August 2012

Volume 41

Issue 8

Sermon Series 1

Three Worship Services!

1

WNL Kickoff 1

Live for Christ Pastor Karl

2

Live, Grow, Serve Courses

2

Fellowship 3

Father & Son Olympics BBQ

3

Young At Heart 3

Women’s Ministry

3

Hymn Sing 3

DivorceCare 3

Growth 4

Order of Service & Program Info

5

Missions 6-7

Children’s Pursuit Ministry

8

Teens’ Collide Ministry

9

SHINE Dinner Theatre

9

Calendar 10

Servant Teams 10

Beginning August 5, we will be moving forward with the vision to extend our Worship Services to 3 different times and styles! Each service will include different elements that more effectively minister to God’s family at Gateway and reach out to our community. Take advantage of this great opportunity to invite friends, family, and neighbors to the service that best reflects their expression of love for the Lord. See page 5 for the order of the services and the corresponding program info.

What happens when you are with JESUS? He is, after all, the most famous person in all of human history. Millions of people have fought and surrendered in His name. He has inspired more songs, more artwork, more literature, and more debate than anyone who has ever lived. Even our daily schedules hang on a calendar based on His life. Love, hate, or indifference, Jesus changes the course of any conversation...and the course of our lives. Invite your friends and family this month to discover the wonderful things that can happen when we are with Jesus.

8/05/12 Worship Happens With Jesus / Karl Schad, Senior Minister 8/12/12 Community Happens With Jesus / Dr. Ladd Haverly, Executive Pastor 8/19/12 Mission Happens With Jesus / Karl Schad, Senior Minister 8/26/12 Baptism Sunday / New Life Happens With Jesus / Karl Schad, Senior Minister

Our Wednesday Night Life program starts in a big way on August 22, with a kickoff event for the entire family! We will have dinner and fellowship together from 5:30-8:00 pm (no childcare provided for this all-family evening). The teens will also kick off COLLIDE with a special event that night — see the COLLIDE Student Ministry page for more details.

Classes for all ages begin the following week on August 29. Not sure where to plug in? See the synopsis on page 3 or pick up the Wednesday Night Life brochure at the information desk in the Crossection.

There are two specific areas of ministry opportunity for you to consider ahead of time: the rotating WNL cook teams and our WNL nursery team. If you would like to volunteer for a cook team, contact Carla Browning or Allison Huey; to volunteer for the nursery, please contact the church office.

We are looking forward to a great fall, with great food, fellowship, and discipleship with you!

FOUR EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

It’s always better to “be there” when something special takes place. The power of a shared experience cannot be captured through a secondhand conversation, or watching the event unfold on YouTube. Being present in the moment allows you to say, “I was there when...” The next five weeks will host four events you will not want to miss:

1) New Worship Services Launch / August 5 Three Ways to Worship One Amazing God! The transition to 3 service styles is a Gateway first. We seek to reach more people with the good news of Jesus through new expressions of worship. We encourage you to try all three services!

2) Gateway Kids Rockin’ a VBS Special / August 19 At the end of each summer, Pursuit Kids bring their fun and exciting VBS experience to Big Church. It’s a great day for all your parent / grandparent paparazzi to see your kids leading!

3) Baptism Sunday / August 26 Maybe you or one of your friends have been waiting for the right time to get baptized. If you want to know what it’s all about and why God invites you to do it...Baptism Sunday is your day! We will bring out the Big Pool and invite any who believe and are ready to take this amazing step of faith!

4) Gateway “Youth Sunday” Worship / September 2 Back by popular demand! Collide Teens will bless our church family with their passion for Jesus by leading our worship services. It will be a great day to witness how the Lord is raising up this generation to live, grow, and serve!

So, don’t miss out. Invite someone you care about and show up. You’ll be glad you did!

