The past year and a half has challenged our district psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. We’ve endured the roller coaster ride of opening and closing the church doors; of distancing, then being near and far again; of meeting virtually or in person and then a combination of the two; of losing membership, then gaining and losing again.
But none of these challenges were insurmountable as we waited to hold joint district gatherings again. Kudos to our local church elders and their teams for finding interesting and ingenious ways to encourage the membership to worship God while endeavoring to stay safe during the pandemic.
In conjunction with the district, Parkland CoG7 hosted its annual family campmeetings after an absence last year. A successful and well-attended campout placed our youth as the primary focus. Considering they were placed at a disadvantage during the surge of the pandemic, we learned that we need to allow youth a safe space to establish new friendships and rekindle old ones. Special classes, with a lot of free time, were organized for the FYCers and Seekers.
Thunderstorms and colder weather could not deter our youth’s enthusiasm to regain ground lost because of the need to isolate. As we continue to focus on Jesus and follow His plan, the thrust of the district is to find and fund the involvement and development of our youth.
