8/30/23: Church Camp

Linda Bailey and Kari Gies really know how to put on a Camp! Almost 50 of us gathered at Mountain Lakes Bible Camp under clear blue skies and pleasant summer temps. What a relief! Camp meals were provided by two lovely ladies in the dining hall. There were games, swimming, water sliding, ropes, bocce ball, corn hole, croquet. There was singing, background music while David King-Gabriel and Charles Holdaway jammed, conversation, and plenty of relaxing.

We celebrated Sergei Tatarenko’s birthday with a cake that Anya brought. Their kids had a very happy time, as did a few other kids.

Paul Seymour gave a keynote talk, dividing us into groups who differed in how we think about change—(to simplify) Conservers who hold to the status quo, Pragmatists who look for opportunity for incremental improvement, and the Explorers who are willing to go all out for radical change when it is called for. In light of our church’s recent journey, it is interesting to consider our own tolerance for change and working with others with different tolerance, as we develop better relationships and work on communication, under Karen’s guidance.

There were several workshops to choose from for the afternoon, from art with Dorothy Brooks, to Justice & Witness roundtable with Ellen Craine, to nature walk with Linda Bailey. I know there were a few others—forgive me for not remembering it all! And we ended it all with worship with Pastor Fred Sunday morning, where we dug deeper into the Parable of the midnight caller.