State College District visit

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
January 30, 2010

Last night I joined the State College, Lewistown, Mifflintown and Pioneer End Time mission group for a district meeting to introduce Pastor Chris Buttery, Jennifer and their family as the new district leader. This district was formerly led by Pastor Lonnie Wibberding, who moved out to the Pacific Northwest to be nearer to family. Chris has been doing an excellent job leading the churches of Montrose, Tunkhannock and Beaumont district.

The State College district received Chris very well and are eagerly looking forward to his transition.

While I was there, I looked up the residence for a couple of young adult brothers who have settled in the State College area after growing up in Hamburg, PA. Although they weren’t home, I left them a note and a copy of the book, Story of Redemption, by Ellen White. I heard later that they found it and had been reading some in the book.

Come Read With Me!

President’s Blog – What I’ve Been Reading Recently

Currently, there are several books I have been reading from that I’d like to share with you here in this blog. Some I have just finished. One or two are long term reading—I pick them up for awhile, set them down for awhile, and pick them up again.



Right now, I am presenting a few short selections from one chapter per week in the book, Great Controversy by Ellen White to our office staff for Monday morning staff worship. This is a tremendous book with a powerful message for Christians living right now before Jesus’ second coming.

In my personal devotional time, I am reading from A.G. Daniels classic book, Christ Our Righteousness. In this, he details the all-encompassing message of righteousness by faith and presents quotes and selections from Ellen White urging the Adventist Church to make Jesus Christ the central point of every person’s life. She details that it is only in the presentation of righteousness by faith, that the message will go with power in the last days, and it is Satan’s studied effort to keep people from understanding righteousness by faith, for Satan knows that when people accept Christ’s righteousness by faith, Satan’s power over them will be broken. I am praying about the possibility of making this book available at a very affordable price for those attending the 2010 Pennsylvania Camp meeting.

Jeanne and I are reading (well, she is reading and I am driving) Story of Redemption, by Ellen White, each morning that we ride together from our house to the Conference office. This book is a wonderful telling of the Great Controversy/Conflict of the Ages in one shorter, easier to read volume. I am praying about also making this book available at a very affordable price for those attending the 2010 Pennsylvania Camp meeting.

Recently I finished reading John Ortberg’s book, God is Closer Than you Think. This book deals with a creative and yet compelling call to invite Jesus into every day and every part of our life. Several have shared with me what a blessing and also a conviction they have received from this book.

Another book I am currently meandering through is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. It describes how our brains are able to process and handle understanding certain things, and even lead us to decisions or conclusions, without our being conscious of a specific thought process. Gladwell is not describing some ethereal, or hypnotized, or out of control experience. He is saying that our brains have been created with the ability to organize and process data on a subconscious level and use that ability when we may not even be aware of it.

Ben Patterson has a volume entitled, Deeping Your Conversation with God. An Excellent book on personal prayer with God. I have shared this with all the Pastors and all the Teachers who came to the Spiritual Retreats this fall, where we followed Ellen White’s counsel to come apart and rest awhile, focusing completely on God’s presence.

A historical non-fiction book I enjoy reading snatches in from time-to-time is American Lion by Jon Meacham. This details the life of Andrew Jackson during the years he was an American President. This is also a book that James Cress,(a voracious reader) GC Ministerial Department Director was reading right around the time of his death last November.

Our Wednesday night neighborhood Men’s Group is reading Being God’s Man…By Standing Firm Under Pressure, by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck and Todd Wendorff. This is a book for small group study and discussion, and focuses on the life of Daniel and his 3 companions as they demonstrated how not to compromise under pressure. They didn’t let misfortune, temptation, manipulation, intimidation or even death shake their faith into compromise. Instead, they faced each new challenging circumstance with courage and trust.

To grow as a Church leader, I have read, and am now re-reading portions of Patrick Lencioni’s book, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars. This book helps leaders work with the organizations departmental directors in discovering and joining together on a thematic goal, that every department can work together on, to reach the mission for the organization. Soon I will read Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to continue growing as an effective organizational leader.

The last book I am listing here now is Dwight Nelson’s Creation and Evolution. Rather than being a definitive book on all the scientific theory for or against evolution, Nelson brings a spiritual study from the Scriptures, along with good solid questions for the evolutionary theory to address if it is to be seriously considered acceptable. He also brings an over-view of excellent current scientific thought and discoveries that cast significant doubt on the ability of the evolutionary theory to be the sole authority for origins of life. I enjoy Nelson’s treatment and believe this provides a strong case for Creationism and a Creator – God expressed in this book. Currently this book is available at an excellent price in the Adventist Book Center.

Come read alongside of me! And tell me what you are finding to be interesting reading!! I’d love to hear from you.

