The end of the school year is fast approaching. I have been upstairs this morning celebrating the graduation of 40+ students who are graduating high school who were teenagers living on their own over the majority of their high school time. Congratulations to the SKIL Graduating Class of 2010!

All this leads me to looking forward to summer. Being 20+ years in ministry, with a large part of that time attending church camps, my mind wanders to the planning, preparation and recruiting of students to attend church camps this summer. As you hopefully know we have been quite active in church camps for the past few years. I have seen children give their life to Christ at church camp. I have witnessed youth make life decisions to enter the ministry, or deepen their relationships with Christ at a makeshift altar in a camp setting. I cannot tell you how important it is to allow students a time away from the things of their everyday life to spend quality time with God in a different environment.

First Church has cut back on its budget for 2010 and I urge you to dig a little deeper for our children and youth this time of the year. Camps have increased there prices over the last few years but still are a great value for the money that we spend. Our most expensive camp this year is a week long camp which will cost each participant $210 to attend. Some of our families have 3 or 4 kids going to camp which is a burdensome expense. We would like to help kids go to camp this year and in order to do so we need your help. Any extra donation you can give to send a child to camp is greatly appreciated. Maybe you would like to sponsor a child to camp who is unable to participate without your donation. We have made it very clear to the children and youth that everyone will need to pay something to have ownership in the process. Camping has changed my life and the lives of many in our congregation. Maybe you would like to share about a special experience you have had in camping. Maybe there is one among you who would share a life-altering moment you had at camp. Let us know your thoughts about camp, and remember to make a donation to scholarship some kids to camp this year. Mark the memo line in your check, “camp”, and we’ll send some kids to make memories of a lifetime and decisions for eternity.

Grace and peace,
Kirk