In addition to a selection of vegetarian treats and drinks from around the world, along with books, pens and other giveaways, attendees exploring the North American Division (NAD) exhibit space will leave with fresh ideas, valuable resources, and helpful information.

Angeline Brauer, director of Health Ministries for the NAD, is one of the department directors who is greeting attendees at the NAD Ministries booth. “We want people to realize that the church has numerous resources for whatever ministry they may be involved with,” she says.

Those booth options include AdventSource, Jesus 101, La Voz de Esperanza, and Liberty magazine, among many others.

One ministry that is in full swing in the United States right now is summer camp — celebrating 100 years this year. According to Armando Miranda Jr., associate youth director for NAD, 83 percent of former camp staff are currently or have been employed in church-related roles. He shared insight while greeting visitors at the Adventist Summer Camp area: “Summer camp is a good training ground for someone who [will] work for the church. We’re looking for a next generation of pastors, teachers, treasurers. ... We consider [working at camp] a big recruitment tool, but also a ministry tool.”

Education booths showcasing the NAD’s colleges and universities occupies a sizeable space — highlighting the diverse specialties these institutions offer to further train the next generation of Adventists.

The Walla Walla University (College Place, Washington) booth highlights its science programs, with a particular focus on its 78-year-old school of engineering. Visitors can see robots interacting, creating a matrix that can be used as scaffolding for tissue engineering. This is just one example of how students are gaining valuable skills that will support their future careers and enable them to make a positive impact on the communities around them.  

Gio Maldonado, a recent graduate from Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska, says a lot of booth visitors have never heard of the school or even visited Nebraska. “We really wanted to reach out to prospective students and parents of prospective students and show them … what their lives could be like at Union. It's a smaller school, so literally, everyone knows everyone. ... The best aspect of it is that the people are friendly.”

At the Christian Record Services booth, Brian Carlson, director of communication, highlights that members with low vision or blindness can request and receive Sabbath School lessons, Bibles or Steps to Christ that come in large print, Braille, or potentially even audio, along with other services. The booth also features iPads that visually demonstrate what it is like to live with various eye conditions that impact vision, such as glaucoma or cataracts.

“A combined health systems space offers Body Compass, an active calibration of the wholeness experience,” says Christian Ledesma, a recruiting manager at Advent Health University. Participants answer a series of lifestyle questions, such as, “How often do you eat fruits and vegetables?” or “How much sleep do you get?” It then provides a health assessment, highlighting areas on which to focus. 

Ledesma says he would like participants to understand their health outcomes and be aware of options to improve their lifestyle. “Feeling hope is the mission for today,” he says.

Another booth experience is a tree where attendees can add “leaves” display questions such as, “What gives you peace?” This encourages passersby to leave their worries on the tree — exemplifying how one can mirror this action when coming to God in prayer.

While walking through the exhibit hall, Hazel Ramirez Marroquin (pictured left), pastor of Potomac Conference’s Olney, Maryland, church, stopped to add a leaf on the tree. “It’s a beautiful tree because it allows you to leave whatever you’re walking around with that’s not allowing you to have joy.”

Want to “Win” Something? Check Out These Booths!

• Stop by the Kettering Health booth area for a chance to win The Conflict Beautiful — a newly redesigned Conflict of the Ages set — an Andrews Study Bible or the Andrews Bible Commentary.
• Say a prayer at the Pentecost 2025 booth for the ongoing Pentecost 2025 meetings taking place across the NAD, and write a prayer request on the digital wall.
• Pick up resources at Jesus 101 that will help draw you — or those you know — closer to Christ.

— V. Michelle Bernard is an associate communication director for the Columbia Union; this article originally appeared on the Visitor magazine website.