Summer Camp For....Who?!

Driving home for two hours gives me plenty of time to think. Deacons at our church have the following portfolios: grounds, buildings, outreach, vehicle, and safety/security. I'm getting too old to shovel snow and mow lawns, so I'll gladly pass that on to an upcoming, younger deacon. What would I rather have?

Our outreach deaconess has come up with a few projects, like backpacks for school kids, groceries for the food bank, and hygiene bags for the homeless. These are nice ideas, and while they fill a physical need, they really aren't speaking to their eternal needs. The deaconess also runs these projects by herself from start to finish. We can certainly continue to do them, but I would encourage others to step forward and be in charge them. It gives more people the opportunity to do direct ministry, and who knows what other fresh ideas they could come up with.

As the portfolio holder, I would focus more on the big outreach ideas, those that have a better chance of speaking into peoples' lives and bringing them to the altar. Vacation Bible School is an example. My wife and I are running it, we have recruited 8 volunteers and we're going to creatively advertise it at a nearby school. It's been 7+ years since our church had any kind of kids' summer program.

But, why focus only on kids? Real outreach also offers something that unchurched adults feel comfortable in attending. Why not an evening summer camp for them? The draw could be something like frisbee golf (our church has a 2-acre lawn). Add some practical classes, like financial security or raising teenagers, and who knows how many would show up? All designed to get them there in order to hear about Jesus.

A lot of churches seem to focus on providing activivties for kids & assume the parents will come along too.
Events that specifically target adults is a great idea.