DEPARTMENT NEWS
Recap of Virtual Camp Meeting Alberta Conference's Reflecting the Shepherd Virtual Camp Meeting 2020 Provided a Full Week of Spiritual Engagement During COVID-19 Crisis
SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
By Eric L. Ollila
Communication/IT/Media Director, Alberta Conference
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very year at Foothills Camp and Retreat Centre, thousands of families gather together in one place to connect with friends, family, and faith, but this year, that changed. We cancelled the traditional Alberta Conference Camp Meeting due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In its place, Alberta Conference Virtual Camp Meeting: Reflecting the Shepherd (July 17–25, 2020) was introduced. The event was streamed on every central platform,
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Alberta Adventist News
including YouTube, Facebook Live, Vimeo/ Livestream, and its website, albertavirtualcampmeeting.ca. Alberta Conference Virtual Camp Meeting featured children, youth, and adult programs, including morning and evening devotionals, concerts, interactive prayer meetings, weekly Sabbath School classes, and worship. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the event was the enormous collaborative, cooperative effort it took to successfully
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pull the event off. Over 250 individuals served in various areas, including production, planning, support, or participating with music, singing, or speaker presenting. The Virtual Camp Meeting highlighted a vast array of talent from every corner of our conference, including the Northwest Territories and Alberta. And as several attendees remarked, it empowered local pastors and highlighted local church talent.
