Ministries of Mercy - Life Ministries at 6363 9th Avenue North , St. Petersburg, FL 33710 US - Vacation Bible School at San Jose Mission
|
Vacation Bible School at San Jose Mission
|
 |
Volunteers from our parishes and schools made this summer a little brighter for the children at the San Jose Mission. Volunteers from Jesuit High School, the Academy of Holy Names, St. Stephen Parish, Nativity Parish, and St. Clement Parish ran four themed vacation bible camps from May to August. Themes included “Take the Plunge Water Park Adventure,” “Sun Force Kids,” “Avalanche Ranch,” and “The Great Bible Reef.” Each day, the children learned a new Bible story and played games, made crafts, ate snacks, and sang songs.
The middle school youth group at St. Stephens, under the leadership of Kim Davis, led the “Sun Force Kids” Bible Camp July 23-27. The children started each morning with a bible story and a song, and spent the day playing games, making crafts, and learning about God’s love. “It was a very touching experience,” Youth Minister Kim Davis explained. “My kids kept saying they learned a lot about themselves and grew closer to God through the experience.” It seemed that both the children and the volunteers had a great time playing and learning together. Highlights from the week include a visit from two Newsome High School football players and a cheerleader, a Treasure Chest at the end of each day, and a bouncy castle on Friday, the final day of camp. The end of Bible Camp does not mean the end of St. Stephen’s relationship with the children of San Jose, however. The middle school youth group hopes to build on their relationship and continue to host events to bring the two communities together.
Sister Charlotte Hobelman of St. Clement’s Parish organized the “Great Bible Reef” camp August 6-10th. The children had a great time with the water-themed camp, and concluded the week with a day of water games, spending most of the day running through sprinklers, wading in the pool, and racing each other on the dueling Slip’n’Slide. Sister Charlotte was happy that the children had fun. “We did it to pass on our love for the children and to express how much Jesus loves them in a very personal way,” she relates. “These children are a special part of our parish. Otherwise, many of these children would not have access to places where they could enjoy themselves over the summer, so it was wonderful to be able to provide that opportunity for them.”
The children had so much fun at camp that they were even asking about next summer! So thank you to all the volunteers who made these camps possible. For more information about how to get involved at the San Jose Mission, please contact Sabrina Burton Schultz at the Office of Life Ministry.
(Back)
