FLAME | Fall 2014

Fall 2014

Igniting a Passion for Living and Serving in Texas

SEVEN

Smart

SUBSTITUTES PAGE 10

21ST CENTURY

Family Worship PAGE 14

SMALL SCHOOL

MAJOR IMPACT A Publication of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Texas

PAGE 8

pushing through

THE DIRT

Serving

SAN ANTONIO PAGE 15

{editor's note} WHAT AN AMAZING SUMMER! Although I didn’t paint my face, I did cheer my teams while decked out in fan gear for the World Cup. Social media made this tournament different than in previous years. If you followed the World Cup Twitter account or your favorite players’ Facebook pages, like I did, you got an instant insider’s look at every game. Pictures and videos of the locker rooms went viral, as did many hilarious memes.

It was so much fun to get together with other Argentina fans and running into people we hadn’t seen in years. I was proud of my husband for finally cheering on my ancestors’ legendary team as we reached the final match. Watch parties were always full, no matter the time of day, and it was so neat to be a part of a growing fan base for Team USA and being able to root for one of our own Texas stars, Clint Dempsey.

Its incredible how community affects us, and how even a soccer tournament can unite us regardless of our beliefs, politics and race when we are all cheering for the same side.

Before all the soccer zeal simmers down, I invite us to employ the same kind of enthusiasm in our local congregations as we work together for one goal, to share the love of Jesus with others. This FLAME issue shares some easy ways to do that in the Perspectives, Living Faith and Education sections. Don’t miss the tips in Family Matters for making worship fun and modern.

This issue, our Feature article is a redemption story that chronicles a young couple and their tumultuous lives. Follow along and see what made this family divert from their destructive course. Our Bridges section shines a light on a church that’s reaching its community in San Antonio and History tells the story of those early seeds of ministry in that area. There’s plenty of great reading in the pages of the fall FLAME. We’re grateful for a wonderful team of editors, contributors, translators and designers.

We want to thank Tammy Prieto for the many years she contributed to the magazine as a designer and for navigating us through the re-design process. Best wishes to her and her family as she dedicates more time to her little ones. We also want to thank Makala Coleman, our summer intern, for all of her hard work. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the magazine, so feel free to email us any feedback or story ideas! On behalf of the FLAME staff and the Texas Conference Administration, thank you and happy reading!

Kristina Pascual Lockhart Managing Editor FLAME@txsda.org

{contributors}

SAUL ASIEL FLORES is a senior at Southwestern Adventist University and member of the Los Tres Ángeles Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Antonio. On page 15, Saul dives into their food bank ministry and how it’s impacted hundreds of families month after month.

2 | FLAME Fall 2014

PAT HUMPHREY is the Communication and Health Ministries Director for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

In this issue, she discusses Let’s Move Day and the importance of staying healthy.

RUBER AND KETTY LEAL are the Family Ministries Coordinators for the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

On page 14, they share practical advice for propelling your family worship time into modernity.

LINDSEY GENDKE is a member of the Alvarado Seventh-day Adventist Church. In the feature story on page 12, she retells the tumultuous history of the Rasmussen family and how their three-year-old changed their course.

ALFREDO VERGEL is the Public Services and Special Collections Librarian at Southwestern Adventist University. In his article, Seemingly Impregnable, on page 18, he writes about the history of the early Seventh-day Adventist settlers in San Antonio.

In Every Issue

{CONTENTS}

2 From the Editor 4 Leadership Moment 4 Perspectives 9 Partners 17 On The Shelf 22 Calendar 23 Advent Movement

Fall 2014 5 LIVING FAITH

14 FAMILY MATTERS

How to reach out while you work out.

Ways to make family worship relevant, today.

7 MINISTRIES

page 7

15 BRIDGES

The latest from Lake Whitney Ranch.

Feeding the stomach to reach the heart.

8 EDUCATION

16 RECIPE

Teaching the whole family about God: a parent’s perspective.

A perfect southwest stew for the cozy fall weather.

17 STEWARDSHIP

10 FITNESS Enjoy your favorite dishes with a healthy twist.

11 SPOTLIGHT

page

16 Store your treasure in heaven: a lesson in living for the moment and saving for the future.

18 HISTORY

Highlighting teachers around the Texas Conference.

Remembering the persistence it took for Adventism to take root in San Antonio.

12 FEATURE Kevin and Ashley Rasmussen knew their lifestyle was problematic. It took a shock from their little girl to realize that help could only come from above.

21 KIDZ KORNER Stories, activity ideas, and fun facts to impress your friends!

page 12

FLAME | 3 Fall 2014

leadership moment

CARLOS CRAIG president

How can local churches make a meaningful impact in their communities through evangelism?

Often we misunderstand the essential meaning of what evangelism actually is.

Evangelism is not simply the preaching of Biblical truth—it is sharing the love of Christ and all that He represents with a world around us that longs for peace. Jesus said,“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

When we share our time, our talents and our testimony along with the truth of the Gospel, we can impact our local communities. Christianity should not make hermits and outcasts of us, it should make us the light in the midst of darkness! Churches should strive to simply give their best on a daily basis, and share whatever God has placed in their hands to share. Never underestimate the power of a helping hand to those who need it most.

perspectives HOW CAN STRANGERS who live on the other side of the planet and have a totally different language and culture become family who looks forward to seeing you after just a few sentences? Impossible?

Unsafe? It depends on your perspective.

As Christians we live by the ten commandments. As children, we memorized them with painstaking detail. As adults, we see them removed from our society. We build whole denominations based upon certain details, however there is one command that causes most Christians to pause with resistance. It is the last command that Jesus gave before leaving for heaven: the gospel commission.

“Therefore go! Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. And look, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NHEB) Matthew 28:19-20 was Jesus’ final

4 | FLAME Fall 2014

GARY BRADY

EDWIN ROMERO

secretary

What is friendship evangelism and why is important in Texas?

Friendship evangelism is the outward expression of friendship with God toward others and is one of the most effective evangelism tools we possess. In building relationships with others, we’re able to share the gospel with them in ways that even the most famous preachers in the world cannot. To be invested in someone, to share thoughts and feelings, and being able to listen to each other opens up avenues of communicating God’s love. But we can’t share what we don’t have, and so bringing people to God becomes impossible if we don’t know Him ourselves.

In the Texas Conference, we place a strong emphasis on friendship evangelism and offer training on how to give Bible studies and how to work together more effectively. Studies continue to reinforce the idea that many people not currently attending church would consider attending if someone asked them. Friendship evangelism is one of the many ways we can work as individuals and churches to hasten the soon return of Jesus Christ.

treasurer

How does the Texas Conference financially support Evangelism?

We have clear indications regarding the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Matthew 28:19-21 instructs us to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” In Adventist pioneer Ellen White’s book, Acts of the Apostles, she shares “The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.”

The Conference is fully invested in evangelism.

Allocation of financial resources to evangelism has been significant and grown steadily over the years.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014 the budget has strategically increased, aimed at the fulfillment of this great commission. We praise God for the gift of sharing the Gospel!

Texas Conference Annual Evangelism Expenses: 2004: $914,446 2008: $1,330,465 2012: $1,540,175 2013: $1,562,501 2014: $1,755,109 (budgeted)

THE PRICELESS GIFT

of the Family of God

By Lynwood Spangler

commandment to us.

