Adventist News
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Montrose Maranatha Hispanic Church Dedicates New Chapel
– October 6, 2026The Maranatha Hispanic Church in Montrose, Colorado, celebrated the official dedication of its new chapel in July with a special worship service centered on gratitude, worship and renewed commitment to God’s mission. Hugo Guillén, pastor and Rocky Mountain Conference ministerial associate director and lead for multicultural ministries, preached the dedication sermon and led a meaningful service of consecration alongside Daniele Fantoni, Maranatha Church’s lead pastor, and the church elders. The celebration marked the culmination of a journey that began in January 2013, when a small Hispanic group first met in a borrowed classroom at the Montrose Adventist Church under the leadership of church member Abimael Chávez and with the support of RMC pastor Michael Shannon. The congregation was officially organized as a church in June 2021. “In October 2022, God opened an unexpected door when the Montrose Seventh-day Adventist Church voted unanimously to donate its former school property to the Hispanic congregation,” remarked Fantoni. “After years of renovation, volunteer labor, generous support, and God’s faithful provision, the church joyfully dedicated its new chapel.” He continued, “Throughout its history, God has blessed the congregation with more than 30 baptisms, evangelistic meetings, youth ministries, and steady spiritual growth. One of the church’s defining passions has been its commitment to young people, expressed in its motto: None of our young people will be lost to the world; all for Christ.” The dedication service celebrated not only God’s faithfulness in the past but also the church’s commitment for the future. Those gathered dedicated themselves anew to worship God, grow as disciples, and proclaim the gospel until Christ returns—the very words now engraved on the church’s dedication plaque as a lasting reminder of its mission. Daniele Fantoni is associate pastor for the Grand Junction District in Colorado.
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Called Together Arnetts Begin Ministry in Fargo and Wahpeton
– October 6, 2026Pastor Payton and Albany Arnett found a love for theology—and for each other—while attending Union Adventist University. Today, Pastor Payton serves the Fargo/Wahpeton church district, while Albany serves as the Fargo area Bible worker. Together, they are beginning their first ministry assignment in North Dakota. Payton grew up in Bonney Lake, Washington, and attended Auburn Adventist Academy, where the chaplains provided opportunities for him to serve in ministry. “This experience first made me realize the gifts God had given me,” he said. “I’m in love with apologetics and the truth of the gospel. Reflecting on God’s leading, Payton shared, “God clearly led us to the Dakotas. I see more and more how good the fit is here. I’m continually surprised by God’s grace and leading in my life. North Dakota was not initially on my radar, but I’m glad God had other plans.” Albany was born in Venezuela and grew up in various parts of the United States while her father served as a pastor. “I first felt the calling to ministry as I grew in my personal relationship with God and discovered a love for studying the Bible,” she said. As she became more involved in church ministries, Albany was given the opportunity to preach while in high school. “I discovered my love for preaching. All of this drew me to fall in love not only with the Lord but with ministry. In Union Adventist University’s theology program, where Payton and I met, this passion solidified into a confidence that God has called me to ministry. Payton and I are in the Dakotas because of God’s leading, serving in a place where we can minister together for His kingdom.” The Dakota Conference is grateful God has led Payton and Albany to serve in the Dakotas. We look forward to seeing how He will continue to bless their ministry and the churches they serve. Information compiled by Elder Darrel Lindensmith, Dakota Conference ministerial director and Adventist Campus Ministries director.
