Our goal for the 2022-23 school year is to raise $41,000 to help this year’s kindergarten class.
Support the New Beginners Fund
Featured in Northern Lights • June 9, 2022
This exclamation follows a call for volunteers last weekend to complete several back-breaking tasks. Over thirty helpers arrived on Sunday, many from Placerville, Camino, and Sacramento churches. Heinrich continued, “they assembled over seventy-five bunk beds and placed three-hundred new mattresses.
When asked what major tasks remained Heinrich said, “new carpet installation is coming soon as well as continued cleaning to prepare for the summer season.”
Featured in Northern Lights • May 19, 2022
Early Thursday mornings, Victor and Chon go to their local food bank warehouse and purchase hundreds of pounds of food. They then load them in their hardy trucks and drive to the food bank of the Sonoma SDA church.
There, a team of dedicated and hardworking volunteers receive the goods and organize them into groups – vegetables, fruits, bread and buns, beans, grains, canned goods, toiletries, etc. before the local community people arrive.
Every week people in the community happily walk home with full bags to feed and support their families.
Matt Mattzela district pastor said, “This initiative has definitely been a tremendous blessing to local families, especially now with the rising cost of goods.”
To many, the food bank of the Sonoma church is one of the most-awaited blessings of the week. The IMPACT Community Cares Group works alongside the Food Bank team to serve the community.
Featured in Northern Lights • May 19, 2022
Freshman Jake Chinnock said, “It was nice to get out of school for a day and know we were helping someone”.
Julie Ching, marketing director at PAA said, “students built a pasture fence, planted flowers, and other general yard work.”
At Feather River Adventist school, another group from the academy helped paint a mural that shares a happy floral scene with passing motorists.
According to sophomore Zohie Lonsberry, “the best part of the painting project was getting to connect with friends and the new little friends who helped us paint”.
Ching continued, “The outreach projects are required community service hours and make our schools more visible to the community. With every outreach project our children do, a servant’s heart is nurtured, and Christ is held up.”
Featured in Northern Lights • May 19, 2022
According to Angela Fusilier, director of women’s ministries, this appeal in Thessalonians has been the forefront message in several recent events:
The Encuentro de Mujeres Cristianas at Golden Gate Academy. Through inspiring stories and seminars over three-hundred ladies connected and learned about resilience, and rebuilding their faith and life, trusting in God, regardless of vexing life events.
The Southgate Church Women’s Spiritual Retreat encouraged the fellowship of women from the Sacramento area churches. One attendee explained, “Through fellowship and prayer, I regained a sense of hope for the future.”
The Granite Bay Women’s ministry team sent birthday acknowledgments and hosted baby showers for the local church body.
This type of engagement has united the women along with continual prayer. Fusilier concluded, “Our Women’s Ministry events provided opportunities to study God’s Word and to support each other.”
Featured in Northern Lights • May 12, 2022
He then moved and became part of the New York conference for seven years before moving West to pastor the Oakland Spanish church in 2004. After six years in Oakland, he has been pastoring the Fairfield Suisun church.
Jim Lorenz, ministerial director explained, “Pastor Guevara has shown himself to be an excellent worker for Christ and a champion of Adventist education.” Marc Woodson, conference president stated, “Elder Guevara joins our team after eighteen years of NCC service. As a passionate hard worker, he will excel in furthering Christ’s love and work in the Hispanic community.”
Featured in Northern Lights • May 12, 2022
Pathfinders demonstrated drilling and marching skills, earned honors, participated in archery, and many other fun activities. For many younger participants, this fair was a new experience.
Terry Parsons of the Paradise Prayer Warriors club recounted how their club has been affected by not only the COVID delay but the Camp Fire as well. “Our kids were ready to do this!” she said.
The Paradise club was also in charge of a new honor at the event named, “Toy Boat Regatta”. The honor requires building a toy boat made of a french-fry tray, playdough, straw and a paper sail. Blowing through the straw propels the boat over the water to the finish line. Parsons related how their leaders “worked hard all day directing the popular event.”
According to Eddie Heinrich, director of youth and pathfinder ministries, “This event engaged our Pathfinder youth to excellence in earning their honors, sharing passionate hard work and making new friends.
Featured in Northern Lights • May 12, 2022
And so, with that review, I entered the splendor of the redwoods. The first person I met was Harry Salvini, camp director. He had that look that all conference employees have when the pressure is on, a confident, deer-in-headlights face, knowing it will soon be hit by the car! But he was cheerful, exclaiming triumphantly, “Lost the refrigerator last night, but after transferring all the frozen food, we got it going again; praise the Lord!” I would notice a recurring temperament with all the volunteers: Lovingly indefatigable.
I would see Harry’s attitude in every person I met. Like Bob and Sue Calkins, Redwood campers for many years now make the trek from Ooltewah, Tennessee. A Redwood highlight this year was watching their grandson get baptized in the Eel River. The Sanchez family travels from Sonora, California, to enjoy a special connection with God in the massive forest.
1922 Camp Meeting PUC
Redwood Camp Meeting has been going since 1952 and has been at its current location since 1976. As I walked into the labyrinth of redwood trees at the camp, it was as if somebody had pulled the shades on a bright summer afternoon. This cooler, dimmer world was very relaxing, and I was met at every turn by smiling faces, family campsites, friendly salutations, and the distinct aroma of vege burgers and corn dogs. “Ahh, camp meeting.”
