McGowan’s Lake Reunion Recap

McGowan’s Lake 2024 Reunion took place this year from August 16th to 21st. The theme "Heal the Earth" created a memorable impact on our attendees’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour toward the environment. As stewards of God‘s creation, we left camp inspired to become better protectors of the fragile balance of our planet.
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Our attendance was lower this year than in past years, in part due to our old adversary, COVID, and other various health issues. We had 16 adults and 3 children registered for the duration of the Reunion, and there were several other day visitors.

Vonda DenBoer of the CEM Presidency Team was our guest minister, and she brought a unique and powerful ministry to our worship and intergenerational sessions.

In addition to our daily classes, hymn sings, and devotions, other presentations and hands-on activities included learning how to make a miniature compost bin, creating reusable greeting cards, building bat houses, collecting items from nature to create a meditative mandala, assembling personal hygiene kits for refugees living at Matthew House, utilizing old fire hoses to create feeders and other enrichment articles for the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, chats under the trees, and making wildflower seed paper. We also enjoyed campfires, games, good food, assembling an earth puzzle, tablecloth art, rock painting, movies, Kahoot!, recognition of the 150th anniversary of the church seal, a pancake breakfast in support of World Accord, and a silent auction, as well as connecting with old friends and meeting new ones.

Like the Noronto and Loaves and Fishes Reunions, we benefitted from the beautiful thematic "Heal the Earth" posters created by Natasha Buchanan.

The weather was very wet and cool during the Reunion, but that created an atmosphere for us to gather closer together.

Participants were great at stepping up, often taking on new roles, to fill in the last-minute vacancies created by sickness or when otherwise needed. Thank you, everyone!
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It was terrific to be with our returning campers as well as our new friends. As the campfire song goes, ‘Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other gold.’ Everyone is precious.

We leave our 2024 Reunion experience, after a break from our daily routines, with a fresh outlook and a desire to notice how we relate to and interact with the natural world. May our everyday choices be beneficial to the planet.

C U Next Year!