Pastor Campbell: August 2008 Archives

This Sabbath our worship focus is on what Jesus taught about the second coming (based on Mt. 24:36-25:13). Are you ready to meet Jesus? Is Jesus your friend? Then you will want to come this Sabbath as we talk about how we can be ready for Jesus to come again.

This Sunday afternoon the ABC Bookmobile will be at our church. Since the closest Adventist Book Center is in Denver, this is a great opportunity to pick up Adventist literature or vegetarian food. See the advertisements on the bulletin board in the church for more information.

On Sunday, Sept. 7, we are going to have a work bee at the church. Many of you participated in the work bee this spring where we cleaned inside our church, but now it is time to do some work on the outside as well. With thanks to W. D. Hess, Joan Cooper, and Tammi Brown we are going to prune back hedges, trim trees, and even remove a few overgrown specimens that need to just be gone. This is a team effort as we seek to beautify our church grounds. Contact W. D. Hess for more information (249-5358).

We really enjoyed having our friends, Pastor Jim & Laura Wibberding visit us for a few days. Pastor Jim did the chapel at Spring Creek Adventist School on Friday morning. Later that same day I was glad to see a good turnout for our school bonfire--the inaugural event of the new school year. I'm thankful for each young person at our school and for two dedicated teachers who care about quality Adventist education. I had fun bringing a baby bearded dragon for the students to watch grow (courtesy of Pastor Seth Coridan).

Sabbath was an important day for our church because we had a business meeting in the evening. I gave a presentation about Ellen White as evangelist, and spent some time looking at principles from her writings for evangelism. Our church voted to hold evangelistic meetings in early 2009. I'm excited because I think this is a great opportunity to win souls for Jesus Christ. Other important things from our business meeting: (1) we are starting a taskforce to work on a church mission statement; (2) a grounds committee with further input that should help to revitalize the outside of our church; (3) election of seven individuals to the next conference constituency meeting; and (4) due to a projected shortfall of the school of around $35,000 we voted to utilize up to half of our main savings account (about $13,000) to assist the school.

Sunday was my 30th birthday so we spent the day together as a family. Monday we spent the day canning peaches (I had picked up about 130 pounds of peaches in Palisade last Friday). Canning peaches reminds me of our Christian lives. There are both sweet and sticky spots. We want to focus on being sweet for Jesus, but despite our best efforts we can find ourselves in sticky situations. That is when we need Jesus. We want Jesus to sweeten our lives by making us more loving and lovable Christians.

Last but not least, last night (Wednesday) we went to church for our first Pathfinder meeting. We have 8 Pathfinders and 19 Adventurers. God is blessing in this special outreach of our church. If you are interested in supporting either of our clubs by helping out on Wednesday evenings I know your help would be most appreciated!

This Sabbath we are going to look at what Jesus taught about the judgment (based on John 5:19-24). Have you ever had to stand before a judge? It isn't a lot of fun is it? Then you can understand why most people are afraid of the judgment, but we are told the judgment is supposed to be good news. Come worship with us this Sabbath as we discover why Jesus said that the judgment is good news for us.

On Sunday evening we had about 80 church members over to our house for Eddie & Kelly Reed's baby shower. It was a lot of fun. I was impressed at how well Eddie can identify different kinds of baby food (one of our games) and Kelly did a good job identifying the chocolate diapers. Our church is very generous so I want to thank you for providing so much support for them as they anticipate the arrival of this little one. Plus, we had a lot of fun! If you missed out then it isn't too late to give Eddie & Kelly a gift since they are registered at Target.

Monday I used my day off this week to help out some friends, Pastor Seth & Melissa Coridan. They've been "camping" in their house for the last six months, and I promised him when he got to the tiling to let me know. So Monday with Harold Oldham we went up together to tile his kitchen, which we did. It was a lot of fun to spend time together and get some tile laid so hopefully Melissa doesn't have to keep cooking on her camp stove! As a bonus, Pastor Seth loaned me one of his baby bearded dragons to take over to the school as a classroom pet. When I brought him by the kids loved having this new addition to their classroom.

