Family Festival Features Aviator, College President

Jon Dybdahl, Walla Walla College president, challenged Upper Columbia Conference Family Fellowship Festival attendees to “love one another as Christ loved.”

Dybdahl keynoted the annual conference-wide convocation, held at Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle, Wash., Nov. 8 and 9, 2002.

“If we are in Jesus Christ’s family, then every person in the world is our brother or sister. But we can’t truly love others without experiencing God’s love—a relationship with Him,” said Dybdahl.

On Friday night, missionary David Gates spoke about the real power of the Holy Spirit to provide for all needs.

“If there is no money to operate your ministry, that’s not your problem, it’s God’s problem,” said the missionary aviator.

“There are times when we have run out of money to fly the planes,” Gates said of his ministry in Central America.

“When that happens, I tell everybody to stop the program and pray. What always happens is, a few days later, the money is there. He always provides the resources for the job He asks us to do.”

On Sabbath morning, Richie and Timi Brower, church planters in Spokane, Wash., led the general Sabbath school lesson.

“We are responsible to warn the lost about God’s soon return,” said Richie Brower, “but we are not responsible for what they do with that message. That’s God’s responsibility in the process.”

Sabbath afternoon featured another presentation by Gates and a concert by Joedy and Judy Melashenko, associate speakers and directors of youth ministries for The Quiet Hour broadcast ministry.

Featured in: January 2003

Author