The United Church of Canada (UCC) started Camp Spirit in 2012 with the mission to create a day camp experience that supported the faith and lives of children and families. The aim was to be financially accessible and located close to families that needed it. The program will be run in 2 different locations for each of seven weeks this summer, including Vancouver Island and Williams Lake.
The St. George, Fort Langley Camp Spirit week is in the third week of the summer from Monday 23 July to Friday 27 July. The curriculum is UCC’s own, rooted in the values of inclusion, hospitality, right-relationship and outreach, and is designed for all children age 5 to 11.
Besides filling a need for providing a camp experience for children ages 5-11, the program offers an opportunity for youth leadership: first, for youth aged 11-14 to participate as Leaders in Training (LiT), and a second leadership opportunity for high-school aged youth, as Youth Crew.
A typical day at camp begins with children being welcomed, and gathered in their age groups at 9am; then worship is followed by the morning’s program (including a snack) - a two-hour exploration of the theme. After lunch there is time spent in “Community Engagement” - being shown a new skill by a parish volunteer and then having the opportunity to try it! After that there is outdoor time followed by re-gathering back in the age groups, and departure at 3pm.
The cost is $150 per child, which includes the program from 9am to 3pm, lunch and snacks. Bursaries are available if there is financial need.
The program is successful not only because of its high quality programming and administrative support, but also because it involves the faith community in which it is being hosted: the parish of St. George, Fort Langley is really excited to be offering this program to our local community.
We invite families with children to register by going to the Camp Spirit website - there are 14 locations available this summer; we’d especially love to see many children here at St. George’s.
Please find a poster below for downloading, printing, display and sharing on electronic sites.