At a morning devotional held for pastors in the youth area, invited speaker Gary Venden gave an inspiring talk on how “if we abide in Jesus every day, He will affect the outcomes we often make our burdens.” I drop by the Division II children’s corral. It was decorated to the standard of any cradle roll or kindergarten class, of course, without walls and furry trees as a ceiling. John and Alison Cloke from Manteca have been part of a teaching team since 1984. Unfortunately, 2022 will be their last year in charge of Division I, and they trust the next generation will come and fill their shoes.
Redwood Camp meeting for many is akin to a family reunion, meeting up like clockwork each year. As I roamed the camp, I spoke to several people who had met their future spouses decades before, maybe climbing trees or swimming in the river. Watching the kids run to and fro, climb trees, and play hide and seek. “How many future nuptials might I be seeing on this day?” Scene after scene took me back to my happy childhood.
Redwood 2022 Baptism
Like everything else, Redwood has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 years. In 2021, adhering to county occupancy restrictions, campers could attend two limited population sessions. Those I talked to about last year (2021) were cheery at the remembrance. “It wasn’t as big as we’d hoped, but we were here!” Said one person.
Harry Salvini related that 1,065 came through the gates at this year’s camp meeting – more than double from previous years. He exclaimed. “So, we’re on the way back!”
If you can cherish a friend you’ve just met, Redwood Camp Meeting is that “friend” for me. In just three days, I developed a love for the camp usually reserved for my family and a few select friends. I still like other camp meetings but’d rather be at Redwood.
Submitted by Kayla Chavez, Grass Valley Church Reporter and NCC Communication Intern
Needs Meets Needs, a Grass Valley church ministry is engaging its community with compassion. Ellie Watson, the coordinator is engaging her call to ministry by matching people experiencing hardship to church members who can help.
Watson explains, “Understanding the urgency when someone is living in their car or needs a room for the night is ministry”. She goes on, “A year ago, I connected with a member who wasn’t coming to church anymore after her husband had died and I knew she was facing money issues. I found her in Auburn and paid for a few nights at a hotel so she could have a safe place to figure things out”.
This ministry meets the needs of community members, both large and small, as Ellie explains, “With things as small as taking care of someone’s garden, to cleaning someone’s car or help to pay and install a car transmission!”
Watson continues, “We have wonderful and willing people in our church. I haven’t been told ‘no’ to a cause yet!” The compassionate actions of volunteers in the Needs Meet Needs ministries have echoed throughout the community and in the hearts of those that they have touched.
Granite Bay church celebrated the opening of their new church building on April 2. Doug Batchelor, pastor said, “Granite Bay was planted as a congregation that would boldly serve a fast-growing region of Sacramento, California, and I’m thrilled that God has enabled us to put down roots, for which we joyfully praise Him.” The church worship facility, which seats 1,500 guests, was also designed to broadcast Sabbath School Study Hour and Granite Bay Church services to those around the world who are unable to attend Sabbath services where they live.
By Adeline Jackson
Anderson SDA Church engaged their call to ministry by celebrating the baptism of Mirian Rocha Thomas on April 3. It was the first baptism by Pastor Ron Yabut since becoming pastor in January and made more joyous considering the long pause in services due to COVID.
Mirian’s commitment mirrors a renewed spirit of hopefulness and commitment in the Anderson church. It has been many years since God’s direction was more evident than since Pastor Yabut and his wife Jennevi took a full-time role in the two-church district.
This baptism coupled with joy and enthusiasm that Mirian and her new family have for serving God has given a “face” to the ‘new life’ that church members are experiencing. This new invigoration has led to the first nominating committee in four years. The enthusiasm of new church officers has fostered a visioning process for the church and creative discussion about becoming relevant in the Anderson community.
We as a church are convinced that prayer changes things. After many months of continual prayer for the restoration and revival of our church, we are seeing those prayers answered! While there is more to be accomplished, there is hope. We wish to encourage other churches who are struggling to find their way forward with prayer and God’s leading.
God is faithful and He wants us all to be courageous and committed to sharing hope, truth and peace that is found only in Jesus with everyone who needs to hear it.
Carol Herbert, ministry coordinator at Capital City Church was instrumental in putting together a volunteer weekend at Leoni Meadows. As she explained, “God told us to go in Matthew 28: 18-20, so when this opportunity came up, we were obedient to His call. After the fire it was heart breaking to see the condition of the camp, but it was a joy to be a part of the project to rebuild.”
From April 7 to 21, the Maranatha Volunteers International project included construction, renovation, general clean-up, and rebuilding several structures at Leoni Meadows.
Yolanda Frazier, administrative assistant of african american ministries, and Raven Frazier, human resource specialist at the conference office, joined others over a weekend during the project.
“I am inspired by the dedication and compassion of the workers I met at Leoni Meadows!” Said Frazier, also a member of Capital City church. She continued, “Each of the six rooms my small group finished had to be scrubbed ceiling to floor before we painted, I felt muscles I didn’t know I had!”
Giving up her traditional birthday celebration to attend, Raven said, “I went, unsure of what to expect. But after the experience I came home wanting to spend every birthday serving God like this.”
Sabbath, April 16, Pacific Union College celebrated its 140th anniversary.
A highlight of the weekend was the inauguration of Ralph Trecartin, twenty-fifth president of the college.
NCC President, and PUC board member Marc Woodson said, “It was a privilege to participate in the dedication of Dr. Trecartin. I wish him success and my prayers as he continues to lead PUC.”