Annual Prayer Summit Prepares for Pentecost 2025

By Isaac Meythaler

Upper Columbia Conference communications coordinator

The weekend retreat featured seminars on prayer, prayer-centered activities and times of worship surrounded by the beauty of nature. Around 100 prayer leaders attended the summit, a significant increase from 2023's attendance of 60. 

Three keynote speakers were featured at this year's summit. Joseph Kidder, Andrews University professor of pastoral theology and discipleship, shared how prayer reveals the heart of God through the Holy Spirit and how to create a culture of prayer. Shintell Izquierdo, who has served as Wapato Spanish Church, Granger Spanish Church and Central Valley Spanish Church district pastor, spoke about handling disappointment with prayer by looking to Jesus. David Jamieson, UCC president, spoke about keeping your eyes on Jesus.

Kidder started the weekend off with a valuable lesson. “Prayer is a privilege. It’s an honor and it’s one of our main weapons against the devil,” he said.

The goal of Prayer Summit is to train, encourage and inspire prayer leaders within UCC to more effectively utilize the power of prayer to bring people closer to Jesus. The activities and seminars during the event provide prayer leaders with effective tools for organizing and inspiring their local church’s prayer ministry.

The theme for the 2024 Prayer Summit was “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." The constant presence of Jesus was also emphasized throughout the event. In one of his seminars, Kidder noted that as believers, we are made particularly aware of, and are comforted by, God’s presence during prayer.

“God’s presence is the assurance that God will never forsake us,” said Kidder. “God’s presence gives us confidence. Practice letting God’s presence into your life — your life will be changed.”

Also featured at the Prayer Summit was Paulet Howard, North American Division Pentecost 2025 initiative prayer coordinator. Howard spoke about the evangelistic initiative and how prayer leaders can support it.

“I encourage leaders to pray simply and sincerely and to pray with their communities in preparation for the upcoming evangelistic initiative,” said Howard. “Prayer is integral to the mission of Pentecost 2025, both in preparation and during evangelistic meetings.”

The prayer focus for UCC in 2025 is "Grounded and Growing Vertically," which challenges members to pray for Pentecost 2025 with different topics emphasized throughout the year, to read and pray through a 14-day study of Steps to Christ by Ellen White, and to create or join a weekly study group reading from Prayer also by White. Participants will receive a commemorative medallion at the end of the year. To sign up for the Grounded and Growing Vertically 2025 challenge, go to uccsda.org/grounded2025.

For more information on Pentecost 2025, visit pentecost2025.com.

If you would like to see the presentations from the Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus Prayer Summit, go to uccsda.org/prayersummit.