All God's People

We are so proud of our schools and of our education issue of the Recorder! This year is our seventh annual issue for education. We are thankful to the schools that year after year allow us to visit their campuses and take photos of their activities. This year the photos are from the Arizona, Hawaii, and Southeastern conferences. We are thankful to the principals as well as the teachers for their help and contributions. Students from the Victor Valley Seventh-day Adventist School in Victorville, California, grace the cover of this month’s Recorder.

Read the April 2024 issue here:

issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0424recorder

Links to some of the articles:

adventistfaith.com/media/recorder/four-teachers-who-changed-my-life

adventistfaith.com/media/recorder/in-search-of-proper-education

adventistfaith.com/media/recorder/thriving-adventist-educations-wholistic-development

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org, including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics."

Learn more about Earth Day 2024:

earthday.org/

April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month, bringing attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize exacerbation of health-related issues.

The Mental Health America website provides some tips on how to reduce your stress:

mhanational.org/

mhanational.org/get-involved/stress-screener

mhanational.org/ten-tools

The International Pathfinder Camporee is held every five years and 55,000+ Pathfinders from over 100 countries come to play, share, learn, and worship together. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s sure to strengthen your relationship with God.

The dates for the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee are August 5-11, 2024, and it will take place in Gillette, Wyoming.

camporee.org/

One of the exciting things about the camporee is the opportunity to interact with other Pathfinders from around the North American Division and the world. And one of the best ways to do that is to participate in pin trading! A special webpage is set up just for you so you can order your Pacific Union pin.

Each person who attends the camporee from the Pacific Union will be given ONE pin to keep. This pin will be given to conference directors at the camporee to give out to the clubs. Additional pins can be ordered at a discounted price for your clubs through May 31st.

To order pins: pucpins.com/

From Northern California Conference, an amazing story of welding as a community outreach program.

Orangevale member Rob Purvis is an expert in welding. With several other volunteer welding instructors, he teaches students this high-demand vocation—not just the physical expertise of laying a bead of molten metal connecting two objects but also the math, physics, and accuracy that employers will demand.

Reignite Hope, a welding training school initiated by Purvis, operates from a pristine 53-foot semitrailer temporarily stationed in the Rancho Cordova church’s parking lot. It serves a dual purpose: offering a vocation to those seeking life improvement and spreading the love of Jesus.

Read the story:

adventistfaith.com/media/conference-newsletter/northern-lights-february-2024

Watch the videos:

youtu.be/vMGD57fUkb0?t=10

(Winter Class 2024)

reignitehopesacramento.com/

Women's History Month is an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women's Day on March 8. This year's theme is centered on “women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

At Adventistfaith.com we have wonderful articles and resources to celebrate Women’s History Month all month long.

adventistfaith.com/media/womens-history-month

womenshistorymonth.gov/

nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2024-whm-theme

March is National Nutrition Month, and during this month, health and nutrition professionals share their knowledge and tips with patients, clients, family, friends, and the community to increase awareness about the importance of good nutrition. During this special month of focusing on nutrition, you may be interested in a remarkable article on Vogue.com about the “Blue Zone” of Loma Linda, California. In her article, Behold: Lessons from America’s First (and Only) Blue Zone, Margaux Anbouba lists the key factors why residents of Loma Linda have a life expectancy 10 years longer than the average American.

Links to resources on National Nutrition Month and Vogue.com article and other Blue Zones resources:

nutrition.gov/

vogue.com/article/behold-lessons-from-americas-first-and-only-blue-zone

bluezones.com/about/history/#

The March Recorder is in your homes, and also available online in English and Spanish. The cover story, “Your Daughters Shall Prophesy,” is adapted from Raewyn Orlich’s new book, “In Grandpa’s Shoes,” in which she shares how the example and encouragement of her grandfather, Eric Webster, influenced her life and calling.

issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0324recorder English

issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0324recorder_sp Spanish

adventsource.org/store/adult-ministries/elder/small-groups/in-grandpas-shoes-41691 (link to order “In Grandpa’s Shoes”)

Next week, Christians around the world will be celebrating Holy Week, followed by Easter on March 31st. Holy Week commemorates the final week in the ministry of Jesus Christ that includes the two pivotal moments in His life so significant to the Christian faith: His death and resurrection. As Adventists, we understand this extraordinary moment in the context of the great controversy—and the unfailing love and commitment God has made to the human race.

Our production team is at Salt Lake Central Seventh-day Adventist Church today, one of the churches in the Nevada-Utah Conference that is experiencing growth through their ministry to their community. This year is their 100th Anniversary and I had the chance to speak with Pastor Oneil Madden and some of their members.

