Hispanic Ministries Evangelism Exchange
By Jeff Rogers
During the month of March, the Arizona Conference Hispanic Ministries Department participated in an evangelistic exchange with pastors from the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). Seven pastors from SECC came to seven of the Arizona churches to hold one-week evangelistic meetings. In addition to those seven events, other evangelistic meetings took place in Hispanic churches led by Arizona Conference personnel, including President Ed Keyes.
The partnership between churches and pastors resulted in over 90 baptisms at the conclusion of the meetings. With subsequent Bible studies and follow-up events with church lay members and pastors, the number of baptisms resulting from this collaborative event will continue to rise. To complete the “exchange,” Arizona Conference Hispanic Ministries pastors will travel to SECC in October to conduct one-week evangelistic meetings in churches there.
Moreno Hills church is stirring up conversations with its new podcast, “Tofu Soup,” hosted by Klenth Sasil, associate pastor, and Giselle Imperio, church member. The podcast releases episodes monthly and is available now on YouTube and Spotify.
Born from young adult vespers, the show aims to capture the humorous, wisdom-filled discussions that happen twice a month in small groups at the homes of church members.
The show’s creators recognized the need for a more accessible platform. They wanted “Tofu Soup” to engage a wider audience by having conversations that simmer and engage. The name “Tofu Soup” reflects the desire to encourage community and dialogue as well as the surrounding environment.
“Soup is something people gather around to savor and enjoy over some good conversation,” said Imperio. “That’s the goal of this podcast. We wanted to create a space for young adults to share their thoughts about a wide range of topics.”
The podcast aims to be a genuine space for young adults to explore life's challenges and joys together. It emphasizes authenticity and openness to help foster spiritual growth and a stronger church community.
“‘Tofu Soup’ is a space for young adults to navigate life together,” said Sasil. “Being authentic and genuine is vital in our spiritual growth and church culture.”
Though tailored for young adults and young professionals, “Tofu Soup” welcomes listeners from all walks of life. The team behind the podcast is excited about its potential to positively impact their community.
“God is the guiding force behind our podcast,” said Imperio. “Ultimately, God is the MVP—our producer, director, and inspiration for every show—and we’re just along for the ride!”
The first episode is available now on the Moreno Hills Church Music YouTube channel and on Spotify. You can follow the team on Instagram at @morenohillssda or visit their website at morenohillssda.org.
Loma Linda Korean Church Embarks on Mission Trip to Belize
By Ezrica Bennett
In February, 25 individuals from the Loma Linda Korean church embarked on a mission trip to Belize. The group was comprised of diverse professions, including four physicians, five dentists, a dental hygienist, and two pharmacists. Some of the attendees brought their families and children, with the youngest being a one-year-old. The team made many sacrifices to get to Belize, including closing practices and using limited vacation time, but from their perspective, the blessings of service superseded anything that may have been lost.
"Mission trips start with prayer and end with prayer," said Richard Lee, lead pastor of Loma Linda Korean church, as he recounted the miracles of the trip to his congregation. For this mission trip, the team constantly sought God's guidance and practiced active trust in Him. While in Belize, the team spent the first few days visiting rural churches and working with the members, including planting bamboo trees and installing an automatic irrigation system. They saw over 300 patients at their medical and dental clinics and worked with a local orphanage run by an Adventist pastor. The team also helped with the renovation of the labor and delivery room in La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital. Prior to visiting Belize, the church raised $30,000 to help the hospital buy a new computed tomography (CT) machine.
Ministry is interwoven into the heart of the Loma Linda Korean church. The motto of the church is "Loma Linda and beyond," said Lee. One of their main objectives as a congregation is to reach the world around them for God. They do so by connecting with former members or ministry partners who are actively living and serving in different parts of the world. The church has visited other locations, including Cambodia and Haiti. For their trip to Zambia, they raised $20,000 for 50 cataract surgeries. Loma Linda Korean church plans to return to Belize in December. They also have a ministry partner who recently moved to Togo, and they plan to visit that location in the next few years.
At the close of the 2023 fall semester, Orangewood Academy launched an innovative initiative aimed to create ministry, college, and career-focused opportunities for its seventh- through 12th-graders. The preschool to 12th-grade academy considered the fact that they have international students and that families often go on vacation over the Christmas break. Recognizing this, they decided to move their finals one week ahead, allowing students to not only take their exams but also receive meaningful feedback from their teachers. With the last week of school now fully available, the team decided to launch a career and college readiness week.
Each day of the week, teachers and staff provided different activities and opportunities for students to help them anticipate college, make informed decisions about potential careers, and engage in ministry, as explained by Zaidy Olivarria, the assistant principal. Each activity was curated to be appropriate and relevant for the different grades. The school also partnered with OCGrace church and Relove church to provide ministry opportunities for the students, such as painting fences in an art garden and cleaning out the church closets.
Both students and faculty felt that this week was informative and meaningful. “Dedicating an entire week of school to getting a better understanding of how to apply for colleges, student athlete scholarships, what type of degrees there are, and how to sign up for government-funded programs to help further my education was definitely a big help,” said Victoria Perez, a 10th-grader. Kimberly Analco, another 10th-grader, said that this week helped her and others consider possible expectations for different careers and narrow down potential fields they may like to pursue in their future.
Olivarria explained that this initiative was successful because of the significant amount of teamwork that went into planning. More than a year of intentionality went into developing this event, and they are hopeful that this is something they can continue in the future. Congratulations to Orangewood Academy for finding dynamic new ways to engage and prepare their students for not only a life of service but of excellence.
