Outdoor games, learning about God’s love, and families playing together

Parishioners at the Whitecourt Hilltop Community Church spent Saturday, September 7 basking in the sunshine as they set up games in their parking lot area for a day of fun. Over 10 different stations were prepared for their 9th Annual Family Fall Carnival, and all area families were invited to attend. As soon as 1 p.m. hit, the parking lot and side area were full of children and their parents eager to play games together.

There was a do-it-yourself photo booth with lots of silly props to use, a bean bag toss, a cow milking game, Angry Birds slingshot, a fishing pond game, a water race with rubber ducks and boats, a ping pong throw, soccer kick with nets, glitter tattoos, and even a sticky bubble station with all the tools needed to make supersized bubbles! 

The free event also featured two puppet shows inside the church which shared a special message about God. “Our second show was all about God’s really good ideas,” said Christina Sheppard who, along with her husband Tyson, organized the event. “God created people to love each other and to exist together well. We also had books that we were giving away to families along that same line.”

Nine years ago, the carnival began as a way to bring the community together. “We want our church to exist outside of our church building and to show the community and the families that live here that we care about them. It’s showing the love of Jesus to the people that attend by just giving them an enjoyable day out as a family,” said Sheppard.

One of the new games added this year was human whack-a-hole. Laughter was heard around the block as one by one the children stepped up to try and swat at the little heads that popped up through the holes with a blow-up club. Under the table, there were a handful of children who quickly popped up and tried to get down before the club touched their heads. “It has been such a huge hit!”

Sheppard said she hopes the families enjoyed their time at the carnival and invited them to join the rest of the Hilltop Community Church family. “When we first moved here, I didn’t have any family here. This church and the people who attend here became my family. We hear that often from people that attend that they feel like it’s family. That’s something that I hope everyone feels when they walk through the doors of our church.”