Pastor Anil Kanda Speaks on ‘Passions’ for PUC’s Week of Worship

Pacific Union College held its Week of Worship from October 7-11, with guest speaker Pastor Anil Kanda. He is the Youth and Young Adults Director for the Central California Conference and host of Hope at Night, a late night show that seeks to answer questions about God and life through interviews.

Kanda was raised Hindu with a Seik background in Orange County by his parents, who immigrated from Punjab, India. As a young adult, he committed his life to the Lord after meeting a Seventh-day Adventist.

Kanda titled his Week of Worship message "God's Passion." He talked about the passion God wants His people to have, the passion He gives, and His own passion—emphasizing no one is busier or more active than God while caring about each individual as if they are the only person He created.

Kanda shared his belief that God communicates with His people by assuring them He sees them, understands their hearts, and knows them intimately. He encouraged the congregation to embrace this message during the Week of Worship.

Before each message, PUC SA Religious Vice President Leila Beltran enthusiastically welcomed students, interacting with them on stage and getting them excited to worship. She was joined by a group of students leading out praise to start each service.

Kanda closed the week talking about talents and what God has given to each person. He brought up the parable in Matthew 25, where a master gave several talents to his workers. These workers were to take these talents, trade them into the marketplace, produce revenue, and bring them back to their master.

“Talents are something God has entrusted for you and me,” said Kanda. “It’s for the service of the church and to bring glory to God and for the good of humanity.” He went on to say that every person has been given a unique talent—a talent for speech, music, healing, leadership, communication, and so on. “A talent is more than just an ability—it can be a resource God has given to you in this life,” he continued. “Talents are God’s gifts to us; what we do with them is our gift to Him.”

No matter the topic of his message, Kanda reminded students and faculty to have open ears and hearts and pray for God to give His wisdom, understanding, and clarity to understand His plans for their lives.

Many students accepted Kanda’s invitation to pray and seek counsel with him. "Many of them arranged times to meet with me, and I was really moved by their openness and hunger for a deeper spiritual understanding,” he said. “It was inspiring to see how eager they are to explore their faith.”

“It was also a blessing to get to know students from such diverse cultural and faith backgrounds,” shared Kanda. “It’s a powerful reminder that we’re all on this journey together, navigating life, faith, and everything in between. I'm grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside them, even for just a short time.”

Kanda also mentioned the fantastic lead of PUC Campus Chaplain Arturo Lopez and Beltran on campus. He was thankful to them for organizing this Week of Worship and the impact it made on him and the college.

"I had an amazing time at PUC!" shared Kanda. "I was truly blessed by the students' engagement and their enthusiasm for spiritual conversations. It was wonderful to spend time not only speaking with the students but also connecting with the staff."

PUC was blessed to have Kanda accept the invitation to speak at the college and connect with the students.