Earlier this year, I made my seventh mission trip to the Philippines. I traveled with Duane McKey, Vice President for Evangelism at the Southwestern Union Conference, and a team of 50 people. After a few weeks of holding meetings throughout the island, over 300 people were baptized! That alone is a miracle, but Jesus has another miracle waiting for every believer. Before we go meet Him in our eternal home, we have the opportunity to experience the gift of family around the globe. One major blessing of belonging to a body of faith is solidarity with people we’ve never met.

One hour after arriving in the Philippines I was eating mangos and being welcomed by a group of sincere, godly Christians. They were quick to help me sort out the details of

my trip and began making preparations for the arrival of the next guests. Only Christ can explain how this happens. All of their energy and united spirit made me think of how sometimes churches that have been together for years argue and even fall apart over trivial matters. How can our local churches foster that same spirit? When we work preparing for the arrival of others, blessings flow and unity develops. Let’s keep it simple and obey His commands.

I would love to introduce you to your family around the world! Come with me on our next mission trip or connect with a group going on a mission trip in your local church. I promise it will change your life forever.

Lynwood Spangler is the Texas Conference Evangelist for English-speaking churches.

living faith

Weight

for the Lord

By Kent Rufo

A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY FAMILY AND I MOVED to Mansfield, I began working out at a new local gym. Some people dread going to the gym and others can’t wait to get on the weight bench or treadmill.

Although I enjoy exercising, I often find myself on unique missions at the gym. Before heading out one morning, I prayed that God would allow me to meet someone who I could help or positively impact.

Jodi was working out on the bench next to mine and I could tell she wasn’t having a good day. I asked how she was doing and she replied, “I’m okay.” Doubtful, I insisted—“Really?” Jodi then proceeded to tell me that five years ago to the day, her family had been in a tragic car accident. Her husband was driving while she sat in the passenger seat and their kids sat in the back. The kids were acting up so she and her husband turned around to discipline them and drove off the road. As a result of the accident, her 11-year-old daughter was killed and her 8-year-old son suffered severe brain damage. Not long after, she got pregnant and had a baby girl with Down syndrome. Jodi began to break down and cry as she opened up to me.

Over the next several years we have talked about numerous issues and this friendship has given me the opportunity to talk with her about how Jesus came to heal the hurting and restore hope to the hopeless. It may be unconventional, but I encourage you to consider the following the next time you’re working out and happen to strike up a conversation with your neighbor.

1.

2.

3.

REALIZE EVERYONE IS BROKEN: All people need someone to bring Jesus to them. I meet all kinds of people at the gym.

Sometimes they are married couples, other times they are divorced folks or have estranged families. I meet people who have been abused, have lost their jobs or their family members.

Many are also in poor physical health. We are not immune to these realities and can often find ways to connect.

PRAY FOR PEOPLE TO IMPACT: Opportunities to create relationships always appear after I pray for them. I have prayed many times that God would lead me to someone who simply needs a listening ear. Be intentional and open with whomever God leads to you.

BE CONSISTENT: People are more comfortable with those they see often. The reason I have relationships with some of my gym buddies is because we see each other several times a week at the same time of day. Accompanied with sincerity, conversations will revolve around more than just the weather or last night’s game.

4.

UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES TIME: Most people don’t want a lecture; they want someone who is interested in their lives, so take time to listen! Sometimes I simply ask people how they are really doing. Then, I watch for their non-verbal communication and listen to what they share.

Ministry of Healing, by Adventist pioneer and author, Ellen White, has one of my favorite quotes, “There is need of coming close to people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen.” I live by this motto in ministry. Preach less, but touch people’s lives more.

Kent Rufo is the Youth Pastor at the Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church.

FLAME | 5 Fall 2014

Schedule your visit today! Contact LakeWhitneyRanch@txsda.org

urance Is s In e if L f o t s e u A Beq Think y a M u o Y n a h T Easier Nov. 20 - Dec. 2

Life insurance proceeds can make a wonderful gift to the church.

The gift of life insurance can be made by simply naming Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as the beneficiary of your policy. Your life insurance proceeds will help further the work and your estate will benefit from an estate tax charitable deduction based on the value of the

Don’t Miss This Exciting Opportunity To Serve The Lord In Guatemala!

Mission Guatemala offers an exciting opportunity to serve the Lord at the Instituto de Capacitación Adventista del Petén (ICAP) near Poptun, Petén, Guatemala. The trip is scheduled for November 20 to December 2 this year. The teams that will be serving this year include: º The Evangelism and Christ Centered Outreach teams º The Children’s Evening Meetings team º The Vacation Bible School team º The Nursing Program team º The Facility Planning and Construction team º The Medical team Sponsored by the Texas Conference Youth & Young Adults Department (817) 790-2255 Ext. 2201, 2212

rg it vis ist.o ase ent on Ple sadv mati r a tex nfo ter ng re i gis you r mo to re fo and

proceeds paid.

To learn more about making a bequest of life insurance, please contact us or visit our website.

Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Department of Trust Services P.O. Box 800 • Alvarado, TX 76009 Phone: 817-790-2255 • Toll Free: 800-847-2792 • Fax: 817-783-2698 Email:trust@txsda.org • www.TexasConferenceLegacy.org

ministries

By Kristina P. Lockhart IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING YEAR at Lake Whitney Ranch. In the spring, a pair of kit foxes had a handful of babies and this timid little family has allowed themselves to be seen occasionally darting through the landscape. A family of geese also spent time at the ranch. After their eggs hatched, the goslings grew up on the property and later headed out with their parents for migration.

We expect to see this family return to their breeding grounds after migrating season is over. On any given day at Lake Whitney Ranch you may encounter deer, wild turkey and roadrunners as well.

Spring and summer rains contributed to lake levels being a number of feet higher than last year, which was excellent news for the

has capacity for sleeping 60 people. There are six and half bathrooms and six full showers. At around 5,000 square feet, each lodge also contains a large lobby or living room area with a full masonry fireplace. The stained concrete floors are easy to maintain and very durable. There is also a kitchenette in each lodge with sink, microwave and fridge. The lodges’ best features may be the two upstairs balconies that oversee the lake, as well as the large windows in the lobby area that let in a ton of natural light and a beautiful lake view.

Kids from all over the state had an exciting time at Summer Camp this year! Numerous classes and activities filled their day, and many shared how camp had impacted their spiritual lives. Through guest pastors and

with the Boy Scouts of America who love the south primitive camp area. “The real joy in all of this is seeing others find their own sense of peace, serenity and awe through the incredible evidence of our Creator's handiwork” says Susan Reiber, Associate Director for Lake Whitney Ranch.

A special word of gratitude must be extended to David Patterson, the construction manager who made the completion of the lodges possible. We are grateful for Ken and Susan Reiber, Lake Whitney Ranch directors, whose hearts and talents have contributed to countless successful events on the property.

These individuals don’t just do their jobs, they have a passion for Lake Whitney Ranch and its ministry potential.

Photo by Israel Vasquez

Lake Whitney Ranch Triathlon in June. Over 40 people participated in the Super Sprint Triathlon that included a 6.2-mile bike ride, 1.5-mile run and 400-meter swim. First place in the men’s category went to Di Marcos Pereira and Bethany Skinner placed first in the women’s category. The second annual event once again had its proceeds benefit the Lake Whitney Ranch Pool Complex. Pictures from the triathlons can be found under the album section at Flickr.com/TexasAdventist.

