For attendees at the North American Division (NAD) Year-End Meeting, the Sabbath arrived as a welcome sacred pause, offering divine rest amid the intensive days of church business. It was a time for partners to join with their spouses, young children to add their laughter to the NAD building’s hallways, and the auditorium to be filled with the inspiring strains of music from groups representing the diversity of the membership across North America. All who gathered enjoyed worship, praise, and fellowship through three avenues: Sabbath School, worship service, and afternoon concert. 

Sabbath School

For Adventists, Sabbath worship often begins with Sabbath “school,” reflecting the Adventist emphasis on both education and community in religious life. Sabbath School is a time to study the Bible directly, share inspiring testimonies and stories and come together through praise and prayer in preparation for the main worship service. Adventists around the world are able to study from the same lesson study, which is available at https://www.sabbath.school/. 

The year-end meeting attendees gathered today enjoyed the special treat of having the lesson about “The Testimony of the Samaritans” brought to life by three NAD employees, Casey Vaughn Claus, Gladys Guerrero, and Armando Miranda Jr., who each told their part of the story through a dramatic monologue. 

Introducing the story of the “immoral” woman at the well, Bonita Joyner Shields, NAD associate secretary said:

“Jesus saw beyond the standards of a society that isolates a broken life. He broke through the protective barrier created to survive the glares and the stares of those ‘more righteous’ and He reached inside and saved a human soul. And it is this rescued human soul that encourages us this morning to risk trusting God with our lives and presents us with an example of how we are to share that hope with others.” 

[Click link to see the full story and drama presentation: https://www.youtube.com/2024 NAD Year-End Meeting 24:00.]

Sabbath Main Worship

NAD president G. Alexander Bryant delivered a passionate message entitled, “Double Portion.”

Through personal testimony and biblical insights, he encouraged church leaders to embrace the spiritual power available to them, urging them to follow the words in Matthew 7:7, and ask, seek, and knock again and again until they experience a profound, divine empowerment in their lives and for their communities.

[Fuller coverage of his sermon can be found here].

Worship through Special Music Groups

Bursting onto the stage with the full sound of a group that could have just come off tour with the Gaither Vocal Band, the a cappella group Devoted Vocal opened the Sabbath School program and moved the morning attendees with their powerful gospel music. The group of five Brazilian Americans had traveled from Florida to perform for this gathering, and another church in the area. Their music can be found online at https://youtube.com/@devotedvocal. Another musician, Douglas Lira, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and arranger, played a rendition of "My Tribute" on his saxophone during the worship service. 

The music group blessing attendees the entire day was the choir and orchestra from the Seventh-day Adventist boarding high school Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) in nearby New Market, Virginia. Besides performing during the morning services, they headlined the “president’s concert” at 5 p.m. on Sabbath afternoon when attendees and families returned to celebrate the closing of the Sabbath together. The auditorium was close to full as the SVA select choir, orchestra and handbell group played for more than an hour. 

The group was introduced by Charles Tapp, Potomac Conference president and SVA board chair. He shared how much his conference appreciated their performance earlier this year at the celebration of the Potomac Conference’s 100-year Anniversary. And how proud he was that, thanks to the support of alumni, SVA “will not turn away any qualified student due to finances.”

Bryant closed out the concert and the Sabbath saying that the NAD has been doing this afternoon concert at the year-end meeting for 13 years because they wanted to feature what God is doing in our schools across the country. “If you ever feel a bit jaded and wonder what the future of our church will be,” said Bryant, “[these young people show us] that the future is in good hands.”