Stephen Yeargin

“Did you see the size of that fish?” If you hear this question during a weekend outing, it is in my humble opinion that you must have done something right in planning it. For us, it was heading out to a church retreat at Bethany Hills Camp in Kingston Springs, Tenn. Seventy or so members of Eastwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) made the trek down interstate 40, billed as a day for rest, relaxation and renewal.

The children played down by the lake, occasionally joining in with the fishing expedition. Others gathered around the campfire for stories and an occasional outburst of camp songs. Still others played horseshoes or tossed around a football. It was a reunion of sorts for the many who had been campers, camp counselors and staff over the decades. For us, it was our first visit.

Sitting on a porch with Samantha while looking out over all of the activity, it really began to sink in what the words “church community” really mean. Here we had the full gamut of ages, backgrounds and personal experiences in one place, enjoying all of God’s creation. It really cannot be accurately captured in the words on a brochure or church bulletin. In these few hours of escape from our day-to-day pressures, I felt so much more at peace with the world around me. There are many changes coming ’round the bend for me, and this was a fantastic opportunity to get my bearings set.

Here are a few other pictures from Saturday.