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Edwin Bravatti Ordained in Garden City
– October 6, 2026Edwin Bravatti, pastor of the Garden City District, was ordained to the gospel ministry Aug. 8 at the Garden City Church in Garden City, Kansas. The service recognized a call to ministry that Bravatti first sensed at an early age and has followed through media evangelism, pastoral work and service in the local church. Conference president Ron Carlson welcomed those gathered and joined Kansas-Nebraska Conference ministerial director Virgil Covel in presenting Bravatti for ordination. James Ayers gave a message titled “Clay Pots,” followed by the ordination prayer and charge. Covel called Bravatti to serve as a servant, shepherd, spiritual watchman and teacher, while keeping his own relationship with Christ at the center of his ministry. “It was a beautiful ordination service filled with music,” Covel said. He noted the participation of Bravatti, his daughters and son-in-law, and said he is thankful for Bravatti’s journey and looks forward to his continued work in ministry. Bravatti’s call has taken him through several forms of ministry. At 16, while working with The Voice of Prophecy, he was ordained as an elder by H.M.S. Richards. He later studied business administration at California Lutheran University and cinematography at Pierce College in Los Angeles. His training and work in the film industry became tools for media evangelism through The Voice of Prophecy, It Is Written and La Voz de la Esperanza. Bravatti entered pastoral ministry in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, in 2019. During the next six years, he also volunteered as a chaplain at Regional West Medical Center, offering spiritual care to patients, families and staff. He completed a Master of Pastoral Ministry degree from Andrews University in December 2025 and now pastors the Garden City District. Music has also been an important part of Bravatti’s ministry. As a member of the vocal ensemble Opus 7, he has performed around the world, including at the Vatican and the 1995 General Conference Session in Utrecht, Netherlands. That part of his story was present at the ordination service as Edwin, Chantelle and Lauren Bravatti sang “The Prayer.” Bravatti and Ayers later performed “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” After Bravatti responded to the ordination charge, Carlson welcomed him to the ministry and Sue Carlson welcomed his spouse. The congregation closed the service by singing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” the same commitment that has shaped Bravatti’s path from media evangelism to pastoral ministry.
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Already Called: The Journey to Pastor Jared Kigori’s Ordination
– October 6, 2026As pastors gathered around Jared Kigori and his wife, Zipporah (“Zippy”), to pray during the Central States Conference camp meeting, the message throughout the ordination service was simple: the church was recognizing what God had already done. “The Holy Spirit has already moved,” conference leaders reminded the congregation. “It’s our privilege to simply acknowledge what God has already done.” For Kigori, that truth captures the meaning of ordination. “I view ordination as both a sacred privilege and a solemn responsibility,” he said. “It is not a promotion or a personal achievement I have attained, but the church’s recognition of God’s calling and faithfulness to me over the years.” Kigori serves as senior pastor of United Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, The Mountain Experience Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Kushite Oromo Mission in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also serves as assistant to the president for Great Lakes Adventist Ministries and represents the region on the Central States Conference executive committee. “Because of Pastor Kigori’s deep spirituality and deep commitment to ministry, he was asked to serve as the assistant to the president for the Great Lakes Adventist Ministries in our Central States Conference,” said Central States Conference president Elder Cryston Josiah. “He fulfills his responsibilities with a spirit of excellence.” Kigori’s journey began thousands of miles away in western Kenya, where he first sensed God’s call while becoming increasingly involved in church ministry. He studied at Bugema University in Uganda and later at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His ministry has included serving as a high school chaplain and pastor in Uganda and as a Bible worker and volunteer pastor in North Carolina before coming to Minnesota. Looking back, Kigori sees God’s leading not as one defining moment but as a lifetime of faithful direction. “For me, God’s call to ministry has not been a straight line—it has been a long, winding road with detours, sharp corners and even what seemed like dead ends,” Kigori reflected. “Today, I view my calling not as a single moment, but as a lifelong journey of faithfully saying ‘yes’ to God as He continues to lead.” During the ordination message, Mid-America Union executive secretary Hubert Morel Jr. reminded Kigori that a pastor’s calling begins with God. “Don’t ever forget, God chose you,” Morel said. “God handpicked you.” While ministry has taken Kigori across continents and cultures, he acknowledges that he has never served alone. He credits his parents, mentors, professors, conference leaders and fellow pastors for helping shape his ministry. Above all, he points to Zippy as his closest ministry partner. “There are moments it has felt lonely, low and sometimes empty,” he said. “I have always turned to my wife.” Together with their four children—Ivan, Baraka, Bahati and Neema—the Kigori family has embraced ministry as a shared calling. Although his ordination marks an important milestone, Kigori sees it less as an arrival and more as a renewed commitment to serve Christ with humility, integrity and compassion. That perspective shapes his advice to others sensing God’s call. “If you sense God calling you, don’t ignore His voice because of fear or feelings of inadequacy,” Kigori said. “God does not call those who are already qualified; He equips those He calls.” It is a lesson he has lived from western Kenya to Minnesota—a reminder that God’s call is not measured by geography, titles or accomplishments, but by a willingness to faithfully say “yes” wherever He leads.
