Despite years of “total immersion” in the world of Day Camp summers I am constantly struck afresh by how swiftly they pass by. Forty-six weeks of preparation gone in six weeks of execution. Perhaps they do fly by so quickly just because of the detailed planning undertaken by so many volunteers at so many different levels of involvement. Hmm, can we draw a little analogy here with the past week of last minute planning for the Jonah and the Whale All Ages Service?
No, it is not as neat as that, since despite the chaos, the Service did turn out very well and several people actually told me after church that it was their favourite All Ages experience since we started having them. So, yes, it is possible for everyone to rise to the occasion and pull it off, even if the process is less pleasurable!
Trudging home on another very wet walk, I was amused to realise that the final running order for today bore a striking resemblance to a Day Camps Main Presentation, with many of the same components: – Songs, a “Drama”, the Quiz, Audio-visuals and Prayers, I guess this tried and true model for solid all ages ministry is adaptable to All Ages in the broader sense of 3-4 generations as well as being able to engage a wide range of children in a Day Camp context.Whatever the recipe, it worked! The rain did not put a damper on things as we even used the wading pool and fishy toys (sans water, of course!) as an interest area for the “little’s”.
All ages enjoyed the dramatic reading, the two YouTube clips, the Prophet of the Week Quiz and the Seashell prayers and Collage.
It will take a lot of convincing for me to believe that the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah has as much going for it as the basis for the August All Ages Service…meanwhile, back to the world of Day Camps!!!