Ministry at the Table
By Arthur F. Blinci
Last October, the Azure Hills church family came together at the table to celebrate the dedication and refurbishing of the long-awaited kitchen and fellowship hall. The dedication service for these remodeled facilities was celebrated with music, reflection, gratitude, words of congratulation, a scriptural blessing, and prayers of dedication. Special guests included Christian Edition; Bill Hussey, Grand Terrace mayor; and Patty Marruffo, executive secretary of the Southeastern California Conference.
Those who came to celebrate were reminded by Tara VinCross, Azure Hills senior pastor, “Fellowship at the table—enjoying a meal together—is a core part of Christian worship.”
This project closes the first phase of the Vision Capital campaign, which was envisioned in 2017 as a $1.8 million capital development program for the Azure Hills campus to better meet the ministry needs of our congregation and community. Phase one included the creation of the Elias Community Center and the long-awaited expansion and renovation of the original kitchen into a 1,400-square-foot modern stainless-steel kitchen to support ministries and community events.
Phase two is now underway with the completion of the new cool roof system over the main campus buildings. The fellowship hall has been fully remodeled with new ceiling tiles, energy efficient LED recessed lighting, new flooring, new banquet seating, a new audiovisual system, and new window coverings to provide a modern design for over 700 guests. The ten classrooms, powerhouse, and hallways are being remodeled with new ceilings, LED lighting, and new flooring to provide a fresh modern design for Sabbath School and other ministries.
The Lord has led throughout the peaks, valleys, and delays of the Vision Capital project. The church is grateful to the many people who made it possible by giving their time, energy, and ongoing financial gifts to support the Vision Capital fund. Azure Hills is also excited to come to the table and put these new expanded and remodeled spaces into action, providing thriving ministries for all who come onto the Azure Hills campus.
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Celebrating Creativity: Thousands of Dollars Awarded to Conference Creatives
By Megan Jacobs
On November 12, 2023, the Southeastern California Conference (SECC) Communications and Media Department celebrated and honored the winners of the Media Mob Awards at an awards ceremony at La Sierra Alumni Center. It was a momentous occasion, praising God for the creativity that courses through our conference.
The Media Mob Awards contest was an opportunity to recognize the creative work that our pastors and media teams have accomplished this year. Participants submitted their art within six categories: social media, website design, graphic design, photography, videography for individuals, and videography for churches. Separate panels of at least three judges—consisting of various communication leaders and specialists across the North American Division—determined the winners of each category. At the awards ceremony, the audience voted for Audience Choice favorites in the graphic design and photography categories.
The awards ceremony pulled out all the stops for a night to remember. The alumni center was dressed to the nines (just like the attendees!) with a red carpet, balloons, and sparkle. “It was a gala that I continue to liken to the Grammys on an Adventist scale,” reflected Althea Jasper from 31st Street church. Creatives, pastors, and friends came together to eat, connect, and even play games!
“What I enjoyed most about the event was the opportunity to connect and learn from other communicators within our conference,” said Keturah Reed from Azure Hills church. “I was also inspired as I saw the content produced by others.”
The anticipation was tangible as Andrea King, director of SECC Communications and Media, announced the winners. Over $3,000 in prize money was awarded to our category winners, audience choice winners, and honorable mentions.
SECC is profoundly grateful for the participants of the Media Mob Awards, and we wish them all heartfelt congratulations! It is inspiring to see God continue to work through our churches through their media ministries. To view the winning submissions, please visit www.seccadventist.org/mediamobawards.
Last October, Loma Linda Academy Junior High (LLAJH) unveiled its newly renovated STEM and humanities wings, marking a momentous step forward in the school's commitment to providing a cutting-edge learning environment for its students.
The renovations, completed in the summer of 2023, transformed the second floor of the junior high gymnasium into the new STEM wing, while the humanities wing received its facelift the previous summer. The new spaces incorporated modern design elements, including carefully selected colors, furniture, and classroom layouts. These upgrades were a long-awaited necessity, as the old classrooms, dating back to the 1950s, were no longer equipped to support the evolving curriculum and the needs of modern-day learners.
The renovations also catered to the needs of the school's staff, providing a dedicated lounge for teachers, as well as an improved office space.
"This is the culmination of countless prayers, planning, and generous support from donors for this project," said Amy Sovory, LLAJH principal. "We wanted to celebrate and reflect on the blessing of both of these new spaces for our junior high campus."