Last night Sharon Holbrook stopped by the house last night to say good bye as she heads out of town for her new home in Washington today. We told her to stop by, and Sharon gave the church a thank you card that I am going to post on the church bulletin board. You will want to take a look to see what Sharon has to say to our church family. We wish them well as they transition to their new home.

I finally got to finish Emma's sand box yesterday. Some friends came over and with a pick axe helped me get the dirt out that I needed to get out (that adobe is so hard!!!). I've got the wood cut and everything is ready to go except when I went to go get sand yesterday, no one would sell me sand. Thankfully a member of our church family is going to help me out in that department since he is a contractor. One of the reasons I am excited to have a sandbox is because Emma has a special friend visiting her this week, she was born less than a week before her. Her parents, Jim & Laura Wibberding, are good friends of our from college and seminary. They arrived last night for a few days to spend some time with us. I look forward to introducing them to you at church this Sabbath.

This Sabbath we are going to look at what Jesus taught about death (based on John 11:1-14 and Rev. 1:17-18). We've had a number of funerals this summer that have impacted our church family. This week we're going to study from God's Word why we don't need to be afraid of death. I hope you'll come and worship this Sabbath as we look for a message of hope from the teachings of Jesus.

This Sabbath afternoon there will be a special opportunity to pass out flyers in the English Garden part of Montrose as a part of learning about the needs of people in our community. This is the first part in participating in ShareFest. I know some people are planning to bring a sack lunch so they can go out and knock on doors right after church. Please contact Lamorna Riches for more information.

This week I received a call from Diane Davis, a member at Cedaredge, who is going to have a sacred music concern on this Saturday evening at 7 pm. If you would like to be blessed by some sacred music to close the Sabbath please come to the church to close the Sabbath.

Have you been following the olympics? What an exciting day it was this week to see Michael Phelps set a new world record with a career 11 gold medals. It reminds me of Paul's counsel about running the race.

The church camp out was a lot of fun. Dr. Timothy Standish shared with us over the weekend about origins. The weather was cool overall (the only time it was "hot" was when we went up hiking into a canyon to find dinosaur bones on Sabbath afternoon--ten to fifteen degrees warmer than the campground which was down in a valley by the river). One of the things that I learned about was trilobites. There are many different kinds but they only appear in the paleozoic period (not before or after). They also have complex eyes that mirror modern lens technology. There is no evolution from lesser eyes to more complex eyes. It seems pretty clear that they started out with complex eyes. Although we still have a lot of questions about the fossil record clearly we can have confidence in holding to an intelligent understanding of the biblical creation account. If you missed out you can download Dr. Standish's talks from the church web site (www.montroseadventist.org).

This past week I've developed a new schedule for my ministry. Some of you may not realize how intense ministry can be. I've tried to keep Mondays free for family time so I try not to return calls on Mondays unless they are an emergency (I still check my messages). I also have found that I need more time to spend time in sermon preparation and spiritual formation each week. It is easy to be incredibly busy. I'm going to begin reserving my mornings from Tuesday to Friday for this study time. Most evenings are booked up a month in advance between the three churches I have and it becomes extremely difficult to attend a meeting if I get a call at the last minute when I've already made another commitment. Last week while I was making two pastoral visits over a period of about three hours I received 20 voice mail messages. I do my best to return phone calls but some times it may not be until the following morning (especially if I get many of those calls in the evening) unless it is an emergency. I appreciate and value every phone call but I just want to share that I'm here to serve you and unfortunately there is only one of me!

We are looking forward to a fun weekend of fellowship at Dinosaur National Park. All the meetings (and our group site where we are camping) is in the Split Mountain Group Camp Site on the west entrance just across the state line in Utah. I've already e-mailed out directions and a schedule for the weekend. If you have any questions please feel free to call me (497-9636). We would love to have you come up for the day on Sabbath if you can't make it for the weekend. If you can't come this weekend at all then I would invite you to come to our worship service this Sabbath where Elder Ray Wing will be sharing God's Word with our church family.

