Treasury Implements New Software Program

The Potomac Conference Treasury team recently underwent training with a new software program that will help them work more effectively and efficiently to better serve the needs of the organization and its local churches.

Under the guidance and expert assistance of North American Division’s Adventist Church Treasury Solutions team, the Treasury team (pictured) implemented a new web-based accounting software that allows real-time analysis of data and is fully integrated with the payroll software the conference has been using for several years.

According to Karen Senecal, vice president of Finance for the conference, the training week was intense, but very effective.

Daryl Hevener, the longest-serving member of the Treasury team, states, “I’m enjoying the capabilities of the new package.”

The software is also integrated with the Jewel software system that many of the Potomac

Conference churches use. This allows the church remittance reports to be sent electronically and eliminates the need for data entry of the reports at the conference office. The software also stores source documents, which allows team members to view documents from anywhere. During the next few months, the Treasury team will be training the church treasurers in this simple procedure.

The Sky Is Not the Limit for One Senior

“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.

“We learned how to check the oil on the engine of the aircraft, add fuel and conduct pre-flight checks before taking off,” he shares. “We also trained to handle any emergency—engine failure, fire in the aircraft and radio failure. These are only a few of the lessons taught. During free periods or on Sundays, I could fly with my instructor.”

Soon Lozano was ready for his first solo. He also made five long-distance flights this year as a senior. And at only 17 years old, he received his private pilot license.

“I never thought I could accomplish this dream at such a young age, but I give thanks to the opportunities provided at the academy,” says Lozano. He is excited about continuing to work toward becoming a pilot in the airline industry. But flying isn’t the only thing he accomplished at BMA.

“Not only did I grow academically at BMA, but spiritually. Even though I am a pastor’s kid, I have experienced Jesus differently. While here, I’ve felt convicted to read the Bible and reflect more deeply. I’ve also become more independent; being away from home, I had to learn how to manage my time, care for my personal needs and choose my friends wisely.”

Eric Engen, a flight instructor for Training Mission Aviation, says, “We not only teach the skills needed to fly airplanes, but we also bring in mission pilots and people currently working in the aviation world to our classes to speak about what it’s like to be a pilot. Training to become a pilot has helped Lozano become a better student in his other subjects as well,” says Engen. “Students study aeronautical decision-making, which helps when making decisions in real-life situations. It brings a maturity and focus that helps students handle other areas too.”

Lozano encourages others to pursue their dreams at BMA, saying, “I hope you, too, can join the BMA experience and learn that not even the sky is the limit.”

To learn more about BMA or to register, visit bma.us. The 2023–24 school year begins August 21, 2023.

Devoted Administrative Assistant Retires

With mixed emotions, Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) announces the retirement of Rosemary Eyer, the school’s administrative assistant and attendance officer who served at BMA for 22 years. Students and staff will miss her competence and kindheartedness and thank her for sharing God’s love through her words and actions. The BMA family wishes Eyer a retirement filled with many blessings.

‘Undivided’: A Conference-Wide Concert

Faculty and staff praise the Lord for the many blessings He bestowed upon Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) throughout the 2022–23 school year. These blessings have come in the form of protection, students giving their lives to Jesus, and many opportunities for individuals to share their God-given talents with the community, say leaders.

To that end, LNAA and the other elementary schools and junior academies in the New Jersey Conference (NJC)—Tranquility Adventist School, Vine Haven Adventist School, Waldwick Junior Academy, and Meadow View Junior Academy—joined to be a blessing to the greater NJC community.

This year marked the first New Jersey Conference-wide concert that highlighted the musical talents of all its schools. Led by LNAA music teachers Henoc Morrobel and Mahaleth Forbes, and in partnership with Daniel Arrabato, the music teacher at the other schools, all five schools performed a concert at the Maranatha Haitian church in Newark. Students from each school performed instrumental and choir pieces. Under the direction of Morrobel, the LNAA band and orchestra showcased their many hours of practice. To close the program, a mass choir of students and soloists from all the schools sang the song, “Undivided.” Attendees share the song was a powerful ending to a beautiful evening.

This concert served as a culmination of a year of collaboration. LNAA has had the privilege of serving three other schools— Tranquility, Vine Haven, and Waldwick—in the education partnership to serve their high school-level students. The concert provided an opportunity for all the students in the NJC to come together to praise the Lord through music. Through instrumentals, praise and worship, choral pieces, and the spoken word, the Lord was praised and spirits were uplifted.

As Elisa Maragoto, LNAA principal and NJC education superintendent, appropriately states, “The Lord has surely blessed our conference’s schools with talented students, teachers, staff, administrators, supportive parents and communities. We thank God for His loving care and look forward to more opportunities to praise the Lord and minister together as an ‘undivided’ New Jersey Conference Education Department.”

With nearly 800 attendees from across the NJC, they say worshipping God together provided a truly unified, “undivided” experience.

Aviation Students Take First Private Flight

This year, Pine Forge Academy (PFA) added Aviation 100 to its credit-bearing elective course offerings. The academy partnered with BMRI High School Aviation STEM Co-op, which uses a curriculum created by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation. The course is a four-year program aligned to Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airman Certification Standards. The curriculum consists of two Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways: pilot and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). At the conclusion of four years, students will have the knowledge to sit for their private pilot or their UAS license and be ahead of others entering college-level aviation programs.

Twelve students—10 male and two female— chose the elective course. “The aviation industry is in desperate need of pilots, and now our students can have the exposure and experiences they need to see themselves filling this gap,” says instructor Tracey Jackson.”

Jackson continues, “The BMRI co-op and the AOPA provided everything I needed to teach the course. … However, I was still a little uneasy, since I do not fly myself. So I visited one of our local airports to inquire about any assistance they could offer. I knew God had led me there when the president of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1250 and the manager of the Heritage Field Airport told me, ‘We’ve been waiting for you to walk in here for 100 years.’ They had been trying to get into local public schools for years but could never work through the red tape. That meeting connected me to Bill Dupree, my co-teacher, a semi-retired aerospace engineer and private pilot owner of a 1980 Cessna 172.”

After the PFA students studied aerospace and aviation theory/history, engineering innovations and practices, and FAA safety laws and regulations, Dupree, with his dedication to the academy and many years of experience, arranged for a private event with the Young Eagles EAA Chapter 1250.

Young Eagles is a national organization that gives youth opportunities to fly in a general aviation airplane for free. Their Saturday events exclude PFA participation, so Dupree coordinated a private Sunday event. Two other volunteer pilots, Carl Danslow and Wayne Halbsgut, also helped by offering plane rides.

The flights left from Heritage Field Airport, and for 15 to 20 minutes, the students rode around sections of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, including PFA’s campus. Each plane had dual pilot cockpits, allowing daring front seat passengers a chance to try their hand at the controls.

At the conclusion, each student received a Young Eagles Certificate, a flight logbook, and their name was later entered into the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wis.