Although construction of the three family lodges was halted last year, 2014 has seen them reach completion! Two of the lodges were ready for summer camp and housed over 400 campers and staff this summer. The buildings provided a cool escape during the summer activities and a comfortable place to sleep. With over six bedrooms, each lodge

staff, the worships each day were powerful and meaningful. The Journey, an allegorical play, concluded its final chapter this year of a six part series and about 40 campers dedicated their lives to Jesus and were baptized at Lake Whitney. The level of ministry that takes place at Lake Whitney Ranch is undeniable. Visit Instagram.com/LakeWhitneyRanch to see pictures of this year’s summer camp.

This fall, the Master Guide Camporee and Adventurer Family Camp will also take place at Lake Whitney Ranch. The property has been used by out-of-state Pathfinder groups for events, honors classes, and skills training. Student groups & pastor retreats enjoy beachside worship services and outdoor activities throughout the year due to the mild winter climate. Churches are scheduling camp outs and we enjoy a community outreach

Has your family visited Lake Whitney Ranch yet? Have your Pathfinders seen the deer darting across the land during camporee?

Or have your kids spent time swimming at the lake and mountain biking during summer camp? There are scores of wonderful things to do at Lake Whitney Ranch. From primitive camping to RV hookups, consider taking your family, church group or school to spend time away from the noisy city and daily grind.

Come out to the stillness of nature and spend the day hiking, swimming or bird watching. In the evening, fall asleep under the stars. Take advantage of the cool fall weather and plan your outing to Lake Whitney Ranch! Contact Susan Reiber for reservations and information at LakeWhinteyRanch.org and follow us at Facebook.com/LakeWhitneyRanch.

FLAME | 7 Fall 2014

education

Intended God’s Path

By Sarah Herrera

OUR FAMILY HAD PROVERBIALLY WANDERED for close to 20 years while searching for a church in San Antonio to call our own. We attended some, but never felt settled or at home. I continually pleaded with God to show me the right path for our family, but couldn’t have imagined that He would work through my son to get us there.

As Landon was about to begin middle school, my husband, Aldo, and I knew we didn’t want him to attend the public school in our area. Instead, we enrolled him in a local charter school, but it failed to open as planned. The search continued. We found a private school near our home, but the transition for him proved difficult. Although Landon let us know this place didn’t feel right, we decided to press on. When it became difficult for him to find friends, depression began to seep in to his once sunny countenance. It pained us as parents so much to see Landon despondent and unhappy about attending school that it wound up affecting our whole family. Again, I pleaded with God and asked Him to relieve our pain.

After that, I remembered an email from a parent suggesting I look into the Scenic Hills Seventh-day Adventist Christian School where they had enrolled their child after the charter school fallout.

Seventh-day who?

8 | FLAME Fall 2014

I remember thinking. Although still a bit unsure after my research, we decided to tour the school. The warmth exuded by the principal and students instantly dispelled any uneasiness we had about the Seventhday Adventist faith.

The following month, we decided to enroll Landon at Scenic Hills Seventh-day Adventist Christian School and the changes couldn’t have been more immediate. Depression melted away and his disposition was bright again—my little boy was back! Landon still thanks us even to this day for sending him to his new school. His education is Christcentered and, due to the small class sizes and one-on-one attention, he isn’t left behind in his education. Aldo and I were so pleased to find the school of our dreams that we opted to try out the church too.

From the first time we visited, I knew I had found the place we’d desired for so long. My family was finally home. The message that day confirmed that God had heard my prayer. This was where He wanted us. In all our years of searching, Rodney and Pamela Mills are the first pastoral couple to actually represent Jesus to us and I’ve seen Christ’s love at work through them firsthand. The cloud hanging above our family’s head has been lifted. We feel happier, healthier, and more whole because of the care shown to us through the Scenic Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church and its school. Because of the wonderful example from the pastor and church members, we decided to become baptized members and have been blessed beyond any expectation. Our hunt for the right school seemed to drag on, and our pursuit of a welcoming church family lasted two decades. But not only did God answer us when we cried out to Him, He allowed us to rediscover Jesus’ forgiveness and love through this family of believers.

We are excited to share how this church and school helped our family get back on the path that God intended.

Sarah Herrera is a mother of two. Along with her husband, Aldo Herrera, they are members of the Scenic Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church.

partners

Host

at Your Church!

By Pat Humphrey LOOKING FOR A FUN, NON-INTRUSIVE WAY TO CONNECT with your community? A great opportunity is right around the corner! Let’s Move Day, sponsored by the North American Division, is an annual event designed to get church and community members, young and old, physically active. This year, Let’s Move Day is on September 21, when churches all across Texas and the nation will host a variety of creative activities, including 5K runs and walks, family fun activity days, walks in the park, and a host of sporting events.

The driving force behind Let’s Move Day is the desire to combat and prevent childhood obesity, which is growing at an alarming rate

in North America. According to recent statistics, nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for many illnesses, including asthma, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Spurred by these statistics, in 2010 First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move initiative in an effort to combat childhood obesity and its related problems. Through Adventists in Step for Life (an initiative of which Let’s Move Day is a part), the Seventh-day Adventist Church has joined many other community agencies and faith groups around the nation in the fight against childhood obesity.

If you’d like to host an event at your local church, here’s what you need to do: First, in cooperation with your health ministries leader and church board, form a planning committee to pray about and decide what type of event you’d like to host. Even though a 5K or other major event might not be doable at this point, there are still plenty of quick and simple ideas you can implement. For example, if there’s a walking trail in a nearby park, you might organize a walk through the park. Or how about renting a bounce house and inviting neighborhood kids and their families to come for a few hours of fun?

As you are planning, it’s important to make a collaborative effort and involve your community—schools, hospitals, local businesses, city governments, news agencies—any organization that wants to help create a healthier community. The ideas and possibilities are endless. For more information on planning your event, visit AdventistsInStepForLife. org and click on the Let’s Move Day tab. You’ll find a ton of resources, including videos of past events, webinars, a sample press release, and a PDF of Let’s Move Day planning tips. Now, it’s time to get moving!

For even more ideas, contact the health ministries department at the Southwestern Union at 817-295-0476, ext. 338.

How can we get closer to God? • How can we share Him with Others?

Come experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit...

October 17-19,2014

Young Adult Retreat (ages 18-35): $75.00 for the first 75 to register $95.00 before August 1 $115.00 before September 11 $135.00 before October 13

Programs for teens ages 13-17 are unavailable

Camp Young Judaea Texas Retreat Center

121 Camp Young Judaea Rd. Wimberley, TX 78676

For registration & details go to www.byobBacktoBasics.com or www.YoungTexasAdventist.org

Presented by B.Y.O.B. Back to Basics in conjunction with the Texas Conference & Southwest Region Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

fitness

Healthy Choices FOR FALL Favorites

TRANSITIONING FROM SUMMER TO FALL often brings change. Whether it’s a new school year, a change in colors from lush greenery to rich amber, or the change in temperature, there’s no denying that change is in the air this time of year. On the other hand, what doesn’t always change for the better is our diet.

