News

Here I am, Lord: The Choir that Said Yes to Singing at GC Session
“I had rehearsal right up until three days before I gave birth,” she said without much fanfare. Koo is the director and co-founder of the Emmanuel Missionary Choir, a group made up of children ages five to 19, mostly from the Living Word Fellowship Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Since 2022, the choir has grown from 18 to 47 members, representing youth from 16 countries including South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Romania, Peru, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, Samoa, and the United States.

Snapshot of the Man Behind the Official Portraits
As lead photographer for the Adventist Review, Sherwin is responsible for capturing all the official portraits of newly elected leaders, often just minutes after their lives have been upended by a vote. It is a role that demands both technical skill and a gentle respect for the weight of the moment.

Adventist Retirement Garners National Praise with Creative, Christ-Centered Vision
Tucked away in a secure area of the North American Division headquarters, the Adventist Retirement team is hard at work. More than crunching numbers, they are constantly looking for innovative ways to help 74,000 participants — current and former employees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America — retire with confidence and peace of mind. In recent years, their efforts have made waves on the world stage. In 2024, Adventist Retirement earned four internationally recognized honors, including a Viddy Award, an Eddy Award, and two Gold MarCom Awards, recognizing excellence in retirement planning and financial wellness communication.

Together in Mission: North American Division Ministries a Unified Presence at 2025 GC Session
In 2020, the North American Division voted “Together in Mission” as its strategic focus for the next five years: a call for every entity, ministry, and department to work together to share the gospel. Five years later, at the 2025 General Conference Session in St. Louis, Mo., visitors to the NAD’s exhibit space were met with a striking visual representation of this theme. The first stop, and perhaps clearest showcase of this unity, in the NAD’s GC Session home was a first-ever combined ministries booth.

50 Ministerial Spouses Unite for Community Service, Fellowship, and Training During the 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting
Community service, fellowship, and training sessions made up the spouses’ meetings during this year’s NAD Year-End Meetings, with roughly 50 spouses of conference leaders in attendance.

Promoting Healthy Minds at Southern Adventist University
Experts across America have gathered statistics that point to a mental health crisis for college students. Anxiety concerns have risen from 56 percent in 2013 to 65 percent in 2023, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. The center also found that the number of students seeking help has steadily increased from 2009 until the pandemic. In response to the crisis, Southern Adventist University is working to ensure that students have access to various high-quality mental health resources.

Pacific Northwest Hosts Young Adult LIFE Tour
Who are your people? What is good news to them? Where do my people need me to show up for them? These are the questions that attendees were challenged to answer at the Spring 2024 Young Adult LIFE Tour stop at Pleasant Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in Happy Valley, Oregon. Young adults, church leaders, mentors, and parents gathered to learn about the unique challenges emerging adults face and how churches can help meet their needs.

In the Middle of It: A Thanksgiving Reflection
It’s easy to express gratitude when the outcome is favorable, when the struggle has passed, and when we can see the fruit of our perseverance. But what if we could learn to give thanks not just at the end of the journey but “in the middle of it”? What if we could cultivate the kind of gratitude that doesn’t wait for the resolution, but chooses to acknowledge God’s faithfulness even while the outcome is still unknown?