Cover Stories: In The Spotlight:
Faith & Practice: A Fresh Look East Richland: Summer Celebration 2000
 
 
 
 


 
East Richland Evangelical Friends Church in St. Clairsville, Ohio recently held an outreach activity at Barkcamp State Park on August 4,5, and 6. Many activities were planned to involve both our church attenders and the local campers.

The Outreach Commission's objectives for the "Summer Celebration 2000" event were to reveal God's love to Christians and non-Christians, to create closer and newer friendships in Christ, and mainly to spread the salvation message to others. This was done in a nonthreatening environment where people responded with ease.

A committee of 60 people organized various activities for all age levels. The weekend started with a large campfire which attracted children and adults into making hot dogs and s'mores. As they sat and enjoyed these campfire treats, Jerry Wenger, our associate pastor, and several guitarists sang praise songs that could be heard at the surrounding campsites. The smell of popcorn also brought people to the camp amphitheater area where the "Jesus " movie was shown by Marty Ertel, our youth pastor. Even though the cool night air made people huddle under blankets in lawn chairs, we could still fee the warmth of Jesus loving us so much that He died on the cross for our sins to be forgiven. Two hundred fifty people heard the salvation message that night.

Saturday's events involved fun activities for the whole family and campers. These activities included a golf outing, kiddy koral, watermelon seed spitting contest, children's relays, horseshoe tournament, fishing tournament, bike decorating contest, scavenger hunt, health screening, and pie baking contest. If people didn't participate in these various activities, they socialized under the big top (a 40' x 80' tent). At 6:00 hamburgs and hot dogs were grilled and the church people provided covered dishes which served 550 people, many of whom were non-Christian campers. The 54 pies from the pie baking contest and vanilla ice cream made delicious desserts. The evening ended with a concert. Ron Retzer sang a variety of songs, which attracted many people walking by the tent to stop and listen. Again, the word of God was heard through laughter, food, and song.

Even with rain and wind Sunday morning, it didn't stop the production of pancakes, eggs, and sausage for the line of hungry campers. We were thankful for the cover of the big top. To conclude our Summer Celebration 2000 weekend, 180 people listened to a sermon entitled, ?Whosoever.? No matter who we are, we need Jesus and all we have to do is ask Him to come into our hearts.

This will be a weekend that many people won't forget. It was a success because God's presence was felt. What a celebration!