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Day Camp (DC)

What happens if your mission trip does not involve swinging a hammer? What if it involves giving away warm fuzzies, piggyback rides, and making art out of pipe cleaners? What if it means opening a child's eyes to a new world of possibilities? What if it means showing a child unconditional love, how to pray, who Jesus is for us?

Is this still missions? Yes! And this is just a small picture of what Mountain T.O.P.'s Day Camp is like for the children of Grundy County. This county's story is usually told with grim statistics. 70% of all high school students are considered economically disadvantaged and only 7% go on to higher education. 25% of the county lives in what we would consider extreme poverty. Unemployment is typically 40% higher than the current national rate.

Day Camp is a place to spread hope. It is an environment where children come to be loved and challenged in a safe and positive community. Youth and adults spend a week with children, 6-11 years old, participating in activities that take them on a journey throughout the county, learning about such things as the environment, community service, and local entrepreneurship.

Let Day Camp open up new areas in mission work for your group. Here are a few basic guidelines to get you started:

  • Vehicle requirement is one 12 passenger (or larger) van for every 7 participants
  • Your group can do both Service Project and Day Camp during the weeks that both ministries are offered
  • You must have the appropriate number of adults to participate with your youth in Day Camp
  • Drivers will have a van route and pick up children with their Youth Renewal Groups (YRGs)
  • Daily schedules vary between activities such as going to a state park, visiting local businesses, doing crafts at a church, or participating in a service project. Days are planned and managed by Mountain T.O.P. staff. You are asked to be a full participant in the daily activities.
  • Snapshot of a day: leave camp at 9am and pick up children; meet at a set location with other YRGs from your Major Group (MG); have Opening Circle with your MG leader and move to an activity with your YRG; have lunch together; spend the afternoon at a state park with a park ranger; go on a hike; load kids into the van and take them home; return to camp by 4:30pm.

2013 Dates:

YSM Week 1: June 2nd - 8th

YSM Week 2: June 9th - 15th

YSM Week 3: June 16th - 22nd, Service Project & Day Camp

YSM Week 4: June 23rd - 29th

YSM Week 5: June 30th - July 6th, Service Project & Day Camp

YSM Week 6: July 7th - 13th

YSM Week 7: July 14th - 20th, Service Project & Day Camp

YSM Week 8: July 21st - 27th

Cost:

Weeks 1 and 5 cost $350/person

Week 7 at Martin Methodist College costs $395/person

All other weeks cost $375/person