Live for Jesus, ~Pastor Karl

Sign up in the CROSSECTION for the course that is appropriate for you:

—101 COURSE —201 COURSE

Sunday, September 16—8:30-9:30 am Sunday, August 5—8:30-9:30 am

—301 COURSE

Sunday, October 28—8:30-9:30 am 2

Gateway’s Young at Heart has plans for Saturday, August 25, to travel to Fairmont City, Illinois, to visit another GCC. The similarities, however, end there, since our excursion is to a 105,000 square foot indoor showroom for 150 or so cars. In business since 1999, Gateway Classic Cars is best known as a car dealer but also houses an antique mall in the same complex. Although the showroom primarily displays cars for the purpose of selling them (on consignment for private owners, collectors, estates, etc.), the staff there has assured YAH that our group is welcome to come and say, “I’m just looking” (admission to get in and view the cars is just $2.00).

For those of you at Gateway Christian Church who are oldies but goodies (make that “classics”), meet at the church at 8:30 am on Saturday, August 25. When we are finished with a leisurely stroll through the car showroom, we will go on to Fairview Heights, IL for lunch at the Lotawata Creek Southern Grill, known for its great southern cooking and disregard for “portion control.”

Henry Charles Hodach was born July 14 to Christian and Mandy Hodach. He joins his big sister, Ella. Welcome, Henry!

Gateway’s Father & Son Olympics BBQ will be Saturday, August 18, from 11:00 am-1:30 pm. What country will you represent? Get a team of 6 (various ages) and decide your country—hurry, before your choice of country is taken! Wet and non-wet games planned for all ages and tug-of-war over the pool will be available! All sons are heartily welcome. Sign up by Sunday, Aug 12, at the kiosk behind the information desk in the Crossection, or contact Sonja LaGarce (s.lagarce@sbcglobal.net or 314-205-8897). In order for this event to run smoothly, VOLUNTEERS are needed! Please contact Sonja LaGarce or put your name and contact info on the same sign-up sheet in the Crossection.

Our next Hymn Sing Social is Sunday, August 12, from 6:00-7:30 pm, in Room 210. Come and sing favorite old hymns with us for about an hour. Then we will fellowship with homemade ice cream and desserts you provide. Children are welcome to come and sing along. Join us for a great time of worship and fellowship! If you can help with homemade ice cream, contact Cathy Hartsfield at cjmhartsfield@gmail.com.

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In order to ensure that your college student continues to receive notification of our monthly church newsletter available online, please send their current email address to the church office before August 20. Thank you for helping us encourage your student to stay connected to Gateway.

Beginning August 5, when we move to three worship services, we will also be launching a new class for adults. If you are not currently plugged into a Sunday 3G class, please consider joining H.A.T.S. (HArd Teachings in Scripture) as we use the Bible to tackle fun topics and tough questions. This class will be offered during the 11:00 worship hour in Room #112, with Brian Johnson as the teacher. Pick up an ADULTS brochure at the information desk for details on this and other classes.

Are you struggling with divorce or separation? Find hope through the DivorceCare program, being held on Thursday evenings here at Gateway, now through September 20. We meet from 6:00-8:00 pm. Please share this with anyone you know who needs to find hope and healing from separation or divorce. Contact Paula Reed at stlpaula@gmail.com for more information.

’If you love babies and would like to serve in the church nursery, we would love to have you on Sunday mornings and/or Wednesday nights. Info packets are available; volunteers must be at least 14 years old. Please contact the c h u r c h o f f i c e a t office@gccstl.org for more information or to sign up.

On Monday, August 13, we hope to send a group of eight women to Epworth Center to prepare and eat dinner with children at the Center that evening. The process should last from 5:00 to 9:00 pm; however, advance planning is needed. If you want to be part of this event, please sign up at the kiosk behind the red information desk as soon as possible.

Also remember to SAVE THE DATE of Thursday, September 13, when we Celebrate Women from 6:30-8:00 pm. More details will be shared in the September newsletter.

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Beginning August 29, we have lots to offer on Wednesday nights, no matter who you are or where you are in your Christian walk. It all starts with a great and inexpensive meal, served from 5:30-6:40 pm. For adults, from 7:00-8:00 pm, we will be offering a men’s study, a women’s study, an Old Testament mixed study, a hymn sing class, choir, and more. Our teens COLLIDE from 6:00-8:00 pm, a fun and relevant time of worship, teaching and discussion. There are nursery, preschool, and elementary programs for kids (see details on the children’s page). Please plan to join us!

