Countdown to Summer Festival
This church takes family camp to the extreme and affects the entire community.
Warren Bird
January 1, 2006
For many churches, event planning during the winter months is primarily about indoor happenings in well-heated buildings. At New Heights Church in Vancouver, Washington (www.newheights.org), people are thinking far beyond the winter chill. By January of each year, they are making plans for Summer Festival, a 16-day experience that occurs each August. It's like an extreme Vacation Bible School that involves everyone. Summer Festival takes the entire church to the entire community. In 2005 Summer Festival included 52 different events, more than 30 off campus, ranging from mini-golf to motorcycle outings, from garden tours to guided tours in a children's museum. A few, like a 10K, 5K, and kids' race for the homeless, involve corporate sponsors, but most are free or of minimal charge. A few require a full day, such as a hike up Mt. Rainier or a trail bike adventure, but most last an hour or so, such as a lesson in line dancing or a game of Frisbee golf at a local park. "Our goal is to provide dozens of ways to connect with friends, new and old," says pastor Matt Hannan. "One of God's finest gifts to us is each other." Each activity is carefully planned to make it easy for church people to invite family and friends. "We try to help everyone find more than one activity that fits them," says Hannan. The event, inaugurated in 2000, kicks off on a Saturday and ends with an "Under One Sky" outdoor worship service. "The whole experience, especially the final event, flows out of our mission to find, enfold, and heal those who are lost or disconnected from church," says Paul MacLurg, executive pastor. "One of our core values is to love and accept people where they are, using a language they can understand. We want Summer Festival to convince ...
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