• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Fair a good fit for Delavan church

ELKHORN — Among the crowing roosters, clopping hooves and buzzing of generators on the grounds of the Walworth County Fair Sunday morning, fairgoers are likely to hear another sound wafting across the grounds: hymns.

Its source is the 10 a.m. ecumenical service that’s been a fair staple for years.

“The service is popular, and I think in part it’s because so many of the workers on the grounds appreciate a place like this to go on Sunday,” said Sue Pruessing, the fair’s public relations manager.

Robert Wierenga, an elder with Creek Road Community Church of Delavan—which is hosting the hour-long service—said the congregation can number about 100 at the fair, many of them members of the church.

He noted a number of single-parents or low-income families belong to Community Creek, so the church purchases tickets for those members who normally couldn’t afford to attend the fair.

The bustle of the fair-in-progress doesn’t compete with the service, although some people may come in just for the singing—but that’s okay, Wierenga said.

“My experience has been everybody’s really into it,” he said.

“Other churches don’t necessarily want to close their doors on Sunday to do a service at the fair, but we see this as an opportunity to reach out to the community,” said Wierenga, a Walworth County deputy sheriff. “Our slogan is Christ in the community. The important part of our ministry isn’t really about what takes place inside our facility, but how we share Christ outside that door and how we impact the community.”