Enjoying the Fall Season at the Stoney Creek Pumpkin Fest

STONEY CREEK, Ontario -- On Saturday, October 15, 2022, the Stoney Creek community came together to celebrate the Pumpkin Fest. Families were out together, and many children had the opportunity to show off their amazing costumes. GFA World (www.gfa.ca) staff built a fall themed arch for attendees to take photos under. We also had free games and balloons and invited people to our Fall Festival, which is being hosted by our mission partner St. Cyprian BEC (https://www.bechurch.ca/cyprian/).

Held in downtown Stoney Creek, the Pumpkin Fest attracted many people from the community. We were blessed with good weather as well. Though the forecast was for rain, the sky was sunny all afternoon. However, a stiff wind made certain that we didn’t forget summer is over.

Hundreds of families came by, and we gave away over 190 balloons. Several children also learned how to play checkers with their family. We love connecting with our community, and encouraged people to sign up to get news about future community events directly in their inbox. Everyone who signed up to receive these emails were entered into a draw for a free, homemade pie. Also, donations were received for the Stoney Creek food bank

Community Transformation

In an ever-increasingly digital world, it can be difficult to connect with our neighbours. That is why events like the Pumpkin Fest and the recently concluded Fall Festival are so important to us! By providing a safe and fun forum for community interactions, we are helping to build stronger communities. Strong communities mean more support for people in our neighbourhood who face various challenges.

For a woman named Achsa, who lives in an area we serve, her community provided her with the opportunity to provide for her children. And, when she faced abuse in her home, she found support through the outreach of the local church. We seek to be the same light in our community that countless National Missionaries and faithful believers are in theirs. Giving balloons to children may seem simple, but we pray for big things to come from it!