A Trailblazing Adventure (The transition from SpringHill to VBS)
For the past nine years, February 14 has had a special second meaning to me and many parents in our community. It was SpringHill registration day! Tonight, we would be setting our alarms as a reminder to register as soon as the clock hit midnight. It might be cold and snowy outside, but we were looking ahead to sunshine and warmth, to a week of energetic songs, water slides, and Bible lessons.
Things are a bit different this year. Due to financial reasons, SpringHill Camp has discontinued its traveling day camp program. It is a loss that many of us feel deeply. We have hosted SpringHill and their amazing staff for 16 years. Crowns for Jesus, Skittle Skattle Battle, Church Clap, and Well Hello There (said in a royal-sounding British accent) are phrases that remind me of one of my favorite weeks of the summer. Kids who started as campers have come back as counselors. Through a SpringHill connection we met our youth leader, Luke. Many parents have told me that their kids look forward to camp as a highlight of their summer. SpringHill has meant a lot to this community.
So, what do we do now?
We host a community-minded Vacation Bible School (VBS)! This summer, during the week of June 22, we are going to have a Yee-Haw good time Celebrating God’s Greatest Gift. There will be Bible Adventures, Projects with a Purpose, Saddle-Up Sports, and lots of fun moo-sic. We will also host a Wacky Water Wednesday and a Thursday family picnic with pony rides, a petting zoo, hot dogs, and a bounce house.
One of the best parts is that we are inviting our friends from Outreach York to build on our relationship with them and the children who attend. The kids will ride a bus to church every day, and on Thursday, we are inviting their parents to pick them up here and join us for the family picnic.
We will host 100 children this summer - 50 from Outreach York and 50 from Elmhurst CRC. We also need 50+ middle school, high school, and adult volunteers to help, and we invite YOU to join us! We are looking for station managers, small-group leaders, food-prep staff, cleanup and reset staff, Spanish speakers, bus drivers, and more. Volunteer registration opens today (registration link here). Once our team is in place, to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all campers, we will open camper registration on April 1. If you are registered as a volunteer, your child will be automatically registered for camp if they are interested in attending.
As we begin this new adventure we ask for your prayers. Prayers over the planning process, volunteer sign-up, camper registration, and the week of camp. We also ask for special prayers for the families at Outreach York who are deciding to send their children to a new location.
Our children’s ministry, youth ministry, and Outreach York staff are really looking forward to this exciting new VBS. We hope to see you there!
Kara Hackert
Director of Children & Family Ministries