There’s a van parked outside Upper Columbia (Wash.) Academy’s front campus promptly at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Four students get in and the van drives off. Then at 7:45 a.m., another group of youth get in another van and drive off. Another two groups go out at 8 a.m. Why are students awake, dressed and ready so early on a Saturday? Where is everyone going?
Before most of the students at UCA are even awake, select groups of students have left on UCA’s first-ever area church service day, a special Sabbath set aside to focus on serving other churches in the community. The four groups that left early went to Orient Adventist Fellowship, Othello, Grand Coulee and Moses Lake, Washington Adventist churches respectively. The UCA band left at 9:30 to perform the worship service at South Hill Church in Spokane, Wash. In all, 92 students participated in this event.
As part of the service day, students participated in all aspects of the church services, including giving the sermon in several cases. They also led the song service, gave children’s stories and led prayer. Ashley Cuber, UCA student, who read scripture for the service at Grand Coulee Adventist Church, says, “I thought it was a great opportunity for students to be involved in church even if that wasn’t their usual home church.”
Joe Hess, UCA marketing and recruiting director, says, “It’s kind of a God thing that they came up with this idea last year. It’s important to me to get out to all the conference churches because they have taken on a huge financial burden to help students come to UCA. I feel that it’s something we owe them because of what they have done for UCA. If they can see the students get up in front of their church and lead the service and show a little of what we do at UCA, it will show them that their help is very appreciated and has not gone to waste.”
Melina Maniscalco speaks at the Grand Coulee (Wash.) Church.
UCA students conduct the song service.
