Uniting Church Day Camps: Lighting up young hearts

By Rev Paul Clark

As the sun sets on the shortest day of the year, teachers pack up their classrooms for the term and many of us look at winding down for the winter, a bunch of volunteers across the church are winding up.

Hundreds of children from all over Qld will be attending Day Camps runs by the Uniting Church these holidays. A Day Camp is a 4-5 day camp where children attend daily, engaging in a bunch of fun activities, and take their next steps in discipleship.

Day Camps are one of the best things that the Uniting Church does, and it’s because, while many of us are taking a break, hundreds of adults and young people are giving of themselves to see our children have life forming experiences.

Volunteers from all walks of life – retirees, university students, secondary students – will give a week of their time to bring joy, excitement, and Jesus to primary school students. I know of adults who will give a week of their four weeks annual leave to make Day Camp a memorable experience for the next generation, because it was a memorable experience for them.

Camping, singing, fire cooking, sports, prayer, craft and devotions fill a packed program. But it’s seeing high school and university students, leading primary school students, under the supervision of adults, where the real impact happens. Adults investing their time into young people, investing in even younger people - in a world wrestling with the impact of screen time and the lack of community - Day Camp is like a ray of sunlight during a cold winter day.

Uniting Church Day camps are taking place at Pine Rivers, Samford, Corinda, Mt Cotton and Bundaberg and others these school holidays.  Please pray for these events, and if you want to invest into young people in your community through Day Camps, reach out to Jess Pinkerton and the Mission Accompanying Team at discipleship@ucaqld.com.au