Pathfinder Camporee
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NORTHWEST ADVENTISTS IN ACTION NOVEMBERNOVNOOVO V EMBEME M ERR 20122200 1 2 VolVoVol.o l . 107,107,0 7 No.NNoo . 111 1 NPUCNPUC PATHFINDER CAMPOREE 2012 Brings 2,000 to Astoria IMAGES OF CREATION nter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; E give thanks to Him and praise His name. Psalms 100:4 (NIV) ‘Fall and Fresh Snow’ by Gary State of Gaston, Oregon. FEATURE 6 4 LETTERS EDITORIAL 5 Alone Means Alone ACCION 10 Milagro en la Cárcel de Hillsboro CONFERENCE NEWS 11 Alaska 12 Idaho 13 Montana 14 Oregon 18 Upper Columbia 22 Washington 25 Walla Walla University 26 Adventist Health 27 Northwest 28 FAMILY 30 LETTERS (CONTINUED) 31 ANNOUNCEMENTS NPUC 32 ADVERTISEMENTS NPUC PATHFINDER LET’S TALK 38 Plans CAMPOREE 2012 Brings 2,000 to Astoria POSTMASTER: send all address changes to: North Pacific Union Conference GLEANER, 5709 N. 20th St., Ridgefield, WA 98642 GLEANER STAFF Phone: 360-857-7000 Editor: Steve Vistaunet [email protected] Copy Editor: Laurel Rogers www.gleaneronline.org Advertising and Project Manager: SUBMISSIONS: Timely announcements, features, news Desiree Lockwood stories and family notices for publication in the GLEANER Design: GUILDHOUSE Group may be submitted directly to the project manager at the address listed above. Material sent directly to local CORRESPONDENTS Copyright © 2012 conference correspondents may be forwarded to the Alaska: Butch Palmero, [email protected] November 2012 | Vol. 107, No. 11 GLEANER. Idaho: Don Klinger, [email protected] Montana: Archie Harris, [email protected] PLEASE NOTE: Every reasonable effort is made to screen Oregon: Krissy Barber, [email protected] GLEANER, (ISSN 0746-5874) is published once per month all editorial material to avoid error in this publication. The Upper Columbia Conference: Jay Wintermeyer, [email protected] for a total of 12 issues per year by the North Pacific Union GLEANER does not accept responsibility for advertisers’ Washington: Heidi Martella Baumgartner, Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®, 5709 N. 20th St., claims. [email protected] Ridgefield, WA 98642. It is printed and mailed at Pacific Walla Walla University: Rosa Jimenez, [email protected] Press Publishing Association®, 1350 N. Kings Rd., Nampa, ADVENTIST® and SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST® are the Adventist Health: Brittany Dobbs, [email protected] ID 83687-3193. Subscription rate: $13 per year. Periodical registered trademarks of the General Conference of postage paid at Ridgefield, WA 98642 and additional Seventh-day Adventists®. mailing offices. LITHO U.S.A. NEWS AND NOTES NORTHWEST ADVENTISTS IN ACTION SEPTEMBER 2012 Vol. 107, No. 9 Letters ONE MAN’S TESTIMONY WAYNE BLAKELY ... READERS RESPOND A Choice of Surrender which wasn’t strident. I appreciated the acknowledgement What a powerful article you included in the September issue in your opening comments that not every gay or lesbian of the GLEANER. I was moved by Wayne’s testimony [“A Adventist has found the path of celibacy that Wayne Blakely Question of Identity”] and the power of God to help each one testifies for to be one that they are called to. Our film, which of us in our temptations and weaknesses. Like he said, we all you mention, Seventh-Gay Adventists, follows the spiritual fight with temptation, and the path of self-denial, surrender journeys of three gay and lesbian Adventists over two years and choosing to live each day as a new creation in Christ Je- as they wrestle with these big questions about what God sus is our safety. Thank you, Wayne, for sharing your testimo- requires, what room there is for them in their church, where ny as you claim Rev. 12:11 and allowing God to empower you they can take their children on Sabbath mornings, and how daily. The choice you have made to surrender your feelings do they reconcile their deeply held faith with their sexual ori- to the lover of our souls has encouraged me personally in my entation. What I’ve found in these past four years of listening battles. A wholehearted amen to Scott Lemert’s article [“Jane to dozens and dozens of stories is that what seems completely Meets the Adventists”]! black and white becomes more complicated when you know real people and real stories, when you’ve shared a Sabbath Risë Raff erty, Fall Creek, Ore. with a gay couple and their children, when you get to really Avoid Clobber Texts know someone who is gay/lesbian (and they’ve just prayed for your newborn daughter), when you’ve heard story after story I have gay friends. They are law-abiding, intelligent, loving, of attempted suicide and despair after feeling rejected by