Blogs
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What Genealogies Tell Us XII Patterns of Meaning
– October 9, 2026At the end of the last post I made a claim, and I owe you the proof. I said Genesis 11’s genealogy answers the question Babel leaves hanging: What is God going to do now? And I said the answer is Abram. How do we know that’s the author’s answer, and not just mine? Because of the way he built the two genealogies. Lay them side by side, and a shape emerges. Two chains, one event. Genesis 5 runs ten generations from Adam to Noah. Genesis 11 runs ten generations from Shem to Abram. Of all the genealogies in Genesis, these are the only two that carry ages. And both are fastened to the flood. Noah was 600 years old when the flood began. Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood. One age counts into the event, the other counts out of it. Same length. Same unusual feature, ages. Same event hinging them from opposite sides. Things like that don’t happen by accident. What the shape is. Hebrew writers had a favorite structure for this, called a chiasm. The word comes from the Greek letter chi, shaped like an X, and the idea is simple: a mirror. The first element answers the last. The second answers the next-to-last. On and on inward until you reach the middle, and the middle is the point. Everything else is arranged around it so you can’t miss it. If these two genealogies form a chiasm, the center is the flood. Noah at the end of one, Shem at the beginning of the other, and between them the flood story itself. The mirrors, one at a time. The center. Noah is 600 when the flood comes. That’s the age at which the old world dies. Now look at Shem: his entire life comes to 600 years. The number that marks the death of the old world on one side of the flood reappears on the other side as the full measure of the man who carries the line through it. The three sons. Noah lives 500 years and then fathers three sons at once, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and, as we saw, Shem is listed first without being the firstborn. Now go to the end of the second genealogy. Terah lives 70 years and fathers three sons at once: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Abram is listed first, and we know from elsewhere in Genesis he wasn’t the firstborn either. Same unexpected move, same reason: the one listed first is the one the story follows. Shem anchors the next genealogy. Abram anchors the rest of Genesis. The ends. The first element of the first genealogy has to mirror the last element of the last. The first is Adam. The last is Abram. That’s the one that rewards a second look. The new Adam, with a difference. Adam is the father of the human race. Abram, in this structure, is placed where Adam stood. But notice what the author does not say. He doesn’t make Abram the father of everyone. He can’t: everyone alive after the flood goes back through Noah. So what is Abram? He’s what Seth was. Remember where we left Seth: the third son we know of, arriving after Cain’s murder of Abel, appointed, as Eve says, in place of Abel. Seth was a son of promise, the one through whom the godly line would continue when everything else had gone wrong. Abram is the same kind of figure, at the other end of the flood. He is not the beginning of humanity. He is the beginning of God’s next move. And that’s the answer. Put the whole sequence together. Noah was a deliverer, but he delivered humanity through the flood, not out of sin. He walked off the ark and fell in a vineyard. His descendants filled the earth, and then clustered in a city and raised a tower to make a name for themselves. Babel is where the flood story actually ends: the confusion and disorder the waters had brought finally came down on the people who had refused the commission to fill the earth. So the reader is left with a question that nothing in the flood story can answer. Sin is still here. Noah couldn’t fix it. The flood couldn’t fix it. What is God going to do? And the author has already told us, in the very structure of his genealogies. The first story after Babel is the story of a man from the end of that second chain, standing where Adam stood. Abram. We’ve seen three separate genealogies, and how they tell stories. There’s one we mentioned in the very first post in this series, along with some hints about what might be happening. The one in Matthew. Now that you have the tools, let’s take another look. What story do you think Matthew is telling?