Sure, a little holiday weight is written off as no big deal, but when you add up the pies, the stuffing, the casseroles, and all the other seasonal comfort food, it can really start packing on the pounds. As we head into the cooler months of the year take time to make healthy, yet scrumptious choices when it comes to your eating. As important as physical activity is in living a healthier life, it’s an undeniable fact that our best exercise practices start in the kitchen. Here are a few alternatives to get your healthier lifestyle changes off on the right foot.

By Megan Rhoades and Teri Foreman

2 1

KICK THE CREAMER. Instead of using heavy cream or creamer in your coffee or tea, substitute vanilla almond milk for flavoring. This eliminates the fat and cholesterol while adding protein to your drink.

GREET THE GREEK. Try using plain, non-fat Greek yogurt instead of cooking with or using sour cream in dips. The taste and texture is very similar, but the fat is removed and extra protein is added.

3

SEPARATE THE YOLK. Rather than scrambling a whole egg, switch to scrambled eggs whites. By forgoing the yolk, you are left with only protein in the egg white and you’ve minimized calories to only 15 per egg white. If the taste isn’t appealing to you, try adding vegetables and salsa for a great morning scramble.

4 6

STICK TO BROTHS. When the temperature begins to drop, we start increasing our soup intake. Stick to broth-based soups to reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol coming from cream, whole milk, cheeses and oils. Add beans to your soups for a good source of fiber and protein.

7

READY THE OVEN. Do you know what the healthy oil alternatives are for baking? If the recipe calls for oil or butter, try using applesauce, pureed banana or even pureed prunes instead.

5

KEEP IT SWEET. Natural sweeteners like maple syrup and raw honey are not only perfect natural substitutes for white sugar, but they provide vitamins and minerals that table sugar does not.

Used a ¾ cup to 1-cup ratio of maple syrup or honey to sugar.

NO DAIRY, NO PROBLEM! For vegan baking replace eggs with flaxseed.

Substitute one whole egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons water until thick.

There are many more healthy substitutions for some of our favorite foods. Keep in mind that change is a process, not an event. Research other alternatives and give your recipes a healthy do-over!

Megan Rhoades is an Inpatient/Outpatient Dietitian at Texas Health Huguley and Teri Foreman is the Director at the Texas Health Huguley Fitness Center.

10 | FLAME Fall 2014

spotlight

Texas Family

This section highlights a few of our church members and leaders across the territory of the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Our Texas Family Spotlight this issue features individuals who work in Adventist

Janna Marshall works as a teacher at Burleson Adventist School, a profession she’s wanted since childhood. Growing up in rural South Dakota gave her a love of nature and outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and gardening.

Some of her favorite memories are of the adventures that she and her siblings had on their family farm. Janna promises that there’s never a boring day in her classroom and loves having the opportunity to make a difference in each student’s life on a daily basis. Her class continually challenges her to think in new ways, helping her grow as much as she helps them. Janna stresses the importance of reaching outside the classroom and encourages regular visits to nursing homes and retirement centers. Her class also sponsors needy children around the world. It’s when people step out of their comfort zones, she says, that we’re most effective at being the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us.

Communication Director

Danny Cano teaches high school math, physics, and digital art at Dallas Christian Academy and relishes the unknown that each new day brings.

Growing up in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Danny was sure that he’d enter the medical field like his father. Soon into his college career, however, he realized that education was where he wanted to be.

Danny is married to Vennessa and they have two young children who love to travel, visit museums, play games, and watch movies as a family. One of his responsibilities at the school is leading in the development of worship leaders. As a founding member of the band, EVIDENCE, Danny and some of his students have shared God’s message of hope and love around the world. He strongly believes that understanding our own brokenness and vulnerabilities allows others to more fully see God at work in their own lives.

Danny Cano

Ana Luna was raised in Laredo, but has been a teacher for the Coastal Bend Adventist Junior Academy in Corpus Christi for the last five years. She’s had a desire to teach since the second grade and yearns to foster literacy and a lifetime thirst for knowledge among her students. Ana enjoys being a missionary to her local community by helping prepare her pupils to face the world’s challenges. She’s been married to Marcos for 15 years and they have an eight-year-old daughter named Priscilla. Ana remains active in her local church, but also enjoys reading, spending time in nature, and simply being with family in her free time. Empowering youth, she says, is the key to creating cohesion within our churches and schools, and Ana believes strongly that a positive example speaks louder than words ever could.

By Jason Busch, FLAME Editor and Texas Conference Associate

Susan Nichols parlayed a lifelong interest in teaching into a job as the fifth and sixth grade teacher at San Marcos Adventist Junior Academy, even if it took a couple career changes to get there. Susan and her husband, Clark, have six children and 12 grandchildren, many of which live close enough to see regularly. While she loves to read, sing, draw and paint, one of her favorite activities is indulging her grandchildren. Susan counts her parents and grandparents as her greatest heroes for instilling in her how to love fully, laugh deeply, and follow God relentlessly. Her favorite moments in the classroom come when the students have that aha! moment and has enjoyed watching the school more than double in size. Susan believes that developing sincere relationships and showing acceptance, regardless of where someone is in life, is the key to reflecting Jesus to others.

Susan Nichols

Janna Marshall

Ana Luna

SPOTLIGHT

schools throughout the Texas Conference.

FLAME | 11 Fall 2014

New Life BROKEN HEARTS

AND BROKEN HOMES WHILE KEVIN RASMUSSEN WAS RAISED IN A HOME WITH STRICT SEVENTHDAY ADVENTIST PARENTS, ASHLEY MCCONNELL FOUND HERSELF IN A COCKROACHINFESTED DRUG HOUSE. THEIR BACKGROUNDS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFERENT, BUT THEIR PATHS WOULD EVENTUALLY CONVERGE.

feature

FROM Fourteen-year-old Ashley met 17-year-old Kevin when they started working at the same greenhouse in Keene, Texas. Over time their friendship grew until they considered each other best friends. When Kevin’s parents kicked him out of the house for drinking and doing drugs he ended up living at Ashley’s house. “It was the crash house for all the stoners around,” she remembers.

Over the next several years Kevin’s drug use continued to grow. A lifestyle fueled by meth and marijuana landed him in jail by the time he was 19. That scare caused him to

stop selling meth, but he continued to use it. Although she had remained friends with Kevin, Ashley had gotten married at 18 to get away from home.

The years passed and the two teenagers became adults headed down destructive paths in search of different thrills. Ashley’s first marriage ended and her friendship with Kevin eventually blossomed into a relationship. By 2005, they had both stopped using drugs, but still drank heavily and partied often. “We were all-week partiers,” Ashley says of those years. “We did not plan to start a family.”

Although it wasn’t in their plans, priorities started to change when Ashley got pregnant with little Katelynn.

When Katelynn was two, Kevin’s mom, Marsha Rasmussen, began taking her to church on Saturdays. Although Katelynn enjoyed the stories and songs, Kevin and Ashley weren’t ready to join them. Kevin hadn’t stepped inside a church since he was a teenager, and the last memories Ashley had of her Christian roots dated back even earlier.

After Katelynn was born, Kevin and Ashley

OLD ROOTS

By Lindsey Gendke

decided to stop drinking. They made multiple efforts, but sooner or later they’d start again.

