ut in Big Sky country (Montana), where Pastor John Dillinger drives 120 miles between churches, members are taking participation in Adventist Health Study 2 seriously. Both the Custer and Miles City churches have surpassed their goal for the number of members enrolled by more than 100 percent.

The key, says Pastor Dillinger, is recruiting the right coordinator-"someone who's outgoing and liked in the congregation." In Custer, that's Winona Woods, who also serves as associate Sabbath school superintendent and clerk of the 37-member congregation.

Woods's approach to the task is straightforward. "Every Sabbath, between Sabbath school and church, I'd tell 'em how many have filled out the application," she says. "They were quite surprised they had such a large percentage."

While Dillinger himself has talked about Adventist Health Study 2 only twice from the pulpit-and "for not more than three minutes"-his belief in its potential for good has no doubt influenced the members. "I think it's important," he says. "It puts us [Adventists] in the public eye."

So far neither Woods nor Dillinger has encountered any grousing from the members, though the questionnaire is lengthy. "A few weren't going to do it at all, but they decided they would," Woods reports.

"In Custer eight or nine of the members are more than 80 years of age," Dillinger notes, "and every one of them has done it. One of the members has Parkinson's, and he was one of the first to send it in."