News

August, Giselle and RoseAnnah Rouse stand in front of the “Kids Town” ice cream truck.

Story by Evan Knott

“Wow! I can’t believe you did this!” That has been the typical response of kids and parents when they see the newly renovated children’s wing at Chesapeake Conference's New Hope church in Fulton, Md., for the first time.

“Kids Town” is a complete redesign of the children’s Sabbath School hallway (“circles” at New Hope) on the church’s second floor. The space has been reimagined to resemble an entire town featuring landmarks like a café, pet store, arcade, pizzeria, toy store, barber shop, farmer’s market, ice cream truck and more.

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“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them” (Ps. 34:7, NIV).

I was living in St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands, with my wife, Marlene, and baby daughter, Priscilla. Two of my wife’s siblings, Ruven and Beth, were visiting, and we went to the beach, which was noticeably empty.

In the afternoon, Ruven, Beth and I went into the water. Shortly after, an undertow began to pull us out to sea. Ruven and Beth held onto their floats and made it back to shore. I, thinking I’d be able to stand, jumped off the float. Fear overwhelmed me as I realized the undercurrent had dragged me close to the 1,000-foot drop, famous for its scuba diving.

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“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1, NIV).

Think of a time when you were scared. What did you do? When I was younger, I went to a camp, and one of the activities was water tubing. Even though I was very excited to try it, I was also very scared. I was so nervous that I got butterflies in my stomach.

“Una de las cosas más importantes que hacemos en la unión es ayudar a promover la evangelización”, dijo Dave Weigley, presidente de la unión, en la reciente reunión del Comité Ejecutivo de la Unión de Columbia. Los presidentes de las ocho conferencias de la unión destacaron las muchas formas en que los miembros están trabajando para compartir el amor de Dios a través de métodos tradicionales e innovadores.

Conferencia Oeste de Allegheny

Durante la pandemia, la Conferencia Oeste de Allegheny equipó a sus iglesias con las herramientas necesarias para garantizar que, cuando adorar en persona no era una opción, todas las iglesias pudieran transmitir sus servicios.

Photo by Jorge Pillco

Ubicadas en el mismo campus, la Escuela Adventista Wilbert F. Mays de la Conferencia Este de Allegheny (AEC) y la Primera Iglesia de Teaneck en Nueva Jersey se inundaron a raíz del huracán Ida. La tormenta también causó daños a muchos hogares en toda la región, lo que llevó a la acción a voluntarios del Servicio Comunitario Adventista de las conferencias de Allegheny Este, Chesapeake y Nueva Jersey.

Rick Remmers, secretario ejecutivo de la Unión de Columbia, aceptó un llamado a la División Norteamericana (NAD) para servir al lado del presidente G. Alexander Bryant como asistente del presidente.

“Después de semanas de consideración en oración, he sentido la dirección del Señor”, dice Remmers. "Terminaré la ronda de reuniones de otoño que se están llevando a cabo y haré la transición a fin de año".

El presidente de la Unión de Columbia, Dave Weigley, dice: “Ha sido un placer trabajar con Rick. Ha sido una verdadera bendición para nuestra unión y, aunque lo extrañaremos, creo que la división ha tomado una decisión acertada".

Photo from istock

Editorial by Ricardo Bacchus

Words. What are they but letters placed into tiny groups with spaces on either side? One single word—war, peace, hate, love—can cause protests to unravel, turmoil to start or unity to materialize.

String several words together—it’s a boy, you’re a liar, thank you, don’t talk to me—and friendships can end, new ones begin or castaways believe again. Words make a difference, and they can bring life or death.

“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24, KJV).

It was 1979, and we had just completed a year in Osaka, Japan, as student missionaries from Oakwood College (Ala.). The last stipend had been received and was just enough to get my husband, Thomas, and me home to Richmond, Va. Our plan was to see parts of the world on our return trip that we might never visit again. We would spend two days each in Taiwan and Hong Kong, connecting to a flight into Washington, D.C., with a short bus ride to Richmond. Our traveling companion, Sandra, was also returning to the United States.

Image by reenablack from Pixabay

Want to meet authors from our Words of Life devotional book? Join us for Visitor News Live, Friday, November 12, at 7:30 p.m., on Facebook and YouTube to hear testimonies from authors and readers about their Year of the Bible experience. Come prepared to share your favorite Bible texts and testimonies!

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“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine” (Isa. 43:1, NKJV).

As a child, I grew up in an Orthodox family in Romania. Every Sunday, we went to church, and we kept all the Orthodox holidays. On weekends and vacations, I stayed with my grandparents, as they only lived 11 miles away.