The Park Children's Ministry

Hey parents! Here's a group picture for camp. It's high quality, and if you would like to print it, you can. It's made to print 8x10, so any smaller and you might cut the words off. Just to warn you :)

Enjoy it guys! I know we all had a great time at camp... which is why we keep blogging, we aren't ready to let go!

Since we don't want to let go, we are getting ready for camp next year. I know- craziness, right?! Marke your calendars NOW for next year's camp dates, June 19th-24th. You can talk to Brian and start getting a spot and making payments.

It has been a couple of weeks since our adventure at Forest Home.  Again, thank you for trusting us to love & care for your kids.  It was wonderful.  We continue to pray for our kids.  Please continue to pray that God works on their hearts.  For the kids who made the life-changing decision to walk with Christ, please pray that God brings amazing mentors into their lives to encourage them in this journey.  Also, please pray for the counselors and staff who worked with our kids.  May they use this next year to recouperate.  :) 

All of the high-resolution images have been loaded for you to download.  We also loaded all of the videos into one video folder for you to download.  Please remember that the videos, as well as the images, are NOT professionally editted.  You may use them as well. 

Sunday:  
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Sunday/12644633_NzGap#908833646_9bT8J

Monday: 
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Monday/12644864_ZcYjA#919479002_zmquZ

Tuesday:
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Tuesday/12663346_HaYsA#910578561_2bNtJ

Wednesday:  http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/CampWednesday/12674990_BfJq4#919928238_tTwPY

Thursday:  http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/CampThursday/12688071_HCo3A#920020928_zeexH

Friday: 
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Friday/12767200_wum8R#920045366_5BcAH

Videos:  
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Videos/12767359_2hCcW#920055753_bwcey

 

It looks like in the excitement of leaving their counselors and new friends behind, a lot of kids managed to leave without all of their belongings. We have jackets, Parkway bags, pillows, sleeping bags, flashlights, water bottles, and probably a lot of other things that I just can't seem to remember.

PLEASE come by this weekend, or to the church office sometime to pick up your missing belongings. Thanks all! Have a great one!

-Charity

As camp begins to wind down, we have started to be thoughtful of things that have really mattered to us this week.  

1.  Warm sleeping bags... 'cause the blankets just don't cut it!
2.  Extra bug spray & sunscreen provided by the Med Team.  Thankfully, they don't repel the twins.  :)
3.  A wide variety of clothing for the morning, afternoon, & evening fashion shows- that depend on the temperature.  
4.  Camelbacks... an almost-unending supply of water.  (If we remember to fill them up.)
5.  Great walking shoes.  Forest Home isn't just a camp... it is a Fitness Camp.  
6. The extra towels... who knew mud could be so much fun!
7.  Golf carts and shuttle buses.
8.  Mom's home cooking.  We promise that we will not complain for at least a couple of days.
9.  Andy, Danielle, and John.  You know we like to rock it!  
10.  Cell Phone reception.  "Woo hoo!  Look!  I have a bar!"
11.  A mattress... even 1/4 inch is awesome.  
12.  Hypothermia-  it reminds me that people aren't meant to swim like polar bears.
13.  Bear Evasion Techniques... enough said.
14.  Flashlights, which double as spotlights.
15.  Super tight harness, that extra security when you are jumping off platforms.
16.  Salads at each meal... it keeps you regular.
17.  The Blob...come on, everyone is doing it!  
18.  Bumper Kayaks... if you can't swing a paddle, stay out of the pile.
19.  Glow stick parades are much better than Christmas light shows.
20.  Beaver one, Beaver All, let's all do the Beaver Crawl.
 
Pictures to from today...


Thursday's Gallery:
http://kwantphotography.smugmug.com/Other/CampThursday/12688071_HCo3A?

Wednesday was an outstanding day at camp.  The weather has been sunny and in the mid 70s.  (Aren't you jealous?)  And the naturescape has really provided an incredible backdrop for the amazing things God is doing with our kids.  

The morning started on the Play Field with a massive, field long game of dodge ball.  One person likened it to watching a herd of lions chasing a gazelle.  Of course, the kids were the lions, and Brian was the gazelle.  :) 

The kids rotated through several fun activities including the Trout Pond, the Game Room, and the Mini Golf.  One of the students from Palm Vista actually caught a fish with the marshmallow bait.  The snack shop was also a huge hit!  If you have the chance to come to Forest Home, don't miss the milkshakes!