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Nobody Assigned Me the Job Glass Children — Part 7
– October 8, 2026The list I was kneeling in front of a heating stove with mirrored panels, teaching my 18-month-old brother to crawl. I had worked it out myself — chest up first, then hips, then hands and knees — the way a physical therapist might, except I was four and nobody had asked me to. Nobody assigned me to invent a milkshake holder, built a few years later out of scrap wood so Rick could hold his own drink in the car. I was tired of holding it for him on every family trip. I also wanted an ice cream cone once in awhile and was not allowed to if I was holding his drink. Nobody assigned me the job of interpreter, translating my brother’s first words for a mother who could only catch some of them. Nobody assigned me the bicycle I fitted with training wheels because I wanted somebody to ride with. To go anywhere with my brother, I rode three times as far as he did. And nobody assigned me the summer I taught myself to write computer software from scratch, because a teacher had decided my brother could not learn long division. I refused to accept the way he was being taught was right for him–and he learned long division in weeks. Our play was his therapy From the time I was very small, playing was work. I adapted the games. I was the one who figured out how a thing could be done. Much of our play was his therapy. This is not what siblings do Every older sibling adapts. You slow down for the little one. You let him win. You carry him when he is tired, and you get sick of it, and that is ordinary childhood. The difference is that ordinary childhood is temporary. The little one catches up. The gap closes. One day you are two adults, and you don’t have to slow down anymore. Our gap never closed. Every year, the distance between what I could do and what Rick could do got wider. I was not slowing down for a little brother who would eventually catch me. I was building, permanently, for someone who never would — and each thing I built bought a year, maybe two, before the next thing had to be invented. There is another difference. He was “special” and everyone saw him that way. Rick sang special music as a boy at our small church in farm-country Nebraska, and it showed up in the newspaper. Years later and a long way west, in San Bernardino, his youth group worked out a way to get him up a mountain on a hike — and it was extraordinary, and he was fortunate to have friends like that — it made the front page of a good-sized city paper. Other people’s brothers sing at church. Other people’s brothers go hiking. Nothing happens. So you grow up beside someone whose ordinary afternoons are news, and you learn young your family is a story other people are reading. Rick had a name. I was “Rick’s sister.” His sister stood at a distance Moses’ mother put him in a basket among the reeds, because he would die otherwise. And his sister was posted on the riverbank — a child herself — standing at a distance to watch. (Exodus 2:4) When Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket, the girl steps forward and improvises. Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you? (Exodus 2:7) She has worked out, on the spot, a way for her brother to survive — and to come back to their own mother while he does it. A whole nation depended on what she did whether they knew it or not. She is not named. She is his sister, and she is not mentioned again for 80 years. I was the sister at a distance from the time I was three, and most of what I invented worked. What I could not invent was the thing I was actually hungry for. Someone to be bored with. Someone to fight with over nothing. I wanted a brother who was a brother, rather than a project with a person inside it. Lord, You know the ones who are always the ones carrying. Thank You for what they build. Give them, sometime, an ordinary afternoon. Amen. Next time: why none of this looked like a problem to anyone, including me. Click HERE to see the 1st in this series.
