Campmeeting is a MUST for anyone who wants to get closer to God!

Once again Campmeeting Time is approaching us in our neck of the woods.

Kenneth Cox is going to be our evening speaker.

Barry Bussey is going to be there with us all week giving us presentations about Religious Liberty Issues in Canada and most likely also beyond the borders ooof Canada.

There will also be other speakers/presenters during the who week of our Maritime Campmeeting which will be held from Friday evening, July 25, 2003 to Saturday evening, August 2, 2003.

We're going to get Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference. In all the planning to get him here, it has been amazing to me to see how tight his schedule is.

Twenty or so years ago (even during the time of Neal Wilson) GC presidents could just "hang out" with students at Adventist Colleges or in the churches. Those days are gone. From what I understand, Dr. Paulsen will fly to Toronto on an "all nighter" for the Sabbath morning service and then be whisked away that very afternoon. A typically busy pastor on the Sabbath, I guess...

I just learned the other day that Joe Pearles will be here singing at our Campmeeting from Wednesday to the end of Campmeeting.

Campmeeting begins this evening!

I don't know if I'm out of place to bring up this situation but campmeeting has become kind of redundant in my mind.

In Oshawa the Oshawa members stay away in droves. It was held away from the school for several years and they didn't attend there either. Most of the attendees are from the Toronto area and distant as far away as Thunder Bay etc.

The programmes are always well presented and appropriate material, but with a minimal attendance. Then sabbath morning and evening the tents are crowded even outside the walls. Luckily this year we had perfect weather. The music is top rate and being able to see our president in person is a special advantage.


Several times this year from the pulpit comments were made as to the mix of nations in the congregation - about 80 percent West Indian and Ghanian immigrants, and the other whites, asians, other mixes. Pastor Paulson said it was like heaven must be, people from everywhere.

I think in the centre of our work in Canada we get so many guest speakers, so much good music, we are able to watch so many good videos, good satalite downloads that the tradition of going to a tent at a certain weekend in the summer has lost its relevance.

The local people find it hard to park and crowded to attend and don't want to take a day off work (Heaven forbid)! Possibly a blessing is missed, or maybe we are too much blessed the rest of the year!

I placed a copy of this same topic here for continued discussion here on what BELLE has posted.

As has become our custom, we attended the Michigan campmeeting in June this year, and the people are coming in droves. On the weekends there were over 4000 people in attendance, especially the last weekend when Doug Batchelor spoke. I learned that his book, The Richest Caveman was being read by people in the nearby town and that those people had decided to attend the meetings to hear him speak. The crowds were so great, that they had overflow into the academy chapel and into the cafeteria. People showed up an hour early to get seats in the auditorium.

People have learned that there is a rich spiritual feast spread at the Michigan campmeeting and hungry souls come from far and near to feast and fill up. They had to open another camping area for the crowds that came this year. They had more requests for rooms and camp sites than they could provide for. It shows that people still want to hear the truth. I could go anywhere and listen to the ungodly music that calls itself Christian, and listen to what is at best "pleasant truth" sermons, and at worst, truth mixed with error. I will gladly drive by my local conference campmeeting on my way to Michigan where I will hear "present truth!"

We had Lewis Walton the first weekend, and Randy Skeete during the week. I had never heard Randy Skeete before, but I would go to hear him again. He is a man who believes the truth and isn't afraid to preach the truth. Those interested in hearing him can get his tapes through American Cassette Ministries (as well as all the sermons from Michigan this year).

We also had a most excellent Campmeeting, the best one of all so far according to many.

We had the Ken Cox Team here with Ken Cox himself giving us the evening meetings speaking on Christ and His Sanctuary going along with our Campmeeting Theme, That We Might Be Sealed.

Joe Pearles was also here at the request of the Ken Cox Team along with Dona and Gordon Kline along with another musical couple who's names escapes me at this time.

Ken Cox also conducted a Video Witnessing Seminar during the week.

I also feel that it was one of the best, if not the best, campmeeting we ever had.

Daryl,

I miss those Pugwash campmeetings.
Did you get a chance to listen to Nicole at all? I suggested she take a course through the church on nutrition,etc. It looks like she took me up on it.

How was the youth tent this year? I heard Richard ? , I think he was from New Minus, NS isn't attending anymore. We were always night watchmen buddies.

Anyway, talk to you later. I saw Mike Lowe a few months ago when he took a group up Mt. Ranier- we just met at the airport for a little while.

Richard


Nicole Thorsteinson
Lifestyle Consultant and Fitness Instructor
Charlottetown, PEI

Did I get a chance to hear Nicole?

Did she speak at our Campmeeting?

I ask as she didn't speak in the Auditorium, and I attended most of the meetings there including the one on health.

The Youth Tent went as well as usual, however, it seems like the youth attendance is lower than previous years.