Healing Moment
Mon, May 23, 2011 at 11:47 am
Last month we were talking about facing your fears and trusting in God (Isaiah 41:10). On the final day of our series “facing our fears” we did a trust fall with the kids. As I was praying for each kid I asked them to do something which represented them putting their trust in God – falling backwards until others caught them. One boy, who I will call is Ricky, larger and a little more socially awkard then most, was next up in line. Suddenly the kids started cheering his name, “Ricky-Ricky-Ricky!” - the cheering got louder and louder! This I believe was a time of true healing for him because most of the time Ricky is made fun of and talked badly about. But in this moment they all were so excited for him; the fat jokes stopped, the teasing stopped and at a point when he should have been his weakest, because he had to trust in people who hurt him, he was his strongest because of their cheers. I looked him in the eye and told him remember this moment and listen to all these people cheering his name, knowing that he is loved and accepted. He had the biggest smile on is face and I knew he got it! Then I said a quick prayer over him like I had done for each kid and he stepped back into position and as they were still cheering his name we counted 1…2…3… He fell back perfectly and they caught him and everyone went wild - it was truly overwhelming. It is in experiences like these that all the struggles of the job disappear and you have a real God moment with the kids you love so dearly.
-Garrett Poper (Camp Grace Director)
"I Saw God Use UrbanPromise . . ."
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 1:37 pm
March was an incredible month for the kids involved with UrbanPromise’s after school programs. We had Math Dare - a math competition with double-dare type challenges and the Jr. High Olympics - a weeklong event with the three junior high camps at UrbanPromise. Both events brought enthusiasm and unity out of the kids in our after school program. But beyond all the hype of this crazy month, God continued to blow me away. I felt especially this month that I was able to see why UrbanPromise has invested so much in the city of Camden, NJ. I saw firsthand the tragedies our kids experience on a regular basis and the effect it can have on their lives. More importantly, I saw God move in those circumstances and for that I praise Him. I saw God use UrbanPromise this month as a positive influence in a city that focuses on the negatives. As spring approaches, flowers begin to bloom and the sun comes out, my heart is filled with joy and thankfulness for all God has done and is going to do. Please continue to pray for the children of Camden, New Jersey.
~ Lane White, UP Intern
Dance, Skits, Food, Roller Skating, Bowling, & The All-Nighter Jesus Experienced!
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Parents Night
Just a few weeks ago we held Parents Night on Friday the 18th. The night went smoothly and according to plan. We had "killer" food which the kids started to prepare with the staff at 4pm. In addition to the glorious feast we provided live entertainment courtesy of our eager-to-please camp kids. The fifth grade girls performed a dance number and the 6th grade boys put on a creative skit. Following the skit we took the parents through a typical camp day and finished with a Q & A session. I hope to build off the relationships we made with the parents that night. And work with them to be a positive presence in the lives of their kids.
Jr. High All-Nighter
The All-Nighter was a great success! The night began with pickups at 7:30pm where the energy from the kids as they got on the bus set the tone for the rest of the night and morning. The first activity was roller skating where the kids at all different abilities made their way around the rink. From there, we went bowling as the high energy continued. Ozzy hit his first strike ever, the kids went crazy. After bowling, when the kids were starting to fade, a third wind kicked in. We brought the kids to the Eastside UrbanPromise building where they enjoyed pizza and silly games such as flipping the soda bottle. The night took a serious turn when Boston (the director of Camp Freedom) gave a powerful talk about the all nighter Jesus experienced. The night before he was betrayed into the hands of the high priests. Each child listened attentively as Boston brought home the message of the story.
– Garrett Poper, Site Director
Kids Creating Candy Cane Lane!
Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 7:51 pm
God's Transformation: "I don't know what happened, but I'm so happy"
Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 12:14 pm
After Christmas break, the Camp Grace staff was eager to begin a new semester and see what God had in store for us. In the last few weeks of program in 2010 we really started seeing God move in Camp Grace. There was one particular day when it was evident God was transforming some of our kids' lives. After a short talk about the love of God with the kids, we put on some worship music and had the kids write down some of their thoughts and prayer requests. During this time God’s presence was truly pressing on the kid’s hearts and healing them of the brokenness that so many of them felt. A number of the kids just broke down and started crying because of the comfort and restoration God was providing for them in their hearts. The love of God is more powerful than anything we can encounter in our daily lives and I saw this take place on that day. It is now been our main priority to continue pressing in more and more to what God is doing. One of my favorite moments from that day was when one of the boys who had been very upset at the start of camp broke down and started crying while we were listening to the worship songs. He said something to me that made me light up inside when I asked him how he was doing. He replied with a big smile, “I feel so good, like I don’t know what happened, but I am so happy and just feel so good!” Later, I saw him running around and jumping off chairs. You could see the hope and excitement on his face! It was wonderful.
I would like to celebrate a new addition to the Camp Grace staff this year. Lane White, returning from an intern stint this past summer, has joined with intern, Shannon, to help run the 7th and 8th grade classroom. I believe he will prove to be a great support to the camp as our staff becomes even stronger. God has already begun to do big things at Camp Grace. After talking with the kids about the Biblical characters of David and Goliath and identifying giants in their lives, we encouraged the kids with the idea that if they give these "giants" to God, He can help them overcome anything. We had a special time of prayer where they walked around to different tables labeled family, friends, school, and healing and wrote down prayer request in those categories. We then prayed for their requests. It was so uplifting to see kids writing down requests for other people and even praying for one another. I have a deep belief that God is working and these prayers will be answered in His good time.
Untangling Life at the End of a Fishing Line
Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Camp Grace is up and running again for the school year and I could not be happier. Our first week was a huge success with 31 students the first day. This was the largest number of students we have started with in the last 4 years. They were all so excited to be back at camp and ready to have some fun playing dodge ball, tag, and messy games during Opening Program. To introduce the new Interns and StreetLeaders, we decided to do the chicken dance for the kids. My staff found out how challenging this dance is to perform in front of a group of people, but it was a good ice breaker and the kids had fun laughing at us. God has blessed me with another amazing staff and I can’t wait to see all their potential unfold during this year. It was a great first week overall and I am excited to be a part of what good is doing at Camp Grace.
This year, one of my goals for Camp Grace is to expand the kid horizons or, as I like to call it, creating “Mind Blowing Experiences." This past weekend there was a fishing derby at the Camden waterfront on the Father Michael Doyle Pier. Nineteen out of the 37 kids who showed up for the contest were from Camp Grace. It was a very entertaining time from watching them learn how to cast, to seeing them put the worm on the hook, to the untangling of many, many fishing lines. A fun day. Most everyone we took caught fish and some caught several. The craziest part was that only three of the kids had ever been fishing before and most everyone we took loved it and wants to do it again.
Camp Grace kids spend spring break in New Mexico!
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Imagine looking up into the desert sky and seeing stars, for the first time in your life, stretching into infinity. For six days over spring break, eleven kids from North Camden had the chance to gaze into the unfamiliar and the possibilities of life beyond what they'd ever realized before. From the rush of speed boating on Elephant Butte Lake to the overwhelming immensity of the White Sands desert, from the beauty of a hike through Ruidoso to the novelty of horseback riding, archery, and the daunting zipline at Fort Lonetree, they hungrily seized every chance to reimagine themselves and what God has in store for them.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the night before we left, when we took the time to reflect around a bonfire and s'mores about the trip, the lessons we'd learned, and the bonds we'd established with one another. Afterwards, we discussed the things society wanted us to believe about ourselves, and how through the Easter story; God had given us a chance to choose something totally new. One by one, each of us wrote down something that was holding us back from this transformation and nailed it to a wooden cross we had made, denying its power to bind us. This spring break, eleven kids caught a glimpse of something new and chose into the possibilities it held for a life different and extraordinary.
The place I see God moving the most is in the kids I work with.
