A 202One event update
from The Fellowship
The national Fellowship Board and Event Design Team have made the very difficult decision that we will not hold our 202One event at Lake Junaluska this June. As when we made the decision about Music & Worship Arts Week 2020, we are extremely thankful for the understanding that the leadership of Lake Junaluska brought to this process and decision.
Why was this decision made?
The 202One event was to feature the best of Music & Worship Arts Week and our National Convocation and to unite us in one large event that would be spiritually fulfilling, programmatically exciting, and financially successful. As we make this decision, the pandemic conditions do not allow us sufficient assurance that we can meet those goals.
While it is possible that many may have received vaccinations by June, there is not enough clarity that registrants would still feel comfortable traveling out of state, much less bringing groups of children and youth that are so important to the intergenerational quality as well as the financial viability of the event.
If we proceed further, it is as if we are paying up front and in-full for the event in June, a payment that is non-refundable whether we have the event or not, no matter how many attend. That’s not a deal that I imagine you would go for individually, so we can’t take that risk corporately.
Is anything else planned?
The Fellowship is working with the leadership at Lake Junaluska to develop a series of small, safe gatherings and online opportunities that will continue to unite us. We are hopeful that we will be able to detail these options by February 1.
We are exploring some options for smaller groups during the week that was planned for 202One. Some topics under consideration include:
- Planning for the Fall Retreat
- Restarting children’s and youth choirs
- Creating in person AND online worship
- Replanting your church (What can we learn from new church start experts?)
- Drumming for all ages
Watch this space for more details as they develop. We encourage you to make your own personal pilgrimage to Lake Junaluska this year. They are open and doing everything they can to support individual and small group visits. Their success is tied to our success. Ask to use any available continuing education funds for a planning and/or spiritual retreat at Lake Junaluska.
Looking further ahead, mark your calendar now for Music & Worship Arts Week next year, June 19-24, 2022. Our team now has a full 18 months to prepare for a great celebration.
What can I do to help?
There are several actions you can take to help at this time.
- Pray for The Fellowship and Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center and the boards and staff that lead these important organizations. There is a symbiotic relationship between these entities; the secure future of one directly impacts the security of the other.
- Reach out to members of your group, especially youth, for whom Music & Worship Arts Week is a time of crucial spiritual nurture. Tend especially to the needs of those who depend on the inclusive, safe space created there as a lifeline. Continue to stand with them in addressing whatever needs arise related to the absence of this experience in 2020 and 2021.
- Donate to the Music & Worship Arts Week Advancement Fund and Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Your financial support during this time will make a difference in the future.
- Renew your membership today in The Fellowship. Early renewals will add one year from the current renewal date; if your renewal date is October 2021, it will be renewed to October 2022. This is an easy way to support The Fellowship in these uncertain days.
- Consider a 2021 trip to Lake Junaluska. Call 800-222-4930 and plan a vacation trip to the beautiful North Carolina mountains for later in 2020. You can choose from the packages on this page or create your own trip. Lake Junaluska is open for families or group at any time, and a trip in 2021 will be extra helpful.
What happens to my fees and deposits?
Event Registration Fees
If you rolled your 2020 fees over to the 202One event, you’ll receive an email soon detailing your options.
Housing Deposits with Lake Junaluska
Call 800-222-4930 for more information about your options.
Mark your calendar now for Music & Worship Arts Week next year, June 19-24, 2022. It will be an important event in the life of The Fellowship and, we pray one of the largest Music & Worship Arts Weeks ever. We are resurrection people and know that when we gather in 2022, we will celebrate in ways that we can only now imagine, but that God most certainly already knows. Blessings on you and those in your care.
Fellowship 202One 