Story by Benia Jennings
Three years ago, leadership at the Westside church in Cleveland challenged themselves to reexamine God’s purpose for their church and how they could more effectively share the gospel with others. To that end, they embarked on a journey of spiritual rediscovery, beginning with fasting and prayer to ask God for a revelation of His purpose for the church.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
Moving to a plant-based diet has provided Keiva Dennis, a member of Potomac Conference’s Seabrook church in Lanham, Md., many health benefits: she lost 20 pounds, her acne cleared up and her knee pain disappeared. She also says it’s cheaper than her previous vegan diet.
Dennis first began following a whole-foods, plant-based diet more closely after spending time with her sister’s family, who ate that way. “Eating whole foods was so amazingly satisfying that I decided to continue this lifestyle,” she says. (Read more about her journey here.)
The weather is getting warmer—making it the perfect time to get out there and enjoy nature!
We’ve compiled a list of great Sabbath walking/hiking spots around the Columbia Union. Email your favorites to visitor@columbiaunion.net so we can add them to the list.
Delaware
Story by Jenevieve Lettsome & V. Michelle Bernard / Cover photos by Brad Barnwell
Going on Sabbath walks and appreciating nature—God’s second book—are longstanding elements of Seventh-day Adventist culture. Should this appreciation impact the way members care for the environment? And can it bring them closer to God?
Adventism, [in its early years], was more outdoorsy because the culture back then was more connected with the [nature] around them,” says John Henri Rorabeck, a naturalist and educator. “[But] Ellen White and her contemporaries were [also] really pushing the boundaries and really leading.”
Celebrate Earth Day, April 22, by making small changes that can help make a long-term impact on the health of our planet. Take our April challenge by making one of the changes (or inserting your own ideas) each week and Inspire your friends to do the same by posting your progress with #2021greenerchallenge on social media, and challenge them to post their ideas and progress too. Let’s learn from each other!