Grab your copy of the Sabbath Bible Lesson for the third quarter of 2026 themed, "Walking With Jesus".
International—From September 13–20, 2026, families and individuals worldwide participated in HOME, the International Family Week organized by the GC Family Department. Under the theme “Home, where faith begins” the week encouraged participants to spend time with God through daily devotional readings, family discussions, and practical activities.
Feedback received after the event reflected its impact across different households. For some, HOME strengthened an established family-worship routine. For others, it provided encouragement to renew a neglected habit or begin daily worship at home.
“It really resurrected the life that was dead in my family,” a participant from Uganda shared.
The activities helped families put the lessons into practice and experience new ways of connecting with one another. A family from South Africa wrote, “As a family we loved the activities as we gained some experiences we never lived and practiced.” Several families relayed how their hearts were touched by the activities involving communication and words of affirmation.
A participant from Austria particularly appreciated the emphasis on everyday relationships: “For the first time since we have been having Weeks of Prayer, I feel that we are receiving practical advice about everyday life and relationships within the family.” The participant also expressed a desire for more discussions and workshops that help families apply biblical principles to the challenges they face.
Participation extended beyond Reform Movement congregations, reaching families from other denominations, isolated members, and individuals living alone. A participant from Malawi shared:
“It was great. Despite the fact that I stay alone, not yet married, these lessons have given me a lot to learn and understand.”
This testimony highlighted the value of the week for those participating on their own, as well as for families worshipping together.
HOME also became an opportunity for evangelism. Several participants shared the devotionals with co-workers and friends, opening conversations about faith and family life that continued beyond the event. Some recipients asked to be invited to similar initiatives in the future.
These experiences demonstrated how resources intended to nurture faith at home can also help members share that faith with others. A simple invitation or shared devotional became a starting point for continued contact and meaningful conversations.
We thank God for the homes and hearts reached through HOME, and all who participated and shared the materials. While the event has ended, its invitation continues: to make daily worship a lasting part of family life, put biblical principles into practice in our relationships, and share with others the hope found in Christ.
Sedalia, Colorado, USA—For the first time in twelve years, workers from across the United States and Canada gathered for the North America Workers’ Seminar. Held from September 20–27, 2026, at Rampart View Ranch, a church property in Colorado, the seminar brought together forty workers to learn, exchange experiences, and attend presentations on ministerial ordination and work ethics.
Through testimonies and shared experiences, participants encouraged one another and reflected on God’s goodness and faithfulness in ministry. The program concluded with a communion service, providing a time of reflection, spiritual renewal, and fellowship.
Please remember these workers in your prayers as they carry out the significant responsibility of serving our churches and sharing the gospel across the United States and Canada. May God grant them wisdom, strength, and faithfulness in their ministry.
Itu, Brazil—From September 9–13, 2026, the first Media and Communication Symposium of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement was held at the Southwest Brazilian Union headquarters in Itu, São Paulo.
Under the name “ConnectLight”, the symposium was organized through a collaboration between Brother Carlos Linares, General Conference Regional Secretary for South America; the General Conference Media and Communications Committee; and Conectados com Deus, the Media and Communication Department of the Brazilian Unions.
This first edition was organized especially for Latin America, with seven countries from South and Central America represented. Each participating Unit was invited to send both an administrative leader—such as a president, secretary, or treasurer—and at least one member of its media and communication team. Representatives attended from the four Brazilian Unions and twenty-two Fields, as well as from the Unions in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, Bolivia, and Chile.
Bringing administrators and communicators together was an intentional part of the event. It created opportunities to clarify expectations, strengthen cooperation, and consider how media and communication can become more fully integrated into the Church’s mission and organizational life.
The symposium began by directing attention to the spiritual foundation of communication ministry. In the keynote address, Sister Larissa Gessner, General Conference Media and Communications Director, encouraged participants to first remain connected to Christ, then with one another, and only then will they be successful in connecting others with Christ.
The presentation also introduced the direction of the General Conference Media and Communications and explored how the worldwide Church’s “Arise and Shine” theme can guide communication during the present quinquennium.
“The Church does not simply need more content; it needs communication that is clear, faithful, and intentional,” Sister Gessner emphasized. “Media and communications is an ecosystem, not an isolated department.”
Throughout the symposium, worship services and devotional messages reminded participants that communication is more than a technical responsibility. It is a ministry through which biblical truth can be presented clearly, thoughtfully, and faithfully to different audiences.
The program combined plenary presentations with three simultaneous learning tracks: Management and Leadership; Content and Communication; and Technical Production and Broadcasting.
Special workshops with Church administrators focused on strengthening collaboration between leadership and media departments, aligning expectations, and establishing clearer priorities and decision-making processes.
Other sessions addressed crisis communication planning, Brazil’s General Data Protection Law, responsible use of artificial intelligence, and principles for protecting both the Church and the people whose information and stories it shares.
A significant moment during the event was the presentation of the 2026 update to the Reform Movement’s institutional brand. The updated guidelines are intended to make the Church’s Visual Identity easier to implement consistently while providing clearer direction for protecting and representing the identity of the Church across different regions, languages, and platforms.
The schedule also included extensive hands-on training. Workshops covered social media strategy, editorial planning, storytelling, campaign promotion, graphic design, mobile content production, photography, video, audio, lighting, set design, projection, and livestreaming.
Rather than learning only through presentations, participants worked together on real communication challenges faced by their Units. Collaborative case laboratories helped the groups identify problems, compare experiences, and develop practical solutions.
This structure allowed leaders and communicators from different backgrounds and levels of experience to learn from one another. Participants were able to share not only successful projects but also common limitations, needs, and opportunities for future collaboration.
The days were full, with simultaneous workshops designed to address as many needs as possible. Yet the symposium offered more than technical instruction. It fostered fellowship and a growing sense of unity among communicators, and between communication departments and Church leadership.
Participants left ConnectLight with renewed hope, clearer direction, practical plans, and new connections extending across national and organizational boundaries.
May the Lord bless the relationships strengthened and the projects begun during ConnectLight. May every skill developed and every communication created through these efforts serve a clear purpose: to reach souls, lead people to Christ, and bring honor and glory to His name.
