Midway's Campout/Cookout will begin this year on Thursday, September 15th with the Thursday night service out at the camp. It will run from Thursday evening until Saturday afteroon with all of the usual preaching, cooking out, camping and other activities. Be sure to join us!
The Midway Campout/Cookout/Shootout as we call it started some years ago when
we got together as a church family one September at the mission property in
Stuarts Draft with our guns (all legal) and had a friendly shooting
competition. Later, we added a lunch to the shooting and soon volleyball and
other games followed the lunch. As the years went on, we started having supper
on Friday evening, a message from the preacher, then testimonies and coffee
around a bonfire. Church people began camping out there at the mission property
making it a weekend event. Later as the other churches heard about our services
and competition, they started joining in, bringing in groups from their
churches, camping out with us. The event soon became a retreat for husbands and
wives, giving them a time to spend together. The campout/cookout/shootout
shifted to Thursday afternoon with different games and activities for the
married couples as well as for children (who are babysat with by volunteers)
and for teens in attendance. The couples can paddleboat together, take walks or
just spend some needed time together while the kids and teens have activities
of their own. A service is held on Thursday evening there on the mission
property, meals are served beginning with supper on Thursday and ending with
lunch on Saturday. Different preachers are called on to preach also on Friday
with messages geared toward married couples exclusively in special private
services so that issues that the Bible deals with regarding a man and his wife
can be dealt with in an appropriate setting otherwise impractical with younger
people present. Many have received great help from these messages and the
bonding that takes place in this "retreat" type setting.
On Saturday, the event that started it all takes place. After a good message or
two in the morning while we're digesting breakfast, the competition begins.
Only people of legal age are allowed to participate in the shooting
competition. With a tightly controlled, safe environment, each individual is registered
and entered into the competition and when the smoke clears, scores are tallied
and a winner along with second and third place are announced. Then it's back to
the dining area for one last meal and we all enjoy a little fellowship, some
more volleyball and other games before saying goodbye until next year!
This year's event will probably be a little earlier in September so that we can
enjoy, perhaps, a little warmer weather.
Keep checking back and we’ll post the date when Pastor Owen
decides when the best time will be.
Thank you!