Up North & Play Camp
Up North; Youth Boundary Waters Trip
In an effort to acquire as many mosquito bites as possible, Mark and six students along with a guide who happens to be a member of the United States underwater hockey team (look it up, it’s really pretty cool) took off from Wilderness Canoe Base in Late June out into seagull lake and beyond to spend three days and nights out on trail exploring creation together.
In what can be described as ” character-building weather”, this group of veteran and newbie paddlers overcame challenges, built and deepened friendships, and worked together as a team wonderfully.
While the weather did throw us some curveballs that made most of our dry clothes into wet clothes, the moments that we saw the sun turned into extraordinary times to swim, play, and lay in the warmth of northern Minnesota and all of its beauty.
When it was all said and done, 25 miles of paddling and portaging were in the books, amazing meals cooked and devoured over a campfire, and conversations that covered pretty much every topic imaginable (bowling is a good first date). The students had an incredible adventure, I know there were times that it felt daunting, and we wondered how much more we could do. That was counterbalanced by the immense support, teamwork, and laughter that we also experienced throughout our trip.
God is up to something awesome in the lives of these kids, and Wilderness Canoe Base and its amazing staff are part of helping us all see the bigger picture of creation and our place in it. (The sauna at the end of the trip helps a bit too)
Written by Mark Halvorson, Director of Congregational Ministries
Dramatic Play Camp 2024!
Our Annual Dramatic Play Camp started with a bang and a blackout! Because of the severe storm early Sunday morning on July 14, which also canceled worship, the electricity outage in our neighborhood forced us to cancel our first day of Dramatic Play Camp on the 15!
But we hit the ground running on Tuesday and had four very full days of drama, dance, art, juggling, community building, recreation, fun, and friendship. We concluded our abbreviated camp with a lovely performance for all the families on Friday.
Well over 100 family and friends came to support their young performers, who were between the ages of 5 and 8. Our second week of camp for the older kids, aged 9 to 12, is happening now, and I’m sure it will be just as fun and satisfying as the first camp!
Extra special thanks to Cathy Davenport, who has been with me since we started these camps 14 years ago! I’d also like to thank the Good Shepherd community for allowing us to take over the building for two weeks every summer. Even though the participants, families, and audience members are mainly from outside our worship community, they still look to Good Shepherd as a place of creative fellowship, safety, and love.
Written by Tor Johnson, Director of Children’s Ministries, Performing Arts, and Outside Group Rentals