Ray

Typical Administrative Committee (ADCOM) work

President’s Blog
January 20, 2010

Typical Administrative Committee work

Between Conference Executive Committee meetings, there are a number of weekly and monthly activities and issues that need to be addressed. Your Conference Officers are charged with leading out in the every-day and routine items that need decisions to be made and implemented, along with giving the vision and direction for the Mission of Jesus through our Conference. Our Executive Committee has been charged by the Constituency with the governance and broad direction for the Conference, setting or approving policy, approving the Conference funding and Pastor Personnel hiring and placement.
I have listed below, this week’s agenda for ADCOM, as just an example of what might be on a typical ADCOM discussion with some items voted for action. All ADCOM actions are recorded and then the minutes are presented to the Conference Executive Committee for their vote to approve each ADCOM meeting minutes.
If you should have any curiosity or question about this week’s ADCOM agenda, feel free to contact me.

ADCOM
January 20, 2010

1. Prayer

2. Lori Landa
a. Minutes review by ADCOM Officers – new software process to use

3. Columbia Union Haiti relief update
a. Suggested: Offering from Conference reserves.
b. Special appeal to all churches to help rebuild churches, schools,
university, hospital. Make recommendation to Conference Executive Committee

4. French books for Darnel Marius Part Time pastor of Lancaster Haitian Church. Evangelism funds to provide

5. Additional rent assistance request – short term

6. Women in Ministry update

7. Camp Keystone summer use request

8. 3 youth Share Him overseas travel expense budgets for Adult Evangelism Coaches

9. 2010 Conference Budget update

10. Assistant to the President for Mission update

11. LLC report to Executive Committee

12. Mission Intentional Church – York update

13. Marriage, Homosexuality and the Church
a. International Religious Liberty Conference at Andrews University CD recordings available

14. Columbia Union Mission Funding to Conferences. 2010 Allocation update.

15. Arise and Build. Future direction for this activity

16. HVCA update

17. Camp Meeting 2012
a. Concept for future of camp meeting
b. Hispanic camp meeting

18. Discuss annual member age survey in each church

El Camino Church Organization

President’s Blog
January 16, 2010
El Camino Church Organization


Today Elder Ron Christman, Elder Juan Lopez, his wife Daisy and I had the joy and privilege of celebrating the organization of a new Pennsylvania Conference Church in Easton, PA.



The El Camino SDA Church begin just a few years ago as a mission group. Now they have been organized, and already, some of the members are dreaming and talking about planting another SDA Church in the Easton region. Members shared with me that this is the only Hispanic church of any kind in this part of Easton, where there is a sizable Hispanic population. In just a week or so, the El Camino SDA Church will be having the graduation of the 3rd English as a Second Language (ESL) Class they have provided for community benefit and church outreach.
Elder Ron Christman, who speaks fluent Spanish, presented the summary of the Adventist beliefs. Elder Lopez, who also speaks fluent Spanish, pronounce the Conference blessing, declared the church to be officially organized in the SDA World Church as part of the PA Conference and had the official prayer. Although I only speak fluent English and just a few words of Spanish, I led the organizing serviced and the voting of the charter members.




Answering our appeal for any to take their stand for Jesus Christ and the Biblical beliefs of the Adventist Church, was a man who had been attending but was not a member. He came forward and pledged his desire to prepare for baptism.



At lunch following the worship service, Elder Christman and I were seated at a table with mostly young people. I visited with a young man who attended the Junior High a couple of blocks from the rented Lutheran church our Adventist Church family meets in. Elder Christman visited with his father in Spanish, as his English as not very strong. We learned that both father and son had walked into this church off the street for the 1st time this Sabbath, having never visited this church or been invited by anyone. As I visited with the son in English, he asked me if I knew anyone who could help his father learn to speak English better. So I introduced the father to Mrs. Brown, the lay person who was teaching the ESL classes. Elder Christman learned from the father, that he had several Adventist relatives, and he would be interested in considering becoming a Seventh-day Adventist himself.
God is at work across Pennsylvania! As we pray, seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and make ourselves available anywhere, anytime, with anyone, God can do mighty things for His work.



The Easton El Camino Church plant is the result of a number of layperson deciding to step out in faith and answer God’s call to be a missionary for Jesus. They were also lead and assisted by Pastor Montesinos, District Pastor Gabriel Montalvo, and Pastor Saud Elias who recently conducted and evangelistic reaping series of meetings there. Also Adventist members from Bethlehem Spanish and Lehigh Valley Spanish assisted.

The Witnessing LocationI Never Thought was Ideal

I’ve never been a fan of air travel evangelism. Maybe like me, you have heard speakers tell of traveling to some location, and while traveling on an airliner, they were seated next to another traveler. Striking up a conversation with them, they had the opportunity to witness and share some aspect of Christianity. At the end of the trip, they got off the plane, rejoicing to have made a difference in someone’s life.

