When Minnesota churches began delivering food to families earlier this year, few expected the outreach would grow into a long-term ministry effort. In the months following a community outreach effort that supported immigrant and refugee families facing uncertainty and food insecurity, Adventist Community Services (ACS) ministries across Minnesota continue to expand their impact. According to Minnesota ACS Director Leslie Morrison, the experience changed how churches think about community ministry and long-term support. “We have five churches now that have established their own ACS center because of this,” Morrison said during an interview with Mid-America Union Church Ministries Director Tyrone Douglas. “They want to help their neighbors more.” A sixth ACS center is now being developed at the Minnesota Conference office. The conference has dedicated part of its building to continue a food shelf ministry and a winter coat outreach. “The Lord’s providing,” Morrison said. “This is huge.” Earlier this year, churches across Minnesota responded as many immigrant families struggled to access food and basic necessities during a difficult winter season. Since then, volunteers and churches have distributed more than 6,000 pounds of food throughout local communities. Morrison said the outreach effort revealed a growing need many people do not realize exists. “What I’m finding out is that people from all walks of life here in Minnesota don’t have food,” he explained. “They might have jobs, but they still have a hard time buying food because it’s just so expensive.” As a result, ACS is now preparing to open an ethnic food shelf designed to better serve immigrant families by providing culturally familiar foods. During the early stages of the ministry effort, obtaining enough supplies was difficult. Morrison said major stores limited how much food organizations could purchase at one time, making it harder to quickly respond to growing community needs. Still, schools and families were deeply grateful for the support they received. “The schools we delivered the food to were so overwhelmed that our organization was doing this,” Morrison said. The outreach also led church leaders to think about other practical needs families might face. Morrison said ACS leaders even explored the possibility of helping repair damaged doors after hearing concerns from community organizations about families struggling to feel safe in their homes during the winter months. “Sometimes in ministry we focus on food or clothing,” Morrison said. “But when God calls for something different, we should act on it and make it happen.” For Morrison, the experience has also carried spiritual lessons. Minnesota ACS has served communities through emergencies and relief efforts for nearly two decades, but Morrison said this was the first time he had seen needs develop at this scale during the winter months. “The Lord has shown me that He cares all year long,” he said. “And that we need to be prepared all year long.” Morrison also shared how a personal injury unexpectedly prepared him for the ministry work ahead. After suffering a serious hip injury in late 2025, he was unable to continue his regular full-time work as a school bus driver. At first, he struggled to understand why it had happened. Then the outreach effort began. “If I was working 50 hours a week, there’s no way I could have gotten this warehouse together and helped get food to these people,” he said. Morrison said he later experienced healing after praying for strength to continue the ministry. “I cried out to the Lord,” he said. “And He healed my hip 100 percent.” Looking back, Morrison believes the experience has challenged church members to think differently about caring for others during difficult times. “If we don’t help those now, who’s going to help us in the time of trouble?” he asked. “How are we going to live through that?” As the ministry continues growing, Morrison said one of the greatest needs now is trained volunteers. “We need more than financial support,” he said. “We need trained boots on the ground.” Minnesota ACS regularly offers disaster response training designed to prepare volunteers to serve during emergencies and community relief efforts. Morrison explained that trained volunteers allow ministry leaders to respond more effectively and help communities faster during times of need. “Once people are trained, they can adjust to almost any situation,” he said. “It makes the whole operation smoother.” For church leaders in Minnesota, the outreach has become more than a temporary relief effort. It has grown into a reminder that ministry often begins by simply noticing the needs of neighbors and being willing to respond. By Tyrone Douglas, Mid-America Union church ministries director, and Hugh Davis, Mid-America Union communication director

The Denver Central Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church witnessed a powerful week of spiritual revival last October, culminating in the baptism of eight individuals who publicly committed their lives to Jesus. The evangelistic campaign opened with a single baptism on Sabbath and concluded with seven more by the following Friday, each one representing a story of transformation and months of intentional discipleship. Guest speaker Juan Blanco Suero, a pastor with the Southeastern Association of the Dominican Union of Seventh-day Adventists, led the weeklong series with clarity, conviction and compassion. His messages resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom had been studying the Bible and participating in small groups since the spring.  “This wasn’t just a week of baptisms—it was a week of breakthroughs,” said Leonardo Jiménez, pastor of the Greeley Hispanic District, who organized the campaign. “Every soul that stepped into the water reminded us that the gospel still transforms lives, one heart at a time.” Among the most moving moments was the baptism of a father and daughter, part of a family Jiménez had been ministering to personally. Their decision to be baptized together underscored the campaign’s theme: that evangelism is not only public proclamation, but also deeply relational. “Every visit, every study, every prayer shared in their home was part of the process God used to reach their hearts,” Jiménez reflected. The campaign was part of the broader Pentecost 2025 initiative, a mission-focused program from the North American Division. More than a numerical goal, Pentecost 2025 was a call to intentional living, disciple-making and community transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the church looks ahead, the momentum from that week continues to inspire. “Every baptism is a victory,” said Jiménez. “Every family reached is a blessing. And every step forward is part of greater work. We move forward with gratitude for what God has done—and with faith in what He will continue to do.” Jose Briones is a stewardship promotion and content creator.