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Circulation Problems Do This Better Circulation
– October 6, 2026https://youtube.com/shorts/rrwvbH-9HeY?si=uBlBMbDUCTsRIOfw
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The Teacher’s Notes–The Call of a Prophet, Lesson 2 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 4Q, "The Gift of Prophecy"
– October 3, 2026Sabbath School Lesson for October 3-9, 2026 Introduction of Lesson 2, The Call of a Prophet Memory Text: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’ ” Isaiah 6:8 NKJV Scriptures reveal time and again the difficult life of a prophet. They often endured rejection, misunderstanding, and persecution. They were subject to being ignored, ridiculed, and even beaten and thrown in jail. Many were martyred for accepting the call to go where God sent them to be His spokesperson. This, however, didn’t stop God from sending the message of hope to our fallen world on many occasions. Isaiah, and other prophets, were willing and eager to take up the challenge. In these last days, we are also called to listen to these same prophets and share their messages of hope. Will you heed the call and go where God sends you? This week, we’ll explore: Sunday: Abraham, Defender of the Covenant Monday: The Elijah Message Tuesday: Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet Wednesday: Daniel, the Faith Seer Thursday: John the Baptist, Preparing a People Friday: Called to Prophetic Ministry Sunday: Abraham, Defender of the Covenant After Noah and the Flood, sin had once again taken firm root in most of the people of Abraham’s day. In order to stem the mounting dangers of apostasy and idolatry, God chose His faithful follower Abraham to be the first one in the Bible called a “prophet” (Genesis 20:7). In order to test his faith and to illustrate the supreme sacrifice of God in providing His Son to die for our sins, Abraham was asked by God to offer his own son Isaac. This act of faith helped to equip the prophet to become the defender of our covenant with God. We are also swarmed with apostate ideologies today that attempt to silence God’s call to salvation. Abraham “believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This simple gospel message of righteousness by faith is found in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 which we are to give to the world in the last days. Verses for reflection and discussion: Genesis 15:6, Galatians 3:6-9, and Hebrews 11:8 Even though Abram made several mistakes, what qualified him to be God’s prophet? Revelation 14:6 Why is the gospel message of righteousness by faith so important in these last days? Monday: The Elijah Message What a dangerous mission was given to Elijah. He was told to deliver the message to King Ahab that a drought would begin in the land and last for many years. Later, in order to begin a revival of godliness, Elijah asked for a showdown with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah. The success on Mount Carmel, when God provided fire for Elijah’s offering, led to many returning to the God of Israel. Malachi prophesied that Elijah’s message of repentance would be repeated before the coming of the Lord. Before Jesus comes again, God would send someone to prepare the way for that “great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5, 6). Ellen G. White confirmed that “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs.” Selected Messages, book 1, p. 121 Revival, after all, is what motivates God’s people for the mission of spreading the gospel to the world. Verses for reflection and discussion: 1 Kings 18:19-21, 37-39 Why was Elijah so confident that God would answer his prayer in such a miraculous way? What kind of revival might be needed in your local church, and how might you be able to make it happen? Tuesday: Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet Isaiah, a major prophet in the Old Testament, boldly depicted the plan of salvation, including Christ’s humility, as well as His majesty. Chapter 53, written four hundred years before the Cross, passionately revealed the rejection and suffering of the Son of God. This message about the tormented life and struggles of our Savior was not the one that most Israelites wanted to hear, however. Their refusal to accept it resulted in many, if not most, not recognizing the Messiah when He finally did arrive in a lowly stable as a tiny Babe in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Isaiah shows us the desire of God to save us, humanity’s great need to be saved, and the attempts of Satan to keep us from being saved. No one can help us understand the gospel of salvation better than this humble, willing servant of God–the gospel prophet Isaiah. Verses for reflection and discussion: Isaiah 53:3-5 Why would this be a prophecy that would not be popular with the majority of Jews who heard it? What are some of the things that Christ’s death accomplished for us? How have