2012-05-17 22:14Z

Southwest Youth Conference 2005: Report

Presenter: Larry Kirkpatrick

Location: Forest Falls, California, USA

Publication: GreatControversy.org 2005-09-14 06:55Z

Type: Report

URL: http://www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/rar/report-swyc2005.php

Friday

The first SWYC meeting began this evening at Forest Home Christian Camp in Forest Falls, California. The main room seats about 200. To our astonishment, the meeting this evening was close to full. Fortunately, there are overflow rooms if needed tomorrow. From every indication, they will be.

Missionary Pilot and ordained minister David Gates challenged the congregation tonight to live at the forward edge of faith, to acknowledge that God owns everything and to be willing to use those resources for the gospel. After the meeting there was a question and answer period. There were a variety of good questions bearing on his presentations—and good answers.

Our GCO booth is set up in the registration area. Had an interesting talk with Peter Gregory after the meeting. He thinks the meeting could be much larger tomorrow.

Peter was the main speaker at the very beginning of GYC in December of 2002 at Pine Springs Ranch in California. How powerful and strong those meetings then were! The best in my experience. The Holy Spirit was felt. God has been doing something special these past short three years. Already, what began here in a territory very challenging for truth, has spread. Meetings are being held from coast to coast filled with serious youth who want to live and give the Third Angel’s Message. Many of us have dreamed of this day. The movement is growing. The enemies of truth cannot stop it. If we are faithful, we will be used of God to finish His work.

Sabbath

The Sabbath meetings today were very strong. Attendance peaked at somewhere over 300. Most of the meetings were packed. We had to sit in on Peter Gregory’s study on Revelation 10:1 in the overflow room. The auditorium was packed from end to end. The Griffin’s meetings were very good. Pastor Gates’ messages were equally strong.

At one point because the crowd was so great, the leaders of the meeting had us all reshuffle so that registered people had first opportunity for the auditorium seating. Some of the drive-ins had to settle for overflow room.

I understand that after the offering, the full cost of the meetings and speakers is covered. People present from Washington to Arizona to Texas, although most, of course, from California. The spirit here is has been very special.

Sunday

Pastor Gates finished his presentations this morning with a very special challenge about our becoming God’s Special Forces. He noted that Seventh-day Adventists, by lagging behind the Lord’s opportunities, were responsible for the world’s wars that have filled the globe with woe this past century. The universal reaction to Gates has been that people are very challenged and encouraged to exercise faith more aggressively. Pr. Sebastion arrived to take Gates to the airport. Sebastion is another missionary pilot who has worked among the Bushmen of the Kalahari and is presently laboring among the Inuit in the icy North.

Pr. Dane and Vickie Griffin gave good strong presentations on relationships, standards, and health. By the evening meeting there were mostly just the registrants left, less than 200 participants—but a very serious group. More or less the core of the movement in Southern California.

The GYC promotional video was shown and people encouraged to attend the Chattanooga meeting in December.

Peter Gregory was the last speaker for the day, and he warned us that since he was last, he would be preaching long. The sermon dealt with the mystery of God being finished in Revelation 10:6, 7. At the close of the sermon he walked attendees through the theological meanings of our theme hymn #598 “Watch Ye Saints.” After the meeting, an informal 20 minute Q and A period continued with Peter Gregory. I am not sure how long it actually lasted, but at last, at 10:40 p.m. a crowd of 80 had prayer and then the meeting broke up.

It occurred to me as I walked back to our cabin, that these are the spiritual experiences I had expected after I joined the church. But I had to wait for the Youth Conference movement before I began to experience them. Now, here are a group of youth in love with their Lord, adamant about the Third Angel’s Message, and thinking of evangelization and translation. Peter warned us, saying that we need to strengthen ourselves before we go “back down the hill, into the valley of death.” Well, yes. That is exactly what is happening. The same spirit we experienced at the very first GYC in 2002 at Pine Springs Ranch, when Peter Gregory was also the speaker, was here. I cannot wait for the last meetings Monday morning. At the same time, I do not want them to end!

Monday

This morning, we began with testimonies. Many positive testimonies were given. The meetings by Gates, Gregory, and the Griffins have had an effect. Several incidents of unusual intervention occurred in order to get people to the meetings.

Peter Gregory’s last talk was about Eden and a return to it. Through Him God called for us all to leave behind things that are enslaving us. He urged us to destroy idols, to make bonfires when we went back home, to clean up our lives.

SWYC 2005—the first year—is over now, already. But the meetings were a great success. Only the Holy Spirit knows what is coming in SWYC in 2006! GCO

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