About 65 church leaders from around Idaho Conference met at Gem State Adventist Academy for English-language Elders and Volunteer Lay Pastors Training retreat in January.
Dan Serns, North Pacific Union church planting, revitalization and lay training director, joined Idaho Conference staff to present the Volunteer Lay Pastor paradigm.
David Prest Jr., Idaho Conference president, began Friday evening with a review of baptism trends, noting growth opportunities and a shared mission. “This mission won’t be completed by pastors and conference staff alone,” Prest said.
Idaho Conference board of directors has officially embraced the VLP concept. Barry Curtis, Idaho Conference ministerial director and Kuna Church pastor, will coordinate the VLPs. They are needed to plant new groups and churches and to help grow current ones.
David Salazar, Idaho Conference evangelism director, shared what growth has looked like in recent years, including more than 200 baptisms and professions of faith in 2025.
Mike Sánchez, Idaho Conference vice president for finance, began his presentation on church unity and organization with a text from 1 Cor. 1:10 to invite participants to be joined together in the “same mind” and with the “same judgment.”
He went on to share who could be a VLP and what authority they would have. They must be an ordained elder in regular standing, working under a supervising pastor. A VLP can baptize with pastoral approval and conduct communion services, but they cannot provide counseling.
Peter Simpson, Idaho Falls district pastor, and Harold Peters, head elder, shared how elders are taking on administrative work in their district. This allows Simpson to plan evangelism in three eastern Idaho cities without Adventist churches. Inspiration for this model came from Shane Anderson, Pioneer Memorial Church pastor, and his Church Works series.
Spouses of elders participated in dedicated breakout sessions led by Lois Serns, NPUC trainer. These sessions explored a range of ways spouses can actively support and participate in ministry alongside their families and local churches.
Topics included involvement in baptism preparation classes, launching new Sabbath School groups, engaging youth in worship and extending intentional, high-quality hospitality that helps visitors feel welcomed and connected.
When the groups reconvened, the Sernses shared practical insights for strengthening local churches, with a special emphasis on family worship. They offered personal stories of engaging their children in leading worship at home, including one as young as 4 years old.
They also encouraged families to view family worship as a natural starting point for home groups by inviting friends and relatives to participate. Building meaningful connections — with one another and with God — was highlighted as central to healthy church life.
At the end, several individuals filled out the application to become volunteer lay pastors. Curtis and conference administrators will be processing those applications soon. Beyond Pentecost 2025, exciting things are about to happen in the Idaho Conference!
David Salazar, Idaho Conference vice president for administration and evangelism director, shares the recent growth history of the conference and the importance of unity.
Mike Sanchez, Idaho Conference vice president for finance, presents church structure and policies and the important role they play in safeguarding churches and growth.
Dan Serns, North Pacific Union revitalization, church growth and lay member training director, tells stories and gave tips on successful church growth.
Barry Curtis, Idaho Conference ministerial director and Kuna pastor, is the new Volunteer Lay Pastor coordinator and presented the importance of spiritual vitality and personal, marriage and family, church and health connections.
Leaders were chosen by simultaneously pointing at the person of your choice, for IOU leaders.
Small groups were formed to role play the importance and process of IOU leaders.
Dan and Lois Serns, North Pacific Union trainers, told their success secrets, including the importance of family worship.
Surrounded by conference leaders, Barry Curtis, Idaho Conference ministerial director, leads in a prayer of dedication for the elders who have applied to be Volunteer Lay Pastors.