you personally grown closer to God from reading the message in Isaiah 53? Wednesday: Daniel, the Faithful Seer The Scriptures reveal no flaws or moral failures in the characters of both Joseph and Daniel. They both were carried away as youth to a foreign land and were under intense pressure to compromise their chosen faith. We know the story of how Daniel stood firm about diet, praying earnestly about the troubling situation of eating at the king’s table. And, later, praying fervently again, as his custom was, and being thrown into a lion’s den for his steadfast faith. Today, we have the added incentive to believe in the prophetic visions given to Daniel, because so many of them have come to pass. The rise and fall of nations occurred just as God revealed, leaving us with the glorious hope that His Kingdom, not an earthly one, will be coming soon. The prophetic visions Daniel was given, and even the ones he interpreted for the king, showed him to be the faithful seer that he was. We know more about the judgment of God through Daniel’s writings; just as John the revelator wrote about the judgment in <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-the-call-of-a-prophet-lesson-2/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–The Call of a Prophet, Lesson 2 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 4Q, “The Gift of Prophecy”“>Read more…
Featured Stories
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Pastors and Teachers Reunite in Branson
– October 8, 2026About 250 Kansas-Nebraska Conference pastors, teachers and family members gathered last August at Westgate Branson Woods Resort in Branson, Missouri, for their first joint retreat since 2019. Held under the theme Building God’s Kingdom Together, the event brought two groups with different daily roles together around a shared mission. That sense of togetherness began on the very first evening. When the piano failed on opening night, guest musician Gale Jones Murphy led worship a cappella. Her personality, energy and connection with the room quickly drew people into singing. Once a keyboard was available for the remaining meetings, Murphy continued using creative icebreaker songs to invite participation before moving into worship. Many conference pastors serve districts that include an Adventist school. The retreat gave pastors and teachers time to see how their work connects. Education may be a different field, but it remains another arm of pastoral ministry. Their roles are different, while their purpose of helping people know Christ is the same. Morning worships were led by Greg King, dean of the School of Religion at Southern Adventist University. In the evenings, Lola Moore Johnston preached from the book of Nehemiah. In one message, she focused on Nehemiah’s response when he learned that Jerusalem remained in ruins. Although the destruction did not threaten his own livelihood, the news left him distressed. Johnston challenged listeners to care about needs even when the problem does not affect them personally. Pastors and teachers also met separately for professional development. Alicia Patterson, a grief coach and educator, led the pastoral sessions on grief, listening and resilience. Jeff Bovee, Kansas-Nebraska Conference education superintendent, worked with teachers through review, discussion and group activities. The teacher breakouts focused on assessing learning in the standards-based classroom. Educators met in professional learning communities organized by grade bands and secondary subject areas to explore how classroom assessments can more effectively guide instruction. Schools also had time to work through their individual pre-session agendas in preparation for the new academic year. “The education breakout was a relaxed professional development time where teachers had an opportunity to meet in person with their professional learning communities and delve deeper into learning how to most effectively use classroom assessments to drive instruction in their classrooms,” said Bovee. “We ended our last breakout of the retreat with a challenge for the new school year to ensure that all students know they are loved and valued and God has a plan for their lives.” Afternoons gave families and friends time to enjoy Branson together. Participants visited local attractions, shared meals and spent time with people they may not often see during the year. By the final evening, Murphy’s opening song had become a family affair. She invited children to the front to lead “I’m In Right, Out Right, Up Right, Down Right,” drawing the room into the motions. The moment captured what the retreat had been designed to do: bring pastors, teachers and their families into the same room as one ministry team.
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Hope Beyond the Diagnosis Christian Record Services is helping people facing vision loss discover they are not alone—and God still has a purpose for their lives.
