We learned at Josh McCallister’s Celebration of Life service March 27, 2022 that he had wanted a carnival at his wedding. Since his wife Candace nixed it for their wedding, Josh asked to have a carnival at his memorial service. And a beautiful tribute to Josh’s 42 years of life it was! Some 200 people gathered in an open air stone tabernacle at Ferncliff Presbyterian camp outside Little Rock, Arkansas to hear and share testimonies of how Josh had influenced their lives as family, friends, faith partners, co-workers, art enthusiasts, and recipients of his humor, humility, love and discipleship teachings. The Nurturing Communities Network was represented by folks from Bruderhof, Hope Fellowship, Lilies and Sparrows, and Reba Place Fellowship.
Although Josh and Candace moved to Little Rock, Arkansas from Reba Place in 2015 to start an intentional community in the “Bible Belt South,” the results were not what Josh expected. McCallisters’ pastor Wendell Griffen affirmed the community of love McCallisters gathered to themselves in their arduous journey with Josh’s cancer and the example of discipleship Josh and Candace presented to those around them. Music from Reba Place worship band members opened the service and a congregational line dance ended it.
Josh’s attentive eye for beauty was displayed in a gathering of his artwork at the camp’s Christian Activity Building, just down the hall from tables full of pies for all to sample. Outside games, crafts, face-painting, aerial circus acts, colorful balloons, food trucks, a slideshow of Josh’s life and a prayer table completed the offering of carnival activities before the day ended with a catered barbecue dinner outdoors. As the sky darkened, family members released a lantern into the sky and others stood in a circle with sparklers glowing, giving Josh a final loving send-off with hearts full of thanksgiving for his fruitful life of service.
by Sally Schreiner Youngquist, one of the founding pastors of Living Water Community Church in Chicago, Illinois and long time member of Reba Place Fellowship in Evanston, Illinois