Last Friday was absolutely beautiful. I climbed above 14,000 feet near the summit of Mt. Sneffels. We "borrowed" a JEEP and did some exploring around Yankee Boy Basin. The flowers are still spectacular. As we neared the beginning of the trail we decided to go for it. So we got on our mountain gear (flip flops and a water bottle). We began the ascent. The big rocks near the bottom were easy, but we soon discovered that flip flops were a challenge on the snow. I had to ditch them later when we started to actually climb. Our dog, Prudy, came with us up to the rock climbing part. She wanted to be with us so she went over to the next canyon and climbed up the glacier. The problem was that when she got to the top of the glacier she realized how high she was and started howling. She decided that she wasn't going anywhere, and certainly not down that glacier. So Jon climbed up that glacier and coaxed her down. At the bottom of the lower glacier we were able to just slide down. It was a lot of fun. I've posted pictures on Facebook for those of you who might want to see pictures from our trek.

This weekend was busy. Sabbath morning I was able to both give the welcome and announcements before I had to rush off to preach at Orchard Valley. We had a good time at OV. I'm happy to share with you that 18 students have now registered for Spring Creek Adventist School. Please continue to keep our teachers and students in your prayers as they prepare for the new school year.

On Sunday evening through yesterday morning we had pastor's meetings at Glacier View Ranch. Our Conference is enthusiastic about meetings (we have three sets of pastor's meetings each year--we're done for the rest of the year). For this meeting the theme was developing leaders. It really made me think about things we should do to help provide opportunities for every church member to develop their leadership skills. As a result, I am proposing that we start a monthly leadership meeting that will focus on everything from participation in church board meetings to time management and conflict resolution. We've got plenty of topics to cover. If you have a topic that you think would be important please let me know. I'd like to conclude in February with a special leadership weekend with Karen Cress, our new vice-president for leadership here in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Another thing I would like to see our church offer this fall is a series on financial management. With the downturn in the economy it has been challenging for everyone to make those dollars stretch. Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2, we will begin a special financial management series at the church. Please remember to mark the date on your calendars as we get ready for this fall.

Last but not least, I've settled on a five-week sermon series beginning in September on the book of Genesis. "Back to the Beginning" is going to feature stories of patriarchs and prophets. Each week we are going to learn lessons from Old Testament leaders such as Adam, Methusalah, Abraham, and many more. Stay tuned for more details.

I had better sign off. I need to head out this morning to Junction to attend the service in memory of Ellen Walters. Please continue to pray for Dick & Jo and the rest of their extended family.

This Sabbath one of our elders, Carlton Mason, Jr., will be sharing God's Word with us. Stick around after church for our weekly potluck in the park for delicious food and fun fellowship.

We're sad to see Sharon and Edith move back to Washington. This Friday evening (tomorrow), beginning at 6 pm, we're going to have a haystack supper at Pastor Campbell's house. The theme is haystacks. Pastor Michael is preparing two crockpots full of beans and the chips. Please bring a favorite haystack topping of your choice (or two or three depending on how hungry you are!). We want to make this a special season of fellowship to let Sharon and Edith know how much we appreciate them and wish them well as they transition on to a new part of the country.

Now is the time to get your child or grandchild signed up to receive a quality Christian education. Registration runs from 3 to 5 pm. Afterward there will be a corn roast with sandwiches. If you like to play soccer come over earlier in the day (10 am) for a pick up soccer game organized by our principal, David Swinyar.

On Thursday and Friday evening I went up to Gunnison for the conclusion of our evangelistic meetings up there. We also went back up on Sabbath for a "high Sabbath" for our Gunnison members. These meetings have been a tremendous source of inspiration and revival for our church family up there. I'm thankful that Jon Gardner and Nate Cranson were able to hold these meetings over the past two weeks. It has also raised the level of awareness in the community that we have an Adventist church in Gunnison. In the afternoon we went for a Sabbath afternoon hike to Gothic, just behind Crested Butte, to enjoy the wildflowers at their peak. It was spectacular. Then later on we had the last meeting in the series followed by a church social in the evening.

On Sunday I dropped Heidi and Emma off at the airport. They are spending a week with Grandma and Grandpa who wanted to get their dibs in to spend time with Emma before the summer is over. So I'm learning how to "batch" it again this week. I've been very appreciative of church members who feed their hungry pastor!

