Press Releases

Adventist Church Connect and Adventist School Connect Platform Rebuild Continues as Customization Plans Begin to Emerge

This platform will enable the NAD to further customize the platform to meet the evangelistic and technical needs of churches and schools across the division.

July 2, 2024 | Columbia, Md. | North American Division

As reported last year, the North American Division (NAD) is current engaged in an exciting rebuild of the platform that powers Adventist Church Connect (ACC) and Adventist School Connect (ASC). In late 2024 or early 2025, ACC/ASC will move to an entirely new WordPress-based platform, matching the existing functionality and giving the platform a new foundation to move forward providing more than 6,600 websites for all churches and schools across the NAD.

The software currently powering ACC/ASC will be replaced, and the NAD has reached an agreement with SimpleUpdates to use the existing software until the new system is ready. Through the transition, all existing ACC/ASC sites will continue to receive technical support in the same way things have happened in the past. Once the new platform is ready, all existing sites will be migrated. This new platform will be hosted on the NADCloud.

This new platform will enable the NAD to further customize the platform to meet the evangelistic and technical needs of churches and schools across our territory. As with the current platform, they will continue to offer phone and email support. The new system will continue to be free for all churches, schools, and organizations in North America.

“Websites are a vitally important aspect of our churches and schools marketing and outreach efforts. This strategic new platform will enable our institutions to develop websites that are tailored to the unique needs of each organization, but integrated across together across the division,” said Brent Hardinge, assistant vice president for digital media for the NAD. “Your website is key and the North American Division is excited to be able to offer you this strategic tool.” Hardinge, who has been tasked with coordinating the development and migration, also currently serves as the director for Adventist Information Ministry (AIM).

The ACC/ASC network, introduced in late 2005 by the NAD, provides important resources and services to ensure every church and school in this network has a dynamic online presence.

The NAD will continue to provide a high level of service with regular software updates, modern template selections, instructional videos, and technical support. “We will also provide new features as we work with AdventSource, Adventist Information Ministry, and the software web development company,” said Hardinge.

Throughout the upgrade process, the NAD is meeting with several groups to provide important feedback and ongoing guidance, including a development committee and two advisory committees of which the majority of members were not part of the NAD headquarters but rather users from churches, conferences, and unions. The project has the potential to impact every church and school that is part of the division.

“Not only is the NAD committed to providing and improving this web service, it will continue to do so at a significant cost savings to our churches and schools,” said Adam Fenner, vice president for digital media for the North American Division. Fenner, who is also the director of the Adventist Learning Community added, “This upgrade will empower our churches and schools with the tools they need to enhance their outreach and evangelistic efforts, all while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and security. Through this platform and others like it, God has given us the tools necessary to complete the Gospel Commission in our own time.”

The Power of a Simple Tract: Transforming Lives with Messages of Hope and Wholeness

Have you ever hit rock bottom and found hope from an unexpected source? For a 16-year-old girl from California, that hope came in the form of a pocket-sized Signs of the Times given to her by a stranger on an Amtrak train. Hers is one of countless stories of a tract sparking transformation. Take advantage of the holidays, and a limited sale, to spread the love of God organically with these life-changing materials.

Charting a New Path: 2024 Administrators’ Conference Unites Leaders to Shape the Future of the Church in North America

It’s been 10 years since conference and union presidents, executive secretaries, and treasurers gathered in one room to brainstorm how best to carry out the church’s mission in North America. A long-awaited follow-up, the 2024 administrators’ conference hosted more than 200 conference and union officers at the NAD’s headquarters on Oct. 30-31.

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.

Report on 2024 Consolidated Enrollment

The Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (AACU), comprised of the presidents and other top leaders from 13 Adventist colleges and universities in North America, has determined that the latest consolidated fall enrollment numbers for all 13 institutions totals 20,828 students. This increase of 256 students from the previous year marks the second consecutive year of total growth.

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.