The countdown to Gladstone Camp Meeting is on and the Oregon Conference team is working hard to finish confirming speakers, plan the week’s special events, and prepare the campgrounds for the thousands of camp meeting-goers that are excitedly planning their camp meeting experiences.
With that in mind, we want to give you an update on how things are coming together this year and what you can expect during the week of July 14-18 on the Gladstone Park campus.
This Year’s Theme
This year’s theme, The Word for All People, celebrates the 500th anniversary of the of the New Testament being printed in English by William Tyndale. Watch for some special performances throughout the week of camp meeting. We’ll learn the story of William Tyndale, why that printed New Testament was important then, and why the story still matters today.
Speakers
This year’s speaker list is filling out fast now with some great topics planned. Our weekday evening speaker in the Gladstone Pavilion this year will be Pastor Andreas Beccai from the Crosswalk Redlands Church in California. On Sabbath, we will be blessed to hear from NAD President G. Alexander Bryant, who will be sharing for both the Sabbath morning worship service and the evening program. Walla Walla University professor Paul Dybdahl will be doing our Sabbath morning lesson study. This year’s seminar speakers include: Andreas & Cassandre Beccai, Kevin Wilson, Brant Berglin, Kessia Reyne Bennett, Jim John, George Gainer, Katelyn Weakley, Billy Hungate, and Jim Reynolds.
Events
When it comes to special events, we’re really excited about a few returning events and a couple new ones as well!
Last year, people loved being able to peruse the piles and boxes of used books in air conditioned comfort, and Keeper-of-the-Books, Jim McMurray, loved be able to keep the books safe and protected from elements at night with just the turn of a key, so this year, you’ll once again find the used book sale in Zull Hall.
Other events that are coming back this year include the Family Fun Run on Friday, Thursday’s Education Day, the Blood Drive, Veteran’s Recognition, and the Friday morning Women’s Ministry get-together.
We’ll also enjoy another Sabbath afternoon concert this year. This year’s artist will be musician, speaker, and nurse, Tad Worku. Tad is an amazing artist with an amazing story, and we’re excited to be able to bring him to this year’s camp meeting to weave together music and inspiration.
A new event we’re looking forward to will happen Friday afternoon –– an international festival! So many cultures from across the world call our conference home we thought it was high time we celebrated them! Taking the place of last year’s watermelon feed, the International Festival will showcase some of the foods and music of our churches around the conference. Get ready to experience some great flavors and get to know your fellow church members just a little better!
Camping at Camp Meeting
It’s not too late to reserve your campsites for camp meeting! There are still some great spots left and they’ll you put right in the middle of the action for camp meeting week. No driving to and from camp meeting each day, no getting home late at night. Camping during camp meeting week gives you the opportunity to easily attend early morning worships, enjoy late evening talks with friends, and even grab a quick nap after lunch – if needed. You can learn more about camping during camp meeting week and reserve your campsite by visiting www.oregonadventist.org/campsite-reservations.
Volunteering at Camp Meeting
We gotta be honest –– as the days to camp meeting count down our anxiety is going up! We don’t have enough volunteers signed up for camp meeting yet! We’re especially low in our kids’ areas and our shuttle drivers shifts. Volunteering is fun, flexible, and comes with great perks; like free campsite reservations and meals in the cafeteria! Visit our website (www.oregonadventist.org/volunteer) to learn more about the different volunteer areas and how you can sign up.
It’s going to be a great year to make memories at camp meeting! We look forward to seeing you all July 14-18 in Gladstone, Oregon!
