Upper Columbia Conference (UCC) recently expanded its ministry to families with young children by building up the Adventurer ministry in exciting new ways.
The Adventurer club ministry is designed to engage parents and children in activities that build friendships and grow together in a relationship with Christ. It's an ongoing outreach ministry that can easily reach beyond church walls and help church members get to know other people in their community.
The conference recently added four new volunteers to the Adventurer coordinator team to help and encourage churches throughout the conference.
Valarie Young joined the Adventurers team as an event coordinator. Young is a retired teacher and is an expert at reaching people with a variety of presentation styles. Her primary role will be helping with training and presentations. Already she has been helping with Jump Start training and as one of the speakers at the annual Club Ministries Leadership Retreat.
Martha Reyes joined the Adventurer team as Hispanic coordinator. She joins Mayra Soltero in that role. Together they work with the Hispanic clubs providing translation, answering questions and helping leaders understand how they can best provide support to the growing number of Hispanic clubs in the conference.
Olivia Shrock and Jennifer Watson are the new North District area coordinators. In that role, they are working one-on-one with club directors and churches interested in starting clubs in the northern part of the conference. They are supporting 11 active clubs, several of which are new.
"I'm praising God for our new volunteer Adventurer leaders," says Richie Brower, UCC club ministries director. "Their leadership and energy will be a blessing to our churches seeking to better serve the families in our communities."
These and other Adventurer leaders are taking to heart Jesus' words: “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them” (Matt. 19:14, NIRV).
Olivia Shrock is an Upper Columbia Conference Adventurers North District coordinator.
Olivia Shrock, Upper Columbia Conference Adventurers North District coordinator, has spent the past five years working with Adventurer kids at the South Hill Church in Spokane.
Martha Reyes has joined the team as a Hispanic Adventurers coordinator. A native of Nicaragua, Reyes moved to the United States, originally living in Florida where she started her sons Frank and Wilhelm in Adventurers. She moved to Washington state and joined the Richland Church when Wilhelm (left) was in second grade.
Valarie Young is an event coordinator for Adventurers. "A year before I gave my heart to Jesus, a close friend invited me to help with Pathfinders," she says. "The kids and staff played a key role in my husband and me joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church. From that time forward, except for a time when I worked in women’s ministries, the Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs have been my passion."
Jennifer Watson, Upper Columbia Conference Adventurers North District coordinator, has directed the Hayden Lake Howlin’ Wolves Adventurer Club for two years. She restarted the club because the nearest club was an hour away.