February was a full month for the Kansas-Nebraska Conference: two convocation weekends, two cities, and hundreds of believers gathering from across the conference to worship together, hear the Word, and recommit to the mission. Kansas City went first on February 13 and 14, followed by Wichita on February 27 and 28. Kansas City Convocation The New Haven Church in Overland Park was the setting for a Spirit-filled weekend. Dr. Rick Remmers, assistant to the president of the North American Division, brought three messages that met people where they are. Whether you came in carrying something heavy or just needed a fresh perspective, his series on living through tough times—drawn from the life of Moses—gave the congregation something real to hold onto. The reminder that God’s timetable is not ours, and that seasons of difficulty are often seasons of preparation, was something many in the room could relate to. The youth and young adult track ran alongside the main program all weekend, with Commons at New Haven hosting a Friday night worship experience led by Midland Academy high schoolers. Speaker Elise Harboldt opened what became a three-part series on why God actually cares about our joy more than we do. Her honesty about her own story made the message connect in a personal way. Sabbath school brought something a little different. Kansas City area churches shared what God is doing in their communities through outreach, and Pastor Virgil Covel led a panel discussion with local pastors that got honest about what unity really looks like in practice. The afternoon concert pulled together musicians and pastors from across the metro before Dr. Remmers closed the weekend with a vision for One Voice 27, the church’s global initiative to lift up Jesus together in September 2027. Wichita Convocation Wichita South welcomed the second weekend with Pastor Mike Speegle of New Hope Church in Fulton, Maryland. His three messages built on each other in a way that felt intentional. From Friday night through Sabbath afternoon, he kept coming back to the same thread: God is not done with you. Not when you’ve failed, not when you’ve run, not when you’ve lost your way. Sabbath morning opened with Elder Ron and Sue Carlson sharing stories from their mission trip to the Moana School for deaf children in Kenya: 46 baptisms, a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, hygiene kits that moved students to sign, “God has answered our prayers.” Stories like that have a way of putting everything back in perspective. Musical worship brought congregations from across the Wichita area together, with the Wichita Adventist Christian Academy Band and Choir, Wichita South Choir, Three Angels Chorale, Cornerstone Voices, and Spanish-language ensembles from Iglesia Wichita East, West and Ark City all participating. It was a full and worshipful afternoon. Two weekends, one mission. God is moving across Kansas and Nebraska, and we get to be part of it.

A spirit of revival is growing in the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Through prayer, outreach, and an evangelistic series connected with the North American Division’s Pentecost 2025 initiative, three people recently made the decision to give their lives to Christ through baptism. From the beginning of the meetings, members sensed God was working in a special way. The church gathered for prayer, worship and messages focused on revival and the leading of the Holy Spirit. During this time, Yerica, a member originally from the Dominican Republic, approached the pastor after one of the meetings. Without being prompted, and with tears in her eyes, she said simply, “I want to be baptized.” Her decision brought great joy and encouragement to the congregation. The church also felt impressed that revival should extend beyond the church walls. Last summer members organized what they called Kindness Week. Together they purchased groceries and prepared food bags for 35 people in need in the Park Rapids community. Each evening after the meetings, volunteers went out to deliver the food and connect with neighbors. “Christ didn’t only preach—He also helped people,” one church member shared. “That’s the example we want to follow.” The evangelistic meetings, titled Eternal Decisions, drew members and visitors throughout the week. For many in attendance, the messages sparked meaningful spiritual conversations and life-changing choices. One of the most touching stories involved Juanita, who had wanted to be baptized for several years but was waiting because she and her partner, Benjamin, were not married. During the revival meetings, Benjamin began attending every night and even volunteered his truck to help transport supplies for the outreach efforts. As the week progressed, it became clear that God was working in his heart. After speaking with Pastor Eddy Hernández and Elder Adrian Aponte, Benjamin made a decision. “Pastor, it’s time to give my life to Christ,” he said. “I want to get married—and be baptized.” The couple was married at the county office on July 25, and the following day, July 26, both Juanita and Benjamin were baptized together. Their baptisms, along with Yerica’s, marked a special milestone for the Park Rapids Hispanic church, which had not celebrated a baptism in two years. For the members who participated in the meetings, outreach and prayers leading up to these decisions, the experience was a powerful reminder that God continues to work in hearts when His people step out in faith. Eddy Hernandez, with Savannah Carlson Edited using AI