Spirit West Coast a special event with spiritual emphasis

By JUDY ERICKSON

What do you get when you assemble near the beach 60-70 cutting-edge musical artists and bands on multiple stages, a dozen popular speakers, a skate park, a petting zoo, comedians and marketplace exhibits? For all that, Spirit West Coast looks on the surface like a special event, but director Jon Robberson bills his brain child a spiritual event.

“We’ve always used the term a spiritual event because it’s how we view it,” said Robberson, 52, who has promoted Christian concerts for 25 years. “We want people to know us as a spiritual event.”

“Behind the window dressings, the bells and whistles, when you look beyond all the entertainment and the high powered sound equipment, on the very next level you can see peoples’ lives being changed,” Robberson said.

Coming for the first time to Southern California May 29-31, Spirit West Coast - Del Mar will follow the format of its mother event, in its eighth year this July in Monterey. Robberson said he started his original mega-concert because “it needed to be done.”

“There are a lot of people impacted,” Robberson added. “There are a lot of people who could be reached for the Lord. It was a ministry opportunity laid before us.”

Robberson treasures anecdotes of folks whose lives have been changed at Spirit West Coast Monterey, and expects no less of the event this month in Del Mar.

A few years ago, the festival office hired a middle-aged “soccer mom” who had previously attended her first Spirit West Coast only to learn that her main-line church was not teaching her the truth about Jesus Christ and personal salvation. She came for the music, but soon was hearing the gospel presented like she’d never heard before. She accepted Jesus as her Savior, went home and changed churches to a Bible-teaching church.

“Very interesting spiritual things happen,” said Robberson, who counts on a lot of people getting saved, rededicating their lives to Christ, and setting aside perpetual sins they just couldn’t seem to shake. The festival also witnesses marriages being restored, friendships being renewed, and forgiveness flowing on the human level and from the Lord. Robberson envisions that of the roughly 20,000 people attending the Spirit West Coast - Monterey, each has his or her own spiritual journey going on. “God has something for them - forgiveness, victory, renewal, healing, physically, spiritually and mentally,” Robberson said. “Whatever things God can do in lives, he can do because he’s there!”

Encouragement on many, many levels is another big thing that people need, according to Robberson. “If God’s going to work in anyone’s life it takes two things - a time and a place. Spirit West Coast becomes the time and place for God to do something. The theme for both the Del Mar and Monterey festivals is “Mission Possible.” Whatever you need God to do in your life, it is possible.”

The emphasis throughout the programming at the festivals is on the gospel. “We’re about the Gospel,” Robberson said. “We’re pro-Jesus.”

Between 200 and 500 people accept Christ every year at Spirit West Coast. At each of the 15-plus altar calls planned, even at the skate park, event planners expect between 200 and 300 people to make life changing decisions.

“It’s a very unique experience,” Robberson said. “It’s a combination crusade, retreat, youth camp, seminar, conference and Promise Keepers all in one. The event has many elements of a crusade, including preaching, altar calls, music and testimonies.”

Robberson said that the speakers he has lined up carry most of the spiritual water at the event. Former San Diego Chargers football player Miles McPherson will speak Friday night. Bob Lenz will lead the missions focus on Saturday night, and Josh McDowell will speak on Sunday. Other well-known speakers include actor Kirk Cameron, media expert Al Menconi, and Justin Lookadoo, who will speak to teens.

Many of the 50-some people on Robberson’s leadership team live in San Diego and some donate many hours to make Spirit West Coast possible. “To the leadership team it’s not always personally about our favorite music,” Robberson said. “It’s personal about the cause of Jesus Christ and His life-changing Gospel.”