March 5, 2019
In the mind of the apostle Paul, the spiritual gifts of preaching and teaching were two basic gifts to continue the mission Jesus Christ left to His church to carry on. He referred to this combination of gifts three times in his letters, highlighting the purpose of this enablement: “equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). Since pastors and teachers share the same mission but develop it in two different scenarios, SCC leadership considered it to be crucial to bring these two groups of ministers together to explore new ways to enhance both ministries.
On Tuesday, February 19, for the very first time in SCC, at least within the last 50 years, pastors and teachers came together for a Summit on Adventist Christian Education at the Glendale Adventist Academy. More than 250 people attended this event, and two goals were achieved that day:
- We became more acquainted with each other.
- We dialogued about how to join efforts to minister better to our mutual communities.
The meeting was well received, and it was an enjoyable experience for all participants, who showed interest in having another gathering like this in the near future. Stay tuned for an article about the event in the April issue of the Pacific Union Recorder.
To conclude this day, I delivered the State of the Conference to these two groups of SCC employees. This annual address has become a tradition to bring up the highlights of the previous year in terms of mission accomplishments and business performances. This year, we featured the new initiatives that churches and schools have used to approach their communities so these can become acquainted with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Unfortunately, we couldn’t mention each one of our active churches and schools, but you can find more details in our past SCC e-newsletters (click here!)
It was also reported that the finances of our conference are becoming stronger by the result of tithe increase of 6.95% over 2018) and by the judicious and careful management of these resources. God has provided these means through His people in SCC, and for that, we praise God for these blessings, and we thank you God’s people for their faithfulness.
For several years, I have attended the Los Angeles Adventist Academy Black History Month program, which has been an enjoyable experience. On Friday, February 22, Marsha Lee, (1-3 Grade teacher) was in charge of this event, and her class did a fantastic job. I was impressed by these students ability to recite by long memory statements, poems and Bible verses. Kudos to Mrs. Lee for her outstanding program presented, and a big thank you to all the LAAA teachers and school leadership for their ministry there.
On Sabbath afternoon, February 23, Orfi Barros’ Memorial Service was at her home church, Vallejo Drive SDA Church. A good crowd of family members, friends, acquaintances and denominational leaders were present to celebrate a life of faith, adventure, philanthropy and commitment to the SDA Church, locally and globally. Esther and I had the opportunity of visiting her two weeks before her unexpected passing, and it was inspiring to hear her strong faith in Jesus; she really wanted Jesus to come again. Lord Jesus, come soon and reward her faith!
Last Sabbath, Esther and I went to Kaleo SDA Church, and we were abundantly blessed, really blessed by worshiping with this vibrant congregation of committed SDAs wanting to make the difference in this world. It was an awesome visit. To learn more, click here and visit their website: http://kaleosda.church/. That day, this congregation was hosting the 2019 InSpire event sponsored by the Church Support Ministries of the Pacific Union Conference, emphasizing the need of using arts to tell God’s story with today’s society. This event is taken to churches who want to expand their influence, and I consider it a blessing for the church hosting it. I encourage you to consider inviting this ministry. Click here to visit their website!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- SCC Session Delegates List Submitted to SCC: No later than May 19, 2019, all SCC churches and companies need to submit the list of their delegates to the SCC Executive secretary as indicated in a previous communication to pastors, first elders and church clerks.
- Adventist WestPoint: April 21-24, 2019 in Reno, NV. Click here for details!
- 65th SCC Constituency Session: This important meeting will be held on Sunday, September 22, 2019, at the White Memorial SDA Church from 7:55 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Your fellow traveler,
Velino A. Salazar
President
Southern California Conference