When you get the Holy Spirit, you get Jesus.  Ask, and you shall receive. To get the Holy Spirit, we must ask for it every day, and every day, and every day. That was the emphasis of Pastor Dwight Nelson at the Illinois Conference Prayer Retreat that drew 88 people to Camp Akita on October 3 to 5.

With a radiant smile, Laura Lucio stood on the small stage before a hundred women who had gathered from across Illinois—and even as far as Texas and Tennessee—to worship, connect, and grow together in East Peoria. Appointed as the volunteer Women’s Ministries Coordinator in 2024, one of Laura’s first goals was to plan a statewide retreat. A year later, that dream became reality: The Unseen.

Pentecost 2025 is an initiative generated by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists to support “proclamation events” during 2025. More than 5,200 churches and schools have applied to be a part of the program, including 56 in the Illinois Conference. These events represent anything from community service to health seminars to public evangelism. Here are a few stories of Pentecost 2025 events throughout Illinois (plus one bonus at the end):