Parent GUIDE. 1 Parent Guide

Transcription

1 Parent GUIDE 1 Parent Guide

2 PASSPORTkids! Daily Schedule A day at PASSPORTkids! is action-packed, and our campers never run out of exciting ways to encounter Christ, embrace community, and extend grace to the world. The day s events include: Morning Celebration 8:45 a.m. 9:15 a.m. Morning Celebration is a high-energy gathering of the full camp with silly songs, games, announcements, and lots of laughter, as well as a kick-off challenge from our pastor. Morning Devotion 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Bible Study 9:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Recreation 10:45 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Sixth Sense 12:30 p.m. 1:15 p.m. A special event just for campers who ve completed Sixth Grade (while everyone else gets a brief rest in their quarters), to build solidarity and feel affirmed in their transitional journey. Free Time 3:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Worship 6:30 p.m. 7:25 p.m. Nightly Party 8:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Each night s party is a unique event, including the Rec Party (big team-building games), Night Market (a simulated visit to another culture), and Variety Show (showcasing your campers with their music, skits, and novelty acts). More on these three parties on the next page! Bedtime Devotions 9:30 p.m. Lights Out 10:30 p.m. Afternoon Rotations: Camper s Choice & Missions 1:15: p.m. 3:30 p.m. Campers rotate between these two events each day. Camper s Choice offers an array of elective activities, and campers can enjoy a different one each day. Sports, drama, crafts, cooking, and outdoor fun are among the options. Campers explore missions through a variety of hands-on activities as they discover a new culture each year. 2 Parent Guide

3 Nightly Parties Knowing the love of Jesus Christ is cause for celebration! Each night, campers enjoy a new and vibrant party related to the camp theme. Revved Up Rec Party This summer we are cranking up the power of the Rec party, accelerating the fun of forgotten childhood games, taking campers to a new level, and leaving them screaming for more! Campers should come prepared for a high energy, full-throttled time of excitement and fun. The rec party is an outdoor event (weather permitting), so campers will want to bring comfortable shorts and T-shirts that can match the color of their Bible Study Group red or green (you may want to pack one of each just to be sure). All campers must wear closed-toe shoes. El Salvador Del Mundo Night Market & Fiesta Summer is a funtastic time for a fiesta! In El Salvador, the biggest celebration of the year takes place in the summer and honors the Savior of the World for whom the country is named. Campers will meet the friendly folks of La Libertad (portrayed by our talented staff) and prepare to join in the fiesta parade. In addition to lots of hands-on cultural activities, campers will be able to compete in the Night Market scavenger hunt to earn points for their Bible Study Group. The event is fun, informative, and a great photo op, so be sure to bring your camera! Just Us Heroes Variety Show & Gala Campers are officially invited to the biggest bash of the year the Just Us Heroes Variety Show & Gala. All campers are urged to attend as their favorite heroes and present acts that entertain and inspire. The gala will include hero-friendly dancing, of course. Remember your capes and dancing shoes! Costumes need not be elaborate but might include the following: A towel or blanket cape A unique emblem pinned to the camper s shirt Gloves, boots, or a mask Real-life hero gear, such as a firefighter hat or medical scrubs 3 Parent Guide

4 R volution L o v e i n A c t i o n Jesus preached an upside down, turn-it-around gospel. The first will be last and the last first. Touch the unclean person and eat with the outsider. To be part of God s Kingdom, become like a child. This is not only Good News, it s a Revolution! This summer, campers are invited to join Jesus in seeing the unseen person, standing with the lonely, speaking up for the unheard, and loving the unloved. As the writer of James says, I ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. James 2:18b (CEB) Do you want a Revolution? PASSPORTkids! How to Engage Your Camper After Camp 1. What did you learn at camp about Jesus REVOLUTION? 2. Will you show me your passport? Tell me about the things you ve written in it. 3. What country did you learn about? How will your mission offering make a difference? 4. What Bible Study Group were you in? Who was your leader? Can you show me your cheer? 5. Tell me about the poster you made on the last day of camp. Will I get to see it at church? How can I help you with the ACTion you ve decided to take as part of Jesus Revolution? 4 Parent Guide

