2016 Summer Camps Review
ArtServe, Int. held its annual summer camps the last week in May and the first week of June. Artists Freedom and Nancy were so privileged to spend time with some super creative, awesome kids! The theme for week 1 was “Games” and with the help of our wonderful volunteers, Denise and Selene (who both attend Cumberland Community Church), we had a blast! Only 4 out of the 16 campers were girls, which made for a very active time. Daily games included kickball, soaker soccer, noodle fencing, and a gigantic board game that was 50ft long. The kids also put their imagination and creativity to work by making their own board games which included characters, game pieces, game rules, and dice. We taught the campers the importance of good sportsmanship and emphasized the principle of the strong honoring the weak. Nancy’s favorite part of the week was seeing all the camper’s play one another's board games. They genuinely had a great time learning about each other's games and encouraging one another. Our hope was that they would go home and play together with their family.
The theme for week 2 was “Builders." This camp included a lot of painting, Lego’s, wood work, and paper building. Our goal was to build and "build up" one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 inspired the camp.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
We are truly thankful to the Lord for giving us tactile ways to share biblical principles. Our first activity was to draw a structure using a letter of each camper’s name. Each camper added his letter, all of them having a unique size and drawing attention in very different ways. We discussed the group's differences and how we all should find ways to honor each other and build each other up in the body of Christ.
We also used this principle to build a beautiful six-foot collaborative sculpture. Our wonderful volunteers included Nancy’s good friend & photographer, Aura, and SCAD student, Brooklyn, who were excellent helpers. It was a flurry of creative activity! Our 10 to 13 year old campers worked together to build expert level Lego sets, while our younger campers made buildings with wood. Amidst a few run-ins with the hot glue guns and finding ways to make a balanced structure, they were determined to get the job done! In the end, we were amazed at how kids, when given the time, are natural problem solvers and creators.
The parents and campers had a great two weeks of fun and creative arts! While Freedom was only able to visit on his break and lunch times and he was missed, I saw the incredible value of creating and trusting a team of volunteers who bring their own strength, energy, and creative skills to the mix. The day we ended Builders Camp I was so excited that I started brainstorming ideas for next year. I can't wait!
Thanks to some supporters, two campers were sponsored and ASI gave scholarships to three other campers this year!
