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The Cutting Edge – November 16, 2012
Here’s what’s happening right now in our
Conference, at least what I’ve heard about. Feel
free to share this with anyone.
1. Most of the pastors from our KS-NE Hispanic churches
arrived in the Garden City district on Sunday for a nightly,
week-long evangelistic series in each of the four churches. In
the picture is Pastor Jorge Zelaya preaching to visitors and members at the Liberal, KS
Church. Pastor Roberto Correa is holding meetings at the Garden City Hispanic Church,
Pastor Alejandro Dovald at Dodge City Hispanic and Pastor Sandro Sandoval at the
Great Bend Hispanic. The meetings wind up this Sabbath afternoon with all four
churches gathering at the Garden City English Church. Many lives are being blessed so
please keep these meetings in your prayers! Pastors Ezequiel Gonzalez and Michael
Pelletier are coordinating this evangelistically packed week.
2. “Thanks to the efforts of Alicia Valenzuela, a senior at Midland Adventist Academy, the
school partnered with the Community Blood Center to host a blood drive Thursday,”
reports Principal Randy Bovee. “17 students signed up to donate blood and they were
joined by members of the community. Alicia likes to organize community service
projects that will make a difference. The Community Blood Center needs 580 blood
donors per day to meet the needs of the Kansas City area hospitals. 28
individuals volunteered to give at Midland,” says Randy.
3. A group of students from Topeka Adventist Christian School stopped by my office this
morning delivering empty bags to be filled for Thanksgiving baskets. They were having a
good time with their teacher, Marcia Gifford, and pastor, Tony Cash.

4. Pastor Frank Kean let me know, “Craig Spickard is presenting an astronomy class at my
Wichita Cornerstone Church each week and it’s being regularly attended by
approximately 40 people. These presentations are blessing several interests. This is all
leading up to a Spiritual Week of Emphasis in early December where I will be
presenting nightly,” says Frank.
5. “Lincoln’s Piedmont Park Church celebrated and said 'Thank you' to our Veterans on last
Sabbath during the church service with a special processional, prayer and memento,”
shares member Vanessa Schaecher. “As over 20 Veterans walked up the center aisle into
the Sanctuary and then gathered on the platform steps, a CD of Lee Greenwood singing
'God Bless the USA' played. After that Pastor Halfhill led a special prayer for Piedmont's
Veterans and their families. And then each Veteran was given a red poppy as a memento
of our thanks for their service for our country and the freedoms we enjoy. As the
Veterans walked back out, the congregation sang the chorus of 'God Bless
America.' Several Veterans and people in the congregation said they were moved to tears
by this special tribute,” says Vanessa.
6. “The College View Academy Music Department presented the musical, "Cinderella" last
Sunday and Monday evening,” shares CVA Principal, Brian Carlson. “After many days
and hours of hard work, it was fun to see all the talents that God had blessed our students
with. All the hard work paid off and the performances delighted those in attendance.
Also, here is this week's installment of “Why I Love CVA!” This week our 3 rd grade
class bring a little fall season cheer and fills us in on what they love about school.
Enjoy. You can see the video on the front page at www.cvak12.org,” says Brian.

7. “Last Sabbath, Elder Ray Nelson, Volunteer Coordinator for Adventist Recovery
Ministries, brought us the message at KC Chapel Oaks entitled "Where is the Power?",
shares Reba Lucky. “He spoke about addictions--a topic that we'd like to believe has no
relevance for us in the Adventist church, but reality tells another story. Typically one
thinks of addiction in the context of a chemical substance, but behaviors and thought
processes can be an addiction as well. Following a potluck lunch, Elder Nelson shared
with interested folks the process to begin a recovery ministry. It is modeled after the 12-
step programs with a spiritual emphasis in order to guide folks to the great source of
power, Jesus Christ,” says Reba.
8. “Scottsbluff has had a very busy week,” shares Jeannie Costopoulos. “Last Sunday, the
Scottsbluff churches had a Food Drive at Wal-Mart and brought in an amazing amount of
food as well as over $400 in donations. On Monday, the students at Valley View School
put 265 bags out for canned goods. We went around the neighborhoods of both the
Spanish and English churches. On Wednesday, the Adventurers picked up the
bags. Thursday, Pastor Ken picked up 65 ten pound bags of potatoes for our food
baskets. It's not over yet!!!! Sunday a group will be assembling the baskets, and then the
deliveries begin. Last year we were able to help 45 families in our community. We know
we will go another 10 or 20 baskets beyond that! God is good, and the people of
Scottsbluff have been generous in their sharing,” says Jeannie.

