Sacramento Special Meetings

September 25-27, 2009

Special meetings were held at the Apostolic Faith Church in Sacramento, California, the weekend of September 25-27, and many visitors attended from branch churches on the West Coast. It was said that if one wanted to find a seat, they had better arrive early because of the crowd.

The guest speaker was Reverend Pete Sferle, originally from Sacramento, and now pastoring the church in Dallas, Oregon. The focus for the weekend was the question, “Who Will Go?” The Friday evening service began with a rousing orchestra selection, followed by a number from the choir. In addition to the exceptional music, the testimonies were victorious! Reverend Sferle preached on the harvest of souls being white and ready to be brought in, and he asked the congregation what they were doing to reach lost souls. He brought out that approximately 150,000 people go into eternity every day, and he challenged those in attendance to make every effort to reach the unsaved around them. After a time of prayer, everyone was invited to partake of refreshments and fellowship. All agreed that the full evening of worship, drawing closer to God, and fellowshipping with God’s people was a great way to start the special weekend.

During the Saturday morning devotional, Reverend Mark Staller, pastor of the church in Tehachapi, California, challenged the attendees to consider themselves as preachers and evangelists. His handout listed thirty different ways a Christian can explain the good news of salvation using Scriptural support. Reverend Staller then asked everyone to break into pairs and select one of the thirty suggestions and practice telling someone about God’s plan of salvation!

There was a youth rally Saturday evening featuring great musical specials, congregational singing, and testimonies. Peter Sletmoe, a minister from Grants Pass, Oregon, encouraged the young people to be courageous in standing up for the Lord. He shared a personal experience of a difficult time in his life and how the Lord brought him through with the victory. What an encouragement it was to hear that God has a divine purpose and plan for each one!

On Sunday morning, the numerous orchestra members were challenged to find enough space on the platform, and the congregation expanded into the prayer room. Many representatives from branch churches were in attendance, as well as a number of visitors from the local communities. The orchestra energetically played “You Are Crowned with Many Crowns,” followed by a medley of “Are You Washed In the Blood?” and “Glory to His Name,” arranged by David Mixer from Sacramento.

Reverend Sferle’s message exhorted the congregation to not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that he had asked to use an empty conference room in the motel where he and his family were staying for the weekend, and the management questioned why he wanted to use it. He recognized this as an opportunity to stand up for the Gospel, and he explained that he wanted to spend some time alone with the Lord. He concluded his message by encouraging those in attendance to be bold in representing the Gospel at school, work, and anywhere else they may be.

By evening many of the visitors had departed, but a large delegation from the Richmond, California church was present for the service. The Sacramento musical ensemble got the service off to a great start with a medley of “I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy” and “Crying Holy Unto the Lord.” In his message, Reverend Sferle used Exodus 3:11 for his text, where Moses responded to God’s call by saying “Who am I?” Reverend Sferle said that, like Moses, many will make excuses when God asks them to do something, but God’s call does not change. He assured the congregation that God’s grace is sufficient to accomplish whatever He requires, and a Christian’s responsibility is to be faithful and willing to follow His call.  

Throughout the weekend, those who attended Sacramento’s special meetings enjoyed the wonderful food, fellowship, and dwelling in the Lord’s presence as many received a special touch during the altar services. Now it is harvest time, and the challenge of “Who Will Go” still remains. The hope is that many will answer “Here am I; send me.”