Monday we had our monthly pastor's meetings. We meet for the morning and then go out and have lunch together. This month we discussed the book, The Leadership Challenge. Have you seen it? It affirmed a number of things that we have been doing and challenged me to think of new ways to affirm our core values as a church. I believe it is important that we celebrate the values that drive our church. I saw this very distinctly this past Sunday when Lance Daniel, our head deacon, took a gentleman who was stranded here in Montrose to Grand Junction to help him get a ride to Denver. I think this is a good example of how community involvement and compassion combine by God's grace into being able to help another human being. I praise the Lord for people like Lance who go out of the way to help others.

On Tuesday I made a lot of pastoral visits here in Montrose. Tuesday I tackled a new hike with Bob Springer. He decided he would test my hiking endurance by taking me up to Mount Sneffels. Have you climbed it? I bet not very many people although we enjoy the view of the San Juans here in Montrose have ever hiked up there. We decided to climb up to Blaine Basin to about 12,000 feet. The wildflowers up there were terrific, and there is still a fair amount of snow bubbling down in torrents from those alpine heights. It just reminded me of what a loving God we serve who created so many different varieties of wildflowers. I have a better picture of how beautiful heaven will be by seeing such a beautiful place.

Yesterday I decided to cancel my trip to South Africa. We've got a lot of things going on and recently Heidi's brother is also getting married so we decided to hold off on this international trip as fun as that was going to be to be able to go there and do evangelism. I'd really like to see our church organize a mission trip for next year.

Well, I had better wrap this up because I have more pastoral visits to make today along with sermon preparation (not to mention that I need to clean the house and do some grocery shopping before Friday night!). I praise for each church member daily and please know that I am here to serve you. Please let me know how we can help you to grow to know Jesus better.

This Sabbath Gordon Reichard is going to share with us about the importance of listening to God's Word. His message is entitled "2 Good Ear" . . . "and you still can't hear." We live in grave peril when we refuse to hear the Word of the Lord, or more frequently, when we simply ignore the Word of the Lord. Stick around after church for our summer church potluck.

Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I gave presentations at Wyoming Camp Meeting about Ellen White as model evangelist. We had a great time meeting with church members from Wyoming and northern Colorado. As I met with people I heard many people tell me they belonged to a church with 20 members or less. So Wyoming Camp Meeting is an extra special opportunity for people to get together from across the least populous state in our country (I learned that Wyoming has a population of just over 500,000).

On Friday afternoon we drove up from Wyoming Camp Meeting to Yellowstone to speak at the Yellowstone Lodge and for our family to take a few days of personal time to spend time together in nature and as a family. On our way down to speak at the Lodge we saw two wolf puppies (there was no mistaking them since as puppies they were bigger than Coyotes!). In fact we saw a lot of wildlife while we were up there. On Sunday we saw a mamma grizzly with her cub (we couldn't see the cub since the grass was so high). Later on we saw two more grizzlies that popped out of the bushes near where our car was parked. A real highlight for us was getting to see two bull moose on the way out of the Tetons as we headed home on Tuesday. This past year, like down here, was a great winter for snow and all the extra moisture has made for the best wildflower season in more than a decade. There were flowers everywhere. It helped me to imagine just how beautiful heaven is going to be.

Have you started on your summer canning/freezing? Today our family is going to go out this morning to pick apricots and hopefully pick up some Olathe sweet corn. It is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. We've also been enjoying all of the yummy vegetables from our garden. Emma really likes beets. We have to take her down to her diaper because she becomes red just like the beat. She is a very enthusiastic eater of beets.

Last but not least I want to tell you another Emma story. While we were setting up camp Friday evening I was putting up the tent and Heidi got the campfire going. As soon as I was done I lit the small backpack stove we have. I turned around to stoke the fire and before I had a chance I saw that Emma had picked up the red bottle of fuel. Some of you probably know that Emma has a red water bottle she likes to carry around. So there she was twirling like a whirling dervish with the campstove on fire going in circles. I quickly grabbed it and we went on with our meal. Emma did not know how dangerous that was. It is sometimes just like us how we get ourselves in trouble and look with innocent eyes to God wondering why we get ourselves in trouble. We need to trust God and by His grace avoid fiery situations.

