News reports from Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, Pacific Press, Friedensau Adventist University, the Oregon Conference and Chicago, Illinois:

From Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital – This week, the American Nursing Credentialing Center officially granted Magnet® status to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, an honor recognized across the healthcare industry as signifying the gold standard of outstanding nursing performance. Only 9% of more than 6,000 healthcare organizations in the United States have been evaluated as worthy of this designation.

For many Adventist families in North America, enjoying camp meeting and attending the big Adventist Book Center sale is a summer tradition. This year, while camp meetings have been cancelled, Pacific Press is taking the book sale online.
Right now you have the opportunity to watch short videos and learn all about featured books. Then, simply order your favorites at amazing discounts.

From APD – Because the Adventist denomination urgently needs pastors in its German-speaking congregations in Europe, Friedensau Adventist University is introducing a modified B.A. course in theology when the new school year begins in October. The three-year program will teach the basic skills for pastoral work, and graduates will then have the opportunity to work in a local church as pastoral assistants. After two years of professional experience as a pastoral assistant, students can start a part-time or full-time master’s degree in theology.

Change Makers.
Oregon Conference Young Adult Camp Meeting
July 21-24 @ 7:30pm (PDT) LIVE

All young adults in the Oregon Conference and beyond are invited to join our 2020 Camp Meeting Program.

1. The program will run every night at 7:30pm – 9:15pm (PDT) and can be viewed live on the Oregon Young Adults Facebook Page.

2. Pastor Marquis D. Johns will be our keynote speaker every evening. He currently serves as the Director of Adventist Community Services for the Southeastern California Conference, as well as the conference evangelist for the Black Ministries Department. Pastor Johns is a powerful speaker, who will be bringing challenging and hopeful messages for our young adult community.

3. Alden Valenzuela, Edgar Joel Galvez, Peter Flores, and Andrea Townsend will be our worship leaders for the week, each of them will be leading a worship set on a different night of the week before the main message.

4. After the message each evening a live discussion will take place, facilitated by either JoLene Danielson (Adventist Young Professionals), Kaleb Eisele (Humans of Adventism), or Justin Khoe (I Am Listening.)

5. On Sabbath, Oregon Young Adults will be hosting a lunch and prayer gathering for low-income families in the community at PACS (Portland Adventist Community Services). Info about serving through this initiative will be shared through local church leaders.

Finally, on Sabbath evening, starting at 6:30pm, Oregon Young Adults will be hosting a dinner and an outdoor worship service for young adults, at the Oregon Conference Office, in harmony with all social distancing guidelines set by the county. All info for this dinner and worship service will be shared through local church leaders.

In early June, on Chicago’s Southside where Goshen Seventh-day Adventist Church is located, supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, and several retail stores were wiped clean of merchandise. In some instances the buildings sustained major damage.

The church is in one of the poorest areas in the city, which had already seen a surge in COVID-19 infections and an elevated rate of gun violence. When reports streamed in of residents pleading for help in the midst of the dueling crises, the church leadership knew they had to do something. But what could they do?

Then word soon came from members that they had no place to purchase food. That’s when plans to organize a food drive kicked into gear.

“In light of everything that was happening around us,” said Pastor Gordon Fraser, “we wanted to be a part of the solution, to show the love of Christ by extending a helping hand to our brothers and sisters in need.”

Goshen church elder, Lorian Willis, along with her daughter, Stacey True, has spearheaded the effort to collect and distribute food and other essentials. They are grateful for the support of North Shore, Northbrook, Hinsdale Fil-Am, Beverly Hills, and Bolingbrook churches, as well as generous financial support from the Illinois Conference and Lake Union. They also partnered with other Chicago organizations to provide more than 100 hot meals each week.

The area churches began collecting items such as fresh produce, diapers, wipes, baby formula, baby food, and canned goods. True said that she is excited to receive the donations and is now also planning to extend the services through an upcoming community baby shower for single parents and families in need.

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