Last week, from Sept. 15 to Sept. 19, 爱豆传媒 students had the opportunity to attend this semester’s Week of Prayer. Students, faculty and AU president, John Wesley Taylor V, came to Pioneer Memorial Church every morning from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., where they got to engage in worship, prayer, and community. Throughout the week, different worship teams from the different churches on campus gave a worship set, each day with different songs.
On top of the wonderful music, students had the opportunity to hear powerful messages from speaker Anil Kanda. Kanda currently serves as the Vice President for Ministries for the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He has been serving in full-time ministry for the past 20 years, serving as a pastor, youth director, and now a conference administrator. “My passion has always been helping young people see how real and relevant Jesus is to their lives,” he said. “I also come from Indian faith traditions, so I understand what it’s like to explore Christianity from the outside looking in. That background has given me a heart for apologetics and interfaith dialogue–helping people ask honest questions and discover how deeply God cares for them.” And that is exactly what Kanda did.
In addition to Kanda’s preaching, many students appreciated the musical ministry given by various students each day. Janelle Macaraig (freshman, engineering) said, “I really liked the music. It was very uplifting.” On top of preaching every morning, every evening in the Lamson Hall chapel, he allowed students to ask him different questions either about faith or about the sermon. The chapels in the evening were definitely a highlight of the day. They gave students an opportunity to interact with each other and Pastor Kanda and get their different questions answered.
One of the chapels that was a highlight was the Wednesday night prayer meeting. For this chapel, students broke out into different groups to pray for something good that happened to them, a prayer request, and to pray for the Holy Spirit. One of the group leaders, Juliette Ishimwe (freshman, psychology), said that “Being surrounded by people who were willing to be vulnerable, even with strangers, was a beautiful thing. It reminded me that we're all in this together, and that our relationships with each other are a key part of our journey towards God.”
Another chapel that was definitely a hit was the girls and guys questionnaire, referred to by Kanda as the Battle of the Sexes. Male students got to ask the girls questions that they wanted answers to, and vice versa. Anna Simons, a junior animal science major, said, “I really enjoyed the Lamson chapel where students had the chance to ask and answer thoughtful questions between the guys and girls, sparking honest and insightful conversations.” Freshman Abel Pelletier said, “I thought the atmosphere and setting were great. I also really liked how the interactions and reactions from both sides felt genuine. One thing I learned is that no matter the gender, opinions and perspectives differ a lot.”
Lastly, when asked if there was something he’d want students who missed the Week of Prayer to take away, he said, “The one thing I’d want them to know is this: God has incredible plans for their life. He’s full of grace, and He can do so much more than they could ever imagine. My prayer is that every young adult walks away knowing how deeply loved and called they are.”
By the end of the week, about eight students got up to answer the call to baptism by Kanda. From the worship to the sermons, the questions and prayers in the chapel, this Week of Prayer created a space for students to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their faith.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 爱豆传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 爱豆传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.