Greetings from Casper, Wyoming! We are here for Wyoming Camp Meeting. As I arrived at Mills Spring Ranch yesterday morning I was glad to see Sarah and Bryce Gladding who came running up to me. It looked like a good time was being had by all. I gave the first of three seminars on Ellen White as Model Evangelist. If you attended Western Slopes Camp Meeting then you heard the same series of presentations. One lady had tears streaming down her face as I told the story about Ellen Harmon's conversion experience.

Last week was also busy because in the evenings I drove up each night for Cowboy Camp Meeting. After church and potluck at Montrose our family drove up Sabbath afternoon to Cowboy Camp Meeting. We were saddened to pass a fatal car accident on the gravel road about a mile or two before the site for camp meeting (please keep the family in your prayers). By Friday evening we had about 50 people there so by Sabbath we had a pretty good size group in attendance. I gave my last presentation about Jesus the master tracker Saturday night as we looked at glimpses of the character of God that are revealed in God's Word. I also shared a little bit about Adventism in the Wild West.

We camped out Saturday night at Cowboy Camp Meeting which was a lot of fun. We had yummy smores. I was thankful John & Debbie Short had brought dark chocolate. That takes mores up to a whole new level. We had a great time of fellowship around a big bonfire before going to bed. Sunday was another busy day. After packing up we drove over to Gunnison early in the afternoon. The Gunnison Church was a hive of activity as members up there were cleaning up both inside and outside the church. Everyone was excited because Sunday evening was the opening night of a 12 evening evangelistic series led by Nathan Cranson and Jon Gardner (they alternate every other night). We spent the afternoon knocking on doors extending personal invitations for people to come to the meetings. I was really pleased because we had 21 people attend the opening meeting. If you want to listen to their presentations online Nate & Jon developed a web site: www.alivinggod.com. Please continue to keep this evangelistic effort in your prayers.

Afterward we crashed in the Gunnison Church for the night because from there we drove out from Gunnison to Denver to meet up with an old friend and his family for the day. He had flow out here for a conference so he had the day free before he flew home to Silver Spring, Maryland, that evening. On Monday night we stayed with another close friend in Ft. Collins before driving up to Wyoming Camp Meeting on Tuesday. In case you are wondering we made a "short detour" on the way up to stop by Jewel Cave National Monument (2nd longest cave in the world), Wind Cave National Park (4th longest cave in the world), and Mt. Rushmore. It was a very long 650 miles of driving that day but very rewarding to see three new National Parks. Incidentally, you'll never guess who I bumped into while at Mt. Rushmore? (so I'll go ahead and tell you, Elder Mike Ryan who earlier this year spoke at our church was there with his family on vacation).

This past weekend was a rare opportunity to take a weekend to spend with family. Heidi's family had a family reunion so although their pastor in Clarkston, Washington, was away for the weekend, there was no need for them to worry about a speaker. We had four pastors and one pastor in training together for the weekend! Although it was fun to spend time with family, we were really glad to get home on Monday. It is a thousand mile drive. I have to confess that I was happy we managed to squeeze in three national parks on the drive home, too.

 

Our big family news is that I found out recently that the Conference will ordain me on Sept. 20. I've chosen a special pastor who was a mentor for me in ministry in college, Nik Satelmajer. He and his wife, Ruth, will be coming out for this special occasion. I'm humbled that God has brought me to this point. I've sensed God's calling to ministry from as early as I can remember. When I was nine years old I went with my Dad into work and his secretary asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up: I said, "I want to be a pastor." So I hope you will "save the date" for this special weekend.

Last night I drove up for the first time to participate in Cowboy Camp Meeting. There were a number of horses up there and people driving around on their ATVs. Just as we got there they were pulling up the main tent pole as the large tent was raised (thanks to some help from a pick up truck!). I can't think of a more beautiful place to have a camp meeting and spend time with God in nature. If you're looking for a chance to get away for a day or two, or perhaps just to go up for Sabbath afternoon and evening, then this is a special opportunity to receive a blessing.

