Leaders Gather to Explore the Sacred Rest of Sabbath, Integrating Faith at Work

“What does this suggest about AdventHealth’s work?” he asked. “Can our work be more than physical healing? Can our facilities be imbued with the stirring possibility of soul healing? Might it be argued that the Sabbath experience is indispensable to soul healing? And if it is, we must somehow connect Sabbath to our holy work if that work is to be made complete.”Olesea Azevedo, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at AdventHealth, led the group in a thought-provoking message centered on the essence of stewardship. “A Christian steward is entrusted with what is God’s. He takes up God’s work,” Azevedo said. For those at AdventHealth, she explained, we are stewards of Christ’s healing ministry.

Azevedo acknowledged that the world’s needs can often feel overwhelming. However, we do not have to solve it all. “Jesus didn’t try to be everywhere and everything,” she said. “He focused on being exactly where His father wanted Him to be.”

“At AdventHealth, we are stewards by design. We stand in the perfect heart of Christ, and by God’s grace, our imperfection is enough. We ask Christ every day to work in our hearts as we help people feel whole. We often fall short, but by God’s grace we also succeed. We were made for this.”

Azevedo challenged the attendees to reflect: How does a glimpse of the perfect heart of Christ call you to do what you aren’t currently doing? And what risks are we willing to take for the world and the people in it by adopting the mindset of constantly looking for the stewardship of moments?In response to Azevedo and Bromme’s insights, Terry Shaw, president and CEO of AdventHealth, remarked. “If we allow Sabbath and stewardship to be the lens through which we understand and practice leadership, we position ourselves to help people feel whole.”

The conference concluded on Sabbath morning with a church service that featured uplifting music, inspirational stories from across the AdventHealth system, and a message from Ron Smith, president of the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The musical worship was led by the AdventHealth Orchestra composed of AdventHealth team members, alongside Take 6, the acclaimed 10-time Grammy-winning vocal group which was formed in 1980 in what is now Oakwood University. In addition to well-known worship music, both groups performed original pieces featured on the newly released AdventHealth album.

In his message, Smith outlined four pillars of restoration based on the story of Samson from the book of Judges. He emphasized that, just as pillars are central to architecture, these four principles can help us stay focused during challenging times.

The first pillar asserts that each person’s existence is intentional, not accidental. The second pillar highlights that God has a mission for His people. The third pillar explains how God desires His people to function, while the fourth pillar assures us that God is always present with His people.

He concluded by stating that Christ’s healing ministry is fundamentally about restoration. “God can use any willing leaders to restore broken people,” Smith said. “When you lose your commitment to the mission, your heart aches to feel those pillars once more. Don’t lean on the wrong pillars. Lean on Jesus. He is the ultimate restorative pillar.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Mid-America Union Conference Outlook.