Editorial: Where do We go From Here?

Editorial by the 2016-2021 Executive Officers

Every new morning presents an opportunity to make a difference.  Every new year is a chance to start over—to make commitments  and resolutions.

This month starts a new five-year term for your Columbia Union Conference leadership team and executive committee. We are humbled by your confidence and support, and thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve. This new 2016-2021 quinquennium provides an opportunity to dream, evaluate, refocus and create shared vision about where we go from here and how we can touch our diverse union with Christ’s life-transforming message of hope and wholeness.

6 Questions to Pray About

1. How can we support conferences as they assist our union’s 800 churches in becoming refuges of grace where lost people feel welcomed, loved and experience Christ’s saving power?

2. How can we collaborate with our conference and ministry leaders to develop the new Columbia Union “Share the Light, Share the Hope” initiative and boldly spread the everlasting gospel with more of the 50 million people in our eight-state territory?

3. What can we do to convince more young adults to remain active in the church and participate at every level? And, how can we include their ideas at our planning and leadership tables?

4. How can we, in the face of changing demographics and financial  realities, support our schools, keep them open and provide the best  education experience possible?

5. How can we intentionally share the Advent message through our healthcare (Adventist HealthCare and Kettering Adventist HealthCare), higher education (Kettering College and Washington Adventist University) and media ministries (WGTS 91.9 FM), that have access to thousands who may never step foot in our churches?

6. As more and more diverse people immigrate to this area, how can we provide relevant resources and ministries that reach multilingual populations?

In this new quinquennium, we petition our unionwide leadership team and every member in the great Columbia Union to join us in praying about the opportunities that lie before us and heed the call of Jesus to go, teach, baptize and make disciples (see Matt. 28:19). And, as we work together to prepare the world for Christ’s return, let us remain faithful to our calling and focused on “the main thing”: mission.

Dave Weigley,  president (center)
Rob Vandeman,  executive secretary (left)
Seth Bardu,  treasurer