"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4).
In John 15, Jesus provides a description and illustration of a healthy tree. Unseen yet essential, the roots of a healthy tree quietly deepen over years, providing strength and visible growth. At the same time, the tree stretches toward the sky through branches that continue reaching outward, producing new life season after season.
As people from all generations gathered to celebrate the 50th North Pacific Union Regional Ministries Convocation, the theme, "Rooted and Reaching," was more than words printed on a program. It came to life through the people who gathered at Warm Beach Camp and Conference Center in Washington — from first-time attendees beginning their own convocation story to those whose memories stretched back to the very first gathering 50 years ago.
Together, their voices reveal what makes convocation a living legacy.
From a child discovering the joy of Christian fellowship, to a pioneer reflecting on five decades of God's faithfulness, to young adults embracing their calling to share Christ and cultivate friendships rooted in faith, each story offers a different perspective of the same enduring truth: A legacy is not sustained by looking backward alone but by faithfully passing forward what has first been received.
Like the branches of a healthy tree, each generation draws strength from the same roots while reaching farther than those before them could have imagined. The stories that follow are more than personal accounts; they are glimpses of what happens when faith is nurtured across generations.
Growing New Memories
For Loren Larry, Sharon Adventist Church youth member, convocation was simply “fun.”
Participating with the youth, Larry spent the weekend forming new friendships, enjoying group worship and engaging in social activities. The energetic musical performances by Nicholas Miller and Zacardi Cortez left a lasting impression, while the evening swim quickly became his favorite.
When asked whether he would return, his answer came without hesitation: "Of course."
That response is exactly what regional ministries is hoping to continue to cultivate in Generation Alpha — creating memories that will one day become traditions, nurturing friendships grounded in faith and introducing individuals to the joy of belonging to a broader spiritual family. Today's experiences become tomorrow's stories, ensuring that the legacy is deeply rooted and continues to grow.
50 Years of Watching God’s People Grow
Having attended the very first NPUC Regional Ministries Convocation at Sunset Lake 50 years ago, Japhena Hall, Sharon Church member, is one of the few eyewitnesses to the growth and development of the event over the years.
"I've always looked forward to it," she reflected, "to be spiritually uplifted and to see friends I haven't seen for long periods of time."
Today Hall has the pleasure of attending convocation with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — four generations deeply rooted and continuing to grow.
When asked what this year's theme meant to her, Hall shared, "Rooted means that you are planted deep, and a deeply rooted plant grows abundantly."
For Hall, "reaching" isn't simply about numbers; it's about lives impacted. Over the last five decades, she has watched God work, drawing people together, building relationships, strengthening faith and extending the ministry's influence from one generation to the next.
Reflecting on the early years, she recalled the leadership of Elder Ed White, the first NPUC regional ministries director; seeing Elder William and Sister Florence Penick, Sharon Church members, paddling a canoe across the lake; weekends spent in the cabins at Sunset Lake; and Friday evening worship services.
Vibrant music, she explained, has always been one of convocation's defining characteristics. Long before nationally recognized artists became part of the weekend, local church choirs and musicians filled Sabbath afternoon concerts with songs of praise.
Among those she remembers most fondly is Joyce Matthews, Maranatha Church member, whose voice has blessed convocation audiences since she was a young singer.
Alongside Betty Blakeney, Mount Tahoma Church member, Hall would later become part of that musical heritage, helping lead Friday evening worship during the early convocations. Her lifetime of service reflects the countless volunteers whose quiet faithfulness has sustained NPUC Regional Ministries Convocation through five decades.
Carrying Convocation Beyond the Weekend
At 24 years old, Robert Schlatter, Sharon Church young adult, represents another branch growing from those same deep roots.
For him, convocation became a place of renewal.
"This weekend has been a place to find peace, joy and prayer," he shared. "I found some of that here, and I'm praying I'm able to take it with me."
Beyond the worship services, Schlatter spoke enthusiastically about meeting other young adults who were sincere in their faith. He hopes others his age will experience convocation for themselves, describing it as a place where meaningful friendships can be formed and spiritual lives strengthened.
For Schlatter, the weekend also clarified his own responsibility to share Christ with others.
“Reaching,” he explained, “means using whatever God has placed in your hands — whether everyday conversations, personal relationships or even social media — to share the love of Christ.” Echoing the Great Commission, he believes every believer has a role in inviting others into a relationship with Jesus through both words and example.
Finding renewal in the quiet places scattered throughout the Warm Beach campus, he described convocation as a place where God restores weary souls beside still waters before sending them back into everyday life.
For Schlatter, convocation was never meant to end on Sunday afternoon. Its purpose is fulfilled when those who have been refreshed return home ready to extend God's love into their churches, neighborhoods, workplaces and communities.
Coming Full Circle
Shawn Sharper, with roots at Emerald City Community Church, has been a part of convocation for as long as he can remember and returned home to visit from South Carolina. His earliest memories center on reconnecting with friends from churches across the Pacific Northwest.
As those friendships continued into adulthood, they began organizing annual reunions of their own — gathering for worship, fellowship and time together. While the friendships endured, Sharper realized the spiritual purpose that first brought them together had gradually taken a back seat.
As plans began for another reunion during the 50th convocation, Sharper suggested something different. Rather than gathering somewhere else after worship, why not let convocation itself become the reunion?
The change in setting changed the experience.
Those who came found themselves drawn into meaningful conversations about faith, scripture and God's work in their lives. One friend who attended convocation for the first time left deeply encouraged; another responded during the appeal made in the church service, reminding Sharper that God is still writing new chapters.
Even the evening basketball tournament reflected how both time and faith had reshaped their priorities. Rather than competing, Sharper and his friends found joy in serving as organizers and referees, investing in the next generation instead.
Looking back, Sharper realized convocation had become far more than an annual reunion. It had become a place where lifelong friendships continued to grow deeper in Christ.
A Living Legacy
Together, these voices remind us why NPUC Regional Ministries Convocation remains a living legacy, revealing the beauty of this year's theme without ever needing to define it. It's seen in a child discovering the joy of convocation’s fellowship, a pioneer watching generations follow behind her, a young adult embracing his calling to reach others and lifelong friends discovering that the deepest relationships are those centered on Christ.
Fifty years ago, devoted men and women established what would become NPUC Regional Ministries Convocation — a gathering designed to strengthen believers, unite churches and inspire generations to come. Today, that vision continues to flourish, reminding us that we are both the beneficiaries of someone else's faithfulness and the caretakers of a legacy that will one day belong to those who follow us.
That is what "Rooted and Reaching" has always meant.
Whether at NPUC Regional Ministries Convocation, a local or district convocation, camp meetings or another gathering of God's people, the invitation remains the same. To be rooted is to remember the faith that has sustained us. To keep reaching is to ensure that what has been entrusted to us continues to grow through the lives we touch.
These gatherings become more than events on a calendar. They are places where faith is shared, relationships are strengthened and one generation entrusts to the next the hope, wisdom and love found in Christ.
When lives remain connected to Christ, roots grow deeper. Branches reach farther. Lives bear fruit. Generation after generation discovers that the greatest legacy we leave is not simply what we build, but also what we faithfully pass on.
That is a living legacy.
