By Jennifer Taylor
Instead of a traditional Vacation Bible School, this summer Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL) created “Journey Jubilee,” a three-day event designed for families and friends.
“The older people need to teach the younger ones, and parents need to teach children,” said teaching pastor Harold Armstrong to the Journey family in an announcement about the event. “And often we don”t know how to do that, so we want multiple generations to come together.”
The event, held on Journey”s campus July 28-30, centered around a “Tent of Meeting” in the church courtyard where the campers gathered for worship and teaching led by Journey”s staff.
The church also planned plenty of opportunities for families to play together by tackling a challenge course, exploring the woods in a GeoScavenger hunt, or pounding on drums (the perfect event to follow a session on “creating a rhythm” of connection). Open activity times included a magic show, music, movies, a prayer walk, and plenty of time for sports, games, and relaxing. The event ended with Extreme Outdoor Entertainment””a water slide, laser tag, and dunk tank.
A $25 registration fee for every family or group covered materials and participation for all events. Journey members volunteered to set up, facilitate group activities, direct parking, help with first aid, and other needs. Food was available for purchase throughout the weekend or families could bring their own, and some groups even camped on the church property in tents or RVs.
“We need to be together,” says lead pastor John Hampton. “Children need a quantity of quality time.”
Author: Christian Standard
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