On Sunday, August 5, Christ Church in Budd Lake had its first annual "Preach on the Beach" summer worship event at Budd Lake Beach.
The day began with a casual worship and communion service with a children's sermon, facing the lake. Parishioners brought friends and family, and remained at the beach for a private party until noon, sharing food, fellowship and swim time with their kids. Brave members of the main 10:15 a.m. service even had an Olympic competition on the slide. And those were the adults!
Christ Church has a ministry to special needs kids and their families. Reserving the beach in the morning with lifeguards provided a space for parents with young and special needs children to relax and allow their children to be themselves in a safe and accepting environment. It also provided an opportunity for the adults of both the 9 a.m. All God's Children service and the 10:15 service to have more time with each other outside of the fast-paced action on a Sunday morning.
The Rev. Sonia Waters said, "We are a fun congregation - and this was a lot of fun! It was the perfect way to bring visitors, family and friends together - as well as deepen our ministry to special needs kids."
