EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE YOU SAID IT MOVING FORWARD PEACEMAKER CHILDREN AND ANXIETY TOGETHER NORTHWEST ADVENTISTS IN ACTION TEACHERS FIND NEW INSPIRATIONIN CHICAGO 2018 TEACHERS' OCT CONVENTION 2018 VOL.113, Nº8 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 CONTENTS october 2018 NORTHWEST ADVENTISTS IN ACTION 19 15 28 FEATURE CONFERENCE NEWS 4 EDITORIAL 8 Teachers Find New 12 Acción 5 INTERSECTIONS Inspiration in Chicago 13 Alaska 29 FAMILY YOU SAID IT 14 Idaho 33 ANNOUNCEMENTS 40 Children and Anxiety 15 Montana PERSPECTIVE 16 Oregon Peacemaker 42 20 Upper Columbia 44 How Close Are We to the Action? 24 Washington JUST LIKE JESUS 27 WWU 4 46 Biker Picnic 28 Adventist Health JOHN FREEDMAN Copyright © 2018 POSTMASTER: send all address changes to: ADVENTIST® and SEVENTH-DAY October 2018 North Pacific Union Conference Gleaner, ADVENTIST® are the registered trademarks Vol. 113, No. 8 5709 N. 20th St., Ridgefield, WA 98642 of the General Conference of Seventh-day Phone: 360-857-7000 Adventists®. [email protected] gleanernow.com LITHO U.S.A. Gleaner (ISSN 0746-5874) is published Gleaner STAFF once per month for a total of 12 issues per SUBMISSIONS: Timely announcements, features, news stories and family notices for Editor: Steve Vistaunet year by the North Pacific Union Conference Copy Editor: Laurel Rogers ® publication in the Gleaner may be submitted “The Light Shines in the of Seventh-day Adventists , 5709 N. 20th Advertising and Project Manager: St., Ridgefield, WA 98642. It is printed directly to the project manager at the Darkness, and the Darkness address listed above. Material sent directly Desiree Lockwood and mailed at Pacific Press Publishing Digital Media Coordinator: Anthony White Association®, 1350 N. Kings Rd., Nampa, ID to local conference correspondents may be Has Not Overcome It” forwarded to the Gleaner. Digital Media Assistant: Nina Vallado 83687-3193. Subscription rate: $13 per year. Design: GUILDHOUSE Group in Cape Perpetua, Ore., Periodical postage paid at Ridgefield, WA PLEASE NOTE: Every reasonable effort is by Abel Rojas, 98642 and additional mailing offices. made to screen all editorial material to avoid error in this publication. The Gleaner does IMAGE CREDITS: of Walla Walla, Wash. OUR MISSION: Connecting Northwest not accept responsibility for advertisers’ p. 41: iStock.com/martin-dm Adventists with an expanding hub of news claims. p. 43: iStock.com/Liderina and inspiration. p. 45: iStock.com/yesfoto 3 october 2018 OUR MISSION OF THE beings whose normal lives have When we fall before the Lord NORTH PACIFIC UNION been disrupted by a call to the most and humbly confess our lack of prog- CONFERENCE OF THE important task in the universe — to ress in reaching our communities for SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST share the hope of Jesus Christ with Christ, we are enabled to take hold CHURCH HAS THE PO- the world He so desperately loves. of the Holy Spirit’s strength. The TENTIAL TO CHANGE THE Which leads us to ask the Apostle Paul shared this truth: “For WORLD WHEN IT IS LED questions: How can we effectively when I am weak, then I am strong.” It BY CHRIST, WHO IS THE share the everlasting gospel of is possible to unite our human weak- HEAD OF THE CHURCH, God’s grace in a post-Christian cul- ness with Christ’s divine strength AND EMPOWERED BY ture? How should we authentically and work together with Christ to HIS SPIRIT. WITH CHRIST, share God’s love with our neighbors move mountains of obstacles. When OUR CHURCH CAN DO ALL and relatives? How will we stop good things begin to happen, God THINGS AND NOTHING SHALL the flow of young adults out of receives all the glory. BE IMPOSSIBLE. YET, SOMETIMES our churches? How can we make a In collaborative meetings with I WONDER WHY JESUS USES THE lasting impact on communities that each local conference administra- CHURCH. AFTER ALL, THE CHURCH have no clue who we are or what tive team we have agreed on the IS MADE UP OF FICKLE, FLAWED we represent? points you see on the facing page AND OFTEN UNRELIABLE HU MAN To answer these questions, I that reinforce our collective goal BEINGS. I THINK TO MYSELF, “SURE- would like to suggest we begin to to move forward together in Christ. LY JESUS COULD HAVE COME UP change our conversations. For ex- Our strategic plan doesn’t diminish WITH A BETTER STRATEGY.” ample, we could stop talking about or replace the unique focus of each But when Jesus chose the what is not possible and start talking con ference, local church or school church to accomplish His mission, He about what is possible in Christ. We team, but reinforces our belief that picked you … He picked me. That’s could engage in more courageous, we can each accomplish more by not only amazing, it’s yet another honest dialogue about mis- moving forward together on broadly sign of God’s grace and deep love sion — including humble, passionate