On May 31, representatives from across the Lake Union will gather at Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, for the 24th Quinquennial Constituency Session. This gathering brings together delegates from our conferences and local churches for a sacred responsibility. During this session, delegates will receive ministry reports, reflect on the work God has accomplished during the past five years, and prayerfully seek His guidance for the future of His church in this territory.
Each conference has prayerfully selected and submitted its delegates to the union office. If you have been called to serve in this role, please know how grateful we are for your willingness to participate in this important moment in the life of the church. Our prayer is that the Lord will grant every delegate wisdom, discernment and a spirit of unity as we gather next month.
The theme of this session is “To Know Him and Make Him Known.” These words express the heart of Christian life and mission. The apostle Paul expressed this longing when he wrote, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). To know Christ is more than understanding His teachings. It is to experience His grace personally and to walk daily in fellowship with Him.
This spiritual journey begins in the quiet moments of devotion. As we open the Scriptures, spend time in prayer, and seek to follow Christ in daily life, the Holy Spirit shapes our hearts and renews our minds. Through that relationship, Christ transforms our lives and enables us to reflect His character to the world around us.
Ellen G. White beautifully expressed this truth when she wrote, “It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.”
Steps to Christ, page 70, 1892.
As Christ becomes the center of our lives, His influence naturally extends outward. Our churches become places of hope. Our schools nurture young people in faith. Our ministries become instruments through which God touches lives and draws people to Himself.
For this reason, we invite every member across the Lake Union to join us in prayer for the upcoming session. Pray that the Spirit of Christ will guide every conversation, every report and every decision. Pray for humility, wisdom, and a deep sense of unity as delegates seek the Lord’s will together.
Within this edition of the Lake Union Herald, you will find reports from the many ministries that serve throughout our territory. The Lake Union is richly blessed. Our field includes five conferences, eight academies, 73 elementary schools, junior academies, and early childhood centers, Andrews University, AdventHealth hospitals in Chicagoland, and numerous supporting ministries. Above all, it includes thousands of faithful members who continue to serve Christ in their communities.
These reports tell part of the story of what God has accomplished during the past five years. Yet they also remind us that the work of God continues. The Lord who has guided His church thus far is still leading His people forward.
As we approach this important moment in the life of the Lake Union, each of us might pause and reflect personally. How is Christ inviting you to know Him more deeply? In what ways might your life help someone else discover the hope of His love and the promise of His soon return?
When we truly know Christ, sharing Him with others becomes the natural expression of a transformed life.
Elden Ramirez
President of the Lake Union Conference