ASI Lake Union Chapter President Gianluca Bacchiocchi, pictured with Vice President Lisa Isensee, states that the chapter-wide commitment to holistic mission, one that blends compassion, evangelism and innovation. | Stanton Witherspoon
The fellowship included high-impact presentations, networking, and a strategic town hall meeting that invited participants to envision ASI’s future. Attendees helped shape plans to expand member engagement, strengthen collaboration across the Union, and fund five impactful outreach projects for 2025.
ASI Lake Union Chapter President Gianluca Bacchiocchi summarized the essence of the weekend: “We are all engaged in ministry, regardless of our professions.” Quoting keynote speaker Jeffrey Rosario, Bacchiocchi emphasized that whether working in a corporate office or serving from a pulpit, believers are involved in doing God's work.
The weekend kicked off with Matthias Soto, PhD, director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Andrews University. Soto urged participants to embrace risk as a catalyst for Kingdom growth. “The only way to reach a greater population is to take some risks,” he said. “Whether in business or ministry—if we don’t step beyond what feels safe, we’ll miss opportunities to reach people we otherwise never could.”
Soto shared a personal testimony of witnessing to a person in the Middle East through his involvement in a startup, demonstrating how innovation can be a channel for evangelism. He also introduced attendees to the “Infinite Game” framework—encouraging ASI members to stay focused on their “just cause” rather than short-term metrics or distractions.
Next, Pastor Esther Knott, associate director, Ministerial department North American Division challenged members to see every interaction as a redemptive opportunity. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” she said. “But you can salt his oats and make him thirsty.” Drawing from her Contagious Adventist series, Knott emphasized the power of intentional relationships. “Salt must mingle with food to enhance its flavor,” she said. “We must live among people in ways that make them thirst to know the God we serve.”
Keynote speaker Jeffrey Rosario, PhD, Loma Linda University assistant professor, anchored the weekend with a stirring theological reflection. “The Great Commission is powerful, but before that, we were given the First Commission in Genesis—to be creators and culture makers,” he said. Rosario urged attendees to reclaim the biblical vision of work and creativity as worship. “There is no such thing as a secular profession. We are all engaged in sacred entrepreneurship.”
A highlight of the weekend was the chapter town hall meeting, where members shared ideas for growing the impact of ASI in Lake Union. The discussion focused on stronger communication across ministries, mentorship of younger professionals, and greater collaboration with local churches. Bacchiocchi reiterated his vision: “We want to be a more engaged chapter, working together, growing together, and reaching Lake Union with purpose.”
One tangible outcome of that vision is the 2025 project lineup. With an offering goal of $25,000 (they collected $17,000), ASI Lake Union will support:
ASAP Ministries Refugee Evangelism (Milwaukee & Rockford) – Building relationships with Karen refugees through Bible studies, home visits, and humanitarian support.
Cambodia Mission Trip – Enabling young people to engage in cross-cultural ministry during a 2-week outreach experience.
AMEN Free Clinic (Metro Detroit) – Providing medical and dental care to underserved communities, in partnership with the Michigan Conference.
LFJ Outreach Ministries (Guyana) – Supporting the placement of a new missionary to serve remote upriver communities in need of discipleship.
Streams of Light Grand Rapids Evangelism – Giving student evangelists hands-on experience in Bible work and community health outreach in urban Michigan.
These projects, Bacchiocchi explained, reflect a chapter-wide commitment to holistic mission, one that blends compassion, evangelism and innovation.
The 2025 ASI Lake Union Spring Fellowship left members and participants encouraged to live out their faith with boldness and creativity. “My prayer is that this revival spreads to local churches,” Rosario concluded; “that there is no such thing as a sacred profession in the secular profession, but that we are all engaged in sacred entrepreneurship.”
“We hope that more people will become excited and join us,” Bacchiocchi said. “Because sacred work happens everywhere God’s people are.”
More photos are available here.
Stanton Witherspoon is a freelance writer based in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
