February was a full month for the Kansas-Nebraska Conference: two convocation weekends, two cities, and hundreds of believers gathering from across the conference to worship together, hear the Word, and recommit to the mission. Kansas City went first on February 13 and 14, followed by Wichita on February 27 and 28.
Kansas City Convocation
The New Haven Church in Overland Park was the setting for a Spirit-filled weekend. Dr. Rick Remmers, assistant to the president of the North American Division, brought three messages that met people where they are. Whether you came in carrying something heavy or just needed a fresh perspective, his series on living through tough times—drawn from the life of Moses—gave the congregation something real to hold onto. The reminder that God’s timetable is not ours, and that seasons of difficulty are often seasons of preparation, was something many in the room could relate to.
The youth and young adult track ran alongside the main program all weekend, with Commons at New Haven hosting a Friday night worship experience led by Midland Academy high schoolers. Speaker Elise Harboldt opened what became a three-part series on why God actually cares about our joy more than we do. Her honesty about her own story made the message connect in a personal way.
Sabbath school brought something a little different. Kansas City area churches shared what God is doing in their communities through outreach, and Pastor Virgil Covel led a panel discussion with local pastors that got honest about what unity really looks like in practice. The afternoon concert pulled together musicians and pastors from across the metro before Dr. Remmers closed the weekend with a vision for One Voice 27, the church’s global initiative to lift up Jesus together in September 2027.
Wichita Convocation
Wichita South welcomed the second weekend with Pastor Mike Speegle of New Hope Church in Fulton, Maryland. His three messages built on each other in a way that felt intentional. From Friday night through Sabbath afternoon, he kept coming back to the same thread: God is not done with you. Not when you’ve failed, not when you’ve run, not when you’ve lost your way.
Sabbath morning opened with Elder Ron and Sue Carlson sharing stories from their mission trip to the Moana School for deaf children in Kenya: 46 baptisms, a pair of shoes that fit perfectly, hygiene kits that moved students to sign, “God has answered our prayers.” Stories like that have a way of putting everything back in perspective.
Musical worship brought congregations from across the Wichita area together, with the Wichita Adventist Christian Academy Band and Choir, Wichita South Choir, Three Angels Chorale, Cornerstone Voices, and Spanish-language ensembles from Iglesia Wichita East, West and Ark City all participating. It was a full and worshipful afternoon.
Two weekends, one mission. God is moving across Kansas and Nebraska, and we get to be part of it.
