By Anna Olson

 

Richmond's special meetings began on Friday, February 15, with Reverend Bob Bishop from Yakima, Washington as our guest speaker. His wife, Brenda, was also here and blessed us with her piano playing. The theme of our meetings was “GPS: God's Positioning System,” with a sub-title of “Get Positioned Spiritually.” To go along with the theme, the church was decorated with outdoor items like maps, guide books, compasses, flowers, and even a sextant from the Lower Light, which was a nautical vessel used for missionary work by the Apostolic Faith organization in Alaska during the 1950s.

The first service included music from the Richmond choir and orchestra, a combined youth choir, and specials from Sacramento and Woodlake. Reverend Bishop preached, using Genesis 3:8-10 as his text. He reminded us that Adam and Eve were trying to hide from God's presence, but He knew exactly where they were, just as He knows where we are.

On Saturday, a continental breakfast was served and then we met together in the sanctuary for two devotionals. Mark Jones, from Eureka, gave the first one about having a good spiritual foundation. He brought out that we need to have a spiritual toolbox to maintain our spiritual foundation and building. We also have to keep our spiritual tools in good working order so we can stay effective in the Gospel. Next, Reverend Joe Bishop, from Woodlake, spoke on following God's directions, tying his thoughts to the Google Earth website and the use of a handheld GPS unit. He used a humorous example of finding Hilltop Drive in Richmond (the address of our church) on a Google Earth map; the problem was it was on the East Coast, not here in California . He went on to point out that just like using a map, we need to have a spiritual starting point (salvation), a destination (Heaven), and check-points along the way (the Scriptures) to make sure we are going the right direction.

Following the devotional, we had more time for fellowship during an indoor picnic of salads, chips, fruit, and barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs. The rest of Saturday was “free time” for people to take it easy or go sight-seeing around the Bay Area.

On Sunday morning, the sanctuary was full for our Sunday school opening exercises. We enjoyed hearing music from the youth orchestra and had fun playing the game, “Are You Smarter than Your Sunday School Teacher?” before going to class. The Sunday morning service was filled with God's presence and included more wonderful music as we praised the Lord. Reverend Bishop preached about moving forward spiritually and finishing what we start, using 2 Corinthians 8:10 as his text. He pointed out that we need to be obedient to God and prepared for His service, and challenged us to hold nothing back from Him.

The Sunday evening service concluded our weekend of special meetings. We enjoyed hearing more good music and hearing testimonies of victory. In his sermon about Jonah, Reverend Bishop reminded us that we all have a call on our lives and we need to answer yes, rather than running from it. The altar service was especially blessed as people sought the Lord and rededicated their lives to Him.