At the 2023 North American Division's Educators' Convention, Potomac Conference's Richard Castillo asked Kelly Wiedemann from Shenandoah Valley Academy how she uniquely builds community in her classroom. Here's what she said.
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Story by Kimberly Luste Maran/NAD / Photo by Dan Weber
Debra Clements Brill, former vice president for ministries for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, passed to her rest on August 27, 2023, at her home in Jamaica, Virginia, after an extended illness. She was 71.
Brill retired on October 1, 2019, after serving the division as a vice president for 21 years. “It’s been my great joy to work with gifted leaders who love God and His church!” said Brill upon her retirement.
In the last 10 years, 104 new honors have been approved for use in Pathfinders, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s co-ed scouting group.
This year, the North American Division (NAD) approved the following new honors, available through AdventSource:
Story by Esther Hernandez
“I’ve always aspired to become a pilot,” says Abner Lozano.
As a sophomore, Lozano learned his dream could come true at Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) through the aviation program offered on campus by Training Mission Aviation. He enrolled in ground school his junior year and began flying soon after that.
Story by Tiffany Forde
When Cincinnati Public Schools resumed classes after summer break last week, hundreds of children arrived with backpacks and school supplies, thanks to the 3rd annual “Day of Blessing” Back-to-School event, held at Allegheny West Conference’s Shiloh church in the Avondale neighborhood in Cincinnati.
Story by Iris Argueta
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to collaborate with Adventist Health and Adventist Community Services (ACS) to help Maui communities recover. Over $100,000 in emergency products and cash is being donated by the global humanitarian organization to support ACS and Adventist Health in responding to the tragic wildfires in Hawaii.
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
When community residents learned they would no longer receive the extra food assistance they received during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mizpah and New Life churches in Philadelphia stepped in to fill the gap.
Editorial by Jerry Lutz
I have a friend who has a strange habit of reading the last chapter of books first. He says it’s because he wants to know if the book will be worth the investment of his time and energy to read the whole thing. He also deliberately reads book reviews that contain spoilers for the same reason. “Why would I spend all that time reading a book that has a disappointing ending?” he reasons. “And besides, if I know it ends well, I then will read it from cover to cover to discover why it ends well.” I guess there are some people who just don’t like surprises. Apparently, my friend is one of them. To each his own.
Story by Tamyra Horst
João Gabriel Ramos Marques’ mother prayed for her son. She knew his friends were a bad influence on him and saw the poor choices he was making. She believed that God would change her son and the direction of his life.
“My mother never gave up on me, despite my rebellious actions,” shares Marques. “She sent me to Faculdade Adventista da Amazonia, an Adventist school in Brazil, in hopes that I could find truth and Jesus.”
Story by Stephen Lee
Sixty Children’s Ministries local church directors and staff from 22 churches attended the Children’s Ministries Convention earlier this year. Pamela Daly and Ana Maria Benzaquen from the North American Division Children’s Ministries Department presented the Ministering to Families track in English and Spanish.
The certification track ended on Saturday night with a graduation where many received a certificate and pin. On Sunday, the attendees participated in the Vacation Bible eXperience (VBX) live expo where they were equipped to conduct a week of VBX at their local churches.