By the time he retired in August of 2020, Pastor Jim McMurry says he had a couple of rooms stacked floor to ceiling with books - and it was time to sort them out!

The Winter Retreat provided the chance to do what Big Lake does best – reconnect its visitors with their community, their earth, and their God.

“In March of this year I faced my abuser. I’ve had a lot of life changing moments I can point to, but I believe they were getting me ready for that day."

"I had my daughter in 2008. The moment she was born, I said, ‘Where does a love like this come from?’ I remember asking my husband in the operating room, ‘Is this what Jesus feels like when He looks at us?’"

"At its heart, Growing Young calls us to be intentional and curious, to take Jesus’ message seriously and return to innovative movement that the Seventh-day Adventist church was founded from. As a young Adventist, this is exactly the dedication and interest that makes me feel connected to this church."

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