Harvestfest at Mountain Lake Christian (MLC) fielded a good yield of school and community interconnection this past weekend. HarvestFest activities were held on Saturday, October 24, with the school hosting a late afternoon and evening chock full of activities.
The event kicked off outdoors in the MLC North and South Parking Areas, as well as the Soccer Field, with games, food, face painting, fall craft activity fun and prizes. Indoors, there were inflatable bounce houses in the gym, a harvest backdrop for fun photos in the cafeteria, popcorn and cotton candy.
The free movie – “The Lego Movie” – was shown in the MLC Gym for elementary age students and younger children.
Meanwhile, in the school’s Music Room, Christian recording artist Rich Confer was in concert along with Ben and his back-up musicians, Bernardus, for students in Junior High and Senior High. Rich Confer is a Christian singer/songwriter from Lincoln, Nebraska. The purpose of his music is to inspire, encourage, entertain – and create community. Songs are just one of many creative outlets with which to express beliefs, pursuits and emotions. Confer’s songs center around the message of Jesus Christ and the effect of that on his life. The hope is that in sharing these songs and performances, people would grow in their understanding and embracing of God’s perfect love. Confer is often joined by other musicians on stage as well as in the studio. Brooke Haley (Confer’s wife since the couple’s marriage this past June) on vocals, Ryan Confer on keys/guitars/vocals, Corey Wallroff on guitars/vocals, Matt Cornell on bass and Adam Kovar on drums make up the talented band that backs up Rich Confer on a regular basis (on-stage and off). These, along with occasional other talented friends make up Rich Confer Music.
HarvestFest continued into Sunday, October 25, with an MLC Family Sunday morning worship service at Community Bible Church, featuring students from the school.
Here is a photo gallery from the event:
FACE PAINTING ARTIST Chloe Klassen, right, at work to provide her sister, Jacey Klassen, left, a bright and colorful butterfly face paint “mask.”
IN THE “DOWNING the Doughnut Dash,” Seth Klassen always knows to use the nose – to prop up the glazed doughnut in order to gobble massive bites of the pastry.
EVENTUAL CHAMP FOR this swinging-on-a-string doughnut-eating round was Summer Janzen, right, her teeth firmly clamped onto the doughnut. At left, Regan James has difficult even getting ahold of her doughnut. (Rules allowed no hand(s) assist.)
EVAN OLTMANS TWISTS his body like a pretzel in order to find a spot for a big bite.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE Football Toss had four options through which to send their throw. These included two rubber tires – along with two smaller circle shapes decorated with cornstalks, corn ears and leaves. Above, Jim Sellers nails the center of the tire on the right.
CARSON WALL , RIGHT, tosses up his best shot – cheered on by Vonda Sellers, left.
BRYN BELL GOES for more points at the Bean Bag Toss, looking to add another bean bag intoto the grin of the Jack O’Lantern.
MARK QUIRING CONCENTRATES on picking up the spare at Pumpkin Bowling. Watching his turn at the hay bale lane are Lydia Cavanaugh, left and Mark’s mom, Jamie Quiring, right.
CHLOE ANACKER IS through the tires and on her way to the hurdles, just two events in the Obstacle Course.
HUGO FLOHRS, RIGHT – given a hand by his mom, Delcy Flohrs, right, as he goes up and back down the hay bale mountain.
ETHAN LEE CRAWLS on hands-and-knees through the final event of the Obstacle Course – crawling under the stretch of yellow “Caution” tape – en route to the finish line.
MLC REPLACED OLD computer equipment with new this year – including the monitors. HarvestFest-goers had the opportunity at the Computer Crash booth to pitch a softball at the old screens – with the end goal of total destruction. Above, Danica Dick nails the monitor at the left. Observing Dick’s pitching skills are Carter James, left and Brandon Pearson, right.
AN AUTUMN CRAFT project to decorate the “mini-pumpkins” (gourds) called out to those with a creative bent, including Rick Clerc, back, and his daughter, Emily Clerc, front.
“GRILLMASTERS” for the meal’s entree are a couple of Mountain Lake pastors, Daniel Strutz of Community Bible Church, left and Nathan Janzen of Cornerstone Bible Church, right.
BAGS OF POPCORN and sugary cotton candy on a stick add to the fun. Above, Mikkala Pearson, left, winds the cotton candy onto the stick ’round-and-’round before giving it to Sara Quiring, right, to put on display.
TWO LARGE-SIZE Inflatable Bounce Houses filled the MLC gym.
THE BOUNCY FUN found inside one of the Inflatable Bounce Houses.
MAVERICK PENNER WORKS his charm on the photographer at the fall harvest-themed photo opportunity area.
RICH CONFER MUSIC – the highlighted musician at the Christian rock concert for high school-age students in the MLC Music Room.
JOINING CONFER, RIGHT, onstage for some numbers was Ben, lead for the band, Bernardus.
THE ELECTRICITY AND the volume on the music rose as all of the musicians take to the stage to share their words, thoughts and feelings through lyrics set to musical composition.
