Hawaiian Shirt Day

Six years ago, WBF was in crisis. Our Pastor was on an extended sabbatical. We had two interns filling the pulpit and trying to shepherd the congregation through a difficult time. We were all inexperienced and making our way through uncharted waters.



God blessed us mightily throughout that time, equipping us beyond our own talents and capabilities, holding our church together and even blessing us with new people on a regular basis. The number of times we had to depend solely on Him for guidance and counsel is countless and a powerful testimony to His grace and love for His children. It was both terrifying and, at the same time, mesmerizing to watch His hand reach down and cover us...provide for us....over and over again.



In the middle of all of that turmoil and excitement, we found ourselves trying to think of ways to bind everyone together, ways to remind folks of the common bond we have in Christ and the sweetness of our fellowship with each other.



It may seem trivial now....but what we came up with was....Hawaiian Shirt Day! a day when we would all wear our Hawaiian print shirts. It wasn't a miracle. It wasn't supernatural. It wasn't a major turning point in the history of WBF.



But it was a way of saying, "We're all together! We're not taking ourselves too seriously. This is not a time of gloom and doom! God is moving among us and weaving a new tapestry! We enjoy each other and we enjoy the church God has blessed us with."



It was an amazing day! Almost everyone showed up in a Hawaiian shirt. We had a great time! We giggled and laughed and just shared a wonderful, colorful, beautiful and worshipful morning together.



Since then, it has become a tradition. We do it twice a year, once on the Spring (most recently, to honor Tom Peeling, a huge fan of Hawaiian shirts) and again in the Fall. Last year, we added "Ladies Hats" to the invitation, giving them an opportunity to show off their favorite and most colorful head wear.



Here are some photos of s a few of our bright and beautiful brothers and sisters as they showed up today: