Pacific Union “All God's People,”

In this week’s episode of All God’s People—

—Education Sabbath, April 25— Every April, the North American Division hosts Education Sabbath. Today you’ll ﬁnd Adventist schools in nearly 150 countries. 85,000 teachers, 1.5 million students, 7,500 schools—the Adventist school system is one of the largest Christian educational systems in the world. Learn more about Adventist Education via the links below. https://www.nadadventist.org/events/education-sabbath-0 https://adventisteducation.org/index.html

—Redlands Adventist Academy Teacher Transforms Teaching Space— God continues to bless His people in ways we could never have imagined before—and the stories from our schools

Printed: October 2021 - Page 1 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. and local churches reﬂect that fact. We couldn’t be more proud of how our teachers and students are working and studying under the most unusual circumstances in living memory. And they’re all getting very creative.

In Southeastern California Conference, Justin Hansen, high school science teacher at Redlands Adventist Academy, has transformed his wood shed in the back yard into a classroom with chalkboard walls and multiple angles for ﬁlming. And the students are loving it! Way to go, Mr. Hansen!

Learn more about Redlands Adventist Academy: https://www.redlandsacademy.org/

—Sustainable Farming at Holbrook Indian School— The good people at Holbrook Indian School are accustomed to responding to unique challenges, and we’ve been so inspired to see how they’ve responded to the coronavirus pandemic. One Holbrook Indian School initiative that’s been so helpful during these times is the farm. It was established with the focus of holistic education through sustainable farming. A part of that initiative is Garden-to-Plate, where students help to grow, harvest, and prepare organic produce. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the HIS Farm continues to provide produce to the surrounding communities and HIS staﬀ. The school is also continuing students’ education via online and mail-in packets. The Holbrook staﬀ looks forward to continuing the special projects that the farm and students were working on—and, when quarantines are lifted, welcoming their students back to campus.

Learn more (and watch the video): https://www.holbrookindianschool.org/farm

—Placerville Seventh-day Adventist Church Women’s Ministry— During the past few weeks, the Placerville church women’s ministry (and friends) sewed 1,700 face masks and donated them to a variety of county agencies and members of their community. Recipients included the El Dorado County Sheriﬀ’s Oﬃce, a newborn intensive care unit, several substance abuse recovery facilities, a maternity home, senior services, and more.

The sheriff’s office posted pictures on its Facebook page with a message: “A very grateful and special thank you to the Placerville Seventh-day Adventist Church Women’s Ministry for their donation of masks … The box of orange, yellow, and red masks is headed to our jails, where our correctional staff is working diligently to keep themselves and those in their care safe from COVID-19.” What an awesome way to reach out to your community, Placerville church!

Read more from Northern California Adventists in Action: https://www.facebook.com/NorCalAdventistsinAction/photos/a.152908394870102/1495686777258917/?type=3&the

—Adventist Health BlueZones— News from Adventist Health – on April 8, Adventist Health announced that it had acquired Blue Zones®, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. This revolutionary move by Adventist Health comes at a time when public attention is especially focused on the interconnectedness of our health to that of our friends and neighbors in the face of the coronavirus disease crisis. Read the entire article via the link below: https://www.adventisthealth.org/blog/2020/april/adventist-health-acquires-blue-zones-as-part-of-/

—Loma Linda Academy’s Virtual Choir Sings Unclouded Day— Loma Linda Academy’s Pro Musica is the school’s premier choral ensemble comprised of thirty-eight high school students. Until recently, they’ve traveled regionally, nationally, and internationally. Now, they’re appearing virtually from their own homes. Dr. Brenda Mohr, director of choirs, described this project as a “labor of love.” It was created for the livestream Easter Sabbath worship service at Loma Linda University church and took many hours of creating, compiling, and editing. Dr. Mohr chose “Unclouded Day” because it’s a song of hope—Hope in the coming of the Lord and that soon the “Covid Cloud” will be lifted. Thank you, Loma Linda Academy!

