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Birch Hill singin’
High Valley (pictured above) was one of the featured
acts at this year’s Singin’ Good News – a three-day
Southern Gospel event held at Birch Meadow Farms near Enderby, June 20
– 22. Other musical guests included Muddy River Quartet, the Freedom
Singers and the Hunter Family; Peter Unrau served as the Sunday
morning pastor. Birch Meadow Farms is a registered Morgan horse operation
run by Harvey and June Sawatsky. Harvey was a physician in Enderby before
his retirement in 1995, when they turned full time to developing the Morgan
operation. The Singin’ event at their farm grew out his youthful love
of gospel quartet music. Birch Hills is online at www3.telus.net/BMF.
Summer help
Summertime for NeighbourLink (NL) in the Okanagan
creates some special opportunities to help others. NeighbourLink is a
voluntary organization operating under the aegis of World Vision Canada.
The special opportunities come because many NL volunteers who work hard
almost all year long need a spell for recreation in the summer. Every need
that is met, is done so with volunteers. In the Vernon area, interested
summer volunteers who want to know how they might help can call
250.558.5527. Office hours are Tuesday thru Friday, 9 am to 1 pm.
All in one place
Facilities and instruction in the following can all be
found in one place: wakeboarding, waterskiing, the largest indoor skate
park in the Okanagan, ceramics and beading, an indoor climbing wall,
mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, tennis, swimming, volleyball, field
sports and golf – plus a ‘water smorg’ which includes
water polo, Alka-Seltzer water wars, Conquest and Marco polo. That one
place is at Green Bay in Westbank, at what is traditionally known as Green
Bay Bible Camp. The partners in all this activity are 10 B.C.-based North
American Baptist churches, as well as Youth with A Mission (YWAM) and
Athletes in Action (AIA). Details at www.greenbay.bc.ca.
Parks, creeks, blogs
Sunridge Community Church, located in Kelowna’s
Westside area, has now marked 10 years of activity. It is affiliated with
the Mennonite Brethren denomination, like its somewhat larger sister,
Willow Park Church. And, as well, it is part of the Willow Creek
Association, a network of what the leaders describe as “like-minded,
action-oriented churches . . . with strategic vision, training and
resources.” Sunridge was planted in late 2007 by pastor Mark and
Teresa Klassen and, a few years later, took over the former Butterfly World
building at the corner of Westlake and Stevens. One of the interesting
aspects of Sunridge’s web page – www.sunridge.org – is a
blog page written by church members who were involved, earlier this year,
in short term mission projects in Mexico and Zambia.
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Fave Five
A tech-networking theme, tied to several Old Testament
scriptures, was in play during May and June at Kelowna Community Church of
the Salvation Army. Described as the ‘Fave Five,’ the series
explored the lives of David, Moses, Job, Abraham and Rahab, respectively
tackling the issues of servanthood, difficult people, injustice, faith and
forgiveness. The program was run during the church’s regular 10:30 am
Sunday services, under the title ‘A Life Mobility Network.’ The
church website: kelowna.salvationarmy.ca.
Biker Sunday
June 29 was billed as ‘Biker Sunday’ at
Valleyview Bible Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Kamloops.
Visitors and members were encouraged to ride their motorcycles to church
for the 10:30 am service. A ‘Show & Shine’ and a barbeque
with a suggested $5 minimum donation, were also part of the action, in the
church parking lot following the service. For more about the church, go to
valleyviewchurch.ca
– Lloyd Mackey
July 2008
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