 

I was so happy today that we were able to pick beats from our garden. Heidi made this orange glaze that was so scruptuous. We discovered that Emma loves beats. She takes a big slice, almost bigger than her mouth, and stuff it in. It is a messy ordeal but there is something so satisfying about eating produce from your own garden.

I had a really special time this past Friday night with our children and parents as we concluded VBS. Each day we have had between 30-35 children participate with many more adults. I just want to thank everyone who made this special event possible. I believe this was an event that spiritually enriched the lives of our kids.

 

On Sabbath I was at Gunnison. As soon as I got there one of the members came up to me--"do you see how many people are here?" I praise the Lord that the Gunnison Church family is growing and that great things are happening up there. God is good.

 

Heidi and I flew out to Maine for the Northern New England Camp Meeting. In addition to two seminars and a day long tour of historic sites, I found myself speaking for the Monday evening meeting (the speaker canceled) and doing an early morning training session for their pastors. Some of you know that I spent a number of years growing up in New England so it was really special for me to see Pastor Bill Brace, the pastor who baptized me, in the audience as I was preaching Monday night. His son (who I used to trade baseball cards with) is also a pastor and we had a wonderful reunion time together.

 

Yesterday we flew back from New England and then drove out to a family reunion. We're taking a rare personal weekend to spend some time with relatives. We will get back home on Monday.

If you ever want to feel a lot of energy then you need to attend our Vacation Bible School. Each day we've been having from 30-35 kids come to learn more about Jesus. The theme is "back to Bible times" so we have dressed up in Biblical costume. Each day I've gotten the opportunity to tell Bible stories, and then afterward, teach the kids how to write Hebrew. We had 15 minutes to tell the story. The scripts I was given were about two minutes long. So I get to do a lot of improv! I have enjoyed each day, but I have to admit that at my old age it takes a lot of energy out of you! ;)

 

Have you been up to the Black Canyon recently? I want to hike down to the bottom some time soon. The wildflowers up there are beautiful right now. I can't believe the transformation because it wasn't very long ago that there were deep drifts of snow that we were snowshoeing on. Some of the lupine are so fragrant that you can smell them as you walk along the trail. It is interesting because each of us smell. No, I'm not talking about the kind of deodorant that you wear. Each of us leave a spiritual scent. The Bible says in 2 Cor. 2:14 (NASB), "But thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph in Christ and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." People can "smell" when we are spiritually alive in Jesus Christ.

 

I had an interesting experience this past week going out with our Bible worker, Jon Gardner. A man invited us into his home and we listened for a few minutes about his life story. We then had a season of prayer where we prayed specifically for him. He called me yesterday so appreciative of our taking the time to pray with him. He asked when we have church and that he would like to attend our church this coming Sabbath.

Last Thursday we had our monthly Montrose clergy meeting. My fellow colleagues brought up the point that the first homosexual union was recently performed by a minister here in our community. The majority of ministers in our town are uncomfortable with a Christian minister performing such a ceremony (as I am, too). I believe we live in a culture that has promoted promiscuity and inculcated a perception that homosexuality is all right to practice. In about a week the ministers in town are going to get together to put together a community marriage policy with some basic standards that ministers are welcome to adhere to including an affirmation that the biblical view of marriage is between a man and a woman. I plan to join this pledge because it something I feel is both important and the standards are something I already adhere to. Another critical part of the pledge is to make sure that all couples go through premarital counseling, too. Speaking of weddings, this past weekend I was able to perform my second wedding for two Adventist young people (one from Cortez; the other from Cedaredge) who wanted to have their wedding in an Adventist church that was inbetween their two homes. Weddings are such beautiful occasions. I'm thankful for this special institution which God has given people beginning all the way back in the Garden of Eden.

 

Last week was also busy because I was the chaplain on call. I love going through the hospital visiting with people. I met several families who were stranded after a member of the family became sick. I'm glad that they can receive such excellent health care while they are away from home. Another interesting experience was meeting another minister and praying for one another. You never know who you are going to meet.