It always struck me that a better approach to witnessing would be to share your faith in your own neighborhood, town or church area of influence instead of on an airliner. Then you could be used by God to do more than have a “hit and run” conversation. You could actually help disciple someone over time. That “ought” to be the way to do personal evangelism.

Besides, the few times I get on an air flight, I usually have a list of projects or reading I need to do and I need the time away from phone calls, office duties and drop-in visitors to give it full attention in a quiet setting. And then, I am not a naturally out-going sanguine personality who just loves to strike up deep meaningful conversations with every stranger I meet. If someone takes the initiative to speak to me or ask questions, I am willing to walk right in to a spiritual conversation.

So I’m about to share that God really does have a sense of humor. On a Wednesday, last October 7, I was flying to a Christian Leadership Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. While on the plane I shared my free newspaper with the man next to me. He eventually started chatting and I just asked him some open-ended questions about himself, his work, his tour of duty in the Air Force, his experience at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, and his family. In course of my listening to his experience, he spoke of his upbringing by Christian parents and the values he was seeking to establish in his own home. At this point I asked if he and his family attended church. He said he did. Then he mentioned the role of pastors of large churches and the wish he had that some of these pastors would better serve the needs of the community instead of just building up a big church and a big salary. Then, I believe the Holy Spirit jumped in and “pushed” me. I shared with him how the Biblical model is that every Christian is a minister. We don’t have to wait to see the mega-church pastor “get it right,” we are personally called by Christ to minister in His name, wherever we are. We are the minister. So we chatted about that for a couple of minutes. Then I shared with him how God could even use him to minister through his business/work. I urged him to get a copy of the book, Show and Then Tell: Presenting the Gospel Through Everyday Encounters. He thought that sounded good. Then after a little reflection and very general comments on the coming of Christ together, he said to me, “You know, I remember reading a book by Hal Lindsey a while ago about the end of time and the coming of Christ. I ought to get it out read it again.” Then I sensed the Holy Spirit jumping in and pushing me again. I just responded directly, “You know, I have read a book that is much more accurate than Hal Lindsey. There are many things Hal Lindsey doesn’t have just right. But there is this book entitled, ‘Great Controversy’ which carefully and scripturally takes all the issues from the time of Christ, through the early church, the medieval times, the reformation, down to our time and to the times just when Jesus comes. I have found it to be so much more accurate on this topic. You need to get this book and read it.” I gave him directions for finding the Great Controversy online through the Adventist Book Center. He expressed a good interest in this book. Before we left the plan, we exchanged business cards with e-mail addresses. Later, I e-mailed him and mentioned visiting with him. I didn’t mention the book, just that I enjoyed visiting with him. He e-mailed right back and said he was definitely getting the Great Controversy..



Incredible and sobering! I had an actual assignment I had to get done on that 2 hour flight to Atlanta. But God had a different assignment. And you know, I liked the substitute assignment much better. Even if it was airline evangelism!!

Then on the way home, guess what happened on that 2 hour flight. I sat next to a gracious man from southern Virginia. Since it was Friday night, in the plane I got out my Bible and Sabbath School Quarterly. After I finished my SS lesson, he commented to me about some spiritual things. Then he asked me about what Jesus meant about the desolation of the holy place spoken of by Daniel the prophet. So I briefly shared from Matthew 24 on the signs of the times. Then, since the Holy Spirit had jumped in and pushed me just 2 days earlier, I knew the Holy Spirit was ready to go this time. So I went on and said, There is a great book entitled, ‘Great Controversy,’ which is the most accurate description of the issues of the last days before Jesus comes. He asked about the author and I gave him my business card with the name of the book and the Adventist Book Center so he could Google it and order it. Again, he showed an interest in this book. If we are willing for God to work through us, He has the capacity to surprise us, and use us in ways we may not find natural. But once God opens the way, and once we are fully willing for Him to work His will in us, then whatever way God chooses, it becomes exciting and natural! Here is a powerful thought that I think encourages each of us.

“There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understand their true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in. {AA 109.1}
An angel guided Philip to the one who was seeking for light and who was ready to receive the gospel, and today angels will guide the footsteps of those workers who will allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify their tongues and refine and ennoble their hearts. The angel sent to Philip could himself have done the work for the Ethiopian, but this is not God's way of working. It is His plan that men are to work for their fellow men. {AA 109.2}
In the trust given to the first disciples, believers in every age have shared. Everyone who has received the gospel has been given sacred truth to impart to the world. God's faithful people have always been aggressive missionaries, consecrating their resources to the honor of His name and wisely using their talents in His service.” {AA 109.3}