Across the continent, Seventh-day Adventist churches and schools are proclaiming the gospel through events and Bible studies—many made possible by Pentecost 2025, a North American Division (NAD) initiative designed to mobilize church members for evangelism through start-up funds, resources and training. But pastors, elders, principals and teachers are not the only local leaders involved in this widespread evangelistic push.
All four Atlantic Union camp directors have joined the growing number of NAD summer camp leaders participating in Pentecost 2025 by using nearly 5,700 sets of the Discovery Mountain Expedition Bible Guides. Created by the Voice of Prophecy (VOP), these sleek, engaging kids’ lessons feature a continuous storyline set in Discovery Mountain Camp—a fictional summer camp familiar to fans of VOP’s popular Bible-based audio drama, Discovery Mountain.
According to Rick Remmers, assistant to the NAD president, the Pentecost 2025 planning committee didn’t originally plan to include summer camps. However, that changed when camps expressed interest in participating. Leadership decided to supply them with Bible studies.
The NAD’s Youth and Young Adult Ministries department already had Momentum, a teen Bible study series. But there was no resource geared toward the majority of summer campers—junior-aged kids. That changed when Remmers spoke with Alex Rodriguez, VOP associate speaker and evangelism director, one of Pentecost 2025’s official partners.
Rodriguez recommended the Expedition Bible Guides, 14 lessons that introduce key Adventist doctrines and immerse kids in Discovery Mountain’s world. Discovery Mountain releases new spiritual content weekly and reaches hundreds of thousands of young listeners worldwide.
“The Expedition Bible Guides are more than just lessons,” Rodriguez said. “They’re supported by the Discovery Mountain holistic universe. With them, we have the opportunity to provide a support system, especially for campers who aren’t Adventist and won’t return home to Adventist churches or schools.
“Discovery Mountain could become their family,” he continued. “We hope what they learn through these guides and the Discovery Mountain programming will continue sparking a flame in their hearts until the day the Lord gives them an opportunity to take their place in the army of God. These are the only guides I know that offer this kind of belonging.”
When the NAD offered to supply camps with Bible studies, orders quickly poured in. More than 30 camps—including all four in the Atlantic Union—requested Expedition guide sets, often by the hundreds. With eye-catching graphics and strong biblical content, the guides allow camps to infuse their programs with spiritual depth, says Remmers. He’s especially excited about how the guides will support counselors.
“A really neat aspect of this initiative is that most of the teaching will be done by Adventist young adults, collegiates and older high school students,” Remmers said. “Being a camp counselor already challenges them in a lot of ways. Giving Bible studies nudges them forward spiritually—and it becomes easier when you have a guide like Expedition, which walks you through the process.”
Jean Boonstra, Discovery Mountain executive producer and VOP associate speaker, emphasized how well the guides fit the camp setting.
“The Expedition Bible Guides are great for small group or one-on-one baptismal studies,” she said. “The boxed set includes clear instructions for leaders and students. Each guide begins with a summer camp story, so it will resonate with campers—and each story ends with a cliffhanger that makes students want to keep reading. I hope campers grow with God this summer by using these studies.”
Tracy Wood, NAD Youth and Young Adult Ministries director, expects each camp to adapt the guides to their operations. Some will use them during cabin devotionals, others in Bible study sessions or before bedtime.
“There’s one thing all of our 60-plus Adventist camps do well,” Wood said. “They send campers home with rich spiritual experiences and lifelong memories.”
At Camp Victory Lake, operated by the Northeastern Conference, campers will memorize key Bible verses from the guides during daily drill time, says Robin Venters, camp director. They’ll also use the guides in small group Bible study sessions. Venters is excited by both the content and presentation.
“Each summer, we choose a Bible curriculum for our campers,” she said. “When I came across these guides, I was genuinely excited. Everything we needed was already prepared, which made the decision easy. The Expedition Bible Guides are a fantastic tool to introduce campers to the gospel in an accessible, age-appropriate format.”
Her staff is especially enthusiastic about the design.
“We believe the vibrant visuals will draw the kids in and encourage them to explore the stories,” she said. “It’s a wonderful way to capture their attention and help the message of God’s love come alive.”
Several camp directors, including Venters, plan to send the guides home with campers—ensuring any child who wants to continue learning about Jesus will have a resource until their local Adventist church can follow up.
That follow-up opportunity is what excites Dan Whitlow, director of Camp Cherokee in the New York Conference.
“During our evening cabin worships, we’ve always created our own study guides or questions to focus on chapel messages,” he said. “With so many of our campers coming from non-Christian homes, we try to help them understand the Bible and what it says about Jesus. Now, we can tie the Expedition Bible Guides into our worships—and when campers go home, they’ll still have the lessons they started at camp. They can keep learning about Jesus.”
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Amanda Blake, Voice of Prophecy editorial assistant