 

Did you enjoy the church Father's Day picnic? I know I did, and so did our kids. The water balloon toss really did me in as I started to get wet. Then I got a bucket of water tossed over me and before you knew it the super soakers were out. I ended up getting really wet! For those who wanted dryer fun there was plenty of dry fun, too, as we visited together under the new pavilion at Cerise Park. It was a great time of fun, fellowship, and yummy food. A special "thank you" to Bridget Cline and the social committee for planning such a terrific event.

It's been a busy week. Almost every day has been filled with pastoral visits, Bible studies, and church meetings. On Friday I was up at 6 am and didn't get done with church work until 11 pm (a schedule that repeats itself more often than I care to admit). My schedule can be incredibly demanding. I usually reserve the first hours of each day for devotion and sermon preparation. I just started reading Augustine's Confessions and I am re-reading The Desire of Ages by Ellen White. One thought that struck me this past week as I've thought about how we can become a more loving church is the statement by Ellen White that it is only by love that love is awakened. One the most important things for me is for people to know that we are a loving church, and we can only be such a church by letting the love of Jesus pervade our lives.

 

On Sabbath morning I preached at Orchard Valley and then in the afternoon went for a hike to the Pinnacles in Currecanti National Recreation area. It's about a four mile hike. It was beautiful to see all of the wildflowers starting to come out. Later on we continued up to Gunnison where we had an evening vespers and church social. "Imaginif" is a great game for learning more about your friends! Then on Sunday morning Jon Gardner, Nate Cranson, and I met to start putting together plans for a two-week evangelistic series in Gunnison at the end of the summer.

 

Monday was a marathon day because I made a day trip up to Dinosaur National Park. I met with the ranger in charge of group reservations and I was even able to ride around in one of the Ranger vehicles. I was able to visit both camp sites and I was glad to see that there are trees for shade (for those who are tent camping) and other sites that are more conducive to RVs. I think it is a really nice set up for our church campout. I talked with a couple of retirees who are volunteer campground supervisors (they stay there from April through September). I learned that the average temperature at the time of our campout is about 88 degrees. It is usually cool in the mornings and in the evening--we'll be right next to a river, too. In the afternoon when it gets warmer there are nature trails and nearby in Vernal are some museums. I also checked out motel/hotel options in nearby towns. I now have a list with more information which I am putting in your boxes at church.

Last week I was hardly able to type anything because my finger was hurting so bad. I was in a minor canoeing accident on the North Fork of the Gunnison River with Jon Gardner and Pastor Seth Coridan. The good news is that all three of us are OK. The downside is that Pastor Seth and I both got hurt! So I praise the Lord that He has made us so wonderfully that are bodies can recuperate quickly. My finger was cleaved in two and the end of the bone broke off. Fortunately after many stitches (thanks to Dr. Burdick and the wonderful medical personnel at the Delta Hospital) my finger is healing.

 

This also made speaking at campmeeting a real challenge as my finger was healing. My laptop also died but after some diligence we were able to get my powerpoint presentations on to another computer. I don't think the devil wanted me to give the three seminars that I gave on "Ellen White as Model Evangelist." For those of you who missed them (or any other campmeeting presentations) they are supposed to be up soon on the conference web site. I am also happy to print off a copy of my presentation if anyone from our church family would like the material I used.

 

I was especially blessed by David Smith's presentations on the love of God. I think that we need to make sure that people recognize us as loving and lovable Christians (to use a favorite phrase from Ellen White). One of my priorities, from a pastoral perspective, is to make sure that people feel loved when they attend our church. We need to let the love of God flow through us. If you have any suggestions on how we can be a more loving church please let me know. I want to seek tangible ways in which we can demonstrate our love to others in our church family and in our community.

 

I've spent a couple of afternoons this week working with our Bible worker, Jon Gardner, who diligently has been going out and inviting people to study God's Word with him. He has done a number of creative things such as asking for prayer requests and then following up with cookies and coming back to pray with people. Another great idea Jon had was a community survey. Then on Tuesday evenings (we don't have prayer meeting through the summer) Jon is hosting a Bible study for those who have questions about God. If you know of someone who might appreciate Jon visiting with please let him know by calling (509) 254-3122 or jgardner@southern.edu.