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Good Things Come in Sevens
Good Things Come in Sevens 5184 3456 Ken Miller

Recently, Pleasant Hill Academy had an impactful fall week of prayer.

Placerville Church Associate Pastor Leif Cano spent the week with students, sharing a themed message of God’s acceptance. The daily messages resonated with seven students who committed to be baptized.

Jea, one of the seven, retold her experience, “During the week, I hadn’t considered being baptized, but as the sermons continued, I began praying, asking the Lord to talk to me. And he did. I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing what to do when pastor Cano called for baptism.”

The Holy Spirit was urging Jea to join the six others already standing. Yet she could not bring herself to do so. Cano looked out at the six standing students and exclaimed, “There is a seventh person who wishes to be baptized today.” Hearing this, Jea’s tears began to flow because, as she exclaimed, “I knew I was the seventh person.”

Before Christmas break, two students were baptized at the Vallejo Central Church and two at Pleasant Hill Church. The other three have scheduled their dates for the New Year.

A proud and grateful parent commented, “We praise God for the decisions these seven made and the role that our schools play in the salvation of young people.”

Featured in Northern Lights, January 4, 2023
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Larry Graack Ordained
Larry Graack Ordained 412 501 Ken Miller

November 11- Larry Graack was ordained at the Paradise Church.

Graack grew up on a Kentucky farm before moving to Southern California. According to his father, “God was already working in his life during these years, and Larry, on his own accord, told his coaches he would not participate in sporting events held on Sabbath, a foreshadowing of his choice of God and career.”

Through a circuitous route after college, Graack worked at the Placerville Church and was later hired as an intern at the Palo Cedro Church. He then studied for his Master of Divinity at Andrews University with concentrations in Chaplaincy and Marriage and Family Life Counseling.

He accepted a call to join the Paradise Church as the youth and young adult pastor. That community, still reeling from a lost church and a town in ruin, was just the place to practice his chaplaincy training.

Graack recently pivoted his pastoral career and became the religion teacher and campus chaplain at Paradise Adventist Academy. He shares his life with Bridgette, his wife of three years. She works for Adventist Health in the Talent Acquisition department.

Eddie Heinrich, NCC Youth Director, stated, “It is evident that God is working in and through Larry. God has given him many talents to use in His service.”

<em>Featured in Northern Lights, November  30, 2023</em>

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Welding A Solid Community Outreach
Welding A Solid Community Outreach 2000 1125 Ken Miller

Orangevale member Rob Purvis is an expert in welding. Collectively, with several other volunteer welding instructors, he teaches students this high-demand vocation. Not just the physical expertise of laying a bead of molten metal connecting two objects but the math, physics, and accuracy employers will demand.

Reignite Hope is a welding training school that Purvis was inspired to start in a pristine fifty-three foot semi-trailer temporarily parked in the Rancho Cordova church’s parking lot.

Its purpose is two-fold: To provide a vocation to those seeking to better their lives and to share Jesus’s love. Blake Jones, Orangevale pastor, exclaimed, “I love this ministry! It gives people a practical skill whereby they can make a living. And we also bring the gospel and our hope in Christ to them. We’re seeing God use this to touch hearts and lives.”

Students are a mix of individuals wanting to retrain from other careers, laborers, unhoused, or re-entering society from incarceration. Placement services, word of mouth, and even probation officers forward candidates to the program, and the training is free of charge to the student. After training and graduation, a newly certified welder can walk into a business and professionally weld.

This outreach takes a missional approach, and the participation of the Orangevale and Rancho Cordova churches is integral to the program. Besides providing a location to park the rig, they provide a meeting room, and church members help with meals, which the students greatly appreciate. They also give bible studies, write resumes, and other helpful services.

Debbie Purvis, Orangevale member and co-director, stated, “We currently have sixteen students in the program, and the Holy Spirit has been moving, convicting hearts, with several students deciding to follow Christ!”

Kietrich Germany, district pastor of Rancho Cordova and Stockton Mayfair churches, commented, “I am so overjoyed to have this outreach in our parking lot to serve our community in such a practical way. This type of help can be truly life-transforming. There is nothing quite like the self-dignity supplied by being gainfully employed. I truly believe this kind of ministry causes Jesus to smile.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 30, 2023
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The Mysterious Seven
The Mysterious Seven 1752 1048 Ken Miller

The story continues from the October 26 Northern Lights Article Baptisms and Mysterious Guests.

