Fun, Faith, and Family at Shehaqua Spring Gathering
Amid the bloom of budding trees and freshly fallen rain, Unificationists of all ages gathered in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania from May 14 to 17 for the Spring Gathering weekend at beautiful Camp Shehaqua. The theme of the weekend was “Breaking Free,” and director Tasnah Moyer explained, “Life is about growing, using the opportunities that come our way to break free of the things that hold us back—our fears, doubts, worries, insecurities—so that we can achieve our fullest potential.”
Demian Dunkley, head of evangelism for the national ministry team, enjoyed the weekend with his family and was the featured speaker for morning education on Saturday. The session was an engaging exchange, with Demian soliciting responses from the crowd and having participants break into groups for detailed discussions. The session broached a wide variety of topics, from the practical struggles of balancing career and faith to philosophical questions about what it means to have an impact on the world.
“We wanted to create a space for participants to be challenged to break free of whatever is holding them back in life and step into a new space… whether in relationships, emotions, dreams, self-concepts,” explained one of the organizers of this event.
Most of those in the session, high school or college-age Unificationists, seemed to agree that there was a certain generational divide between their views and those of their parents. At one point, Demian asked the young people, “Do you feel like part of a movement to change the world?” The question was first met with silence, but soon developed into an in-depth look at what it means to be aligned with an institution versus a set of values.
The discussion was dynamic and enthralling, with Demian both listening to and challenging the young people to look at different perspectives. Toward the end, he presented True Mother’s vision for tribal messiahship, and broke down the negative connotations that revolve around some of the terms, saying, “Your tribe is family, and your job is to love people. That’s what outreach is all about.” He encouraged the young people to be “Kingdom builders” and to continue working toward success in their specific areas of study while also aligning themselves with the larger unified vision for peace.
Many of the students resonated with the message, as they expressed a struggle in navigating their desires for career and family, while also maintaining a deep spiritual drive to be a part of something bigger than themselves and to make a difference in the world. While the questions posed will be answered in a variety of ways and may take years to sort out, the fact that they are grappling with them at this point in their lives shows their innate desire to contribute and connect.
After the thought-provoking session in the morning, the group took the opportunity to engage their physical senses in the afternoon with an exciting obstacle course activity that was fun for the entire family. Teams and families scaled walls, solved puzzles, and slid down a 100-foot makeshift water slide. Others took time to explore the beautiful surroundings and hiked trails or ventured out to explore the rest of Hickory Run State Park, the large state park in which Shehaqua is located. Though a brief but strong rain drowned out the campfire scheduled for the evening, spirits were uplifted by a concert featuring several bands and musical acts.
“We tried a few new things this year, an obstacle course through the woods and a concert featuring Sail the Boat. All added an exciting a festive flair to the weekend,” explained camp staff.Shehaqua Family Camps have operated as a grass-roots organization for 30 years and hold year-round activities including three weeks of Family Camp in the summer, a Harvest Festival weekend in the fall, Winter Retreat preceding New Year’s, and Spring Gathering in May.
Registration is currently open for all three weeks of Family Camp. Find more information and register at the link below.