When strangers become our people — belonging at Noronto Reunion

By Marten Ternan, Ottawa, ON

This was my first time attending Noronto Reunion, and I was a little unsure of what to expect. My first view of the beautiful 19-acre campground at the western end of Lake Nipissing helped put me at ease. Located between North Bay and Sudbury, the grounds include an impressive A-frame chapel, a large dining hall and several other buildings and camping areas.

Our first meal was on Saturday evening, and while everyone was lined up waiting for the dining hall to open, Melissa Freer told them that it was my birthday. The entire camp — more than 100 people — sang Happy Birthday to me. After that, everyone knew who I was. For the rest of the week, people would say, “Hi Marten,” and I had no idea who they were. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming.

On the first morning of the reunion, Karina Boeve-Middleton was baptized in Lake Nipissing by John Morgan and Elaine Kerr-Morgan, and Cohen McCleary was baptized by Clair Shepherdson and John Morgan. Baptisms in natural settings are always impressive, but this one was particularly meaningful because the reunion began with two people making a commitment to become disciples. It was an inspiration to all of us who were present and an excellent start to the reunion experience.

The classes explored “Living the Mission Prayer as a Way of Life” through three ideas: Awaken, Risk and Bless. Being awake means asking for vision to see the world as God sees it — both the current reality and the world as it could be — and developing spiritual practices that connect us to the Holy Spirit. Risk means responding to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our day while recognizing that many outside the church are searching for meaning and connection. Blessing is sharing, and experience that is reflected upon and articulated leads to action.

Authentic and loving Christ-centered communities can transform the world when we engage people in conversation about their interests, hopes and questions, make others feel welcome, call them by name, break bread and tell stories together, and invest time in building a culture of safety and trust.

During the week, a few people asked for my impressions of the Noronto reunion. My response was, “These are my people.” Although I came as a stranger, I felt I belonged there. We have shared values, and although we live in many different places, we have had similar experiences and share common hopes for the future. My conclusion is that when our community gathers, I need to be with them. These are my people.