Connections Archive

Christel Price
Public relations editorial intern

I sat in Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church on Friday evening and watched as it filled with students who had come for another dose of the bi-annual Festival of Faith.

Daniela Brown, leader of Student Associated Ministries, coordinated the "Court in His Presence"-themed week. "The purpose of Festival of Faith is to corporately come together to enhance private worship," she says.

So, did it fulfil its purpose? How have students reacted to this college tradition? And how did it compare to previous Festivals of Faith? I asked a number of students, ranging from those experiencing Festival of Faith for the first time to those graduating this year.

"I went to all the meetings; I thought they were awesome," says Elisha Davey, a second-year Bachelor of Education (primary) student. "I enjoyed the variety of music and I liked how the speaker, Dick Duerksen, explained the sanctuary; it's not a topic that people go into. He had a wealth of knowledge, and he put it in terms I could understand."
First-year Bachelor of Education (primary) students Ashlea Delaney and Bethany Pitt agreed Dick spoke well. "I liked how he talked about Jesus and about His love for us," says Ashlea. They added that although they enjoyed the music, there needed to be more of it.

Amelia Bottrell, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching student, says Dick simplified complex theology. "He made the concept of sanctuary applicable to my life."

Although most students enjoyed Dick's presentations, at least one thought differently. "I didn't connect with what he was saying," says Tiff Black, a second-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching student.

William Iererua, a second-year Bachelor of Theology/Bachelor of Ministry student, says Festival of Faith felt more organised this year compared to this past year, with more direction as a whole. "It was great to see a range of people doing the music, special items and dramas and a good opportunity to get to know different students."

Some 128 of those attending on Friday evening responded to Dick's call, with 64 requesting Bible studies and 11 baptism.

Caption: Avondale College students Sarita Stuart (left) and Lauren Southern (right) hand in completed commitment forms at the end of Festival of Faith.
Credit: Ann Stafford