Watch the music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHa8P5pmBQg Learn more about Loma Linda Academy: https://www.lla.org/

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I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. –John 16:33

In this week’s episode of All God’s People:

—April Education Issue of Recorder Magazine Printed and Mailed; Special Thanks to Paciﬁc Press—

There’s a reason why your Recorder is late—and an even better reason why we are receiving it at all! Our communication team loves collaborating with the Education Department on the Annual Education issue of the Recorder—and this year is our 3rd Annual issue. The Recorder was already printed and in the stitching machine at Paciﬁc Press when the “stay-at-home” order was issued in Idaho. We were so fearful that it would not be mailed for weeks.

We were making plans to share it online only this month, and we were even facing the prospect of an online-only

Printed: October 2021 - Page 4 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. May issue when our friends at Pacific Press received the necessary permission to continue printing with a scaled down staff maintaining social distancing. The Recorder was the first thing that they finished up once they were able to re-open under the new restrictions.

We are so pleased and grateful that the magazine is in your homes or on its way! And a very big “Thank You” to our partners at Paciﬁc Press for all they’re doing during this critical time.

Recorder Online: https://adventistfaith.com/recorder/

Paciﬁc Press: https://www.paciﬁcpress.com/

—Adventist Health Resources for Coronavirus Preparedness—

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Adventist Health has launched a very helpful symptom checker on their coronavirus preparedness page. It is easy to use, includes the most reliable and up-to-date information, and will help you with any questions you have about your own health during this time, or the health of your family members and those you love. And it is available in both English and Spanish. Links to this resource are below: https://www.adventisthealth.org/coronavirus-preparedness/

—Paciﬁc Union Churches Live-Streaming Services— Is your church live-streaming their services? So many of our pastors and churches are working hard to bring the worship experiences right to our homes through zoom meetings, teleconferencing, social media, and good old- fashioned phone calls. We are trying to keep the list that we publish up-to-date—so if we missed your services, please let us know. The link to the conference by conference listing is below: https://adventistfaith.com/news/2020/04/live-streaming-services/

—Interview with Newbury Park Adventist Academy Senior— This week I had the opportunity to speak with Gisselle Asij, a senior at Newbury Park Adventist Academy. You may remember that Gisselle was a guest host on All God’s People last October following the annual Student Leadership Retreat at Leoni Meadows. She’s the ASB president at Newbury Park and was really looking forward to her senior class trip and graduation. Watch the full interview in this week’s episode, or learn more about Newbury Park Adventist Academy via the link below. https://www.mynpaa.com/mission-index

Printed: October 2021 - Page 5 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. —Leoni Meadows Reaches Out to Housebound Neighbors— One afternoon a week, Leoni Meadows food service director Ed Elsner makes bread for housebound people in nearby Grizzly Flats. So far, he’s given away more than 150 loaves. In early March, before Californians were ordered to shelter in place, the camp placed a large food order. When the scheduled group was unable to come, the camp donated all the perishable items to those in need through a local church. “The Leoni staﬀ realize, now more than ever, how important it is to be a helping hand to our community,” said Executive Director Craig Heinrich.

More news from the Northern California Conference: https://nccsda.com/

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In Matthew 6:11 Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And it was not just for bread, the food. Bread was a powerful symbol of God’s provision for His people in the Old Testament. We can trust that our heavenly Father continues to make provision for our daily needs.

In this week’s episode:

—Remembering Jesus’ Resurrection— It’s a moment unlike any in recent history—a time of unbelievable sadness and pain—and yet a time of hope, of rebirth and renewal; it’s a time to remember and celebrate the events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s Easter weekend.

—Our Focus This Week— There is so much wrong with our world on this particular “Good” Friday. And yet, there is so much right about how All God’s People are responding to the coronavirus pandemic – in our local churches; in our schools; in our hospitals; in our neighborhoods and communities. Last week we shared how your local church is coming to you right where

Printed: October 2021 - Page 7 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. you are, by way of live-streaming. This week our focus is on our schools.