– October 8, 2026Imagine sitting in an eye doctor’s office and hearing words that change your life forever. “You have an irreversible eye disease.” “You’re losing your sight.” “There’s nothing more we can do.” For many people, that moment marks the beginning of fear, isolation and uncertainty. Questions about work, independence and the future quickly replace confidence with anxiety. But Dr. Dexter Thomas, president of Christian Record Services, also sees it as the moment when the church has an opportunity to share something medicine cannot provide—hope. “Faith gives people a new story,” Thomas said during a recent conversation with OUTLOOK. “God isn’t finished with me. He still has work for me. I am still His child.” That conviction is at the heart of Christian Record Services, a ministry that has served people who are blind or experiencing vision loss since 1899. Through free Braille, large-print and audio Christian resources, summer camps, and a nationwide ministry known as PhoneFaith, the organization helps individuals remain connected to Scripture, community and the hope found in Jesus Christ. For Thomas, the ministry’s mission is deeply personal. Growing up legally blind, he remembers what it was like to long for access to God’s Word. Christian Record Services provided him with the Bible in Braille and on audio recordings—resources that ultimately helped shape his calling to ministry. “I believe it led to me becoming a pastor,” he said. Today, Thomas serves as the first blind president in 100 years, a role that allows him to encourage others facing many of the same fears he once experienced. One of the ministry’s newest initiatives addresses what Thomas calls the “Quiet Crisis.” More than eight million Americans are living with irreversible eye diseases. Too often, after receiving a diagnosis, patients leave their doctor’s office with little more than medical information. Christian Record Services is working to change that by placing ministry resources directly into eye care clinics across North America. The goal is simple: become the first voice people hear after receiving life-changing news. Instead of hearing only what they have lost, individuals discover there is still hope, purpose and a community ready to walk beside them. That hope extends far beyond printed resources. Christian Record Services hosts camps where children and adults who are blind or have low vision experience activities many never imagined possible—from horseback riding and canoeing to forming lifelong friendships. PhoneFaith connects participants across the country through Bible studies, prayer groups, health programs and fellowship—helping combat the loneliness that often accompanies vision loss. New opportunities Technology has also opened remarkable new doors. Thomas carries hundreds of Braille books on a single digital device, using wearable technology like Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with the Be My Eyes app to navigate airports independently, and participating in ministry through tools that were unimaginable just a few years ago. “Technology has really blown the door open,” he said. “It’s made life so much easier.” While accessibility is important, Thomas believes belonging is even more important. Too often, churches unintentionally see people with disabilities as recipients of ministry rather than participants in it. He challenges congregations to recognize that every believer has spiritual gifts to share. “Everybody is a contributor, designed and destined to do great things,” he said. He recalled introducing a blind church member to opportunities for ministry. That individual eventually became an elder, reminding the congregation that blindness was never a barrier to serving Christ. To watch the complete conversation with Dexter Thomas of Christian Record Services and Amanda Colgan of Three Angels Deaf Ministries, visit the OUTLOOK YouTube channel and watch From Disabilities to Possibilities | Stories of Faith, Access & Belonging. The discussion explores how churches can remove barriers, create belonging and ensure that every person has an opportunity to experience the love of Christ. To learn more about Christian Record Services or support its ministry, visit christianrecord.org.
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Hawkeye Church Hosts Popular Fair Outreach
– October 6, 2026As fairgoers filled the grounds at the Fayette County Fair in Iowa last July, one stop continued a cherished tradition of community connection and practical ministry. The Hawkeye Church welcomed families to their annual photo booth, offering a warm space to create lasting memories and experience Christian fellowship. What began as a simple creative outreach has blossomed into an eagerly anticipated highlight of the fair. Designed to reflect the area’s rich agricultural roots, the booth features a rustic wooden barn adorned with stuffed farm animals. Children and parents alike enjoy climbing atop hay bales, ride-on toy tractors and horses for picture-perfect moments. The photo booth has become such a staple that many local families now make a point to visit annually, capturing milestone photos to track their children’s growth year after year. “Our photo booth is more than just taking pictures—it’s a simple, joyful way to show our community that we care,” said church members involved in organizing the event. While the photo booth provides families with a fun and tangible fair keepsake, the heart of the outreach is personal connection. Church volunteers use the opportunity to build friendships, offer free Christian literature, and share the love of Jesus with neighbors in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Adding to the excitement each year, the church partners with local radio station KRJE – “Radio for Jesus” on one day during the fair by blowing up and handing out punch balloons to children. The bright, cheerful balloons proved to be a massive draw, bringing smiles to young fairgoers as well as advertising the radio station throughout the fairgrounds. Through warm conversations, shared laughter, and simple acts of service, members of the Hawkeye Church continue to demonstrate their commitment to stepping outside church walls and serving as a positive, loving presence in Fayette County. Eileen Birth is communication leader for the Hawkeye Church in Iowa.