Healing Heart Counseling Center is available to assist individuals, couples, groups and families to face and overcome life’s greatest challenges and changes.

Contact the center at 314.821.1120 and begin to heal by tending to your heart (calls are strictly confidential; sliding fee scale used).

Worship Sunday School General Fund Special Gifts Missions Bldg/DY2M Fund Total

07/01/12 547 258

$25,566.01 $—

$133.15 $3,049.00

$28,748.16

07/08/12 544 246

$23,092.96 $—

$74.42 $770.00

$23,937.38

07/15/12 543 235

$12,867.67 $—

$30.00 $919.23

$13,816.90

Want to learn more about Gateway?

Come to our next Live for Christ course,

which is an informative course for those

who are considering making Jesus Christ

their Lord and/or making Gateway their

church home.

The next class is offered during the 8:30

am service on Sunday, September 16. A

sign-up sheet is available behind the

information desk in the Crossection.

Any of our pastors are available to speak with you about your relation-ship with Jesus Christ. Please call the church office at (314) 821-2156 to speak with one.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“REPENT, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” (Acts 3:19)

“If you CONFESS with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.“ (Romans 10:9)

“Repent and BE BAPTIZED, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38)

What on earth am I here for? That’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one time. The answer is to worship God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He created you and longs to have a relationship with you. God made a way for us to find forgiveness, peace, and meaning through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will never find or fulfill our purpose in this life until we let Jesus rescue us from our sin and become the leader of our life. So how do we do that?

BAPTISMS:

Lora Bensinger

Micah Follmer

Jessie Hensel

Mandy Hodach

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07/22/12 510 273

$21,663.34 $—

$53.68 $1,639.00

$23,356.02

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CHILDREN’S PURSUIT MINISTRY: Drop-off time: 8:20-8:45 am

TEENS’ COLLIDE MINISTRY: Teens may volunteer to help in Children’s Pursuit Ministry

OTHER: Live for Christ, Grow in Christ, Serve Like Christ foundational courses offered

S.U.B.M.I.T. (Supporting Underground Believers/Martyrs In Trials) study & prayer time

CHILDREN’S PURSUIT MINISTRY: Drop-off/pick-up time: 9:35-10:00 am

TEENS’ COLLIDE MINISTRY: Teens meet in The Warehouse and other teen rooms upstairs for Bible study and fellowship

ADULT 3G COURSES OFFERED: ANNEX College Group (1 & 2 Timothy) Logos (Book of Hebrews) Seekers (God Calls for Justice) Women’s Group (God’s Open Arms) Young Adults (Foundations of the Bible)

CHILDREN’S PURSUIT MINISTRY: Drop-off/pick-up times: 10:50-11:15 am;

pick-up will begin at noon

TEENS’ COLLIDE MINISTRY: Teens worship with the congregation in the

main sanctuary.

ADULT 3G COURSES OFFERED: Carpe Diem (Book of

Isaiah) H.A.T.S. (HArd

Teachings in Scripture)

Marriages in Motion (Love & Respect)

Servants of God (It Is All About Family)

Great job, Gateway, in blessing our Christian brothers and sisters in Joplin after the devastating May 22, 2011 tornado. Blendville Christian Church is very grateful for your help, especially that of Bill and Kerry Buell. If you are not able to participate in Family Camp weekend at High Hill, perhaps you would consider joining our brothers and sisters in Blendville for their dedication ceremony on Sunday, September 2!

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Family Camp at High Hill Christian Camp will be Labor Day

weekend, Friday, August 31, to Sunday, September 2. This

is a great opportunity for family fun and fellowship. The

Labor Day weekend ends the 2012 camping season, so

even if your children have gone to camp earlier this

summer, they can still reap the rewards of camp life one

more time this year. There are many activities, learning

experiences, and family fun time built into this great

weekend.