Knowing it wasn’t the best example for Katelynn, the couple tried to avoid drinking in front of her. They never imagined how much of an influence they had already made. One afternoon, three-year-old Katelynn and a cousin were playing with a tea set in her toy kitchen. Ashley noticed that after handing the cousin a teacup, Katelynn showed her how to toast and both children started taking swigs of tea. Ashley was appalled. “She was doing exactly what we did when we took shots,” Ashley remembers. Despite their efforts, Katelynn was mimicking her parents’ behavior.

That sobering experience caused them to finally commit to change.

Although the Rasmussens were still struggling to kick their drinking habit when they walked into the Alvarado Seventh-day Adventist church in 2010, they found a family of believers that was incredibly accepting.

“The thing that got me back to church,” Ashley says, “was knowing the love of Jesus as a child.” As Katelynn grew up, Ashley wanted her to know that same love.

Planting New Seeds Ashley started going with Katelynn to her toddler’s class at church. It wasn’t long before “Jean Bruce [the teacher] just put me to work,” she laughs. Ashley began praying and studying the Bible with her mother-in-law, Marsha. She began making friends at church and joined a prayer group called Straight 2 the Heart.

Straight 2 the Heart is a prayer ministry that lasts thirteen weeks and progresses through seven phases. It was ideal for Ashley. She began by honoring her losses (or wounds), and then connecting her heart with the heart of a Savior who suffered just as she did.

When Ashley began the program she still carried pain and anger from her childhood.

That anger often boiled over to Kevin and Katelynn. But week after week, as Ashley identified with a Savior who had been mistreated, abused, and tempted to get angry with His tormentors, her anger dissipated and she found more peace.

After letting Jesus deal with her anger, she also let Him deal with her guilt. One memorable night she confessed that she felt like too bad of a sinner to be accepted by God. After some friends told her the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15, tears filled her eyes. “That lost sheep is me!” she exclaimed. After four

months, Ashley’s perspective had completely changed. “Straight 2 the Heart finally gave me peace over those things holding me back from God.” Ashley began to acknowledge how others had hurt her. Kevin, however, was beginning to recognize how he had hurt himself. Once he started attending church, Kevin admitted what had driven him away in the first place was his own rebellious attitude. “I knew all along I wasn’t doing right, but I didn’t care.

I could twist my behavior around to be a good person in my head. I didn’t rob people, I didn’t hurt people. I told myself it was a phase I was going through, but it was becoming a lifestyle. I wanted to have all the fun without the consequences.” Kevin examined his life from his lowest point. “Seeing stuff from that far down made me consider life with and without God. It took a long time and a lot of steps,” he says, “but God was merciful. He worked everything, even the bad things like my arrest, for good.”

Growth and New Beginnings “When you make one good decision, you want to make more good decisions,” Ashley says. “When I stopped drinking alcohol, I dropped 20 pounds. We never used to tithe, but now we pay more attention to where our money goes and are blessed with more.

We have worship together and take time to appreciate each other. We are united stronger than ever before.”

“If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse,” Kevin adds. “We are always on a road to somewhere, whether for good or for bad, but doing life with God is the logical step. Nothing else, not money or drugs, will bring success. When you consciously make a decision to follow God, everything else falls into place.” After five years of baby steps Ashley and Kevin recommitted their lives to Christ through baptism in November of 2013.

The Rasmussen family received new life and is flourishing with supportive friends, healthy hobbies and good habits.

Lindsey Gendke is an author, blogger, wife and mommy.

She has a bachelors degree in English from Southwestern Adventist University and a masters degree in English from the University of Texas at Arlington. She’s a member of the Alvarado Seventh-day Adventist Church where she helps out with the “Straight 2 the Heart Ministry.”

FLAME | 13 Fall 2014

family matters

21ST CENTURY FAMILY WORSHIP

A Modern-day Guide to Family Worship

By Ruber and Ketty Leal

WHEN YOU THINK OF HIGH-FLYING BIRDS, you may first think of the majestic bald eagle. However, the bald eagle actually flies 10,000 feet lower than the bar-headed goose. When migrating, this bird flies at nearly 21,120 feet over the Himalayas.

Introducing family worship to our children is like showing them how to fly the highest they can ever fly. There are two important questions parents should consider when it comes to worship time: 1) How can we make family worship attractive enough so our kids actually look forward to these moments? 2) How can we make family worship powerful enough so their lives are actually transformed by it? Here are four simple principles that will make family worship relevant even in the 21st Century.

1.

PLAN: Perhaps the greatest challenge families face today is the crunch of time. Therefore, if you are not intentionally determined to put worship as an essential family event then it will hardly, or possibly never, happen. Make a commitment as a family to spend at least 15 minutes giving undivided attention to God each day.

2.

REMEMBER: It’s so easy for adults to forget what it was like to be a child or teenager. If you want to make family worship attractive for your children then you have to remember what it was like to be a child. When you remember those days, you can begin speaking in a language your children can understand.

3.

RESOURCE: Many parents get overwhelmed with figuring out how to do worship and what to discuss, but we are fortunate to live in an era with unlimited resources. Pay a quick visit to your local Christian bookstore and you will find books, videos, software and Bible games that can be incorporated in creating a hands-on, interactive, fun and worshipful experience for any age. Apps like the YouVersion Bible make planning devotionals as easy as looking up a topic your family will enjoy.

4.

INVOLVE: The most transformational part of family worship time is not only what a parent is trying to teach, but rather how the child can be engaged and involved. One of the most effective ways to make this an inspiring experience is by allowing your kids to plan and execute family worship. One way to get younger children (e.g. toddlers) to be active during worship time is to let them stick felt figures on a felt board, found at local Christian bookstores, while one of the parents tells a Bible story. When your

14 | FLAME Fall 2014

children are old enough to read and write, then you can rotate them on a regular basis and let them plan the worship events.

Give them the freedom to be creative and to express themselves at their level. Allow them to use music, videos and electronics.

Keep in mind the three basic elements of family worship—give praise, learn the Bible, and experience prayer.

Ruber and Ketty Leal are the Texas Conference Family Ministries Coordinators. Ruber also pastors the Garland Faith Community Church, while Ketty is a supervisor in the Microbiology Lab at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. Find them on Facebook and online at BeForeverOne.org.

bridges

Food

for the Soul

By Saul Asiel Flores

OPERATING A FOOD BANK CAN IMPACT THE LOCAL CHURCH and its members in a way that words may not. This ministry can also leave a huge impression on the surrounding community through the church’s actions and manifestation of God’s love for others. Although many churches across the country maintain local food banks, few have the vision to impact as one Spanish church in San Antonio has had.

On a busy intersection in Northwest San Antonio you’ll find the Los Tres Ángeles Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 2009, under the leadership of senior pastor, Saul Flores, the church decided the perfect ministry for them to adopt was a food bank. In the Bible, we find stories of how Jesus fed and healed people in addition to preaching to them. The Los Tres Ángeles Food Bank was created under this philosophy. Great ideas, however, aren’t without their challenges.

“The main challenges we encountered were finding the right people. To help make this a success, we needed folks passionate about making a difference,” remembers Flores. “Getting the support of the church was key, because without that we could not have done any of this.” The food bank opens its doors on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month to share grocery boxes with those in need.

