PAC - Pacific Union Conference : Pacific Union Conference Westlake Village CA

PAC posts - 56

We Are His Treasure

(También español) What is your most loved treasure? We all have something. And I don’t mean something costly like a car, a painting, a sculpture, or gold and silver possessions. I mean those things that tug at our heart: a childhood photo or toy, baby’s first shoe, a graduation memento, a postcard from a loved one.

Adventist Pioneers in the West: Touching Hearts in Hawaii for Jesus

(También español) The Hawaiian Islands were formerly known as the Sandwich Islands. Visited by Captain James Cook in 1778, he named them after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.

The Real HIRAM EDSON

(También español) Time has greatly altered the perception of Hiram Edson in the minds of many.

The Legacy of Ellen White’s Ordination

(También español) The history of Ellen White has been distorted to fit not who she is but who some people think she ought to be.

How to Belong to the Church and Still Be Yourself

(También español) Make no mistake, the church is legitimate. It is Christ’s idea. He started it when He declared, “On this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).

The “Last but First, Least but Greatest” Conundrum

(También español) What is the purpose of a parable? In the Gospels of the New Testament, parables were stories told by Jesus to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard workers.

Adventist Pioneers in the West: James and Ellen White

(También español) Ellen White’s role in the West began before she ever visited! In 1868, before evangelists J.N. Loughborough and D.T. Bourdeau had even boarded their ship for San Francisco, Ellen White had a vision in Battle Creek as to how to work in California.

The Power of Preaching the Gospel Through the Written Word

(También español) Even before becoming Seventh-day Adventists, Pietro and Cecilia Peverini began keeping the Sabbath after reading Les Signes des Temps (The Sign of the Times in French) in 1885.

Stewardship Series Part 5: Depending on God

(También español) Studies show that the fear level in our present society is one of the highest that humanity has ever experienced.

Stewardship Series Part 4: In the Image of God

(También español) What does it mean to be created in the image of God? This idea of reflecting God’s personality and character—being a representative of the Almighty—is so crucial for the believer that Paul suggests that God Himself is leading the charge.

Stewardship Series Part 3: A Relationship with a King

(También español) The Creation account promotes the often elusive joining of human beings in mind, body, and spirit. Relationship, both earthly and divine, is the second perpetual monument established in Eden, right after the Sabbath.

Stewardship Series Part 2: Worship

(También español) The day after Adam was formed out of wet clay and became a living human being was unlike any other day of Creation week.

Stewardship Series Part 1: Who Am I?

(También español) You look in the mirror and wonder. Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? Such philosophical questions have challenged members of the human race since Eden.

The Sign of Stewardship

(También español) When our son Tyler was 3 years old, he and his big sister were watching Sesame Street on the local PBS station. Suddenly Bert and Ernie cut away to a smiling man who obviously didn’t live on Sesame Street.

Adventist Pioneers in the West: William Ward Simpson

(También español) William Ward Simpson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 1, 1872, to English parents. The family moved back to England shortly afterwards and then returned to the U.S. when he was 11.

Just a Teacher Who Loves His Kids: Teryl Loeffler Retires After 46 Years

(También español) I always knew teaching was what I wanted to do, and it was the impact of my own teachers on my life that influenced me,” explained Teryl Loeffler, associate director of education for the Pacific Union Conference.

The Seeds of Greed

(También español) The term “greed” could be defined by relating it to several examples: the excessive desire for riches, a desire to satisfy sensual appetites, and even the fervent craving for something good.

When Faith and Work Are One and the Same

(También español) There is no line of distinction between faith and work. As assistant vice president for community partnerships and director of the Institute for Community Partnerships at Loma Linda University Health, I live out my faith in the work of enriching people’s lives through outreach, education, and mentorship.

Celebrating 18 years of Service, Student Growth, and Happy Memories

(También español) In 2023, Susie Oliva celebrated 18 years of service as a teacher at Victor Valley Seventh-day Adventist School in Victorville, California, in the Southeastern California Conference.

The Sabbath, a Symbol of God’s Love

(También español) The fourth commandment, which asks us to keep the Sabbath day holy, has a deep spiritual significance that goes beyond simply being a promise with a reward.

Divorce by the Book

(También español) When is it lawful, in the eyes of God, to divorce a spouse? Jesus uttered one major saying concerning that subject. His words were reported by three New Testament Gospel writers

Blind Camp Coming to Cedar Falls

(También español) This July, for the first time since 2001, staff will welcome an anticipated 15 -20 blind campers to Camp Cedar Falls in Angelus Oaks, Calif., for an integrated junior/blind camp.

Elder Rich DuBose Retires from Church Support Services

(También español) The Pacific Union Conference has announced the retirement of Elder Rich DuBose, director of Church Support Services (aka Creative Ministries).

Lord, please forgive my sins.

(También español) I would like to open up about a spiritual impulse that came into my soul many years ago regarding the miracle of God’s forgiveness

Learning to Trust God Through the Storms of Life

(También español) I will never forget the day of April 27, 2011. It was a day when I experienced firsthand that God was looking out for me. My name is Santiago Hernández. I am majoring in religion with an emphasis in health sciences at Pacific Union College, where I also play soccer.

“Drawing From a Fountain Ever Fresh”

(También español) I recently flew over much of the state of California and was awed by the bright green hills and the snow lingering in the mountains this late in the year.

Your Target: To Be Like Jesus

(También español) Of all the requests that the gospel makes of us, the most difficult are those that have to do with physical suffering. We are willing to leave father, mother, siblings, spouses, children, home, possessions, and homeland for the gospel.

Sowing the Seeds and Reaping the Harvest

(También español) What happens when you mix a passionate calling for evangelism with a church that actively works on sowing the seed of Christ’s gospel in their community? Miracles! Miracles happen!