This story continues in the words of Sasa Andelkovic. district pastor of the West Sacramento and Sacramento Yugoslavian churches:

Recently, after a sermon, I made a call to baptism. Seven guests in the back row all stood and emphatically raised their hands. I didn’t even recognize them!

Observing the seven new faces in the back row, all eagerly raising their hands for baptism, stirred a multitude of questions in my mind: Did God guide them to us? Is this genuinely happening?

Post-service, I approached them, discovering they had recently relocated from Nepal and were raised in Hinduism. Their journey to Christianity began in 2010 when the compassionate acts of local Christians moved them. Engaging in community service and medical missionary projects, they gradually embraced the message of salvation in Jesus.

Despite their limited understanding of Biblical theology, they remained faithful, praying daily for guidance. Baptized in Nepal under the belief of purification, they continued reading the Bible, seeking the truth. As they studied and prayed, they felt God warned them that “the end is near and that they must be ready for it.” Not fully grasping the Biblical meaning of “the end,” it indeed became a real threat in their lives. At the same time, they started experiencing much persecution from gangs in their local community.

They were bullied constantly and even beaten with sticks. One of them was stabbed. Another was pushed to the ground and run over by a motorcycle. Astonishingly, the faithful band was still willing to risk their lives for Christ, somebody they admittedly did not wholly comprehend yet. What they did come to understand was that God is real, loving, and was collecting them to Himself.

As time passed, they were able to flee to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where a hired “travel consultant” took their passports and consigned them to a debtor sweatshop. They had to work for a year, “earning” their

documents back. But their faith didn’t waver. Eventually, with the help of some missionaries, they traveled to Guatemala and then to Mexico. From there, they could enter the United States with refugee status, later settling in Sacramento.

So how did they end up standing in my church, all at once, in joyful hand-waving after my baptism call? They met Linda Quillen, a Granite Bay Hilltop Church member. She encouraged them to attend one of our churches, and through that introduction, they eventually stumbled upon one of my sermons online.

Reflecting on this experience, they lived their lives with the same unknown we do, not knowing much, but they followed God the best they knew, and God brought them to the destination. What is also astounding to me is that we prayed that God would send us people hungry for the truth. Little did we know that God would bring this wonderful Nepalese group to our humble West Sacramento church. It was like God looked at the globe and said, “Let me see what church would be right for them; here it is West Sacramento.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 30, 2023
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The Blessing of Giving by Marc K. Woodson, NCC President
The Blessing of Giving by Marc K. Woodson, NCC President 910 452 Ken Miller

Have you ever experienced the uplifting embrace of spirituality during church services or while immersed in a livestream? Have you ever found yourself contemplating a search for a new spiritual home because your current one didn’t quite fulfill your needs?

In my journey, evolving from a member to a pastor and now an administrator, I’ve encountered a spectrum of perspectives on a church’s impact on its members – from deep gratitude to a yearning for a more profound spiritual connection. Both attitudes focused on what the church does for me.

Perhaps what’s needed is a fresh perspective. In Acts 20:34-36, Paul’s farewell to the Ephesians underscores the importance of hard work, not just for self-sustainability but also to support those toiling alongside us, particularly the weak and vulnerable. He echoes the timeless words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Jesus extends an invitation to embrace a generous attitude, assuring us of greater blessings through giving. Instead of solely evaluating a church based on what we receive from its messages or services, let’s redirect our focus. Let’s explore how we can utilize the unique gifts and resources bestowed upon us by God to serve and benefit others.

Rather than asking, “What am I receiving from the church?” let’s propel ourselves forward with questions like: “What am I doing to assist the weak and vulnerable in my church and community?” What contributions am I making to advance God’s Kingdom within my church community? How am I actively connecting people to a more abundant life with Jesus and preparing them for His Second Coming?

Picture the beauty of witnessing God’s promise to bless unfolding in our lives. By shifting our focus from receiving to giving, we embark on a transformative journey brimming with joy, fulfillment, and abundance.

Featured in Northern Lights, November 23, 2023
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Oakland Market Street Church Celebrates 100th Anniversary
Oakland Market Street Church Celebrates 100th Anniversary 2000 1125 Ken Miller

On November 4, 2023, the Oakland Market Street Church marked a significant milestone—its centennial celebration of spreading the gospel. Jose Marin, NCC Executive Secretary, expressed his honor at being part of this momentous occasion. He acknowledged the church’s profound impact on the African-American community in Northern California and its broader influence across the Pacific Union throughout the past century.

Since its establishment in November 1923, the church has stood as a pillar of faith in its current location. Members, guests, and church leaders celebrated under the three-fold theme: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Preparing for the Kingdom.