What a great way to reconnect and strengthen family

relationships! If interested in participating, contact Carrie

Imhoff at carrie@planetspork.com or 636-529-0638. Hope

you can join us at High Hill!

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Friday-Saturday, September 7-8: Love The Lou. This organization, one of the SWERVE sites where several of you worked in May; is planning a "Paint the Streets" Festival and we are invited to participate. The goal is to bring some pride to this forgotten pocket of our city and to be an encouragement to the residents. Pursuit Communities Church will be leading the charge and joining with other churches to paint three separate murals on the streets in Old North St. Louis. Other projects may include creating an Art Garden in a vacant lot, hosting a concert, setting up 3-on-3 basketball, showcasing local artists and artisans with booths set up on 14th Street, cooking and giving away lots of food, and setting up bounce houses, sprinklers, sidewalk chalk stations, face-painting, and a Mario Kart Tourney. If interested, contact Korri Sears directly at korrisears@gmail.com; Korri works with Love the Lou.

Friday-Sunday, September 28-30: Mission trip to Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch in Kahoka, Missouri. This ranch houses children 0-15 years of age from all over the country who have been abused and/or neglected. Our group will be doing on-site repairs and building projects. We will be collecting and delivering much-needed items, as well as doing whatever project the ranch needs. Previous trips have been a blessing to all. This trip is open to families with kids of any age. Cost is minimal. Sign up online at www.gccstl.org (click on “Make a Difference,” then “Shiloh Mission Trip”) or contact Tom Harland at tom@gccstl.org.

Saturday, September 29: Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser for High Hill Camp. This is a great opportunity to have fun, play golf, and help our camp at the same time. Consider signing up as an individual, group, Sunday School class, etc. Lunch, door prizes, and putting contest begins at 12:00 pm. Shot gun start at 1:00 pm. Cost is $50.00. Contact Randy Chestnut at randyforcamp@gmail.com or 636-585-2262 to sign up.

All Month: The Armed Forces Care mission will be collecting items during the month of September for our Gateway service personnel and their families. This is one of only two collections for our own troops this year.

August 05: Canned goods (i.e. soup, meat, vegetables, fruit) August 12: Toiletries (for men, women, and children) August 19: Dry Goods (i.e. spaghetti, rice, flour, etc.) August 26: Paper Goods (i.e. paper towels, toilet paper, Ziploc bags)

Please drop off donated items in Room 107.

Saturday, October 20: Work Day at High Hill Christian Camp. This annual event will help get the camp ready for the winter following a very busy camp season. The camp is located 1 1/2 hours from Gateway and is a place for our youth and families to “get away from it all” to learn more about Christ in a fun, relaxing camp atmosphere. Typical projects involve remodeling bedrooms/bathrooms throughout the dorms and fixing/creating new outdoor areas/shelters. In addition, there are many opportunities to do minor repairs, cleaning, and sprucing up in other areas. Many hands are needed to get the camp ready for winter. What a great way to spend time serving the Lord and working with your friends and family. All ages welcome; those under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

The deadline for the applications for the 2 fall/winter grants ($200-$400 each) is September 15. If you are planning on taking a long-term mission trip in the fall of 2012 or winter of 2013, email or call one of the following World Impact team members and ask for an application.

Pam Erker email: p.erker@att.net phone: 636-349-2271 Sheila Putnam email: adputnam@charter.net phone: 636-294-5656

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Wednesday Night Life Family Celebration: August 22

Wednesday Night Life Children’s Activities – beginning August 29

Joyful Noyz (6:15 – 6:55pm) + Treasure Hunters (7– 8 pm) First through fifth graders can choose to participate in Joyful Noyz, a music/drama

group for this age group. At 7:00, all 1st – 5th graders gather in Treasure Hunters to discover what is in the Bible (and what is NOT) and to reach out to others through

periodic service clubs.

Shepherd’s Lambs 6:45 – 8:00 pm Four year olds (by November 30) – kindergartners come together for music, Bible stories, crafts, and other great learning activities. Parents are needed to help out on a rotating basis.

