NEW VINEYARD — Gospel Light Baptist Church in New Vineyard held its 3rd Annual Fall Festival last Saturday. Featuring a wide variety of activities for “children of all ages”, this year’s festival, which has grown some each year, was declared “the biggest yet”. Proceeds from the event benefit Foothills Christian Co-Op, which provides educational space and support for families who have decided to home school.

With activities literally from A – Z, guests at this year’s festival participated in everything from an ax-throwing competition to visiting the petting zoo. Some demonstrated their skills in various competitions including car-smashing, ax-throwing, corn-hole, skillet tossing, and horseshoes. Others enjoyed quieter pursuits such as face-painting, cake walks, crafts, or visiting the vendors’ booths and the food court, which featured popcorn, snow-cones, cotton candy, and a variety of homemade goodies.

In addition to members and friends of the Gospel Light Church locally, special guests from Southwinds Baptist Church all the way from Tomball, Texas traveled about 2,000 miles all the way to Maine to assist with this important mission. Pastor Andy Chute and his wife, Misty, along with several other adults and one teen, spent the weekend here helping with the set up and operation of the autumn event. While in Maine, the visitors also had a chance to take in the peak of fall foliage season with a day trip to Quill Hill. They were even blessed with the sighting of a cow moose on their way back through Rangeley.

“We love Maine,” Dwight and Linda Goodson shared, “the people and the beauty.”

The group of 21 from Texas paid their own way – airfare, meals, housing, etc – to share in fulfilling the festival’s goal of supporting its Christian schooling ministry.

The Southwinds Church holds its own fall festival every year. They celebrated autumn in Texas the previous weekend.

The comments of Amanda Bean, another of the participants at the festival, summed up the day’s activities perfectly, saying, “(We’ve got) perfect weather, a good family turnout, a lot to do…families together enjoying the day.”

Following an evening service in the church sanctuary, the grand finale featured a bonfire and s’mores back out on the church grounds.

In addition to the many personal blessings of fellowship with family and friends throughout the weekend, it was noted that about 200 people attended Saturday’s event, around $1,500 was raised for Foothills Christian Co-op. The funds will support home-schooling with curriculum, scheduling, structure, academic aid, recording grades, and accountability.

Gospel Light Baptist Church holds Sunday School classes at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings, followed by Sunday Service at 11. A Sunday evening service is held at 6 p.m. Nursery care is provided during both services. For more information, check out Gospel Light’s Facebook page.

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