Click through a collection of leadership and ministry blog posts!
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Speak, Lord, for Your Servant Hears
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Mrs. Burbach was my elementary school teacher for grades 2-4. She was a quite spoken lady but with a quiet intensity about her. She had her hands full as well. There were several boys, myself included, that were, shall we say, more than a handful. We were always…
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Gibbs, Goose, Kaylee, and God
By Heidi Baumgartner, Washington Conference communication director It’s a Monday morning at Sunset Lake Camp, and campers are lined up bright and early for line call. It’s the same routine for any age group. “I’d like you to meet Kaylee and Gibbs,” David Yeagley, known as Pastor Dave at camp, announces to campers. “Kaylee…
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Ready or Not
By Katie Henderson, Washington Conference communication intern There are many times in life where transition comes whether you feel ready for it or not. Two years ago, I found myself at what felt like a dead end wondering what was going to happen next in my life. I had recently graduated university, was looking…
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Is My Jesus Sweeter than My Oranges?
By Vivien Vasquez, Washington Conference administrative assistant There’s an infamous camp song that goes, “I like bananas, I think that mangoes are sweet, I like papayas, PAPAYAS! But nothing can beat that sweet love of God.” And then in Psalm 119:103 we have an instruction and command: “How sweet are Your words to my…
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A Love Like No Other
By Bill Roberts, Washington Conference ministerial director I have learned many things about love from Dr. Francis Collins. He is a brilliant man with both a PhD and an MD degree and has directed the Genome project which mapped three billion bits of human genetic code. When he was nominated to head the National…
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A Different Way of Doing Things
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in Judges 3 starting in verse 12. The Israelites had started a pattern of serving God and then falling away. Then another country would oppress them, and they would cry out to God and He would send deliverance.…
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The Power of Prayer
By Tyler Long, Washington Conference evangelism coordinator God reaches people through other people; That is His designed plan and He uses different kinds of people to bring souls into the kingdom. As you read this, there are people being prepared by the Holy Spirit in the very neighborhood that you live in. It is…
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A Creative Breath
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president In one of his books, Ty Gibson writes about God’s “massively charged breath.” He connects that beginning of all creation with God’s breath. In Genesis 2:7 it says that God breathed into man his breath and as a result man became a living being. But I also love…
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A New Name
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president This past week was a bittersweet time for our family. For the past six years, an international student named Luke Han has lived in our home. He came to us while he was in seventh grade and this year he graduated from Auburn Adventist Academy. When he arrived,…
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Dealing with Shock and Awe
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president When the United States first attacked Iraq a number of years ago, they used the term “shock and awe” to describe the first waves of bombings that took place that day on Baghdad and other locations. For those who watched the coverage, you easily understood why the term…
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Vanilla
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Do you have a favorite smell that you are drawn to? I’m a big fan of vanilla, especially the smell of it. When smelling candles with my daughter in the store I am always drawn to the vanilla ones. Vanilla adds so much to so many things. It’s…
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Pathfinders Strong
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Pathfinders from around Washington Conference filled the Auburn Adventist Academy auditorium for the annual Pathfinder Fair this past weekend. There were small clubs, large clubs, some brand new clubs that had never been to the fair, and clubs that have come to the fair for years. It’s a…
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Dealing with Snakes in Your Life
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president I am not a huge lover of snakes. I have played with them when around other people, so they won’t know that I don’t like them, and I have held them for long periods of time. However, I would never choose to be around them. Wilma, my wife…
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Windows
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president What battle is outside your window? When the prophet Elisha was on his death bed, the king of Israel visited and wept over him. The king was not a true follower of God and had been worshiping idols. However, when he heard that Elisha was dying he went…
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Frozen in Fear
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Is there a family vacation memory that stands out the most to you? My first family vacation, my parents decided that we should go camping in Colorado. For a 10-year-old boy who’d never been to Colorado or camping, this sounded like a great idea! It sounded like a…
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Go to the Light
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president When I served as a pastor in a rural district in Kansas, I volunteered to serve with two different fire departments. One was for the small town where we lived and the other was for the surrounding countryside. One moonless night our fire pagers sounded the alarm for…
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The Perfect Seat
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Do you have a favorite seat that you like to sit in? Several months ago, I was attending a rather large meeting and I usually like to sit towards the middle or back of the room. However, I arrived a bit later than normal that day and when…
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Let Go of My Son
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president Have you ever been in Pathfinder when you were young? Being a Pathfinder was one of the great memories of growing up in the church. I enjoyed the weekly meetings, earning honors, marching, and the overall time with friends. One Friday afternoon we were preparing to go on…
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When God Whispers
I remember my 5-pound flour sack baby. Some high schools have crying baby dolls for their family life curriculum units for a more authentic experience. But mine didn’t cry. It did leak, though! My flour sack baby, as I recall, had taped-on yarn hair and drawn-on clothes, and it was wrapped in clear packing…
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Fruitless
By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president This past Wednesday was the first day of spring! I celebrated by going out into my front yard and taking pictures of the flowers and the cherry trees that were blooming. I really like spring. I like to plant things and I like to see them grow. I…