Li’l Lambs 6:45 – 8:00 pm Two-Three Year Old Class Leaders For the last few years we have had a lead teacher with a rotation of parent helpers on Wednesday evenings. Once again – we need you! Please see Shari to find out more about this wonderful opportunity to serve God’s little ones.

Shepherd’s Park Nursery 6:45 – 8:00 pm We can always use more volunteers in the nursery during WNL programs!

CIY Superstart! Live: Friday-Saturday, October 12-13 (a CIY event geared just for our 4th & 5th graders!)

Family Fall Fun Fest: Friday, October 26

On August 5, Gateway is beginning 3 services! This will bring several changes to the children’s ministry, starting with VBS:

VBS will continue BABYLON: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity, on August 5 & 12 at the 9:45 & 11:00 services. There will be learning activities and Bible lessons for kids at the 8:30 service, as well.

On August 19 our elementary kids will be presenting a brief look-back at Vacation Bible Summer in the adult services. Also during the 9:45 service we will celebrate our outgoing 5th graders and at 11:00 we will invite our incoming kindergarten students for a field trip to their new classroom.

August 26 will be Move-Up Day. All kids will move up to their new class. Preschool and nursery children will continue the policy of moving up at the beginning of each new quarter following their birthday (December, March, June) as well. New 3-year-olds must be potty trained before leaving the 2-year-old class.

As we strive to continuously upgrade the safety, security and learning experiences for all our kids, there will be a few changes in our check-in/out procedures:

Firstly, there will be clear-cut drop-off/pick-up time frames for each service, beginning 10 minutes before the service starts and ending 15 minutes after it has begun. Drop-off/pick-up times: 8:30 service: 8:20–8:45 am 9:45 service: 9:35-10:00 am 11:00 service: 10:50-11:15 am; pick-up will begin at noon.

Secondly, when a parent loses or misplaces their pick-up sticker, a driver’s license or other photo identification will be

required and Shari Borders, Children’s Pastor, will make a copy of the I.D before the child can be released.

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Gateway has been my church family since 2004. Growing up in the church had been a good experience, but when I got into the youth group, that's when my life really started to change. My relationship with God got a lot stronger and I loved being involved in all the activities with my Christian friends; it was a place where I was loved for who I was. The youth group offered me a chance to take part in experiences that brought me closer to God and gave me opportunities to meet other Christians my age. While in the youth group, I got to attend CIY (Christ in Youth) three different times and go to South Dakota for a Mission Trip. Each experience greatly impacted my life and my faith. Graduating from high school was bittersweet because I loved being in the youth group and made friendships I know I will have well into my adulthood.

I learned that God has a unique plan for all of us and that we are not all meant to do the same thing. My junior year of high school I decided to take half of my school day and attend South Technical High School for Cosmetology. Over the course of two years, I discovered a passion for hairdressing, and decided that is what I wanted to do for a living. It was a hard decision, but I made the decision to not attend a college. It's not the "normal" thing to do, but God is telling me to follow my passion, and when He tells you something, you have to listen. I don't know what God has in store for me, but I trust that He will continue to lead me in the right direction.

~Nicole Reeves

It is time to get things hoppin’ around here again. It was a great summer, full of fun, growth, and stretching at CIY and Junior High camp, along with Bibles and Bagels on Wednesday mornings. At the beginning of August we still have a few more little things going on (check out the summer calendar for more info), then we wrap things up with our Fall kickoff. The kickoff will be the same day as the main Wednesday Night Life kickoff, with the children and adults. August 22 is the day. You do not want to miss it!! The student side will do a little more, extra cool stuff. It will be themed out in the field with tailgates and taillights. There will be all kinds of cool things happening out there. Make sure all of you and your friends are here. Even if you do not like country, hillbilly, pickin’ and grinnin’, or throw-downs, there will be something for you. Make sure you invite your friends and tell everyone about our Tailgates and Taillights Kickoff.

