In this section you will find the five-year “quinquennium” report of Adventist education and the other departments that work out of Mid-America Union headquarters. All of us are honored to serve you, the 64,573 members of the Mid-America Union family. To access a story, simply click on a title.
About the photo: The beautiful stairway on which the Mid-America Union staff stand is a well-known artifact at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. The setting is more than a nice place for a picture–it was the site of the recent union-wide Education Summit (click here to see photos of the education summit on Flickr). Click on the thumbnail to see a full-size picture of the Mid-America Union staff.
For a list of delegates, click here.
Together Today to Transform Tomorrow
by Thomas L. Lemon (Presidential)
The word “change” is losing its meaning in American culture. I see it almost as a mindless mantra reflecting false expectations for a fantasy existence. People demand change when they don’t like what’s happening. But even when things are going basically well, change still occurs, unintended and unexpected—like many of the changes during the past five years at Mid-America Union headquarters…
Ministering to Mid-America’s Pastors
by Maurice R. Valentine II (Ministerial)
Implied within the great commission to take the good news of Jesus’ salvation to everyone, everywhere is the need to organize His church in a way that is strategic in charter and execution to meet the demands of a job that is world-wide in scope. For this reason, Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) Ministerial Department has been devoted to providing mission oriented leadership to conference executive committees, institutional boards, and through one-on-one coaching and assessment with individual pastors and churches to help each hone and advance God-sized plans…
reCOUNTing God’s Blessings
It was 2007. Church borrowing from the Revolving Fund had risen from 12 million in 2005 to 23 million and the project requests kept coming. The conferences in our union had approved $6,000,000 more of borrowing from the fund and the churches were all needing funds at once for their church purchases and building projects…
Communicating in the Next Quinquennium
by Martin Weber (Communication)
The Mid-America Union Communication Department exists to create a compelling and comprehensive awareness of our Adventist mission, message and activities throughout this nine-state region. We support Mid-America’s leaders and institutions in helping the 64,500 members of our local conferences have a sense of ownership in their world church family. This stimulates local participation, fervent witnessing and financial enthusiasm. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the health and growth of local congregations…
The Future of Adventist Education
by John Kriegelstein (Education)
Every weekday morning, 2,532 students enter the doorways of 77 Mid-America Adventist schools. Waiting to welcome them are 282 Adventist teachers and administrators who are eager to open the minds of their students to the beauty and orderliness of our God-created world. The thoughtfully developed Bible-based curriculum includes the study of math, language arts, social studies and the sciences. Students learn our uniquely Adventist worldview and interpretation of Scripture through the Bible curriculum and the living example of their teachers. They are also mentored into knowing a personal Jesus who is eager for human relationships…
Church Ministries
by Hubert Cisneros (Church Ministries)
The goal of the MAUC Church Ministries Council is to support the local conferences of the Union and to provide leadership as needed for collaborating with related ministries of the NAD. Local conference representatives will comprise the following Mid-America Union councils and ministries listed below, for the purpose of offering the activities and services described…
Youth Ministries
by Hubert Cisneros (Youth Ministries)
The Youth Department of the Mid-America Union Conference (MAUC) exists to support the six local conference youth directors and provide leadership as needed. The Mid-America Youth Council, comprised of the youth leaders and representatives from throughout our territory, coordinates ministries and establishes committees. Our goal for the next quinquennium is to provide the following services, in cooperation with the North American Division (NAD)…
Serving Neighbors in Need
by Sheila Schlisner (Adventist Community Services)
The goal for Adventist Community Services (ACS) is to be active in our communities, not just be a part of them. We need to be like Jesus, our example. He walked with and ministered to those in need. If we do not get to know our neighbors by meeting their needs, why would we expect them to want to get to know us? Through loving service we will draw people to Christ. We must be intentional about true service to our community…
Compassion in Crisis
by Gaylord and Derri Hanson (Adventist Community Services – Disaster Relief)
Question: What’s the most exciting thing that happened in your ministry during the past quinquennium? Answer: Seeing local leaders and volunteers receive outstanding recognition for their leadership and ministry during various disaster responses.
Empowering for Disabilities Ministry
by Thompson Kay (Disabilities Ministry)
Question: What’s the most exciting thing that happened in your ministry to disabled people during the past quinquennium? Answer: We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work in an evangelistic meeting where 25 precious souls were baptized. Four training seminars were also held and 12 sign language classes.
Immigration: an Evangelistic Opportunity
by Elder Juan Acosta (Hispanic Ministries)
Question: What are the most exciting things that have happened for Hispanic Adventists in Mid-America during the past quinquennium? Answer: There has been steady growth and maturity of Hispanic churches, companies and groups in three fundamental aspects: spirituality, numbers and finances. For example…
Preserving Separation of Church and State
by Darrel Huenergardt (Public Affairs and Religious Liberty)
Why is the principle of separation of church and state important to Seventh-day Adventists? Consider the case of Santa Fe Independent School District, one of the key decisions by the United States Supreme Court. This case dealt with school-sponsored prayer in Galveston, Texas, which is 90 percent Caucasian and mostly Baptist. Aside from the core of the court decision, it is interesting to notice that a fourth grade public school class was not allowed to go to lunch until all students participated in a Christian prayer. Teachers were also encouraged to invite students to Baptist revival meetings…
Mid-America Women in Touch
by Nancy Buxton (Women’s Ministries)
Question: What’s the most exciting thing that happened in your ministry during the past quinquennium? Answer: When I read the yearly conference reports I am overwhelmed with what women are doing throughout the Mid-America Union. They are involved in soup kitchens, outreach ministries, Bible studies, food banks, prayer ministries and much more.
Resourcing Adventists for Outreach
As the North American Division’s official supply center, AdventSource provides resources and information that help congregations develop ministries to their members and reach their communities. I am excited as I see how God has lead in the past five years and am looking forward to seeing what the future will hold. Here is a brief look at seven areas of focus for the next five years…
