The Consecration service began on May 24, 2019 about 8:00 p.m. in the academy auditorium with a song service led by Mrs. Leisha Westcott, Laurelbrook Elementary School teacher and Laurelbrook Academy choir director (2nd semester), and senior Jissel Perez. Jeremy Westcott, who helped with the music program, accompanied them on the piano. The opening hymn was “I Vow to Thee My Country”.
Rich Sutton, Laurelbrook’s president, welcomed everyone and had the invocation. Maudie Westfall, academy vice-principal for activities, read the scripture reading – Romans 9:28 “For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”
The senior class – Suriel Balleza, Itzel Huerta, Jissel Perez, and Ashley Perez – paid tribute to their parents.
Eldric (sophomore) played his saxophone, accompanied by Feliz (junior) on the piano, for special music.
Pastor Manuel Mendi Zabal from Adventist World Radio gave the consecration address (Pastor Daniel Rodriguez was detained in Chicago by violent rains cancelling his flight). Members of the senior class responded by going one by one to the pulpit, giving their response to the consecration address, and lighting their candles. They stood in line to the left of the platform, Pastor Daniel had the consecration prayer, and the senior class sang “Go Light Your World”.
While Jeremy Westcott played the recessional, members of the class walked off the platform one by one, lit the juniors’ candles, and walked out with lighted candle to the auditorium porch. As each junior’s candle was lit, he/she walked out to the porch one by one after lining the aisles until all the seniors were finished with candle lighting. The audience was then dismissed by ushers and went to the porch to congratulate the seniors and juniors on finishing the first stage of Graduation Weekend 2019.
Following are some notes on the consecration address: