Greene
Randy Fishell, the former and interim editor of Guide magazine, illustrated and wrote Tucker Digs In. In the fictional story, middle-schooler Tucker Barnes can’t wait to use his metal detector and find buried treasure. Tucker and his friends try to avoid bullies and learn how to treasure hunt while digging into the importance of prayer.
In our interview with Fishell, he shared where he found his inspiration for the book.
Story by Natalie Lilly, Communication Intern
God is on the move in Pennsylvania. When COVID-19 impacted the “120 in 2020” plan to hold 120 evangelistic meetings during 2020, the evangelism team simply moved those scheduled meetings to 2021. Those events grew from 120 to more than 135 prophecy series by the end of the year—the highest number of evangelistic seminars in a single year in the conference.
Editorial by Jerry Lutz
You’ve heard it said, “Old habits die hard.” It’s a phrase that is sometimes used to convey how difficult
it can be to stop doing things one has been doing for a long time. If you have ever tried breaking a well- established habit, you know how challenging and frustrating it can be. Neuroscientists graphically describe habits as pathways in the brain that are made by connections between neurons (nerve cells). These neural pathways, they say, are like grooves in the road maps of our brain. So, the more frequently the pathway is traveled, the stronger and more “second nature” the behavior.
Mountain View Conference ministry leaders shared the following goals for 2022:
Children’s Ministries—The Children’s Ministries Department now has a CORE team who have completed extensive training
to provide North American Division Certification Training to all local Children’s Ministries lead- ers. In the spring, training sessions will be scheduled in every church district.
The new Vacation Bible School (VBS) program, titled “Jasper Canyon,” will be available to all churches desiring to host a VBS program this summer.
Story by Tiffany Doss
The Potomac Conference recently created a director of media position to further opportunities for spreading the gospel. “We operate in a high-tech, digital-media environment. We must use every tool available to reach today's generation, providing them with opportunities to use their talents Beyond the Walls and expand the kingdom of God," says Charles Tapp, conference president.
Richard Castillo will lead this new department. He recently served as the vice president of Integrated Marketing and Communications at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md. He previously served as media pastor for the Sligo church, also in Takoma Park, and communication director for the Oklahoma Conference.
Story by Edward Marton
As we reflect on 2021, we are both saddened by the great losses the global pandemic has brought to many families and thankful that the Lord has led us through the challenges of ministry amid crises.
As the Ohio Conference youth director, it has been especially encouraging for me to witness the blessings God continues to pour out on us. Here are some of the highlights from the past year for which we praise God: