Northwest Adventists in Action DECEMBER 2007, Vol. 102, No. 12 YgYg <_pgoK`mnk`^odq`n<_pgoK`mnk`^odq`n jijiFaiFai 66 12 Love Is Best Expressed in Joy | 14 Sharing Him in Big Sky Country | 15 Merry Messy Christmas www.GleanerOnline.org Images of Creation (... ave faith in the Lord your God, and you will be upheld;... Chronicles : (NIV) “Snow-covered Tree” photographed by Greg Owen of Rochester, Washington. In this issue Feature Editorial 4 Thank You, Dick and Nadine 12 Momentum Blss Sharing Him 14 di pgb\i in Big Sky Country Fresh Start = \i_ Merry Messy = 15 Christmas Joc`m News Joc`m North Pacific Union 16 Yg a t 20 Alaska 21 Idaho `mnk`^odq`n 23 Montana K 24 Oregon 30 Upper Columbia jiA\doc 34 Washington 6 University Feature 37 38 Adventist Health 39 GleanerNOW! 40 Family B!Disjtunbt!Tupsz 42 Announcements Love is Best 44 Advertisements One expression of a passionate Expressed in Joy faith can include prayer and service. cz!Ebwje!Txbsu{ Photo by Brandon Witzel, SermonView.com. DECEMBER 2007, Vol. 102, No. 12 12 GLEANER STAFF Published by the North Pacific Union SUBMISSIONS—Timely announcements, features, news stories and Editor Richard C. Dower Conference of Seventh-day Adventists® family notices for publication in the GLEANER may be submitted directly Managing Editor Nadine Platner Dower to the copy coordinator at the address listed to the left. Material sent directly to local conference correspondents may be forwarded to the GLEANER. Copy Editor Lisa Krueger (ISSN 0746-5874) Consulting Editor Steven Vistaunet PLEASE NOTE—Every reasonable effort is made to screen all editorial Advertising and Copy Coordinator Desiree Lockwood Postmaster — send all address changes to: material to avoid error in this publication. The GLEANER does not accept responsibility for advertisers’ claims. Design MCM Design Studio, LLC. North Pacific Union Conference ADVENTIST® and SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST® are the registered CORRESPONDENTS GLEANER trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. Alaska John Kriegelstein, [email protected] 5709 N. 20th St. Idaho Don Klinger, [email protected] GLEANER, (ISSN 0746-5874) is published once per month for a Ridgefield, WA 98642 total of 12 issues per year by the North Pacific Union Conference of Montana Archie Harris, [email protected] Seventh-day Adventists®, 5709 N. 20th St., Ridgefield, WA 98642. Oregon Gary McLain, [email protected] Phone: (360) 857-7000 It is printed and mailed at Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1350 Upper Columbia Garrett Caldwell, [email protected] N. Kings Rd., Nampa, ID 83687-3193. Subscription rate: $13 per Washington Doug Bing, [email protected] [email protected] year. Periodical postage paid at Ridgefield, WA 98642 and additional Walla Walla University Becky St. Clair, [email protected] www.gleaneronline.org mailing offices. Adventist Health Shawna K. Malvini, [email protected] LITHO U.S.A. %&$&.#&3t(-&"/&3 3 Editorial Dick and Nadine In a world of change, we tend to look for something or someone photographic images would fill an impressive library. we can count on to be stable and steady. With her careful attention to detail, Nadine is the quintes- For the past five years, we have all had the luxury of two such sential counterpart to Dick. She has worked tirelessly to develop people, working behind the scenes to provide a consistently stellar and maintain a communication partnership throughout North GLEANER as a monthly anchor point for Northwest members. America that has promoted the mission of many Adventist min- They have traveled the length and breadth of the Northwest, istries while at the same time strengthening the potential of every capturing stories that connect us all to what it really means to be union paper. And when Dick returns from the far reaches of the about our Father’s business. They have harnessed the talents of Northwest with another great story, it’s Nadine who pushes it writers and photographers throughout our territory, and through through the process onto the printed page or the Web. it all have consistently met design and print deadlines without At the Society of Adventist Communicators convention complaint. They have been our stable and steady influence, and held in October in Nashville, Dick and Nadine received the we shall miss them. Lifetime Achievement Award amidst a standing ovation. It is a You see, the Dowers, with an unmistakeable gleam in their fitting, yet somewhat inadequate, tribute to a couple who has, eyes, have reached the fabled shores of retirement. They are over the decades, quietly aided and mentored countless young ready to move into a somewhat less structured and deadline- communicators within our church. driven lifestyle. This issue of the GLEANER is Dick’s last as Pick any spot in North America and you will likely find editor. Nadine will remain as managing editor for the next couple someone who has gone to school with Dick and Nadine or who of issues during this transition period. has been mentored by them over the years. Their network of Dick and Nadine Dower, both as individuals and as a team, friends and admirers testifies to their commitment to building have made an indelible impact upon our church’s communication lifelong relationships. outreach efforts. In an era of selfishness, Dick and Nadine have modeled an esprit Dick’s passion for gaining and maintaining de corps that exemplifies independence relationships has enabled him to share of thought but unity of action. As the heart and soul of what it means a team, they have created a living to be an Adventist in the real world. legacy, a commitment to the Lord’s From black leather-clad bikers cause that will continue to inspire sharing Christ as they motor many of us for years to come. across the country, to a If you’d like to share a word professional fishing guide of thanks with the Dowers, in Alaska fighting to keep send an e-mail to gleaner@ the Sabbath even during nw.npuc.org or a card to the busy summer season, the Dower’s attention Dick has brought the at 5709 N. 20th Street, extraordinary power of 2IDGEFIELD 7!s God working through Steve Vistaunet, ordinary people to the loyalty www.GleanerOnline.org pages of the GLEANER NPUC assistant KEYWORD to the president for and other Adventist communication, publications. And if a writes from Ridgefield, good picture is really worth a Washington. thousand words, Dick’s ability to tell stories with powerful BY STEVE VISTAUNET 4 (-&"/&3t%&$&.#&3 An Adventist Snapshot Seventh-day Adventists Seventh-day Adventists in North America Around the World The North American Division (NAD) includes all of the United States, Canada and The official website of the Seventh-day Bermuda. There are nine union conferences and 58 local conferences and as of Adventist Church states, “Welcome to March 30, 2007, there were 5,179 churches, 674 companies and 1,046,810 members. the official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—a Christian faith Pacific Union community preparing the world for the Columbia Union return of Jesus Christ.” s There are 60,273 churches, 61,352 companies and 14,399,072 members. With a world population of about 6.5 Atlantic Union billion, there is one Adventist for each Southern Union Union Membership 450 people on Earth. s During 2005, 2,090,182 new members were welcomed into the fellowship of North Pacific Union the Adventist Church. s Around the world, a new member joins the church every 30 seconds, and a southwestern Union new church is organized every three canada hours and 42 minutes. Mid-American Union lake Union s The church employs 5,735 active ordained ministers and has a total of 185,993 active employees. Union Membership Columbia Union 123,123 Pacific Union 211,535 Lake Union 79,623 Southern Union 233,848 s There are 1,334,486 students in 6,966 Atlantic Union 98,505 Mid-American Union 60,813 Southwestern Union 89,574 All figures are current as of December 31, 2005.All figures are current www.adventiststatistics.org Source: schools, including elementary, second- Canada 57,391 North Pacific Union 92,398 ary, and colleges and universities. Seventh-day Adventists in the Northwest s The North Pacific Union is comprised of s There is one Adventist for every 74 peo- s During the first quarter of 2007, 459 six conferences. ple in the Upper Columbia Conference. people were welcomed into member- s The North Pacific Union leads all other That is the highest ratio of any confer- ship of the Adventist church in the unions in North America in total per ence in North America. Northwest. capita contributions. 35K 150 Alaska Conference 27 churches, 6 companies, 3,743 members 30 Idaho Conference 120 44 churches, 4 companies, 6,262 members 25 Members m e asu red Companies Montana Conference in thou sands 90 20 Churches 38 churches, 9 companies, 3,965 members Oregon Conference 15 60 128 churches, 14 companies, 34,177 members 10 Upper Columbia Conference 30 105 churches, 16 companies, 24,250 members 5 Washington Conference Source: www.nadadventist.org/sec Source: 0 0 65 churches, 16 companies, 20,001 members AK ID MT OR UC WA AK ID MT OR UC WA Young Adult Perspectives on Faith Blessings Blessingsdi pgb\iNorthwest Family Helps Finish Mongolian Church = by Jennifer Woehler I had great plans. I was headed to build a church in Muren, Mongolia, where Christianity struggles to thrive in a Much work needed to be done to com- I Buddhist climate. Banking on my previous Maranatha plete the Bulgan church in Mongolia. We installed insulation, spackled and experiences, I eagerly anticipated the challenge until painted and poured cement around the perimeter of the church.