April 24, 2006

Looking Ahead to April 30 -- Third Sunday of Easter, Camping Sunday

This Sunday we pause to celebrate Church Camping, a topic near and dear to many in this congregation who donated much labour and love to Camp Freeman.


For Scriptures we will use passages that were used in 2004 and 2005 at Sunnycove, as well as one which may be used this summer:

For music we will be using the overhead (no hymn books at camp) and singing either a capella or to guitar accompaniment (no pianos or organs at camp). Our music will also be structured differently, and there will be more than usual.

  • Opening song: Kum Ba Yah
  • Singing Block #1: They Will Know We Are Christians, Dem Bones, Peace Like a River
  • Singing Block #2: Pass It On, Jesus Loves Me (Camp Version), This Little Light of Mine
  • Closing Song: Go Now In Peace (sung twice)

The Sermon will be What Happens at Camp?

Every summer United Church folks across the country head out to the lake to share in an outreach ministry. After all, that is really what Camp is -- a chance to reach out to the children and youth of our communities. Many of the children who attend camps are not from families that are active in the church. Some of them have never been to a church event but a friend said "I had a great time at camp, why don't you come too!" Camp is likely one of our most successful ways of reaching out to the "unchurched" (or possibly the under-churched).

At camp we model a different way of living together. No TV, no VCR/DVD, no internet. At camp we all sit down to eat at the same time, something that becomes rare in many families. At camp we try to learn to work together both in games and in sharing chores -- even scrubbing toilets and doing dishes, by hand! At camp we take time to talk about "God and stuff", about how that stuff may even be relevant to us! At camp we offer a different picture of what the church is than many people have in their minds.

Many people, myself included, have a special place in their hearts for church camping. May camping continue to be a vital part of church life for decades to come!

--Gord

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