Lighting a fire in children’s faith
Sitting around the campfire after saying goodbye to our final group of campers on the last night of the summer, the staff spent the evening reflecting on the summer and all that happened. We told stories and laughed about all of the hilarity that ensued over the previous 10 weeks. Sometimes we cried as we…
Living sanctuaries
Every night at Ontario Mennonite Music Camp we sing a closing song around the campfire to send campers off to bed. More often than not, it’s our favourite tune, “Sanctuary”: “O Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true / And with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.”…
A path towards reconciliation
“Now I know what I should have been teaching.” These are the words of a retired history teacher after participating in a Kairos blanket exercise. As a blanket exercise facilitator, I am often struck by the insights of participants, adults and children alike. Three years ago, Willowgrove added the blanket exercise to its program in…
Jeremy Wiens goes to Snow Camp
There are extreme weather warnings throughout the province as the wind chill dips to -40C. Yes, it’s cold, but nothing is going to stop Jeremy Wiens from going to Mennonite Church Alberta’s Snow Camp, held this year from Jan. 10 to 12 at Camp Valaqua in Water Valley. Long johns. Check! Shoes and boots. Check!…
‘Hi, let’s go join the rest of the group’
Stepping off that bus for the first time can be scary; it can be a big deal. The minds of many are on the edge of uncertainty and fear. If those steps take you into the embrace of a healthy community that welcomes you as you are, some magical things can happen. The way I…
Assiniboia, Koinonia: Similar but different
Over the past few years, the structure of Mennonite Church Manitoba’s Camps with Meaning has undergone some major shifts. It has gone from a three-camp system to a two-camp model, running spring and summer camps at Assiniboia and Koinonia. • Camp Assiniboia, consisting of 40 hectares of Manitoba river-bottom forest and nestled in one of…
Rhythm and Song Camp breaks into rap
According to camp counsellor Laura Moolenbeek, Silver Lake Mennonite Camp’s first Rhythm and Song Camp was an incredible week for campers and staff. Seven- to 16-year-olds came with a huge range of musical experience. They brought a wide range of perspectives to each session. The boys cabin chose to write and perform a rap for…
Can church be more like camp?
Every winter, I hear a radio advertisement for a back-to-the-woods summer children’s camp in Ontario. The ad closes with the tagline, “You send us your child, and we’ll send you back a new one.” It’s a great slogan. It points out that renewal and transformation occur when people are pulled away from their daily routines…
Stepping outside the comfort zone
I had the pleasure of leading the Leaders in Training (LIT) and Advanced Camper Experience (ACE) programs at Hidden Acres last summer. Both programs offer youth a chance to further develop leadership skills, study the Bible, build community, spend time outdoors, and learn the ins and outs of serving at camp. Taking on the role…
Witnessing God at Camp Assiniboia
As I prepare to enter my eighth summer as a camp staffer, I have an overwhelming abundance of memories to reflect on. From childhood weeks at Camp Moose Lake and the pubescent discoveries at Camp Koinonia, all the way to last summer, when I fell into awkwardly new territory to direct at Camp Assiniboia. I…
