Dozens of children from multiple towns spent a week singing, playing, worshiping, making crafts, dancing and learning about God and God’s world at the annual Vacation Bible Camp at Church of the Epiphany in Orange, assisted by Church of the Messiah in Chester.
At least 40 children ages 4 to 12 attended each day, with 65 enrolled overall from Orange, East Orange, Montclair, South Orange, Maplewood, Newark and Hillside. In a local mission trip experience, five adults and one teen from Messiah, Chester assisted with the camp, which was directed by Epiphany’s Simone Wilson and Rosa Jackson. The program also was interfaith: Assisting community members included a Muslim man.
The youngsters opened and closed each day with worship, led by Messiah’s rector, the Rev. Margaret Otterburn. The children spent time in class as well as rotating through special activities – games, music, library, Bible stories, crafts and dance. Midweek, the entire camp traveled to Point Pleasant to visit the amusement park and aquarium. The final day featured a field day, outdoor picnic with a visit from an ice cream truck, and a “splash party.”
The program concluded with an evening celebration for parents, with children singing songs they learned during the week (including a spirited rendition of “Let’s Praise the Lord” by Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Joseph Harmon) and receiving participation certificates. A pizza party followed in the parish hall.
The program was supported by diocesan ACTS/VIM and Marge Christie fund grants.