—A Word from the Paciﬁc Union Conference Director of Education— Berit von Pohle, director of education for the Paciﬁc Union Conference, joined us via Zoom this week to share how the online education of nearly 12,000 students in 1,000 classrooms is going from their homes.

—Lodi Academy’s Spring Quarter Launches Online— At Lodi Academy, keeping parents informed and engaged in the education of their high school students is important to the faculty. English/AP art history teacher Martin Surridge posted an orientation video for parents, showing what teachers and students did during the previous week. He also walked parents through the online school interface that the school is using during this critical time. Watch the Orientation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVD65ZpLQhU&feature=youtu.be

—Orangevale SDA School Connects with Daily Video Greeting— Ensuring that families stay connected is a priority for Principal Brad Davis and his teachers at Orangevale SDA School. They are posting a daily greeting for school families, which includes information on plans for distance learning, and other topics parents are concerned about. Watch a recent greeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBEdOJyMguE&feature=youtu.be+%28daily+greeting%29+https%3A%2F%2Fw ww.ovschool.org%2F

—Yreka Adventist Christian School Teacher Records “Miss Meriah’s Adventures”— To engage her students in learning, Meriah Matthews, lower grades teacher at Yreka Adventist Christian School records “Miss Meriah’s Adventures” and posts episodes on YouTube. She takes suggestions from her students and demonstrates the activities they propose. So far her adventures have included tips to stay healthy, snowshoeing, outdoor safety, and horseback riding. Watch a recent episode: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2bMW5EanNlrcjWjdtUnmpA

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“With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33. Under their labors were added to the church chosen men, who, receiving the word of truth, consecrated their lives to the work of giving to others the hope that ﬁlled their hearts with peace and joy. –The Acts of the Apostles, pg. 48

Printed: October 2021 - Page 8 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. —April Recorder Magazines Online— The Recorder is the monthly news magazine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Pacific Southwest, providing thought-provoking stories and faith-based articles to challenge you in your faith journey. Last year, the Pacific Union launched the first ever quarterly edition of the monthly Recorder magazine in Spanish. These quarterly publications reach about 20,000 Adventist homes in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah! Read the latest edition of the Recorder via the link below: https://adventistfaith.com/recorder/

In this episode of All God’s People—

Printed: October 2021 - Page 9 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. Local Churches Live-Stream Services; Stewardship in April; A word from Elder Ricardo Graham; and more…

—Local Churches Live-Stream Services During Quarantine— As the number of coronavirus cases grows by the hour and the death toll inevitably rises, we want you to know that you are not alone. The stories of pastors and church leaders ﬁnding ways to reach out and minister to our members and communities provide ample proof of a simple yet important fact: Your local church cares about you very much!

—A Connected Community— Your church is so much more than a building, and “church service” is so much more than coming together for study and worship. You may be at home, but “church” can actually come to you. Live-streaming of church services is going on all over our union – from Arizona to Hawaii; the Nevada-Utah conference to the 4 conferences in California. Members and pastors are calling to check on church members. Text messages are an immediate means for connecting with encouragement or information. We all have cell phones, tablets or laptops – and we can participate in “church” in ways we scarcely thought about just 3 weeks ago. Live streaming by Zoom or on church websites brings your pastor into your living room by way of technology. And what a comfort it has been to all God’s people.

Churches Live-steaming in the Paciﬁc Union: https://adventistfaith.com/news/2020/04/live-streaming-services/

—Stewardship in April— Perhaps it is in God’s providence that the nationwide “focus” for the month of April is Stewardship. More than a year in advance, the North American Division plans the Calendar, and this April is Stewardship month. We see how the economy is suffering during this pandemic. We see people struggling. When we are unable to gather for church, how does that affect our tithes and offerings? You know what – it doesn’t need to negatively impact our giving at all. Just as we use our computers to stay connected with our church family, we can use our computers and mobile apps for online giving. If it’s not something you’re in the habit of doing, now is the time to learn. Many churches in our Union are set up online for Adventist Giving. Click the link below to learn more about giving your tithe through the app.