Everyone's competitive side came out in the Camper verses Counselor game of kickball.  At one point, the kids accused the counselors of taking it easy on them and challenged the counselors to "bring it on."  When it was all said and done, the counselors won and the accusers learned to play with the "big dogs."  :)  In case you all about the score, the counselors were ahead by 6 when the game was called for dinner.

Building on Tuesday night's discussion about the filth of sin, Mr. Chris continued the week's Soul Survivor theme with a discussion of God's plan to save us through Christ.  One counselor commented on the intensity of the kids as they dug into their Bibles, searching for the particular references.  Many of our kids are processing the sin in their lives and how they can choose to allow God to help them become the hero in their own personal Survivor story.  

Brian followed up the discussion with an analogy to the Challenge Course.  As I told you a couple of days ago, the Forest Home Challenge course is a series of ropes and obstacles almost 3-stories tall.  Life, as Brian related, is a Challenge Course.  God is calling you to trust Him & come on up.  Are you standing on the ground, saying "No way, I can't do that!"?  Or are you strapping on the harness of Christ- trusting that it will hold you, stepping out on the rope, and shouting "I can do ALL things thru Christ who strengthens me!"?  

Please pray for your kids today.  It is our last full day at Forest Home.  Camp is an excellent place to meet Jesus.  Pray that our kids choose to begin an authentic, lifelong friendship with Jesus that translates to a life outside of camp.  Jesus can't be our "camp buddy" that we reconnect with each year.

Please pray for the counselors & staff.  These folks are A-MAZING!  Thank you for sharing the kids that God has entrusted to you with us this week.  We take the job of spiritually mentoring our kids very seriously.  Please pray that we feel rested & ready to go for anything, and that the final activities are as easy on our "old bones" as our minds believe they should be!  :) 

It was another exciting day at Forest Home.  Before it is too late, we wanted to get the Wednesday picture link out to you.  :)  We also add additional pictures to the Tuesday gallery.  So, be sure you check those out as well.


Wednesday's Gallery Link:
http://kwantphotography.smugmug.com/Other/CampWednesday/12674990_BfJq4/

Thank you, God, for the opportunity to worship you.  The opportunity to lift our arms, shout, laugh, dance, and sing at the top of our lungs.  May we never grow too old to worship You like this!  

Today was an amazing, exhausting, and exhilarating day for the kids from The Park.  And it all revolved around being a filthy, dirty mess-- the perfect illustration of how God sees us through our sin.  


Our kids spent their morning at the Challenge Course with activities ranging from a massive 2-story rock wall, a zip line over a rocky creek bed, and a ropes course that zig-zagged upward for 3-stories.  We saw a lot of teamwork, skill, and overcoming personal fears.  You could hear "I can do ALL things...!!!" being chanted.  


In the afternoon, we headed down to the Mudbowl for some good clean fun.  (Yeah... right!)  You will just have to see the pictures to believe how much fun we had- both kids and counselors.  Then, we headed over to the lake for some swimming, sliding, kaiaking, and "blobbing."  (If you don't know what "blobbing" is... you will have to wait for the video.  The team of Garrett Renner & Becky Beard currently hold the record for highest blobbing.)


This evening during our main session, the kids got their worship on with Andy.  The Beaver Song is a particular favorite.  Then Mr. Chris gave a practical example of what it means to be perfect on the outside but mess from sin on the inside when he dumped mud on his business suit, crisp suit, and tie.  


Then it was time for showers, small groups, quiet time and then a movie.  
All in all, we are going to bed clean, exhausted, and prayerful.


Please pray for your kids tonight and tomorrow.  We are going to talk to them about God's amazing plan for our salvation tomorrow.  Many are going to bed tonight, struggling with some very important questions.  Pray continuously for our kids.  May God help them to see where they really are & what they decisions they need to make to "clean up."


Please pray for the counselors and speakers who are spiritually mentoring our kids this week.  They need it as much as the kids.


Now, for the pictures.  :)  Here is the link to Tuesday's picture gallery:
http://clients.kwantphotography.com/Other/Camp-Tuesday/12663346_HaYsA/


Also, we posted additional pictures to the Monday Gallery of last night's Night Swim. Be sure you check those out!


Lights out from Forest Home.

      We are up and ready to go for our first day of camp.  The boys needed no wake up call.  :)  They were out exploring the facility before most of the girls even cracked an eye lid.  Many found the Tree House- a multitiered structure 2 stories above the dining hall that allows you a bird's eye view of the Archery & BB Gun Range, the Campfire circle known as Safari Moto, the Climbing Wall, Skate Park, the pool, and the Playfield.  (With the morning temperature hovering in the low 60s, I don't think anyone is thinking about the pool yet.