Ready, Set, Go!
Summer has been full of opportunities for our children to grow in faith, make new friends, and discover new ways that God is calling them to follow Jesus.
In late June, twelve of our 3rd–6th graders and five adult chaperones traveled to Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, for Passport Kids Camp. The cool mountain temperatures were a welcome break from the Mississippi heat, but even more refreshing was the chance to spend a week learning, worshiping, and playing together with Northminster’s group and with our friends from other Cooperative Baptist churches.
This year’s theme, Vamos! Let’s Go!, encouraged children to get Ready, get Set, and Go wherever God leads. Through Bible study, they explored stories like Esther, the Wise and Foolish Builders, and Jesus calling the first disciples, discovering that God prepares us, strengthens us, and calls us to faithful action.
Of course, Passport is about much more than Bible study. Our campers enjoyed missions education, recreation, worship, and rotation choices like worship arts, soccer, gaga ball, crafts, and more. Each evening brought a party. The first night was the Rec Party filled with water games, and night two was a lively Mexican Night Market that helped the children learn more about where their mission offering was going. The week ended with one of Passport’s favorite traditions, the Variety Show, which this year was a Green Eggs and Jammies Variety Show. This year, our Northminster campers worked together to choreograph and perform I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham from Seussical. They were a huge hit!
The fun didn’t end when we returned home. Just a week later, our Kindergarten through 2nd graders gathered for our annual K2 Retreat, an overnight adventure in the Youth House. Each year, we build the retreat around the Passport Kids theme so that our younger children can experience many of the same biblical truths. Since our youth also attended Passport this summer, our children and students, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, have all been shaped by the same message: God prepares us, strengthens us, and sends us into the world to follow Jesus.
Using the same Ready, Set, Go theme, our younger children explored the Parable of the Good Soil as they talked about getting their hearts ready for God. They learned from the Wise and Foolish Builders what it means to be set on a strong foundation. During our closing send-off, we celebrated the truth that wherever we go, Jesus goes with us. Between building a balloon-powered car, a giant water slide, pizza, chicken nuggets, ice cream, the movie Cars, and a sleepover on the Youth House floor, it was a joyful weekend.
There’s still one more adventure waiting this summer! Join us for Bible Camp: Come to the Table on July 24–26 as we gather around stories of Zacchaeus, the Wedding at Cana, and the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Along the way, children will make cutting board picture frames, chef hats, trail mix, and macaroni noodle bracelets while discovering that everyone has a place at God’s table.
Registration is open now, and we would love for your family to join us!
You can register here: https://forms.gle/Bffpwqa6cBy2RK3E9