Rudy Peters, NCC African American Ministries Coordinator, highlighted the enduring legacy of Market Street, stating, “The Market Street church has been connecting people to an abundant life in Jesus Christ for generations, with several families now serving in this same community.”

The festivities commenced on November 1 with a Wednesday night celebration featuring the Precious Memory Choir performing a specially crafted 100th-anniversary theme song by Derrick Hall, Dr. Joyce Johnson, and Sanara Fulmore.

President of the North American Division, G. Alexander Bryant, delivered the keynote address, making the occasion even more memorable. Senior pastor Edwin Frederick Brown described the celebration as a glorious day filled with gratitude and praise to God. Kai Simone Hodges, church youth pastor, said the event felt like a grand family reunion, brimming with memories and love.

NCC President Marc Woodson expressed, “It was a joy and an honor to celebrate 100 years of ministry with the Market Street Church. Market Street is a historic church and the oldest African-American congregation in our conference. It was an inspirational weekend and a great time of reunion! I was so glad I could participate in the festivities.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 16, 2023
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Napa Community Church Celebrates 150 Years
Napa Community Church Celebrates 150 Years 2000 1125 Ken Miller

November 4-The Napa Community Church celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Members and guests of the church crowded in for a celebration marked with jubilant singing and speakers. Diane Bennett, church secretary, exclaimed, “It was a great sabbath! We had over 230 congregation members, and 180 watched online. We have a great heritage here.”

Marc Woodson, President, stated, “I want to congratulate the Napa Community Church for its ministry to the greater Napa community for an amazing 150 years! It was a blessing to participate in the worship service and bring greetings on behalf of the Northern California Conference. I enjoyed the slide presentation from Ted Calkins that showed the church’s history in pictures.”

At the celebration, Mayor Scott Sedgley of Napa expressed his appreciation towards the church, praising the age diversity of the congregation. He acknowledged the importance of having more kids in the community and commended the church for providing a nurturing environment for children. Sedgley thanked the church members for their positive impact on the community.

Jose Marin, Executive Secretary, remarked, “What a blessing it was to be a part of the 150th Napa Community Church celebration, where the church commemorated its origins and its profound impact through pastoral ministry and Adventist education. This impact continues to shape past and future generations, preparing them for a life of service here on earth and for the eternal ages to come.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 16, 2023
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Bruce Nicola Laid to Rest
Bruce Nicola Laid to Rest 319 371 Ken Miller

Retired NCC pastor Bruce Nicola was laid to rest on November 12.

A family member stated, “Bruce’s long ministry blessed countless lives during his years of service. He enjoyed a good joke, the outdoors, and especially basketball. In his younger years, he developed a life-long love of rock hunting and grew succulents and a beautiful garden in retirement.”

Nicola’s career spanned 44 years with the NCC. During that time, he served as a pastor and hospital chaplain. His geographical range extended from as far north as the Arcata-McKinleyville district, south to Livermore, and several churches in between. He retired in 2019 as the district pastor for the Orland and Willows churches.

Ed Fargusson, Assistant to the NCC president, stated, “Bruce was a pastor of many talents and had a keen wit. He held about every pastoral position available, which gave him a mastery of serving others. Most importantly, he loved the Lord. He will be missed.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 16, 2023
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April Church Joins NCC Offices
April Church Joins NCC Offices 1474 1967 Ken Miller

April Church recently joined the NCC as the new Administrative Assistant to the planned giving and trust management department.

Originally from Rancho Cucamonga and, more recently, in Nevada City, she attended La Sierra University, studying global health, but realized she was more interested in international property management.

Church explains, “I recently moved to Roseville to be closer to my family and take this position. I’m excited for God’s unique assignment in this new chapter of my life, serving our community and the wellbeing of our people.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 2, 2023
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46th African American Convocation
46th African American Convocation 2000 1125 Ken Miller

One of the many things that our African American ministries department supports is the annual African American Ministries Convocation.

Now in its 46th year, this event held every October brings great speakers and musicians together to praise God, inspiring unity and hope.

This year, over 600 gathered at the Oakland Market Street church. They were blessed with praise, singing, and inspirational sermons by Dietrich Germany, pastor of the Stockton Mayfair church. A youth program kept over sixty children busy, and Dr. Shirley-Ann Thomas, Assistant Professor of Education at Oakwood College, provided a ministry in music.

Rudy Peters, African American ministries coordinator, commented, “My prayer for this convocation is that all grew in faith and commitment to Christ.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 2, 2023
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