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Creative Ministries Lead to Joyful Connections in Minnesota
– October 6, 2026Minnesota Adventists are committed to making disciples who make more disciples. Since discipleship begins with relationships, church members around the state are working to form long-lasting connections with neighbors, visitors and young people. Teaching the youth to teach others Nobody is just an onlooker in Jose Luis Bello’s youth class and Pathfinder group. Along with other leaders at Northeast Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church (NESDA), he identifies talents and encourages teens to lead the younger children. His goal is to build a Christian community where all ages can experience camporees, outdoor challenges, and meaningful Bible study together. “So many youth now are lonely. They just stay home in their rooms without seeing each other,” Jose explains. “I refuse to accept that.” One way to build lasting faith is by equipping youth to witness. Recently Jose and a group of young men wore Bible costumes and acted out stories about Jesus during a children’s evangelistic weekend. And one youth member, Rachel, has accepted the task of teaching younger girls as they complete Pathfinder requirements. “Leaders need to do more than just talk, talk, talk,” she says. “If we just make rules, the girls will think no one cares about them. I need to be their friend.” Hosting the best party of the year It wouldn’t be Christmas in Hinckley, Minnesota, without the Community Christmas Program at the local Adventist church. More than 20 years ago the whole town was curious about the new church being built by member Terry Haavisto along I-35. “Can we see the inside?” people asked. Terry’s wife, Lori, and sister, Jodie, started by inviting community guests to a Christmas music program so everyone could view the new sanctuary. The first event was so successful that it’s become an anticipated annual tradition. The program is a true community effort. Neighbors and church groups are invited to perform, and no one is turned away, no matter how musically skilled. Members serve a free meal of spaghetti and Christmas cookies, and a free-will offering is collected for a worthy cause. As for advertising, they rely on word of mouth, plus posters in local businesses and ads on the church radio station. None of this could happen without the hard work of every church member, including the communication crew, parking crew, kitchen crew, set-up crew, and cleanup crew. Hinckley member Pamela Rodacker-Waye adds, “Most importantly, Jesus, as He’s the reason for everything we do here.” Last year a guest turned to a church member and commented, “I could see myself being part of a church like this.” That’s exactly why the program is still going 21 years later. Turning visitors into friends Two years ago Deborah Timasi first visited Kenyan Community Church, wondering what she was getting herself into. “Right away someone met me and showed me around and made me feel welcome,” she remembers. “It was the first five minutes that got me. If it wasn’t for that person, I wouldn’t have come back.” Now Deborah is a baptized church member and head of the Hospitality Committee that first welcomed her. Her team visits people in homes and hospitals, takes gifts to new mothers, and helps guests feel at home during potluck. She compares her ministry to that of the Good Samaritan. She says that people who find friends in church are more likely to stay and become followers of Jesus for a lifetime. Lighting up the dark with music More than 15 years ago, Mankato church member Jeff Buege faced a personal heartache and prayed for God to remove his sadness. Sensing a need to look outward, Jeff asked the Lord how he could serve others. Looking back, Jeff recalls, “Within three days, God provided the time, the resources, and the locations [for a new ministry]. What began in a moment of utter brokenness immediately became an inward healing for me.” As God opened unexpected doors, Jeff began singing and sharing the gospel at nursing homes throughout the Midwest. He encountered a deep thirst for the gospel and found that thousands in the closing chapters of their lives needed to be reminded how much Jesus loves them. “I truly didn’t know even mildly the direction God would lead me,” Jeff says. “Yet very quickly I understood His will and surrendered to His path.” Within two years he was doing 200 programs annually; by the tenth year it was over 800 programs. Jeff says the feedback has been “beyond words.” It’s not about fame but witnessing the love of Jesus reflected in the lives of grateful listeners. Always he relies on the strength of Jesus, who says, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). Passing on real-world skills Southview Pathfinder leader Lynnette Nyabuto noticed a pattern—some older teens were drifting away from the church when they outgrew Pathfinders. She wanted to keep them connected to their church family, while also creating space for teens who had never joined Pathfinders. Her plan: earlier this year she surveyed church members about what practical skills they could pass on to the next generation. Now all ages look forward to baking, painting, and fixing cars together. Lynnette says, “Once connections are established, the teens may be more open to other activities, including Bible studies—which is the ultimate goal.”