A very special ecumenical service, presented by the combined churches in The Town of The Blue Mountains, will take place at the Beaver Valley Community Centre at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 15.

Everyone is invited to attend this biennial event which will feature Rev. David Macfarlane as the guest speaker and music coordinated by Saundra Lake. The proceeds from a freewill offering at the service will go to the community support services of Beaver Valley Outreach.

Every second year, the Blue Mountains Christian Council organizes a major ecumenical service at which the clergy, choirs, musicians and parishioners from all of the town's churches actively participate. Regular church services are suspended that Sunday morning so that everyone may attend.

A major highlight of the service will be an address by Reverend David Macfarlane, a dynamic speaker renowned for his use of humour to motivate, inspire and enlighten his audiences. The theme of his speech will be Ripples of God's Handiwork in our Community, in which he will provide examples of the ways in which churches and individuals can have an impact on their communities.

Rev. David MacFarlane is Director, National Initiatives, at the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
Music for this year's service will include a blend of traditional and contemporary music coordinated by Saundra Lake, well-known music conductor and director.

There will be a combined choir composed of members from the area churches along with the talented Blue Mountain  Community Church Youth Group. Led by J.P. Smits, the group is composed of half-a-dozen youths between 13 and 17 years of age. They will lead the congregation in praise and worship with music that has been written in the last 10 years, including selections from Chris Tomlin, Robin Mark and Paul Baloche.

Parents are invited and encouraged to bring their children to the service. A series of children's programs will be available, developed by Carol Solursh and designed to appeal to different age groups from three to 12 years of age. 

A freewill offering will be collected with the entire proceeds going to Beaver Valley Outreach. This local charitable organization provides a broad range of much-needed and appreciated support services designed to enhance the well-being of families and individuals in The Blue Mountains.

Donation envelopes will be supplied with each order-of-service bulletin and charitable donation receipts will be automatically issued for all donations of $20 or more.

The ecumenical service on June 15 is organized by the Blue Mountains Christian Council, composed of representation of: St. George's Anglican Church; St. Vincent Roman Catholic Church;  Grace United Church; First Baptist Church; Blue Mountain Community Church; St. Paul's Presbyterian Church; and Kolapore Church of the Nazarene.

For more information, please contact Rev. Bob Lay at 519-599-5570 or 519-599-2640.