Hello Camp Zion Families,

Last week was a fun adventure as we once again had work groups from Therefore Go Ministries join us.  Four different teams of people from South Dakota and Canada were able to come and experience what Camp Zion is all about and help with all our different activities.  Your kids did a great job making them feel welcome and inviting them to join in on the fun.

Here is what is coming up for this week.

Camp Zion 2024 – Week 5 – Happy Birthday Week!!!
Monday:  Carnival Birthday Party.
Tuesday: Backyard Birthday Party.
Wednesday: Bowling Birthday Party – wear socks and tennis shoes to camp.
Thursday; Sudz Party Birthday Party – wear your swimsuit to camp & bring a towel.

See you all tomorrow,
Ms. Rachel

Hello Camp Zion Families,
We’re thankful for the cooler temperatures that week 2 at camp brought.  We are working hard at making sure we know each other’s names and about some of our favorite things.

This summer we are talking about the fruit of the Spirit. God has placed into our hearts the characteristics of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self control. We have ALL of these inside of us – and it is our job to learn about them and make them grow by practicing them daily. This past week we talked about love and how we can show love to those around us in a practical way.  Love is more than a feeling – it is an action.

Here is what’s coming up next week.

Week 3 – Island Life.

• Monday:  Creation Station Day 1.
• Tuesday:  Creation Station Day 2.
• Wednesday: Survivor Games. Wear your swimsuit and bring a towel.
• Thursday:  NO CAMP – 4th of JULY HOLIDAY

Have a great weekend. See you all on Monday.
Ms Rachel

 

Hello Camp Zion Families,

All of our staff members and volunteers are excited to spend the next 7 weeks with your kids.  I know we are going to have an amazing summer together.

Camp begins tomorrow Monday, June 17. Our staff will begin signing kids in at Door D  (new location!) at 9am. Parents please stay in your vehicle while in the drop off lane. We will sign your child in for the day once you have pulled up to the drop off zone.

On Monday during circle time we will be reviewing the camp rules and code of conduct with your kids.  We’ll also explain any changes we’ve made here at camp and we will answer any questions that they might have about our summer together.

Here is what we have planned for this week.

Week 1 (June 17-20) Games Galore!!!

• Monday: Plunger Hockey & Frisbee Golf
• Tuesday: Nuk’em & Checkers
• Wednesday: Uno & Crafting.
• Thursday: Field Trip: Tarry Hall. Wear good walking shoes and socks.  Skates are provided, but kids can bring their own rollerblades/skates if they would prefer.

Please send a water bottle with your kids everyday – labeled with their name.

I will be taking oodles and oodles of pictures this summer. Be sure to check out (and “like”) our Facebook and Instagram pages so you can see what your kids are up to each day.

For more specifics on our days spent at camp the Camp Zion 2024 Parent Info document can be found on the Zion Reformed Church Website.

See you all tomorrow.

~Rachel

Hello Camp Zion Families,

Well, it is ridiculously quiet around church this week. No one has been running through the lobby playing tag, cheering loudly when they win a game or belly laughing over something silly.  I miss the joyful noise that our Camp Zion campers bring to our building.

It has truly been a blessing to spend the last 7 weeks with your children.  They are smart, kind & funny people who have captured all of our hearts.  Thank you for gifting us the opportunity to spend time with each of them this summer.  What fun we have had playing games, dancing, acting, going on trips, reading stories, learning about God and creating a ton of fun memories together.

I was asked two questions repeatedly last week.

1.)  “What are you all gonna do with yourselves now that camp is done?” 
The short answer is…sleep in! LOL.  But in actuality our staff is busy all year long.

• Hope & Emily begin their junior year & Kendall begins her sophomore year at Jenison. While Olivia begins her sophomore year at Holland.  All four are involved in a variety of extracurricular activities and all four are members of the Zion praise and worship team. 
• Pastor Jeremy is our associate pastor here at Zion.  His role includes things like preaching on Sunday mornings, leading our youth groups, leading our worship teams and helping out with all of our community focused programs. He has a passion for making connections with the people in our neighborhood so please reach out if there is something he can help you with.
• Ms. Rachel will be enjoying these last couple weeks of summer with her family before returning to her position as a clerical assistant for Jenison Public Schools. Even though our camp season just ended she is already planning for Camp Zion 2024.  🙂  In addition to her job at JPS, and Camp Zion, Ms Rachel is also the Children’s Ministry Director here at church. That means she oversees all of the children’s programming at Zion for kids age 3 years old – 5th grade, during the school year. Obviously, Ms Rachel has a big heart for kids.

2.)  “Ms. Rachel, can I be a volunteer at Camp Zion?”
YES!!!
It is super exciting that your kids love camp so much that they want to come back and volunteer.  We hope that they will.  Currently we do have a couple of requirements for kids wanting to volunteer at Camp Zion.

• The soonest former CZ campers are allowed to volunteer is the summer they are entering 8th grade.  There is a BIG difference between being a camper at Camp Zion and being a volunteer at Camp Zion.  We’ve found that a year off helps with the transition between the two.
• We also ask that they be involved with Zion Youth Group during the school year.  This extra time spent with Jeremy, myself, and our other youth leaders gives our young teens an age appropriate way to learn more about God, Zion, service and leadership before choosing to volunteer at camp.

Although Camp Zion has wrapped up for this summer there are plenty of other opportunities throughout the year to get your families connected into Zion. More details about all of these can be found on the Zion website www.zionreformed.org

• Sunday Morning Worship.  9:30am each week.  Nursery is available for children age 0-2.  Most people enter at Door D and walk down the hallway to our sanctuary.  The child check in station is right along the way.
• Children & Worship.  These classes are available during the Sunday morning worship service.  Summer classes for children 3yrs old – 3rd grade are being held now. Fall classes for children 3yrs-5th grade begin Sept 10th.
• Middle School Youth Group (6th-8th grade) Sunday evenings 5:45 pm – 7:15 pm.  Regular classes begin September 17.  Our kick off event will be held on September 10th. More details to come.
• High School Youth Group (9th-12th grade) Sunday evenings 4pm – 5:30pm. Regular classes begin on September 17th. Our kick off event will be help on September 10th. More details to come.
• Camp Zion 2024.  I will be emailing you all with details next spring. 🙂
• Family Fun.  Our hospitality committee tries to plan several fun family events throughout the year.  As those event details become available I will pass them along to you.

If you haven’t done so already check out the Camp Zion Facebook page or Instagram (camp.zion) to see all of the photos we’ve taken this year.  I’ve been scrolling through them all morning – so many fun memories.

Thanks again for sending your kids to Camp Zion this year.  We had a wonderful time together.  I hope to see you all again before next summer.

Blessings,
Rachel