Numerous volunteers meet earlier in the day to sort through and package both non-perishables and fresh fruit and vegetables. These boxes help supplement the needs of a family’s groceries for the week.

On average 90-130 families line up around the church and are served every week.

Since the food bank’s onset, the Los Tres Ángeles Church has gotten to know their surrounding community better each year. A number of things have made this possible. “There is a tremendous tie between the church and the local area now,” shares Flores. “Our neighbors know about the Seventh-day Adventist Church, its principles and the overwhelming love God has toward each and every one of them.”

A multitude of other ministries have been borne out of the progress made by the food bank. For instance, Vida Sana, (Healthy Living) is an outreach program focused exclusively on health. We provide nutritionists to give advice on eating better, clinics that perform mammograms and dentists to perform checkups—all free for the community. Vida Sana Ministry has also partnered with pharmacies around San Antonio

to do blood pressure checks and sugar/cholesterol screenings.

Financial counseling and marital counseling are also offered during these events. “During our Vida Sana programs, the church building is transformed into a hospital,” Flores shares. “The first time we rolled out Vida Sana we served 400 Families from the surrounding area, free of charge.”

The ministries at the Los Tres Ángeles Church prioritize physical needs, but spiritual nourishment is never far from those who desire it. “The word of God spreads to the community in many ways,” says Flores. “We share the love of Jesus Christ through service. When the people ask why we do the things we do, we simply say that it’s because we love them and this is what Jesus would do.”

Operating a food bank requires patience and steadfast commitment. If your church is interested in starting a similar ministry, Pastor Flores shares this advice: “Pray about it first. When you pray, ask God to show your church a ministry that will make a difference in your community. Second, find people who have a vision for service. And third, commit to lots of planning.

Good organization allows you to serve more efficiently and effectively.”

In the end, all that matters is that the extraordinary love of God is shown to the people around you and your church. Whether that manifests as a food bank, a health ministry, financial peace seminars or something else entirely is up to you. But even the smallest idea can make a profound difference.

Saul Asiel Flores is a senior Communication major at Southwestern Adventist University.

FLAME | 15 Fall 2014

SOUTHWEST

stew

This chunky, satisfying stew is full of beans, greens, corn, mushrooms, bell pepper, and plenty of herbs and spices to please your taste buds and fill your belly. This recipe makes 12 cups of stew, perfect for leftovers throughout the week!

INGREDIENTS: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 6 medium white or cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 4½ cups water ½ to 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste (see variations below) 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups) 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups) 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, including juice (or 1½ cups) 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained and rinsed (or 1½ cups) 5 cups chopped (into bite-size pieces) collard greens 2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves (or parsley), coarsely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS: Heat a large soup pot on high heat with two tablespoons of water in the bottom. When the water begins to sputter, add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook stirring for three minutes, adding water as needed. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and garlic, and cook for an additional two minutes, still adding a little water as needed.

Add the 4½ cups of water to the pot along with the tomato paste, and stir or whisk to blend in.

Add the black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and collard greens. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in the cilantro and serve as is or with ground pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro.

This recipe has been inspired by and adapted from “Forks Over Knives.” Find more recipes at ForksOverKnives.com.

on the shelf

{BOOK REVIEW} THE BRIGHT SIDE OF CHINA

BY BOB AND TREVA BURGESS REVIEW BY MAKALA COLEMAN THIS SHORT BOOK, LESS THAN 100 PAGES, is an honest account of what it was like to serve God in China during the late 1980s. It gives a view of China that most people will never see. It’s not glossed over, and it’s not sensationalized. The fact that The Bright Side of China is so straightforward can be both good and bad. For example, the book shares miracles that take place on a day-to-day basis. Some days are more exciting than others.

Yet even in the seemingly boring, excitement can be found. One chapter tells of a friend sharing a jar of peanut butter, a product not easy to find in China at the time. Other stories cover historical events, such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

The Bright Side of China is not written as a timeline of events, but rather, each chapter stands alone. It’s all in first person narrative and reads conversationally. While reading, you might get the feeling that you’re listening to a relative talk or to a mission story at church.

Chapters end with a short spiritual lesson directed at the reader, which makes The Bright Side of China ideal for a daily devotional or family reading. The act of addressing the reader, however, takes away from the story—even if it is to reiterate life lessons. Some might call it preachy.

I recommend The Bright Side of China to anyone with an interest in missionary work, at home or abroad. It shows that when God is involved, much can be accomplished.

Makala Coleman is a senior Communication major at Southwestern Adventist University, and was the summer Communication intern at the Texas Conference.

X

Marks the Spot

TAKING YOUR DOG FOR A WALK might not be very rewarding, but what if your dog began digging and discovered buried treasure on your own property? An unnamed couple in Northern California made that amazing discovery in the spring of 2013.

While walking their dog they came across a rusty metal can sticking out of the ground and dug it out. After discovering it was a 19th-century tin can filled with gold coins, they searched further and found seven more cans with a total of 1400 uncirculated gold coins worth $10 million.

Can you imagine the joy of such a discovery? What would you do with $10 million?

Would it make your day? Would you kiss your dog? As I thought about what I would do I had fun sharing my ideas with my wife. But after the ideas began to run out, I had some sobering thoughts.

I thought about the person who buried those coins between the mid-to-late 1800s.

That person must have been excited and had plans to safely return, retrieve and use the coins. Perhaps this person planned to pass it on to their children or purchase some land. I

By Minner Labrador

am certain of one thing—this person didn’t plan to die, only to have another individual discover it 200 years later.

Remember the story of the rich young man

stewardship that is found in Luke 12. He had planned for everything except his demise. The only way out of death is faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave His life for us. A wise businessman prepares not only for the things of this life, but also for eternal life.

It’s my hope that the person who buried those gold coins in the eight tin cans also prepared for heaven. That is truly the best and most valued investment. After you’ve accepted Jesus as Lord of your own life, you can also help prepare others for eternity.

Jesus has given us wise counsel in Matthew 6:19-21 that says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where do you keep your treasure?

Minner Labrador is Vice President for Ministries, Men’s Ministries, Sabbath School and Stewardship Director for the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

FLAME | 17 Fall 2014

history

Seemingly Impregnable

By Alfredo Vergel

NO PLACE IN TEXAS is as firmly a part of the American imagination as San Antonio. The bloody stand taken by the hopelessly outnumbered Texan revolutionaries against a wellequipped Mexican Army has become an icon of American tenacity. Interestingly, it would take the Adventist church some of that grim persistence to stake out a thriving outpost in town.

Six months after moving to San Antonio in 1893, literature evangelist R. W. Robertson had established a beachhead of sorts—a group of 21 meeting regularly on Sabbath. These Sabbath-keepers met stiff opposition. One of them, refusing to work Saturday, was even arrested for doing so. After some time, this company of believers appears to have trimmed down to just one small family, the Burroughs.

While San Antonio was already a popular winter retreat, Adventist efforts were only beginning to extend beyond North Texas. San Antonio may not have attracted the mostly country-loving Adventists of the time. At that point, the city was second in population only to Galveston. Or perhaps its cosmopolitan culture presented a challenge to the then vastly racially and ethnically homogenous Adventist church.

