Kids Camp Recap
Answer: The only place where you can get slapped in the face with a tortilla and sing worship in the span of 10 minutes. What is a church camp? Correct! Missio Kids recently returned from Engage Kids Camp where 23 of our 3rd-6th graders spent 3 days at Camp Chautauqua doing all kinds of cool activities and getting opportunities to connect with Jesus. After spending the weekend with our kids at camp, I wanted to share some thoughts on how adults who follow Jesus can come alongside and encourage kids who are seeking to follow Jesus as well.
Have fun with kids
Kids love to have fun. I got to see them have a blast at camp ziplining, running the obstacle course, swimming, battling in a shaving cream war, and, if there were 5 minutes before we had to be somewhere, you better believe they were heading to the gaga pit for a quick game. And while those things were awesome, it was probably cooler to watch them have “unscheduled fun”. Like when they would start a “let us in” chant before they opened the doors to the gym or played “big booty” while we waited for the lifeguard to get to the pool. Other times it happened during the routine things we do every day such as cracking jokes while eating dinner or acting silly while laying in bed before going to sleep. All that to say that we should look for opportunities to have fun with kids. Maybe this looks like playing games with kids of our own or maybe it means stopping to joke around with a kid at church or in our neighborhood. Either way, taking the time to do so will be good for our souls and build relationships with kids by showing them that we enjoy them and care for them.
Sing worship music with kids
When was the last time you jumped up and down while singing at church? I watched our kids do it every day at camp this year (and joined them several times as well). Kids love music even (especially?) when it’s all about Jesus. How do we create space to worship with kids? If you have kids old enough to read the words at church, maybe they can join you at the end of the service once a month and you can all sing together. Maybe you can spend time singing together in the car. If you need some ideas of what to sing, check out the link Ms. Rachel sends out each week recapping Missio Kids. Here are a few of the songs we sang at camp as well: “Graves to Gardens” by Elevation Worship, “Sing Wherever I Go” by We the Kingdom, and “Promises” by Maverick City Music.
Pray with kids
On the final night of camp, Ms. Rachel structured our final prayer time by beginning the prayer and then leaving space for any of the kids who wanted to pray to do so. It was my job to close the prayer. If you have ever done this type of praying with adults, you always wonder how long the awkward pause is going to be before the person closing the prayer begins to speak. As it turns out though, that is not a thing with kids. Our kids wouldn’t stop praying! Many of them even prayed multiple times because they didn’t get the memo that you only pray once in those types of settings. It was pretty incredible to hear them pray things like “thanks for letting me have so much fun at camp” or “give my brother patience when his legos get destroyed”. Where can you create space to pray with kids and let them lead this time of prayer?
Remind kids of who they are
One of the passages of Scripture we looked at over the weekend was the account of the fall in Genesis 3, and I was struck by Adam and Eve covering themselves after eating the forbidden fruit. Once sin entered into the world, they felt insecure and felt the need to cover themselves from each other. That insecurity still exists in each of us today, kids included. Therefore, we should take every opportunity we have to remind kids of the truth of God’s Word. We should remind them that they are created by God in His image. We should remind them that they don’t have to measure up or be defined by what others say to them or about them but should find their identity in who God says they are in Christ. Finally, we should remind them that it’s natural for us to feel insecure, that some of our reactions to our insecurity are sinful and wrong, and that’s exactly why Jesus was sent to rescue us. Jesus left the security of Heaven so that we may experience the security of God’s presence. This is the gospel we must point kids to again and again as we trust the Father to transform their hearts (not to mention our own).
I hope these words are an encouragement to all of the adults who may be reading them, whether you have kids or not. I hope you are encouraged by 23 (!) kids from Missio going to camp this year to make memories and worship the King of Kings. I hope you are encouraged that we can make an impact in kids' lives as they figure out what it means to follow Jesus and live life to the glory of God. Finally, I hope you are encouraged to see how kids, the ones often overlooked and viewed as weak (as Kurt mentioned on 5th Sunday), actually play a vital role in our own discipleship. Because, it turns out, as we have fun with kids, sing with kids, pray with kids, and participate in spiritual conversations with kids, not only does it impact the kids, but it has a profound impact on us too, and we grow as the body of Christ together.
Submitted by: Cody Delk