shared priorities. for humanity. As a church member, prayer — and then go do something Our role as the North Pacific you are one of millions of human today for Jesus. Union is to provide a clearly defined 4 october 2018 NORTHWEST-WIDE STRATEGIC PLAN North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) OUR NORTHWEST executive committee members affirmed CORE VALUES an updated unionwide strategic plan during their Aug. 22, 2018, meeting in » Integrity and Authenticity: We Ridgefield, Wash. This plan also serves will be honest and accountable in as a catalyst for a continuing emphasis everything we do. on young adult engagement through the » Excellence: We will do our very Growing Young cohort project. best in all things. The collaborative approach to mission, » Love, Respect and Inclusion: combining input from union and local We recognize the inestimable value conference representatives , is an effort of every person as a child of God. to move toward a common goal without » Collaboration: We believe by diminishing the unique roles for local and communicating and working regional areas of the church. together we will accomplish more. Here are the core elements of this » Growth in Christ: We will foster mission-directed strategy. a culture of discipleship. OUR NORTHWEST YOUNG ADULT MISSION EMPHASIS Our mission is to reach all people with- The key priority of young adult Respond to any Gleaner topic by emailing [email protected]. in the North Pacific Union and the world engagement has already led to the pilot with the distinctive, Christ-centered, project of Growing Young. During the past Seventh-day Adventist message of hope year, a cohort of 10 Northwest churches mission and encourage each and wholeness. have collaborated on a training program, conference and institution in the directed by Ben Lundquist, Oregon NPUC to collaborate in its accom- Conference young adult leader, and fa- plishment. Then we focus our limited OUR NORTHWEST cilitated through Fuller Youth Institute in resources and finan cial subsidies, VISION Pasadena, Calif. It was designed to reach, our mentoring and coaching toward To see people within the North Pacific love and empower younger generations, the success of this shared mission. Union prepared for the Second Coming of while better engaging all generations in The role of the NPUC is also to Christ by His people reflecting the char- the mission of Jesus. inspire confidence in the love and acter of Christ, manifesting His uncondi- Positive results from this pilot have power of God, the power of prayer, tional love for all people, and passionately led the NPUC executive committee the guidance of the Holy Spirit and sharing the gospel with every person. to authorize a second year for the JOIN NPUC the promise of Christ to be with us project. Growing Young 2.0, as Lundquist “always, even to the end of the age.” describes it, will not only take the original PRAYERS Let’s keep praying together, OUR NORTHWEST churches further in the journey, but train FOR ANNUAL talking together and moving forward STRATEGIC a team of leaders from those churches to COUNCIL. together on God’s mission, in His will, PRIORITIES serve as Adventist project coaches for a SEE PAGE in His way and in His time. The result » Young adult engagement; new round of cohort churches. will be lost people finding hope and » Growing together in Christ; wholeness in Christ and transformed » Total member involvement in into His image. mission; » Leadership development; John Freedman, North Pacific » Growing healthy churches and Union Conference president schools. 5 october 2018 36 Benefits of work at Milo. SEE PAGE 19 A well-deserved SEE PAGE award. 16 Pedaling to SEE PAGE Chicago. 10 6 october 2018 New truck, SEE PAGE new life. 14 A hearty AMEN in SEE PAGE Port Orchard. 24 7 october 2018 2018 TEACHERS' CONVENTION TEACHERS FIND NEW INSPIRATIONIN CHICAGO Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman inspires the crowd on opening night. TEACHERS FIND NEW INSPIRATION IN CHICAGO SIX THOUSAND PROFESSIONAL ADVENTIST EDUCATORS FROM AROUND THE NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION (NAD) CONVERGED ON CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, FOR THE NAD TEACHERS' CONVENTION, HELD AUGUST 6–9. THIS WAS THE FOURTH TIME SINCE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY THAT THE EVERY-SIXTH-YEAR EVENT HAS BEEN HELD. Themed “Encounter Jesus, Expe- A highlight for the Northwest came rience Excellence,” the convention on Tuesday evening, when Stephen featured more than 400 presentations Lundquist, Portland Adventist Acad- geared toward a wide variety of roles, emy (PAA) Bible teacher and religion including classroom teachers, admin- department chair, was honored with istrators, deans and marketing staff. A an Excellence in Teaching Award from cavernous exhibit hall, with more than the Alumni Awards Foundation (AAF).