In December 2023, Southeastern California Conference (SECC) Youth Department held its second annual Teen FLOW event at Escondido Adventist Academy. This gathering aims to provide leadership and ministry opportunities for teens within the conference. The event saw a total of 170 attendees, including Pathfinder directors, church leaders, and 140 teens.
FLOW stands for Faith, Leadership, Outreach, and Witnessing. The objective of this ministry is to offer hands-on experience in outreach and leadership training for teens. When asked about the importance of Teen FLOW for the community, Meshach Soli, SECC associate director of club ministries, emphasized that the initial inspiration was to cultivate leadership at a young age. Many teens aren't exposed to outreach, so providing them with hands-on experience at an early stage lays a foundation for a better understanding of being a witness for Christ. "Every youth is already a leader,” said Soli. “Every youth has influence, so each of them is a leader.”
The one-day event featured sermons, breakout sessions, and an active afternoon outreach. Aren Rennacker, SECC director of youth and young adult ministries, and Taji Saleem, assistant director of youth media ministries, were two of the keynote speakers. Saleem, who is not in pastoral ministry, encouraged youth to pursue ministry in non-traditional ways by leveraging their gifts and passions as a means for effectively sharing the gospel. Additionally, the event included hands-on breakout sessions in which teens navigated obstacle courses to learn about faith-building puzzles as a group, highlighting perseverance and teamwork. In the afternoon, they had the opportunity to visit various homes and communities in Escondido, collecting non-perishable and canned goods to donate to Interfaith Outreach, their partnering organization. This engagement allowed the youth not only to hear about the impact of ministry but also to experience it firsthand.
Through Teen FLOW, SECC continues to pursue avenues of growth and empowerment for the youth. As this ministry is in its early stages, there are high hopes for the future. One aspiration is to eventually organize a Teen FLOW short-term overseas mission trip.
In October 2023, the men’s ministry of Valley church, also known as MOVE (Men of Valley Engage), organized their first Men's Week of Prayer. The theme of the week was “Courage.”
The men, with the guidance of MOVE director Trevor Conner, took it upon themselves to create and carry out a special prayer line preceding the week of prayer. This prayer line strove to let the Holy Spirit lead, guide, and direct the men of MOVE. “It was astounding and a blessing to hear the men sing from their heart,” said Paulette Jumalon, a guest musician. What was planned as a traditional week of prayer turned out to be an exhilarating outreach opportunity, resulting in other men expressing interest in joining MOVE. “It was an awe-inspiring week,” said Alfonso Small, a MOVE member.
The week of prayer featured distinguished guest speaker Dan Smith, retired pastor. During the week, Smith inspired and reached church members and nonmembers alike. One Valley member discharged from the hospital was motivated to come directly to the prayer service. She expressed how thankful she was that there was a weekday service, and she was thoroughly blessed by Smith's message. In addition to Smith’s services, the attendees also participated in afternoon potlucks. At the final Sabbath afternoon potluck, “several individuals expressed interest in joining the [church],” said Eric Penick, pastor of Valley church.
MOVE’s main purpose is to use service as a vehicle to bring men into a union of brotherhood that fosters an intimate relationship with God, their families, and each other.
On one occasion, MOVE provided a cleanup service for Harold Aronson, a member of the community who lost his wife. Grateful and inspired, he began attending church.
On another occasion, the men helped Phyllis Kunkel, a fellow member of Valley, by visiting her home and providing cleanup services. She was given roses in appreciation of giving MOVE the opportunity for service. The overall attitude of MOVE is the more service we provide, the more we are blessed. Jesus Himself said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We hope this may reach other men and inspire them to MOVE!
Corona Main Spanish Church Captures Thanksgiving Spirit
By Nicole Dominguez
Imagine looking over a crowd of 140 people, each with unique needs and faith walks, brought together by the desire for home-cooked food and fellowship. This past November, the Corona Main Spanish church hosted such an event with their Thanksgiving gathering, created to thank their neighbors. Food Pantry Director Paula Mendoza said, “The event was geared toward connecting with our community.”
This was not the first Thanksgiving community dinner or the first community activity held by the church. Corona Main Spanish church has been an active member of the community through a community resource fair. This made their mark on the community, yet the church saw that it wasn’t meeting a core need: unity. From that revelation, the church team embarked on hosting small groups and dinners to create meaningful connections with the community.
Of the 90 members present, 60 took an active role by helping to cook, serve, clean, set up, run the sound system, or register guests. Some members opposed an event not focused on the congregation, believing the community would be disinterested in the event. The weather report was another potential obstacle, forecasting rain and winds. However, God blessed the event by providing excellent weather and doubling the numbers from last year.
As community members left that evening, they departed with a greater sense of community and a frozen turkey donated by the pantry. Many commented on the sense of belonging they found and how loved they felt to receive such focused attention. Last year's Thanksgiving paved the way for 10 baptisms, further supporting the church’s outreach efforts.
Mendoza reflected on the importance of thinking outside the box and anchoring each effort in God: “God will bring it all together and provide resources to make it work because it is not our event but His. God was the one who hand-picked all the volunteers and all those who joined and participated. We have humbly created momentum with this event, and now comes the responsibility of asking God to lead the next steps in moving forward.”
January 25, 2024
We are pleased to announce the Executive Committee has elected Andrea King as the Vice President of Black Ministries for Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. King most recently served as the Communication and Media Director for SECC. Please continue to keep her in prayer as she steps into this new role.
