Community Kids Camp
Irvington UMC Preschool Director Lori Steur had a vision for a short summer program aimed at three and four year olds, who may not already have a connection to the preschool or the church. Lori envisioned a program curriculum focused on bringing Bible stories and scripture to life for young children, demonstrating real world application associations and giving them language to express their ideas. As with IUMC’S preschool experience, this program would attract families regardless of their church experience. Prior to camp registration, a parent expressed to Lori their concern that the experience might be be “too religious”. She reassured this parent that the camp was not about indoctrination, labeling children as sinners, nor about rote memorization of scripture. This parent signed up their child for one day, then ended up returning for the majority of the camp. This parent and others expressed gratitude and joy for the enthusiasm their children showed in re-telling the stories they had heard at each camp session.