God, spiritual people. They in no way are like the sex-crazed mob and especially by God’s people. that are wanting to forcible [sic] gang-rape Lot’s guests. They are not like the people of Romans 1 who are building images Daneen Akers, Seventh-Gay Adventists co-producer of wood, rejecting God and being filled with every kind of TimelyTim Article wickedness, evil, greed and depravity, etc. (Romans 1:20+).0+). I am amazed and disappointed when people use these twotwo YourYour articles on homosexualityhom are timely and judiciously verses as some of their clobber texts. written. Thanks for stepsteppingping uupp to the plate regarding this overwhelming social/political wave thatthat is aaffecting Chris- Ellsworth Wellman, Yakima, WWash.ash. tians everywhere. Gaining a Fresh Resolve Tom Staff ord, Vancouver, Wash.Wash. There are many sins, all grievous to God … One off the most alarming is the Laodecian plague. The ... Continued on page 30 Holy Spirit has spoken through Wayne in a most profound and encouraging way, and I walk away with a fresh resolve to keep my focus on Jesus. Bobbie Vedvick, Concrete, Wash.h. SGA Producer Responds GLEANER 5709 N. 20th St. Ridgefi Thank you for opening the conversation in eld, WA 98642 this past GLEANER about how the church Se nd let should treat its gay and lesbian members. Itt to t ters, alk@k stor is time for a new approach to this conversa-a- glea ies, nero pho tion, and I appreciated the tone of this piece,ece, nlin tos e.org. 4 GLEANER • November 20122 EDITORIAL Alone Means Alone ou’ve heard the expression, “What part of ‘no’ It is easy to read this quote and miss or minimize Ydon’t you understand?” I would like us to con- that one word. Alone. It means only or one and only. sider another word. Th e word is “alone.” True success in reaching our neighbors in the NPUC I don’t mean alone in the sense of “lonely”; rather, for Jesus can happen only by using the methods He alone in the sense of “only.” If we are told that the used when on this earth. If we are His body, won’t we only way to make it out of this world alive is through look and act like He acted? Won’t we do the things the merits of Jesus’ life and His death in our place on that He did in the way that He did them? the cross, could we assume there is not a second or I believe that if we use “Christ’s method” we will third way that just might work? Seems pretty clear get results. It is true that they may be slower in com- doesn’t it? “Th ere is none other name under heaven ing initially and harder to quantify, but should that given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts stop us from following His method? Th ings didn’t 4:12, KJV). Th ere is just one and only one way: Jesus. look very hopeful at the cross for all of Christ’s 33 What about the method for fulfi lling the mis- years of mingling, sympathizing, ministering and sion that Jesus gave us in reaching the North Pacifi c winning people’s confi dence. During His last night Union Conference (NPUC) territory for Him? Are before the cross, His disciples bickered over there many ways to succeed in this area, or is there position, forsook Him and denied Him, and an “only” way that we have somehow missed or one even betrayed Him! Yet aft er Pentecost relegated to a back burner? No question that many the fruit of His life was seen when 3,000 diff erent methods have been tried. Some seem to were baptized in a day and, shortly aft er, have a certain degree of success, while others fall fl at. 5,000 men alone were counted as believ- How do we know the best way? ers (Acts 2:41, 4:4). On crucifi xion Friday, Many of us are familiar with a powerful and some would have called His ministry a thought-provoking quote from the pen of Ellen failure, but a few weeks later it was seen to White. Please consider the critical word “alone” as be what it always had been from heaven’s you read: “Christ’s method alone will give true suc- perspective ... a tremendous success. cess in reaching the people. Th e Savior mingled with What part of “alone” don’t we under- men as one who desired their good. He showed His stand? Isn’t it about time we listen and learn sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and from the Master? Th ere is just one and only won their confi dence. Th en He bade them, ‘Follow one method for true success — Jesus’ method. Me’” (Ministry of Healing, p. 143). MERLIN KNOWLES Montana Conference president FEATUREF EAE ATUTTUREU RER E PAT CAM Brings Online commentators Rob Gaedede and Alyssa Talimao interview Jamesmes Black, North American Division yoyouthuth director, who was on hand to supportpport and interact with North Pacifi c UnionUnion leadership during the event.