Tara Bailey—Ozark Adventist School
I write this story with tears, yet also with gratitude for how God used this initiative to prepare our students for what was to come. Our beloved 7th and 8th grade teacher worked closely with her students to plan the Student Week of Prayer, sharing their presentations with the school community and invited guests. They used the Pentecost 2025 materials provided and did an outstanding job. We rejoiced as every student made the decision to follow Jesus. Just one week later, our dear teacher unexpectedly passed away in her sleep. The loss was devastating for our students, staff, and broader community. Yet, what the students shared during the Week of Prayer—messages of faith, hope, and the soon return of our Lord—became a source of comfort and strength in their grief. It was as if God had orchestrated that special week to anchor their hearts in Him before the tragedy struck. We are deeply grateful to the North American Division for providing such meaningful and timely materials. They not only helped shape a powerful spiritual experience for our students but also left them with lasting hope during a time of great sorrow. May God continue to bless this ministry and all who are part of it.
M
ore than 300 Adventist schools across the North American Division (NAD) participated in Pentecost 2025, a division-wide evangelistic initiative that began bearing spiritual fruit soon after its launch. Students, parents, and community members connected to these campuses gave their hearts to Jesus, requested baptism, and enrolled in Bible studies—clear evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in classrooms, homes, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Pentecost 2025 officially launched on July 1, 2024, and momentum quickly intensified. Even as the division’s prayer plan and video-training webinars remained in active production, NAD leaders expressed deep encouragement at the overwhelming response from Churches and Schools.
For Adventist schools, Pentecost 2025 became a catalyst for mission-focused education. Teachers integrated prayer, service, and spiritual conversations more intentionally into daily school life. Students took leadership roles in outreach, organizing prayer groups and participating in youth-led evangelistic events. Parents and community members—often drawn in by the students themselves—explored faith, joined small groups, and engaged with local churches. This organic, relational form of evangelism reflected the long-term impact NAD leaders hoped for.
NAD President G. Alexander Bryant emphasized that Pentecost 2025 was far more than a one-time event. “I didn’t want people thinking that we were just gearing up for an event. What we were doing was gearing up for a transformation, and Pentecost was the pinnacle in the transformation,” Bryant said. “We hoped that the best evidence of Pentecost 2025 would be what we saw in 2026 and 2027 and beyond — a transformation of our churches and our mindsets in terms of what God called us to do in the mission of the church.”
As Adventist schools embraced their role in this movement, Pentecost 2025 left a lasting spiritual imprint, preparing hearts for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and strengthening a culture of mission across North America.
Adventist Schools Advanced Pentecost 2025 with
Widespread Participation and Transformative Impact
“We did our best and God did the rest,” said Calvin Watkins, NAD vice president who oversaw evangelism while serving as regional liaison. “This was a Holy Spirit-powered initiative for every member — every pastor, teacher, young adult, student, and child — to participate.”
HMS RICHARDS ADVENTIST SCHOOL JOINS PENTECOST 2025 WITH A PLANNED LOCAL EVANGELISTIC SERIES
Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Grayling School Runs Evangelism Series for Pentecost 2025
Lake Union Herald, Judy Ringstaff, June 25, 2025
Adapted from:
“‘More than an Event,’ Pentecost 2025 Is About Transformation, Says North American Division President as Prayer, Plans, and Processes Move Forward Division-wide.”
North American Division News, October 9, 2024.
