WARNING: YOU WILL GET WET!!!!

And so they did from the star attraction of GREENFEST ’09 – a water obstacle course designed by Mike Bain and the youth of Covina UMC!  ‘They’ being the approximately 130 or so young people – not counting adult support staff and chaperones -- who came to the Pasadena District’s first annual GREENFEST on Saturday, September 19 held at the Covina church.

Billed as an afternoon of music, fun, and fellowship GREENFEST participants came away already looking forward to next year’s festival.  For the $5 registration fee each young person paid s/he got a GREENFEST t-shirt and a Chick-fil-A sandwich dinner. But the afternoon of getting to know and be with their larger Pasadena District family for fun – there were a number of activity booths to choose from, including arts & crafts, self expression, board games, Rock Band, guest book, etc., fellowship and worship came out to be priceless!

Steve Schneeberger, Director of Youth Ministry at First UMC in Orlando, FL challenged his young audience to take risks for Jesus Christ during the service of worship that opened the festival.  Artistic talents that participated included the Glendale First UMC Praise Band, Hacienda Praise Band and The Message Movement hip-hop dance crew of First Filipino-American UMC, Generation for Christ of Trinity UMC of San Bernardino, and Mariel & Jace of Wilmington First UMC.

Providing planning and implementation leadership to GREENFEST are: the Rev. Allison Mark (Pasadena District Youth Ministries Coordinator), Joey Albarracin, Fernando Alcantar, Mike Bain, Hope Hutchison, Demoree Deocales, Katerina DePano, Charli Lighty, Rev. Bob Morley, Franklyn Shen, and Franklyn Shen.