When it ended on August 3, the Western Slope Camp Meeting, which brought some 275 participants to the Mountain Top Retreat, near Montrose, concluded with more than memories. 

  “Being here was a mountaintop experience for me,” said one of the participants from a local church. This year’s theme was “Reaching Others For Jesus,” and it spiritually enriched Seventh-day Adventists who came to meet their fellow members from area churches.

  For Fritz Krieger, a pastor of Montrose Adventist Church,  this year’s camp meeting was the last he was involved as a pastor. Nate Skaife, pastor of Grand Junction congregation was the organizer of the gathering. Krieger believes that, church members “need to come apart from their regular activities periodically to renew their spiritual life.”

  “I think this camp meeting provided an opportunity for people to hear topics essential to their faith,” he added.

  The principal speaker for the gathering was Dr. Rodney Palmer, a professor of religion at Andrews University, who challenged all participants to be workers for Jesus, willing for God to use them to bring one person to Jesus this year.

  With great passion, Pastor Nestor Soriano, associate pastor at the Campion Church, presented afternoon seminars that aimed to help church members to understand how many non-Christians think when they hear Christian believers presenting the good news of Jesus. 

  Dr. Don Nicolay, a well-known surgeon from Boulder, and more recently vice president for Medical Affairs at Grand Junction ’s Community Hospital, together with Dr. DiWayne Carlson, orthopedic trauma specialist, and a “big believer” in lifestyle medicine, discussed the roles of traditional medicine and alternative medicine in the context of heart disease and cancer. 

  Young adults and enjoyed their meetings and activities as well – learning the importance of health in their young lives, and how much of a treasure Jesus is.

    In addition to spoken presentations, the camp meeting participants planned and enjoyed many other activities. Many individuals participated in guided hikes, motorcycle/ATV riding, jeeping, boating & tubing, as well as the retreat’s zip line and water slide. Each year, more/different programming and activities will be included.

   “Plan to put Western Slope Camp Meeting on your calendar for next year, August 5-9, 2020! This is an uplifting and refreshing event for the whole family,” said Nate Skaife. 

—Grand Junction Church Newsletter with Rajmund Dabrowski; photos by Ron Johnson and Rajmund Dabrowski