As 2010 draws to a close, I'm thinking we have more than a few things to celebrate. God has been kind to us, personally and as a community.
I have a few personal highlights for the year, and I'd love to hear yours. Here are some things that will always be etched in my mind as I remember 2010:
- Baptizing 24 people in Bass Lake this past summer, including many who weren't even attending church 12 months earlier. Powerful!
- Starting Point…we held our first Starting Point environments this year and heard some incredible stories from people who were starting out in faith, exploring faith or returning to faith after years away. LOVE Starting Point.
- Worshiping with several hundred volunteers at the Volunteer Luau and at the worship event at the Orillia Opera House in June. The mood was awesome!
- The very kind reception so many showed at the book launch party for my book this spring…still grateful for your kindness!
- Expanding Waumba Land at our Barrie campus by 40%, only to have it fill up again the next week (more expansion is on the way in 2011 at both campuses).
- The Great Family Experiment…we had so much fun personally as a family and I loved hearing your stories!
- Welcoming Dan Barber as our Orillia Campus Pastor and Director of Small Groups.
- Launching our redesigned website and blog in August.
- Giving away two trips to Great Wolf Lodge for new families.
- Sharing over $6,000 (so far) with our local mission partners, the Barrie Food Bank and the Orillia Lighthouse Christian Men's Shelter through December's Gifts that Keep on Giving appeal.
- Having the local newspapers report that we were relocating when we weren't really relocating out of the theaters. Well, not yet. Stay tuned though. We've been planning for the future….
- Christmas Eve. Probably my all time favourite Christmas Eve service so far. Loved the job our team did!
How about you? What are some personal memories, moments or stories that impacted you? We'd love to hear!
– Carey
