March - Lake Union Conference

Pastors Welcomed toHAA Open HouseIllinois—Hinsdale Adventist Academy(HAA) held their very first “Pastors’Open House” on Tuesday, Jan. 15.More than 50 pastors and officers fromthe Illinois Conference visited theschool in conjunction with the Conferencepastors’ meeting held the sameday at the Hinsdale Church. Uponarrival, the pastors heard a devotionalin the gymnasium presented by JimMartz, Illinois Conference superintendentof education. HAA’shigh school chorale providedmusic for the devotional time.Then the pastors were treated toa “mini concert” with performancesfrom first-, second-, andthird-grade students, the intermediateband (grades five andsix), the junior high choir andthe high school concert band.After the mini concert, pastorswith churches in the localarea attended a presentation byMeechai Tessalee, school boardvice chairman and the developmentcommittee chair. This presentationwas created by HAA’s marketingdepartment to remind the pastors thatthey are an essential piece of Adventisteducation. They were presented withstatistics on the HAA student body,HAA’s academic program and generalstatistics provided by the Office ofEducation at the Seventh-day AdventistChurch headquarters in NorthKristine Asuncion, Eugenia Han and Janeen Morganperform with the high school concert band at the “Pastors’Open House.”America. Most importantly, the pastorswere reminded of Ellen G. White’scounsel about Seventh-day Adventisteducation for our children. They alsoviewed a video presentation in whichseveral HAA students were interviewedand spoke of their experienceswith Seventh-day Adventist education,and particularly HAA. All pastorswere given the opportunity to tour theschool, guided by a team of highschool students.When I attended an Area 5pastors meeting in October, it occurredto me that many pastors inthe Chicagoland area have eithernever been in our school, or havenot been to HAA in a very longtime! How can they support us ifthey don’t know us? Our hope isthat once they get to know us, theywill feel comfortable promotingSeventh-day Adventist educationand HAA to the school-age chil-NewsJim Martz, Illinois Conference superintendent of education, offers prayer during the “Pastors’ Open House.”Fred Crowell (left), pastor of the Downers Grove Church, toursthe school with juniors Erin Houda and Leigh Cunningham.dren in their church. And, if they are apastor of a church that has an elementaryschool, they will recommend ourhigh school to their students. The goalof the open house was to begin buildingrelationships with these pastors andtheir churches. We definitely want ourlocal pastors to be a part of our schooland come and visit often, so we feltit was our responsibility to reach outto them and let them know how veryimportant they are to us.All in all, it was a great day, and wehope the beginning of long-term relationshipsbetween our school and thechurches in the Chicagoland area.Rebecca Garrett, marketing director,Hinsdale Adventist AcademyMembers of HAA’s junior high choir sang for thepastors during a mini-concert.Vi s i t w w w. L a k e Un i o n He r a l d . o r g L a k e U n i o n H e r a l d • Ma r c h 2 0 0 8 | 35