Collide Live will start back up the week after Tailgates and Taillights, on Wednesday, August 29. The series that we will be kickin’ off is called Brainwashed. You will not want to miss it!!

~Josh

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Presented on Sunday, October 14 & Monday, October 15

You do not want to miss this fun event! Make plans now to invite your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors for a great meal and even better entertainment.

Students, be sure you have marked your August calendars with these dates: Sunday, August 12: SHINE Kickoff Rehearsal (12:30-3:00 pm) Wednesday, August 15: SHINE Practice (6:00-8:00 pm) Sunday, August 26: SHINE Practice (12:30-

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Aug. 5 8:30 F. Kremer 9:45 B. Carter, T. Carter 11:00 K. Barnard, J. Bender, S. & J. Primm

Aug. 12 8:30 F. Kremer 9:45 K. Kendrick, S. Putnam 11:00 K. Barnard, D. & L. Hayes, P. Hilderbrand

Aug. 19 8:30 C. Harland 9:45 E. Feinstein, T. Shon 11:00 J. & K. Bell, J. Lyons, V. Roeslein

Aug. 26 8:30 C. Harland 9:45 S. Holmes, V. Schnose 11:00 S. Dorris, B. LaGarce, E. Pratt, T. Turner

Wed. Night, Aug. 29 J. Cedeño, J. Harris, need one more If you are interested in joining one of our nursery teams, please contact the church office. Rotations are generally once a month but accommodations for any schedule needs can be made. Thanks!

Aug 05: Team 1—Jim Haverly

Aug 12: Team 2—Alan Putnam

Aug 19: Team 3—Steve Keroff

Aug 26: Team 4—Mike Holly

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 YAH Core Meeting

9:30 am Men’s & Women’s

Bible Studies 7:00 pm Band Practice

2

DivorceCare 6:00—8:00 pm

3

COLLIDE Free Friday 3:00—8:00 pm

4

Chair Set Up Team #1

5 Worship Services

8:30, 9:45, 11:00 am Grow in Christ 101 Course

8:30 am S.U.B.M.I.T. 8:30 am

Vacation Bible Summer!Men’s Basketball 6:30 pm

6

7

Staff Meeting 11:00 am

8

COLLIDE Bible & Bagels 10:00 am

Men’s Bible Study 7:00 pm

Band Practice

9

DivorceCare 6:00—8:00 pm

10

11

Chair Set Up Team #2

12 Worship Services

8:30, 9:45, 11:00 am S.U.B.M.I.T. 8:30 am

Vacation Bible Summer! SHINE Kickoff 12:30 pm

Hymn Sing Social 6:00 pm Men’s Basketball 6:30 pm

13

Women’s Ministry to Epworth Center

5:00 pm

14

Staff Meeting 11:00 am

15

SHINE Practice 6:00 pm

Men’s Bible Study 7:00 pm

Band Practice

16

DivorceCare 6:00—8:00 pm

17

18

Father/Son Olympics BBQ

11:00 am—1:30 pm

Chair Set Up Team #3

19 Worship Services

8:30, 9:45, 11:00 am Children’s New

Beginnings Celebration 9:45 am

Men’s Basketball 6:30 pm

20

21

Staff Meeting 11:00 am

22

Wednesday Night Life & COLLIDE Kickoff

Fellowship Dinner & Events 5:30 pm

23

DivorceCare 6:00—8:00 pm

24

25

YAH Excursion 8:30 am-2:30 pm

Chair Set Up

Team #4

26 Baptism Sunday! Worship Services

8:30, 9:45, 11:00 am Children’s Move Up Day SHINE Practice 12:30 pm Men’s Basketball 6:30 pm

27

Elders’ Meeting 7:00 pm

28

Staff Meeting 11:00 am

29

Wednesday Night Life 5:30-8:00

Band Practice

30

DivorceCare 6:00—8:00 pm

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THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE CALENDAR! We have outside groups using the facility and family events not included here. Please check with the office to schedule your group’s or ministry’s events.

Family Camp @ High Hill (thru Sunday)