Photo courtesy of: Nicki Benedict
It was a chilly day for summer even in Wrangell, AK when the boat pulled out of the harbor. A group of Wrangell Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church members were headed to Vank Island for the first outdoor church of the season. For those unfamiliar with outdoor church, it's exactly what it sounds like. A church service that is hosted outside somewhere other than the familiar church building.
The church social committee makes a concentrated effort to put together a couple each summer. This outdoor church was being hosted on the Sabbath of memorial weekend, May 27. The hope was to coincident with a workbee that weekend for the camp clean up at Vank Island. April and James Eilertsen and family were already out at Vank Island in preparation for the work bee. The rest of the church family met them out there Sabbath morning.
The group on the boat that chilly morning arrived in plenty of time. The services were held in the lodge where a crackling fire was ready for them. Sabbath School was lead by Brooke Reynolds, church elder. A lively discussion ensued around Revelation which was topic of the Sabbath School quarterly.
The church service was pared down to the basics which included music from the praise team and prayer time. Marlin Benedict, church elder, spoke on Ripe Fruit, giving the congregation something to think regarding outreach.
After the service, the social committee set up the kitchen for a potato bar and desserts. The church family ate together around the fire or at the nearby tables. They spent the afternoon talking and enjoying each others company before the group on the boat had to head back to Wrangell Island. The ride going back was bumpy, but everyone agreed it was worth every jostle to spend time in God's nature on a Sabbath day together.
The church social committee makes a concentrated effort to put together a couple each summer. This outdoor church was being hosted on the Sabbath of memorial weekend, May 27. The hope was to coincident with a workbee that weekend for the camp clean up at Vank Island. April and James Eilertsen and family were already out at Vank Island in preparation for the work bee. The rest of the church family met them out there Sabbath morning.
The group on the boat that chilly morning arrived in plenty of time. The services were held in the lodge where a crackling fire was ready for them. Sabbath School was lead by Brooke Reynolds, church elder. A lively discussion ensued around Revelation which was topic of the Sabbath School quarterly.
The church service was pared down to the basics which included music from the praise team and prayer time. Marlin Benedict, church elder, spoke on Ripe Fruit, giving the congregation something to think regarding outreach.
After the service, the social committee set up the kitchen for a potato bar and desserts. The church family ate together around the fire or at the nearby tables. They spent the afternoon talking and enjoying each others company before the group on the boat had to head back to Wrangell Island. The ride going back was bumpy, but everyone agreed it was worth every jostle to spend time in God's nature on a Sabbath day together.
RSS Feed