It is a thrill for us to share the story of Jesus with those around us—especially with those we know and love within our families and our neighborhoods. Sharing the good news of the gospel is a focal point for every Seventh-day Adventist church.

I personally was so inspired by our visit to Salt Lake Central church. I invite you to join us in praying for our brothers and sisters who are sharing the gospel so faithfully and effectively here in Utah.

Links for Salt Lake Central SDA Church

facebook.com/SlcCentralSdaChurch/

saltlakecentralut.adventistchurch.org/

saltlakecentralut.adventistchurch.org/history-of-central

Bill Jamerson of Carson City, Nevada, celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this month with family and friends. Family members gave speeches about his life's accomplishments, and he was given a pin from a general in the Army. Bill Jamerson is one of the few living veterans who served in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He is a highly decorated combat medic who devoted his life to others after his military service. Bill and his wife June also hold the record for being the longest living married couple in Nevada history. They have been married for 77 years.

Watch the news report here:
2news.com/news/bill-jamersons-100th-birthday/article_ef7b8e8c-c3e3-11ee-931c-4b5392f5a03a.html

We are pleased to announce that the Executive Committee of the Southeastern California Conference has elected Andrea King as the Vice President of Black Ministries. Pastor King most recently served as the Communication and Media Director for Southeastern California Conference.

seccadventist.org/2024/02/02/andrea-king-elected-as-secc-vp-for-black-ministries/

Ephesus church and their Adventist Community Service center in South Los Angeles are known and loved by the community for their acts of service. Clients come on Mondays for free clothes and shoes from The Closet and to receive showers and hot plates of spaghetti. Through the years, the church has been affectionately known as “the spaghetti church” by regulars. The food pantry, open on the fourth Thursday of each month, welcomes guests to choose from fresh produce, canned goods, hygiene products, and more.

Read the article:
scc.adventist.org/stories/ephesus-the-spaghetti-church-impacts-lives-in-south-los-angeles

Watch the video: youtube.com/watch?v=3VSHT8tJfUM

The February Recorder is available online in English and Spanish. This month we celebrate the beginnings of Black Ministries in the West. There are wonderful articles about P.G. Rodgers, the builder of Black Adventism , and the pioneering work of Charles Kinny and others.

issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0224recorder (English)

issuu.com/pacificunionrecorder/docs/0224recorder_sp (Spanish)

Be sure to check out the items on sale at AdventistBookCenter.com to celebrate Black History Month! Historical books, stories, contemporary studies, and music are always available, and are specially priced now. Authors include Charles E. Bradford, Heather Thompson Day, Ricardo Graham, Hyveth Williams, and many more.

adventistbookcenter.com/featured/sales/black-history-month.html?product_list_limit=32

February is Black History Month, and it offers an opportunity for Americans to learn details of our shared history that are far too often neglected and pushed to the wayside. Black history is American history—and it’s a varied and rich history. A wise nation honors and learns from its past. It refuses to let the important facts about our shared and collective memory disappear into the depths of forgotten history.

For resources on Black History Month at AdventistFaith.com:

adventistfaith.com/media/black-history-month

Black History Month Resources:

asalh.org

There is a special February 2024 Black History Month Study Guide. The study guide, authored by four theologians and administrators of note, is not a replacement for the regular quarterly. Rather, it is a vibrant and much needed Bible-based resource for individual and collective study.

Order your copy at AdventSource:

adventsource.org/store/young-adults/bible-studies/social-justice-in-the-word-of-god-bible-study-guide-41134

A local ABC affiliate reported that several churches in Provo, Utah, are gearing up to be warming centers when the temperatures drop below 15 degrees or colder. The Provo Seventh-day Adventist church opened its doors as a warming center on January 18.

Watch the news report at:
abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/3-churches-to-open-as-warming-centers-in-provo

In a brand-new video series, the Southern California Conference will be exploring the rich tapestry of their members and discover what faith means in their own personal walk with God. The new series is called This is Faith.

Watch the first episode at:

youtube.com/watch?v=_14LTJVa98I

February is American Heart Month—a time for all of us, especially women, to focus on our cardiovascular health. There’s a wonderful article called Living Heart Healthy from Adventist Health that explains why knowing your heart disease risk and making heart-healthy lifestyle choices is so important.

Adventist Health article:

adventisthealth.org/services/heart-vascular/heart-care/

American Heart Month resources:

cdc.gov/heartdisease/american_heart_month.htm