Archive: Around Town

Lansing's Grace Baptist Church will become SonHarvest County the week of July 7th, as the church offers this year's summer Bible camp for K-4th grade kids.  "The church is transformed into SonHarvest County, and it's the week of their fair," says camp director Anna Brewer.  "So you have four characters from SonHarvers that come to help teach the children through skits and music.  There is Uncle Zeke and Aunt Opal, and Annie Opal.  Her cousin Patty comes from the big city and has never experienced the fair."

The characters are played by Brewer, Art Snyder, Brianna Sullivan and Maxine Bowman.  "We stay in character," she says.  "That's part of bringing the fair here.  Upstairs we do the skit, we go into the classes as helpers, or help with the crafts.  You stay in character -- it's like being in a play for the whole night."


Brewer has directed the camp with her parents Art and Sandy Snyder for the past three years.  She says they start with a Bible camp package, but tailor it to the age groups and kids that come to their camp.  "It's a lot of fun," she says.  "We get a lot of children that haven't ever been in church.  The first experience being a fun one is better than it being ho-hum and boring."

The stories are themed around 'fruits of the spirit,' which correlate to seed packets that missionaries George and Julie Holmes bring to Albania.  The couple will teach children about Albania and how it's different from Lansing throughout the week.  "You are not allowed to talk about God there," Brewer explains.  "So the way they get into the country is to bring seed packets to distribute, because it is a farming country."

During the week the camp accepts offerings of seeds for the mission, as well as food for the Lansing Food Pantry.  "That teaches the children that you can be a missionary right where you live," Brewer says.  'You don't have to go anywhere else."

The camp, which is held in the evenings, is open to the whole community.  Congregants' children get invitations they can hand out to friends.  The camp typically attracts 30 children.

Each day starts with a skit and singing.  Next they go with a teacher for a Bible story.  Each night they have a different craft, and then the Holmeses come to teach about their mission.  Games and snack time are next, followed by a short closing with songs and a review of the activities of the day.  And the characters are woven into all the activities.  Other helpers also dress up in a country theme.  Classrooms are decorated, and the crafts also fit the theme.  One day kids make a picture frame with their picture in it.  Games like sack races and apple bobbing also fit into the county fair theme.

"The kids really enjoy having the characters," Brewer says.  "Two years ago the theme was SonTreasure Island and I was Pearle Shellfish, who was very selfish, but learned not to be through the other characters.  In the skits she was looking for a treasure throughout the week, and it ended up being her Grandfather's Bible.  When she first got there she was going to find the treasure and keep it all to herself.  While I helped with crafts the children got coins and they weren't supposed to tell me about them because I would take them.  I remember one little girl said, 'Well, I think we should let her have one!'  She was getting the lesson, too."

Brewer says that is what she likes best about the camp.  "My favorite part is the children's faces," she says.  "They just love it.  I remember last year we had a little girl who didn't even want to come.  But after the first 20 minutes she was having the time of her life.  It's so much fun to see the difference from when they get here and don't know what to expect to the last night when they don't want it to be over."

She also notes that there are roles for everyone to help teach, or run the games, or participate in different aspects of the camp.  "It's nice because people are involved in different ways, and everyone can be involved," she says.  "That makes it a lot of fun."

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