“Friday Night at the Park” is 10-week-long annual event held during June, July, and August at Claire Engle Park in Shasta Lake. This annual event is for the community at large and has various music artists and artisan booths.

In 2014, I began earnestly asking God what we, as a fellowship, could do to support and reach out to our community. As we prayed for His guidance in this specific area of ministry, He gave me the answer for us to serve water to the community attending Friday Night at the Park.

We discovered that we participate in the event for two purposes.

First, is that we believe that God directed us to do this as a ministry or way to reach others. We believe that God has told us that He will supply all the instruments and materials we need to succeed. He will supply us our needs according to His riches and glory and we truly desire to just honor God with our efforts. The passages from His Word over the past few years have always spoken of “His Living Water.” The “Living Water” is simply Life in Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks of this water at the well with the Samaritan woman and again in the Book of Revelation.

Water has always been represented as life. Our bodies as humans is made up of 50% water. We depend on water for our refreshing, whether it is by drinking or washing. Often, in countries around the world clean water is hard to find. It is a necessity to have clean water as a public health issue. Water has become critical to our existence that it is literally, a symbol for “life.”

The term Living Water is a metaphor for “eternal life.” The water itself, of course, does not give us eternal life or salvation, but our life in Jesus Christ provides us with water that quenches all our thirst. The Living Water then becomes spiritual life from which we receive love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Second, is simply this. In a 100+/- degree heat an 8 oz bottle of cold water is refreshing to the body for sure. We love handing out water to the community at no cost, except for God. It is not uncommon on a hot day to give 360 bottles of water away.

There is no better way to serve our community, and we give God the Praise and Glory for allowing us to serve Shasta Lake in this way.

Blessings, Pastor Jim