9. “Last Sunday the College View Church hosted a 70+ brunch as a way of affirming the
senior citizens in our midst,” shares Pastor Terry Bock. “We had about 130 come for
brunch and a program. There was quite a group that planned the event: food preparation,
decorations with old table cloths and a cake plate in the middle of the table with Kathy
Fogg’s Cinnamon Rolls for them to enjoy. The program included recognition of
Veterans, one in uniform. There was reading, hymn singing, gifts There were also several
antiques on display with a contest to see who could identify and name the most of
them. They all seemed to have a wonderful time. The Pastors were invited to meet and
greet. Some Union College students were the servers and visited with them, as well,”
says Pastor Terry.
10. “Our Student Missionaries on Truk and Palau enjoyed the fruit of their labors last
Sabbath as we watched three of their students be baptized in the ocean,” shares Union
College Chaplain, Rich Carlson. “Union College Student Missionaries were described by
the principals there as the “model for other SMs.” They are doing great because they are
allowing God to do great things through them. It was good to see them in action; it's also
good to be home! I go to Canadian University College this weekend to speak for their
Mission Emphasis Sabbath,” says Pastor Rich.

11. “College View Academy Kindergarteners have been celebrating National Young Readers
Week,” shares teacher, Kathy Cook. “We have had many people from many different
careers read to us. We have had nurses, dentists, fireman and UNL football players. We
also had a fireman in our classroom one day to teach us about safety,” says Kathy.
12. “We had a wonderful community health event again this past Sunday at Wichita Three
Angels Church with about 50 guests in attendance,” shares Pastor Nathan Stearman. “Our
health ministries team is really doing a fantastic job at moving this ministry forward as a
great community outreach!”
13. Pastor Marty Thurber shares, “After attending a Health Summit in Orlando, I began to
rethink how important it was to share messages about healthy living. My family recently
started a weekly raw food show on the internet/Facebook called "Starting Out Raw" to
show people how to include more raw foods into their diet. Every Sunday our kitchen is
filled with camera gear, raw food recipes like juices, pies, soups, smoothies, pasta dishes,
etc., all made with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds. The local co-op is sponsoring
the show which helps us to reach a wider audience within the community and beyond,”
says Pastor Marty.

14. “Our youth helped distribute the Great Hope books and collect canned foods to give to
our local homeless shelter in Kearney NE,” shares Tanya Sandoval. “We hung 300 bags
on our neighborhood doors requesting donations for the homeless shelter. When we
returned to pick up the donated items, we left a Great Hope book as a thank you. We
collected over 260 donated foods/paper goods for the shelter and were able to spread the
message of God's love for us! Everyone felt so blessed afterwards and we are ready to go
back out again in another part of town,” says Tanya.
15. They met at Camp Meeting in Lincoln attending the astronomy seminar. Five months
later, Winslow Ellis, member of Piedmont Park Church in Lincoln, and Eunice Van
Raden, KC New Haven Church member, were married by Pastor Doug Elsey at the New
Haven Church. Camp Meeting has it’s blessings!
16. Here’s where some of us from the will be this Sabbath:

John Treolo (Communication Director) will be at KC New Haven Church
shooting photos and video of baptisms resulting from their recent evangelistic
series.
Norm Zimmerman (Trust Services Director) will be preaching in Neligh, NE
this Sabbath.
Sue & I will be in Galena, KS to share music, a message, and good fellowship
with the folk there.
**If you know of something that you think would be of interest to other Kansas-
Nebraska Adventists, please let me know. I am trying to keep everyone on the
"cutting edge" by sending this out each Friday.
Have a wonderful Sabbath!
Ron
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Ron Carlson
President
Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Seventh-day Adventists ®
3440 Urish Rd.
Topeka, KS 66614
785-478-4726
www.ks-ne.org
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