One great day on a Labor Day weekend

I confess, I really don't like Labor Day weekends as a Pastor. Just about the time you get a little momentum going as kids go back to school for the Fall, it's like someone suddenly lets the air out of the balloon. "Where did all those people go?" And you know it's coming every year.

But this year at ClearView was different. Yes, we were down a bit (OK, a lot) in attendance. But then came our day at Camp Widjiwagan. Wow! We still don't know how many ClearView-ites and guests showed up at this YMCA camp 35 - 40 minutes from our campus, but it was ginormous.

When John Duval first approached me with the idea of doing this churchwide event at the YMCA camp several thoughts crossed my mind. 1) It's too far, 2) It's Labor Day weekend for Heaven's sake, 3) Nobody does this kind of thing any more 4) But what do we have to lose ... maybe a couple of hundred will show, and 5) I'll get to go down the famous Wet Willy slide! But then John added something to it. He said, "Let's do a baptism service while we are there". Then I knew he had lost his mind for reasons 1-3 above.

I am thrilled to say I was wrong on all fronts. People turned out in numbers WAY beyond our expectations. The atmosphere was incredible. I watched as people interacted with others they had not seen in awhile or maybe never before due to our 3 Sunday School and 2 Worship Service schedule. It was obvious people were having a blast. Kids all over the place, banana boating, the blob, kayaking, canoeing, water slides, swings in the water as well as out of the water, and more. But best of all, we BAPTIZED 20 during our baptismal service at 5:00. With the 2 we baptized that morning at ClearView that is 22 BAPTISMS IN ONE DAY!! A record for ClearView. AND IT WAS LABOR DAY WEEKEND??!!??

To all of you that were there, thanks for making the trip. If you weren't there, we are still working to edit the video of the baptism service. Keep watching this blog. As soon as I get it, you will see it.

To Journey Johnson and his staff, thanks for an awesome day. And to John Duval, great idea!! (as I said all along :-)) I could grow to love Labor Day Weekends.