5 Dress Guidelines Campers should dress modestly and appropriately, according to their size and developmental stage, the entire week of camp. Modest shorts, shirts, & swimsuits Properly fitting clothes Please avoid low-riding and/or revealing clothes No clothing with inappropriate language/advertising What NOT to Bring Prank items like shaving cream or water balloons. Campers will be held responsible for property damage or clean up costs incurred. We ask that all electronics be switched off and put away while at camp. This is a rule designed to allow campers to focus on God, camp, relationships and themselves - not games or music. Cell phones are not permitted during PASSPORTkids! programming. Checklist of Things to Bring Medical Release Form: 2 copies signed by a Notary Public so a hospital can treat your child in the unlikelyevent they have an accident Texas only: Additional Heart of Texas Camp forms Clothes: 4-5 T-shirts 4-5 pair of shorts modest swimsuit at least 1 pair long pants jacket/sweatshirt Heroes Variety Show costume closed-toe shoes (two pairs because rec party shoes may get dirty) Towels and Linens: sleeping bag or sheets and a pillow washcloth and towels (for swimming, bathing and drying hands) Toiletries: soap (for sink & shower) and shampoo deodorant toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. Other items: Bible and pen/pencil sunscreen bug repellant flashlight water bottle (a must!) some money for the mission offering* and camp store *Mission Offering There are many references in the Bible that teach us to offer hospitality to the stranger. This summer, PASSPORT campers will learn about ministries across the United States whose job is to offer welcome and kindness to newcomers. Specifically, campers will hear the stories of women and children fleeing violence in Central America who seek refuge and safety. We will learn about the cooperation between local ministries in McAllen, TX, and support work among Internationals in Fredericksburg, VA, and Miami, FL. 5 Parent Guide

6 New to PASSPORT? PASSPORTkids! is 4 day, 3 night children s camp for children who have completed 3rd - 6th grade filled with fun faith-building programming and hands-on missions education. At camp, your kids will discover God s love and practice being followers of Jesus through a jam-packed schedule of Bible studies, missions education, recreation, and worship. We know that sending your child to camp is an important rite of passage and a matter of trust. That s why PASSPORTkids! is designed with the total well-being of each camper in mind. Here are some things you can expect from us. SAFETY: Your children s safety is the staff s number one priority. Every session boasts a 1 to 5 adult to child ratio. We hire, screen, and train our staff using our Safe Harbor policies, and require churches to conduct a background check on every adult chaperone they bring. PASSPORTkids! promises a physically, spiritually, and emotionally safe environment for your children to learn and develop their Christian identity. FAITH-BUILDING: Devotions, Bible study, missions, and worship are obvious times for campers to hear and think about God. But celebrations, recreation, and the nightly parties also provide ample opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ and grow as a community of faith. HOLISTIC GROWTH: PASSPORTkids! is focused on creative discipleship in a way that meets your children where they are. Our team works year-round to create programming and activities designed for each developmental stage. Through hands-on activities and thoughtfully planned lessons, children will be taught scripture within a framework designed for their optimal learning and development. POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM: Our campers are empowered to make healthy choices, to try new experiences, and to treat one another with compassion. They lead much of worship, and they soak up the Christ-like love of the PASSPORTkids! staff and their adult chaperones. FUN: Joy is an essential part of a Christian s life, and PASSPORTkids! enjoy plenty of fun! We gather each day in a wacky Celebration and close each evening with a lively Party. Count on your child coming home with an abundance of joyful memories to share! 6 Parent Guide

7 Virginia Location PASSPORTkids! at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center 1 Eagle Eyrie Drive Lynchburg, VA Camp Mailing Addresses Tennessee Location PASSPORTkids! at Clyde M. York 4-H Center 62 4-H Center Drive Crossville, TN South Carolina Location PASSPORTkids! at Converse College 580 East Main Street Spartanburg, SC Texas Location PASSPORTkids! at Heart of Texas Camp 8025 North FM 2125 Brownwood, TX North Carolina Location PASSPORTkids! at Montreat Assembly Inn 401 Assembly Drive Montreat, NC Founded in 1993, Passport, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry that produces creative, high quality Christian summer camps and mission trips for youth groups and children s groups across the country. We invite you to consider becoming a donor to Passport, and join us in making a transformational difference in the lives of those we serve. 7 Parent Guide