Nevertheless, as a hub of the railroad system, San Antonio was a forced stop for many literature evangelists and church leaders traveling elsewhere. These stops gave the passersby a chance to become familiar with the town and help the dwindling number of Adventists meeting in it. In 1900, a church of seven members was organized, and soon after pastor E. L. Neff and his wife were sent to San Antonio to solidify the Adventist presence in the town.

For a few years the church faced persistent attrition caused by moving families, backsliders and death. It seemed that for every modest gain they made, an equal loss in membership would take place.

However, reinforced by Bible worker Bertha Taylor, their efforts finally seemed to outweigh any membership loss, and by 1905 a modest congregation was firmly in place. Growth continued at a slow, but steady pace.

By the time the South Texas Conference was organized in 1911 with a constituency of 168, San Antonio had one of the leading churches in that jurisdiction, although they did not have their own building until 1916. A school even opened in 1918. All the same, the city continued to prove a tough field for evangelistic efforts.

In the case of Hispanics and African Americans, work was hampered by lack of resources and by the difficulties involved in reaching out to populations under the peonage system that had largely replaced slavery. Nonetheless, both Spanish-speaking and African-American congregations slowly developed and had their own buildings by the early 1920s.

18 | FLAME Fall 2014

It was not until after the end of World War II that Adventism in San Antonio really took off. In 1946, Texas Conference licensed missionary Thelma Flanagan remarked: “San Antonio, the place where Satan tried especially hard to prohibit the work, is the magazine haven.” That year literature evangelists saturated the city. With nearly prophetic voice, Flanagan added “some day we believe there will be a rich harvest of souls as a result.”

Four years later, after a 12-week evangelistic series led by Our Times editor Stanley Harris, 100 people joined the Church. Membership was further boosted by Adventist conscientious objectors training at the Medical Field Service School established in the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston. In 1954, what would later be named the Laurel Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church and an adjacent Servicemen’s Center were inaugurated to serve the needs of the thriving congregation.

Over the course of the next quarter century, that church seeded five other congregations and built a new junior academy. Today, San Antonio is home to 21 Adventist congregations that are representative of the multicultural makeup of the Texas Conference.

Texas Revolution Folk hero James Bowie once wrote “The salvation of Texas depends in great measure on keeping Bejar [Bexar county] out of the hands of the enemy.” Taken out of their original context, those words could very well apply to the 60th General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which will take place in San Antonio in 2015. What started as a seemingly impenetrable fortress has burgeoned into a haven for Seventh-day Adventist Christians from around the world.

Alfredo Vergel is the Public Services and Special Collections Librarian, as well as Ellen White Research Center Director for Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, TX.

I Chose Southwestern...

“When I came to Southwestern, I felt really welcomed. I was determined to come here because I’d heard the nursing program was great and I really want to be a nurse. I also really like the music program here because they care about everyone. There’s a place for you to be involved whether you’re a music major or not.

One of the advantages of going to a smaller Adventist university is that I can get oneon-one interaction with my professors. My professors actually care for me and that is what made me want to stay.”

Peter Choque Junior, Nursing Major

PARENTS’ WEEKEND October 3-5

Save the date! 800-433-2240 | enroll@swau.edu Consider our exciting new program

A.A.S. in Fire Science

Enrolling students for spring 2015!

Associate of Applied Science degree with Firefighter, EMT, and Fire Inspector certification

In partnership with Training Division, Crowley

Call now to enroll! 800-433-2240

School of Evangelism in Texas For youth and young adults who are hearing God’s call to work the harvest in these last days!

January 23-25 | April 24-26 | July 24-26 | October 23-25

2015

Scenic Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church 11223 Bandera Rd. San Antonio, TX 78250 For more information and to register today for the School of Evangelism in Texas visit:

YoungTexasAdventist.org

20 | FLAME Fall 2014

& Young Adults making ministers for the master

kidz korner

Big Trouble

By Jarrod Songy, LEGO Lover and Reformed Big Brother

Here is some stuff to do when you get bored. Some you can do on your own, but you need permission and help from an adult for others.

1. PLAY PUMPKIN BOWLING. Pumpkins are good for more than just pie. Try setting up your very own pumpkin bowling alley with plastic bottles as pins.

2. CATCH FIREFLIES. See how many you can catch, but remember to let them free afterwards!

3. BAKE CINNAMON TORTILLA “LEAVES.” Use leaf shaped cookie cutters to make leaves out of tortillas.

Brush on butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Ask mom or dad to bake until crunchy.

4. WRITE A THANK-YOU BOOK. Each page can be dedicated to someone you are thankful for.

Don’t forget to illustrate! Share with your family at Thanksgiving.

5. GROW GRASS. You can enjoy green grass in the cold season! Just decorate a f lowerpot and plant grass inside.

Remember to water and keep near a window.

No? Well then you haven’t met my little sister, Holly. Everyone says she is so cute, which I guess is true as long as she’s not messing up my LEGOs! I didn’t know what to do with her one afternoon as she walked into my room. My cousin Ryan and I were almost finished building a huge LEGO tower. Without really using my 11-year-old brain, I decided to escort Holly out of my room to let her know she was not welcome right now.

With that settled, our LEGO tower could resume construction. Then, out of nowhere, my mother called for me to come speak with her downstairs. “What could this be about?” I wondered.

When I made it to her bedroom, that cute little monster was crying. As my mom glared at me she pointed to Holly’s arm where an obvious red mark and a bump had started to form. “Oh dear,” I said, “What happened here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing, Jerrod.” My mother replied. “Holly says that you pinched her.

Is that right?” She asked me. “Well, no. I didn’t, I wouldn’t, Mom she’s lying!” I protested, knowing I had been caught.

My mother had no reason to distrust me, but she also had no reason to think Holly was lying. So she called Ryan. When he entered the room my mom asked him, “Ryan, did you see Jerrod pinch Holly?”

“Yes, I did” was Ryan’s simple and honest reply. At that point my mom sent both Holly and Ryan out and I was left to face the consequences. It wasn’t a long conversation that followed, but I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.

My mother shared how disappointed she was. She reminded me of how Lucifer, the fallen angel of Heaven, had gotten himself in a whole lot of trouble. Then came my trouble. For my punishment, I was grounded for one week for pinching Holly. Not too bad, I thought. But then she also grounded me for the entire summer for lying … Ouch!

Lying cost me my summer fun, but Lucifer’s constant lying cost him all of Heaven and eternal life. To this day I still prefer to tell the truth in all situations, because I know how much trouble a little lie can be!

Do you have a story? Share it with us! Send us your story and we may use it in the “kidz korner” of the next FLAME issue! Email stories, 400 words or less, to FLAME@txsda.org

S T C A F FUN

d m owne ge pilgris, but one ra e v a e e Th ower, s of sho two pairer of the Mayfld 126 g e n n e w s s o pa airs of Mullins, William shoes and 13 paker! All f m o e s o ir h s pa e was a to good boots. Htwear was putllins family o u fo M e the orld. made th use andh in the New W ric

The word “corn” meant many different things to Pilgrims.

“Corn” could be used to describe wheat, rye, barley, oats, peas, and beans.

Corn as we know it today was then called “turkey wheat” or “Indian corn.”

The Mayflow ship wa er origina s ll used y trading for selling and fish.