Learn More: https://www.nadstewardship.org/resources/articles/adventist-online-giving/

Adventist Giving: https://adventistgiving.org/#/

—Stewards of Mission, Help, and Hope— We are all stewards of our time, health, abilities, and ﬁnances. By being Christ-ﬁlled stewards of what God has given

Printed: October 2021 - Page 10 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. us we can help fund the mission to give people hope and help them become whole.

The story of Adventist stewardship centers not on the story of highly-educated super-Christians sacriﬁcially giving extraordinary amounts of money. It’s the story of everyday people who answer the call to give of themselves and touch the lives of others in the name of Jesus. And it’s our story because together we help make it happen. The support of the ministries of your local church is one more important way that we can come together during this very diﬃcult time. And, by the way—this is another area in which prayer is so important. Please pray that God will keep all of our local churches and schools safe and secure during this time.

—A word from Elder Ricardo Graham— Elder Ricardo Graham, president of the Paciﬁc Union Conference, joined us from his home to share some encouraging thoughts and ways to serve others during this time.

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“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” –Psalm 59:16

In this week’s episode:

—Local Church Food Banks Help Communities— With social distancing the new normal, Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist church is lending a helping hand with a drive-thru food bank. Good Day Sacramento visited the Carmichael church on March 18 and talked with Pastor Keith Jacobsen.

Watch the interview: https://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/video/4485464-drive-thru-food-bank/?fbclid=IwAR2IwlTsAYOlafnpKNY9c8jq QR5OqgO2kMMf-JwZgWK6u04b7yxNsdo2J5U

Printed: October 2021 - Page 12 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. About 400 miles south of Carmichael, Mario Melendez, the community services director at the Spanish American church in the heart of East Los Angeles, with his team of volunteers, served giant bags and boxes of groceries to those in need in their community on March 18. The number of volunteers and the amount of donated food was incredible. 100-150 families depend on Spanish American to meet their needs.

Learn more: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b8eu06c6w4w0063/Servico%20a%20la%20Comunidad.mp4?dl=0

Note: At the time both of these stories took place, California was not under the mandatory “stay at home” order it is today. We’re sure local churches will continue to ﬁnd ways to serve the essential needs of their communities while staying within the state guidelines!

—A Message from Executive Secretary Bradford Newton—

This week, Paciﬁc Union Executive Secretary Bradford Newton shares how we can serve Jesus during times of diﬃculty. Watch this week’s episode of All God’s People to hear his timely and encouraging message.

—Women’s History Month: Julia Ann White’s Story—

In 1905 Julia White traveled from Battle Creek to join the staff of the newly founded Loma Linda Sanitarium. Dr. White was the first woman physician on the Sanitarium staff. Seeing the need for more nursing staff in 1905, she initiated a nurses’ training program that became the first school of the College of Medical Evangelists.

Serving as the Superintendent of Lady Nurses, Dr. White taught physiology, obstetrics, and gynecology to the nurses. When the School of Medicine was founded in 1909, she taught medical students.

On the occasion of Dr. Julia’s arrival at Loma Linda, Ellen White predicted, “I think she will do well here.” She was certainly right.

Learn more about Dr. Julia White: https://medicine.llu.edu/research/department-basic-sciences/division-physiology/faculty/john-h-zhang-md-phd/zhang -lab/heritage

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“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and

Printed: October 2021 - Page 13 of 14 Article reprint from Adventistfaith.com on October 2021 2021© Paciﬁc Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Copyright, All Right Reserved. continue to help them.” –Hebrews 6:10