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Camp Grace has been keeping busy this past month with some big events:
- March Madness: We packed the Urban Promise gym with over 70 Jr Highers from all over the city for a 3 v. 3 basketball tournament. It was a long night but it was a blast. Each UrbanPromise camp, from three different areas of the city, brought our kids together. Kids were placed on teams with other kids from all over Camden. The focus of this event was to put an emphasis on city unity.
- Jr. High Olympics: The following week we organized five days of competition for all three older kids camps throughout the city. This week put unity and peace as the focal point of everything we did. Each day of the week had a different camp host an event for the other camps to come and compete at their home site. This gave every part of the city a chance to represent themselves and invite others to join in. It was a week filled with crazy team names, painted faces, crazy challenges, and watching one of my co-workers eat a goldfish in front of the kids. I was exhausted by the end of the week but it was well worth it.
- Math Dare: Anyone have any memory of a crazy game called “Double Dare” on Nickelodeon? It was re-birthed at Urban Promise this month with a math twist on it. The top math students from each grade level competed to bring home the math dare trophy for their camp and bragging rights. Students were given multiplication and division problems to race against other camps for the solution. In between grade levels teams were given physical challenges that resulted in lots to goo, water balloons, and slime.
- Jr High Girls Sleep-Over: Our girls group earned a sleep-over at Urban Promise that quickly turned into an all nighter. It was a good reminder of what a little sugar and caffeine can do to a Jr higher. We had a great time around the bonfire cooking s’mores, dancing around in our PJ’s, awesome game of Hide and Seek, and a lot of girl talk. It has been encouraging to see the girls open up to us more over the past few months. My prayer is to be a strong support in their life.
The kids from Camp Grace cool off with a trip to the Pool!
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:31 pm
It's hot, it's humid, but let me tell you, with Camp Grace kids, it really doesn't matter.
Today was an incredible opportunity to go to the community swimming pool in Philadelphia with Camden kids. With the sun blazing and air conditioning sparse, getting wet was a wonderful way to cool off, and it gave a great opportunity to develop relationships. After a breakfast provided by the city, we boarded the bus, crossed the Ben Franklin bridge and were on our way. The pool was huge, with a slide and lots of cool, refreshing water. The most refreshing part, however, was the joy found in the kids. As they splashed, swam, and climbed on us and each other, I couldn't help but take a step back and appreciate the beauty of my favorite of God's creation--His children.
Dunking each other and train rides with Lane were of the most popular activities of the day. Personally, after spending much of my energy over the last several days focusing on classroom control and lesson plans, it was a refreshing opportunity to just enjoy the kids, get to know them, and give them one on one attention. At the end of the day, my body is exhausted, however my spirit is refreshed and encouraged.
Staff and Interns spend a fun Monday night with the boys from Camp Grace!
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Perhaps the neighborhood was quiet in North Camden on this hot Monday night in July, but on the corner of State and Sixth Streets in Camden, New Jersey, the sounds of kids laughing and Band Hero playing echoed throughout the walls of State Street United Methodist Church. Every Monday, about 15 to 20 kids from Camp Grace make their way back to camp for the evening to eat pizza, play video games, and basically just hang out with one another and the staff.
Each week the boys and girls compete against each other to earn enough points to make it out to Camp Night. From eating crickets to sticking their heads in buckets of flour, these kids will go to great heights to gain as many points as possible. This past Monday, the boys ended up gaining more points than the girls, so they were invited back to camp for the evening. Maybe the boys ate more gummy worms off the floor or maybe the boys just showed more camp spirit, but regardless, they earned their share of points and joined the Camp Grace staff in a night of endless foosball and food.
As an intern at Camp Grace, I find Camp Night to be super beneficial in our knowing and growing with the kids. Although we tend to be pretty relaxed with the kids throughout the camp day, we often find ourselves so concerned with teaching and making sure kids aren’t swinging from light fixtures that it’s difficult to just spend time together without feeling the pressure of rules and time frames. I believe it’s so important to spend time with these little people in a not always camp like context, and our Monday nights provide us with just that. Each week, I look forward to being in the presence of such playful, beyond energetic kids in an environment where they can be nothing shy of playful and beyond energetic. These kids are truly lights; lights whose illumination is only further visible with each passing week.