Angel on the Road to Santa Cruz

(También español) The torrential downpour and deafening thunder echoed through the pitch-black fields as I trudged along the rocky dirt road to my next assignment.

“I Will Return”

(También español) Luke 15:18 tells of a transformational moment toward which the prodigal son has been heading for years. His arrival at this moment was not planned, but it was scripted. Every act of this young man’s life was leading him directly to this moment.

The “Everything Else” About Adventist Education

(También español) One of the weekly assignments in fifth grade, alongside handwriting and spelling lessons, was to submit a “newspaper”—a simple, three-column blank sheet that we could fill with whatever we wanted.

An Adventist School Is A Place Where . . .

(También español) Youth are immersed in the Word of God and are taught the real gospel. They get a true picture of the character of God as a loving heavenly Father, come to understand the plan of salvation, and personally decide to accept God's invitation.

God Is in This Story

(También español) As a second grader, Colin moved in with his grandma, Pamela. They lived in Paradise, California, where Pamela worked as a nurse.

Source and Aim of True Education

(También español) True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man.

Take a Closer Look at Adventist Schools

(También español) Every year I look forward to the special “Education Issue” of the Pacific Union Recorder. Since 2018, the April issue has focused on the ministry and powerful work that takes place in the Seventh-day Adventist schools across the Pacific Union.

“He Knows Me by Name”

(También español) It was when I was a 14-year-old high school student at Golden Gate Academy in 1958 that I realized that Jesus loves me and knows me by name—including how to correctly pronounce Trujillo.

Unto These Hills

(También español) I am reminded of Ps. 121 when I look at the hills around me. My Camarillo, Calif., home is surrounded by hills—hills that were dry and brown because of the drought; hills that were scarred by the aptly named “Hill Fire” in 2018

Ministering to “The Chosen”: Building Bridges Through Jewish Ministries

(También español) Sometimes we forget that Jesus’ command to share the gospel with “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6, NKJV) includes the very people whom He called His own special people, the Jews.

Love in Action: A Story About Families and Healing

(También español) Losing one parent when you’re an adolescent is devastating, but human words fail to describe the pain of losing both parents nearly back-to-back. Yet that was the harsh reality Fiona and Gared Lin faced at the ages of 13 and eight, respectively, when they lost both of their parents three years apart, in 2016 and 2019.

The Powerful Name of Jesus

(También español) “If I’m successful I’ll be happy.” A recent article in the Harvard Business Review begs to differ. One study finds that 72% of successful CEOs and entrepreneurs are depressed and suffering with mental health issues.

THE BULLETIN - March 3, 2023 Special Report

Alan Reinach Opinion Article in Newsweek Magazine Alan J. Reinach, Esq., has been the executive director of the Church State Council, the religious liberty educational and advocacy arm of the Pacific Union Conference, since 1994.

Sharing Christ No Matter Where He Leads

(También español) When I’m asked why I chose to become a pastor, I’m not sure how to answer. It's not something that I chose; rather, it chose me. Up until a certain point in my life, I had never dreamed or even thought of being a minister.

Black Adventist Women Clergy Advancing the Gospel, Part 1

Part 1 Republished - Women have worked to advance the gospel from our earliest days as an organized church, yet when discussing their role, an important sub-group is often excluded from the story. White women are often overrepresented, while the accomplishments of Black women and other trailblazing women of color are less recognized.

Countdown Time

LEA ESTE ARTÍCULO EN ESPAÑOL There was a mountain waiting for me to climb, and I decided it was my time to try. At 14,505 feet, Mount Whitney is the...

THE BULLETIN - February 3, 2023

Union News Pacific Union Camporee: Hundreds of Pathfinders Give Their Hearts to Jesus Approximately 3,700 Pathfinders descended on Lake Skinner near...

All God's People

January 2023 begins with our 263rd episode of All God’s People, the video blog launched in May 2017 as an experiment in weekly, short, newsy, inspirational...

Important Rules

I am a compulsive list-maker. To-do lists cover my refrigerator and are stuck on my laptop via Post-it Notes. There is always a grocery list and various...

All God's People

January 2023 begins with our 263rd episode of All God’s People, the video blog launched in May 2017 as an experiment in weekly, short, newsy, inspirational...

Family Ministries: Helping Families and Marriages Thrive

My first exposure to what we would call family ministries was observing my father conducting pastoral visits when I was a young boy in Venezuela. Sometimes a...

Executive Committee Focuses on Mission Initiatives

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them Matthew 18:20, KJV The Lord’s presence was felt as leaders...

The Comrades: Running the Race Together

Somehow, the marathon, that iconic race of 26.2 miles, hadn’t been enough. I was running in the Comrades, the oldest ultra-marathon in the world. This...

All God's People

January 2023 begins with our 263rd episode of All God’s People, the video blog launched in May 2017 as an experiment in weekly, short, newsy, inspirational...

Pacific Union Camporee: Hundreds of Pathfinders Give Their Hearts to Jesus

Approximately 3,700 Pathfinders descended on Lake Skinner near Temecula, Calif., for the Pacific Union Conference Pathfinder Camporee the first weekend of...

The Priceless Bargain

Jesus told two little stories in Matthew 13:44-46 about men who unexpectedly discovered something, which they then gave up everything to obtain—a treasure...

We Have Seen His Star

Ah, the holidays! Cookies, pies, pine trees, jingle bells, presents, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, Christmas lights, and caroling! Christmas is usually all of these things. Somehow, they all remind me of home—of all the houses I have called home.

Bringing Sweetness to Church, Home, and the Kingdom of God

A church without children is like a buffet without dessert—not very fun. Through their energy, curiosity, and laughter, children bring life to any church...