A Word From Stefanie Riley
What do Dracula, Batman, Elsa, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all have in common? They will all be here at Seaside next Wednesday! No, it is not an invasion, it is our Annual Harvest Festival. This event is one of Seaside’s largest outreach events in our community as families from all over come for a night of safe Halloween fun for their children. This is one of the biggest ways that Seaside says “Welcome” to young families and children, a way for us to say that we want to be a part of their lives.
But each year I hear church members say to me, “You know, I’ve never come to the Harvest Festival.” Boy, do those folks miss out! There are so many blessings that we receive by serving at this event, and if you take the time to come this Wednesday I promise you will not be disappointed. All you need to do is bring your car, decorate your trunk (and that may just mean hanging a plastic bat or some Halloween balloons from your car), and bring candy to hand out to the children as they go trick-or-treating in our parking lot. You can even dress up if you would like!
If you choose to participate this coming Wednesday, you will have the opportunity to see adorable kids in their costumes, and their eyes light up when you offer them candy and treats. You will see children playing games, smiles on their faces, laughter in their hearts, just as God has made them. You will see families sharing a meal together, and even though it is only pizza, for some families this may be the only meal they eat together all week. You will see Seaside members from different services coming together, meeting for the first time perhaps, sharing in this joint effort of outreach.
In short, if you come to the Harvest Festival, you will see the Kingdom of God being built. And who ever would have thought that the Kingdom would include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…….