2026 ASi international event ends with call to full commitment to God and His mission.
August 16, 2026 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries
The 2026 Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASi) International Convention concluded in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, on August 1 with a question that transformed four days of preaching, prayer, testimonies and practical training into a personal call: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isa. 6:8).
Under the theme “Hasten the Day, Prepare the Way,” ASi members, ministry leaders, professionals, and families gathered July 29-August 1 to consider what it means to prepare for Christ’s return and to help others prepare through faithful service and witness.
Throughout the convention, plenary speakers approached that calling from different perspectives. Doug Batchelor opened the convention by directing attention beyond political uncertainty, rapidly developing technology, global conflict, and the other conditions shaping the world. While believers have proclaimed Christ’s soon return for generations, the message challenged attendees to recognize the urgency of the present moment without losing sight of the One who remains in control.
Jason and Midori Sliger shared how God overturned their expectations and led their family to serve in Papua New Guinea.
Rebecca Wong’s message reminded listeners that God can use even displacement, uncertainty, and painful chapters to guide others toward their eternal home.
John Shin brought into focus the encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler. The message brought the question close to home: What might still stand between a sincere believer and complete surrender to Christ? Preparing for Jesus’ return requires more than religious knowledge or outward obedience. It calls for a heart willing to place everything in His hands.
The Sabbath program continued that appeal. During Sabbath School Adenilton T. Aguiar and Eric Flickinger considered how ordinary decisions can become spiritual battlegrounds when knowledge, freedom, and personal rights are viewed through the lens of Christlike love. Shane Anderson’s worship message emphasized both the urgency of the hour and the privilege of actively participating in God’s final work.
Beyond the plenary platform, the convention translated its theme into practical preparation. Four seminar tracks equipped attendees to prepare the next generation, break barriers, prepare the way, and hasten the day. Presentations addressed children’s ministry, the three angels’ messages, prayer and surrender, mental and spiritual health, missionary service, Bible studies, apologetics and practical evangelism. United Prayer invited attendees to begin each day seeking the Holy Spirit, while the exhibit hall created opportunities for ministries, businesses, and supporters to connect around a shared mission. Members in Action testimonies showed what can happen when ordinary people make themselves available to God.
Together, these experiences pointed toward the convention’s final charge.
In his message bringing the convention to a close, Mark Finley opened Isaiah 6 and brought attendees into a moment of national uncertainty. King Uzziah was dead. The earthly throne was empty, the future appeared unsettled, and the people were anxious. Yet Isaiah saw what circumstances had obscured: The King of kings was still on His throne.
The same assurance speaks to a world marked by war, suffering, instability, and fear. Earthly powers change, human plans fail, and the future may appear uncertain, but God’s kingdom is not in jeopardy. Evil will not have the last word. God will.
Isaiah’s vision, however, did more than reassure him. A glimpse of God’s holiness revealed his own need. “Woe is me” (verse 5), he cried. Only after confession and cleansing could he hear and answer God’s call. Finley described that progression as the spiritual preparation necessary for mission: a vision of God, recognition of personal need, cleansing through grace, and a willing response to His commission.
“Before the glory of God can ever fill the earth, it must fill our lives,” he said. “Before God can do something through us, He must do something to us.”
That truth brought the convention theme into sharp focus. “Preparing the way” begins when believers behold Christ, surrender their pride and complacency, receive His transforming grace, and allow His character to be revealed through their lives. And from that preparation comes action.
When God asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah answered, “Here am I! Send me” (verse 8). Finley reminded attendees that God still uses people to reach people. He calls consecrated men and women to carry His love into their homes, workplaces, churches, communities, and every part of the world.
That calling will look different in each life. For some it may mean prayer ministry. For others it may involve literature, health ministry, Bible studies, evangelism, youth ministry, or faithful witness in a professional setting. The assignment may differ, but the invitation is the same: Ask God to clarify the mission, then be willing to go.
Finley also spoke to those who have served faithfully but have grown tired or discouraged by limited visible results. “Results are God’s work,” he reminded them. The believer’s responsibility is to remain faithful, to continue sharing, praying, serving, and seeking the lost until Jesus comes.
In his final appeal Finley invited three responses: perseverance from those already engaged in ministry, clarity for those still seeking their place in God’s work, and wholehearted surrender from those facing a life-changing spiritual decision.
While the 2026 convention has concluded, the work continues in every nation, city, neighborhood, business, ministry, and sphere of influence in which God’s people are willing to reveal His character and share His truth.
The final charge from Phoenix is urgent and hopeful: Look to Christ. Allow His grace to transform the heart. Ask Him to clarify the mission. Then move forward in faith, knowing that labor done in His name is never in vain.
The original version of this story was posted on the Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries news site.