The program commenced with a warm welcome from Paul Herrmann, Loma Linda Academy (LLA) board chair, followed by an opening prayer from Angela Lalas, vice board chair. Datha Tickner, superintendent of schools of Southeastern California Conference (SECC), provided a brief history of the project, while Iveth Valenzuela, LLA head of schools, elaborated on how these renovations align with the school's TK-12 vision.
Sovory delved into the intricacies of the renovation process, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way. The program concluded with acknowledgments from Valenzuela and a prayer of dedication by Verlon Strauss, SECC treasurer. After a ceremonious countdown, the ribbon was cut, marking the official opening of the new wings.
Guests were then invited to embark on group tours of the updated facilities. Leading these tours were junior high students handpicked for their leadership and character, part of the school's Student Ambassador program.
The projects were funded through a loan from the Pacific Union Conference, contributions from SECC, and other donations. Naming opportunities are being offered for the new wings and classrooms to help raise additional funding to reduce the loan. For more information, visit www.lla.org/jh-stem.
On September 16, 1978, Loma Linda Filipino Church (LLFC) became an organized church with 151 members. Forty-five years later, on September 16, 2023, LLFC celebrated having over 1,000 members and welcomed back the founding pastor and his wife, Claudio and Flor La Vila. The church also celebrated three new leaders from the past year: Mark Sigue, youth pastor, Sandra Fermin, young adult and community pastor, and Gisella Montana, children’s ministries pastor. As the church moves forward, it is excited to see how God will work through them.
LLFC was blessed to have the Asidor family sing praises Friday evening with their harmonious voices. Sabbath morning echoed that opening with the LLFC String Ensemble continuing the musical praise. Robert Quintana, a pastor from Oklahoma, was the speaker for the weekend, touching on the church’s theme “Fortified@45.” He spoke on “The Great Adventure” that God has led this church through. While LLFC has seen many changes over the years, its commitment to serving God and its community has remained constant.
On Sunday, the church gathered once more to celebrate its history and heritage with “Pista sa Nayon.” The celebration was packed full of games, folk dances and songs, and laughter for all. There were booths set up for delicious Filipino food, massages, and even Mario Kart. Member Michelle Santos said she loves “embracing Filipino culture and celebrating how far our church has come. It feels great to call it home.”
Finally, we praise God for the faithful members who ministered over the years and helped build the foundation of this church— from the Pathfinder and Adventurer leaders and Sabbath School teachers who patiently hold the hands of our youngest members as they learn to walk with Christ to our wise elders who show the love of God through their kind words and gentle hugs. Lastly, the church is forever indebted to the late Dr. Lloyd A. Dayes, whose generosity allowed the church to be on the campus where it is now.
Truly, Loma Linda Filipino has been fortified over the last 45 years. And it will continue to grow stronger as it remains faithful to its mission to “Love God, Love Others, and Make Disciples.”
In October, thousands celebrated the 20th anniversary of Crosswalk church in Redlands, CA. The weekend-long festivities included Friday worship, Saturday services, and a block party. Since 2014, Tim Gillespie, lead teaching pastor, and the team have hosted anniversary celebrations.
The weekend began with 600 worshippers at the Friday night service. Gillespie led a conversation with church founder Michael Knecht. The two spoke about the church's three core values: belonging, momentum, and experience.
On Saturday, almost 2,000 people attended the three daytime church services. Thousands more joined online. And that evening, Crosswalk shut down the parking lot for the annual block party. The block party boasted dozens of food truck options and music from a live DJ. Over 2,300 community and church members attended.
“God has blessed us beyond measure since I joined in October 2014," said Gillespie. “We’ve grown the church ministry from 85 to over 1,500 in-person attendees. We now have thousands more online worshippers and seven campuses worldwide."
Gillespie credits the church's growth to the grace of Jesus and the church's three core values.
“Our ministry transformed over the last decade,” said Gillespie. “The Holy Spirit and our values guide us. We foster belonging by loving and welcoming people without exception. We generate momentum by expressing love through actions. And we also create a full-body sensory experience at church.”
Crosswalk aims to center Jesus while learning to love well together.
“It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve the Redlands community,” said Gillespie. “We will continue to seek ways to lift people toward equity and show them what belonging is.”
For Gillespie, the 20th anniversary is significant. “We had the chance to either do bigger buildings or a bigger mission,” said Gillespie. “God called us to a bigger mission. For the next 20 years, we'll keep sharing God's love and Jesus Christ's grace. We can serve people in any union, conference, or division.”
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