The wo rd appea s “give thank 33 timer in the Bible s” appears s. “Thankful” The wo seven times. appearsrd “praise” 248 tim es.

calendar

Events SEPTEMBER

P rincesa

12 ||

Hispanic de Jehová Women’s Retreat at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa in Montgomery, TX. Retiro Hispano de Damas

12-14 de Septiembre, 2014 La Torreta Resort and Spa | Montgomery, TX

Oradora: Annie Perez Cantante Invitada: Ysis España

20 ||

Sabbath School Workshop at Jefferson Academy Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Para más información contacte a la directora de Ministerio de la Mujer de su iglesia ó a Sandy Reyes al (956) 408-8583

MISSIONAL cOMpASS

20 ||

Missional Compass: Local Church Achieving More Together Ministry Leadership Training at the Austin Stonehill Seventh-day Adventist Church.

A workshop designed for Church Ministries Directors and Leaders See Reverse for Dates

27 || Sabbath School

Workshop at Garland Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church.

OCTOBER

3 || Master Guide Camporee at Lake Whitney Ranch.

4 || Sabbath School

Workshop at Weslaco Seventhday Adventist Church.

4 || Estate Planning Seminar

at Chandler Adventist Fellowship.

5 || Women’s Ministry

Leadership Certification, Level 4 Dallas-Fort Worth-East Texas area at the Texas Conference Office.

10-12 || Evangelism Rally

and Training with Jose Rojas in San Antonio.

11 ||

Estate Planning Seminar at Mission Spanish North Seventh-day Adventist Company.

16 || Freshman Bible

Conference at Riverbend Retreat Center in Glen Rose, TX.

24 ||

SENT School of Evangelism in North Texas at the Texas Conference Office.

25 ||

Sabbath School Workshop at San Marcos Seventh-day Adventist Church.

NOVEMBER 1 ||

1 ||

Estate Planning Seminar at Longview Seventh-day Adventist Church.

17 || Adventurer Family

2 || Women’s Ministry

University Parents’ Weekend at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, TX.

3 || Dallas-Fort Worth Area

Cowboy Camp Meeting at Rustic Creek Ranch in Burleson, TX.

22 | FLAME Fall 2014

Worth at local area churches.

18 || Children's Ministry Certification at the Austin Spanish First Seventh-day Adventist Church

14 ||

Texas Conference Campus Catalyst at the University of Texas San Antonio

16 || Women’s Ministry

Estate Planning Seminar at Corpus Christi Anaville Seventh-day Adventist Church.

18-31 || RESTORE Fort

Leadership Certification, Level 4 Valley area at the Weslaco Seventh-day Church.

1 ||

RESTORE Soul-Winning Festival in Fort Worth, TX.

1 ||

Leadership Certification, Level 4 Central Texas area at the San Marcos Seventh-day Adventist Church.

the Texas Conference Office.

3 || Southwestern Adventist

9 || Women’s Ministry

Sabbath School Workshop at Cleburne Seventhday Adventist Church.

16 ||

17 || Retiree Convention at

Conference at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, TX.

Sabbath School Workshop at Houston Spanish Robertson Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Society of Adventist Communicators Convention in Jacksonville, FL.

Camp at Lake Whitney Ranch.

7 || Creative Worship

15 ||

Leadership Certification, Level 4 Houston area at the Houston Central Seventh-day Adventist Church.

19-23 ||

Spanish Evangelism Rally and Training with Alejandro Bullon in San Antonio.

20 || Nov. 20 - Dec. 2

Don’t Miss This Exciting Opportunity To Serve The Lord In Guatemala!

Mission Guatemala offers an exciting opportunity to serve the Lord at the Instituto de Capacitación Adventista del Petén (ICAP) near Poptun, Petén, Guatemala. The trip is scheduled for November 20 to December 2 this year. The teams that will be serving this year include:

7 ||

ForeverOne Marriage Retreat at La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa.

º The Evangelism and Christ Centered Outreach teams º The Children’s Evening Meetings team º The Vacation Bible School team º The Nursing Program team º The Facility Planning and Construction team º The Medical team

Guatemala Mission Trip hosted by the Texas Conference Youth Department.

rg t visi ist.o se nt n Plea adve atio as form gtex e in gister youn r mor to re fo and

Sponsored by the Texas Conference Youth & Young Adults Department (817) 790-2255 Ext. 2201, 2212

Want more info?

Registration, information and more events on the Texas Conference website at TexasAdventist.org.

advent movement

FLAME A publication of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Texas.

Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists P.O. Box 800 Alvarado, TX 76009 Phone: (817) 790-2255 www.TexasAdventist.org

EDITORIAL

ADVENT Employees of the Adventist Church often change leadership positions and areas of responsibility. This section is to help you keep up with who’s where in Texas.

movement

Josue Murillo: Senior Pastor

Chelsy Calumpiano: Associate Pastor

San Marcos Church

Arlington Church

Alexander Antoine: Pastor Conroe Spanish and Huntsville Spanish Churches

Bill Lindeman: Senior Pastor San Antonio Laurel Heights Church

Renee Crawford:

Angel J. Rodriguez: Pastor

Human Resources Assistant Director Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Houston Central Church

Jonathan Osorio: Associate Pastor

Danny Flower: Pastor

Publisher..............................................Carlos Craig Managing Editor.......................Kristina P. Lockhart Editor................................................... Jason Busch Assistant Spanish Editor.................Osvaldo Rigacci Layout Design...................................... Rachel Ortiz Texas Conference Designer..........Madelein Terreros Texas Conference Designer.....................Sora Yañez Translation Coordination.........Kristina P. Lockhart Translators......... Mariangela Busby, Jorge Ordoñez, Silverman Terreros, Alfredo Vergel, Saul A. Flores

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church Southwestern Union Conference Ruber and Ketty Leal Rasmussen images by Vismo Studios

ADMINISTRATION President...............................................Carlos Craig Secretary................................................ Gary Brady Treasurer...........................................Edwin Romero

PRINTING & MAILING Director...........................................Mario Ledezma Pressman .......................................... Miguel Gomez Designer...................................... Madelein Terreros Print Shop Assistant............................Doug Denny Administrative Assistant...................Erica Manzano

Grandview and Grandbury Churches

Houston West Church

Jaime Mendez: Associate Pastor Edinburg Church

The FLAME is a publication of inspiration and education of the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It is sent free of charge to all members of the Texas Conference on a quarterly basis. All others may request an annual subscription for a fee of $10.00.

It is our prayer that you will find the stories in these pages inspiring and empowering so that together we can share the flame of Christ's love with those around us, both in Texas and beyond.

If you have questions or comments, please email: flame@txsda.org

FLAME | 23 Fall 2014

TXCSDA FLAME P.O. Box 800 Alvarado, TX 76009

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Ft. Worth, TX Permit No. 3310

Join a team of family life specialists as they make this event an unforgettable experience for you and your spouse

Visit our website for weekend details and registration!

www.BeForeverOne.org

For questions call (817) 790-2255 EXT. 2108

199 Early Bird (per couple) + Lodging ($109 per night + tax) $

• includes three meals per person, seminar materials, and a special gift • deadline july 15 extended to september 15 ┃ children not allowed

Saturday night

couple’s date night & dinner will be on your own!