Blessing and Send Off Before Camp Begins
Send your campers off with a blessing and encouragement as they leave for Camp at Camp Horizon.
Use this prayer in one or more of your settings:
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During worship the Sunday before camp begins. Perhaps the campers could come forward with their families or
stand where they are in the pews! Lay hands on them or raise your hands towards God as you pray together!
Gathered outside on church grounds before the campers leave for camp. Invite church members, the campers’
families, and staff members to join in circling up before they depart!
During Sunday school or a children’s time as a special way for children to pray for one another.
As a prayer for the congregation to pray from home given out in the bulletin, a church newsletter or special
email.
Prayer of Blessing:
Awesome, Ever Present God,
You are with us wherever we go and send us to do fun, important, and life-changing things with you.
Today, we are celebrating and asking for your blessing over our campers. They are about to embark on a journey filled
with adventure, fun, and faith formation that will help them grow closer to you.
Bless them this week so that all of their fears and anxieties might be met with your peace.
Bless them this week so that all of their questions and seeking might be explored with your guidance.
Bless them this week so that all of their excitement and energy might be met with your joy.
(Here, name each camper individually): Bless (Name) that he/she/they might adventure with you this week.
Help them feel you close and remind them that we are here, back home, praying for the exciting week ahead. Help them
know our love and our hopes for them this week.
Bless our church, too, God. Bless us as we wait for our campers to return home prayerfully and patiently. Bless us so that
we might be changed, just as they are, because of their week at camp.
Prayer of Sending:
Send us out, O God.
Send our campers to walk and play and adventure with you.
Send our church out to do the same.
Send each of us out into the world, knowing that you are with us and that your community is supporting us, wherever
we go.
Amen.
Camp Celebration Sunday
Worship Resources for After Campers Return Home
Worship Theme:
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This week campers have learned about the importance of being a part of a faith community. They’ve
recommitted, or committed for the first time, to a relationship with Jesus Christ and are ready to dive into new
ways of relating to their church home.
In worship this week, spend some time celebrating your congregation and faith community. Name the reasons
you are strong together and talk about the major learnings our campers have explored this week:
o The story of Abraham and Sarah taught campers to have courage in community,
o The story of Ruth and Naomi helped campers learn to trust and be trusted by helping others feel safe
and learning to be accountable to one another,
o The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego taught campers that when they stand up for faith and
for justice, God and their communities stand with them,
o The story of the Great Commission inspired them to answer Jesus’ call to welcome others into
community.
Use any of these stories as your sermon and scripture theme, celebrating all that campers have learned and
challenging the whole congregation to have “Courage in Community” like them so that you might grow in faith
together.
Call To Worship:
If possible, have campers help you lead this time using the camp focus phrases from their week. The campers could even
teach your congregations the actions for each “Focus Phrase!” See the next resource to find out more about “focus
phrases” from Camp Horizon.
One: God calls us to work as one, with God’s help.
All: We are called to have COURAGE IN COMMUNITY!
One: God welcomes us to rely on one another and find safe space in our church home,
All: We are called to TRUST one another!
One: God emboldens us to stand up for justice and for our belief in God,
All: We are called to STAND UP for what’s right!
One: God beckons us to invite others to join our church family,
All: We are called to GO and make disciples!
One: Thank you, God, for being with us as we trust, stand up and go with our community.
All: Thank you, God, for our church family! Amen!
Song Suggestions:
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Contemporary Song Ideas:
o “Build Your Kingdom Here” by the Rend Collective
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o “Beautiful Things” by Gungor
o “Follow You” by Hillsong Kids
Traditional Songs found in the UM Hymnal, Faith We Sing or a part of classic Christian Heritage:
o “I will Call Upon the Lord”
o “I Am the Church, You are the Church”
o “In Christ Alone”
o “We Are One in the Spirit”
o “Seek Ye First”
o “This Little Light of Mine”
Scripture Readings:
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Each day of camp, there was a different scripture focus. See the ideas below to choose which scripture fits your
service best:
o Monday: Together, the Courage to Show Up
 Genesis 12:1–8: Abram and Sarai
 Focus Verses: Genesis 12:1-8
o Tuesday: Together, the Courage to Trust
 Book of Ruth: Ruth and Naomi
 Focus Verses: Ruth 1:6-18 and Ruth 1:16-17
o Wednesday: Together, the Courage to Stand
 Daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
 Focus Verses: Daniel 3:16-18
o Thursday: Together, the Courage to Connect
 Matthew 28: The Great Commission
 Focus Verses: Matthew 28: 19-20
Children’s Time: (Supplies Needed: A bedsheet)
Invite the children forward, telling them that you need some help leading worship today. Once they are up front, invite
any of the children who went to camp to raise their hands! Thank them for going to camp and building up their faith.
Remind them that when their faith is strong, our faith community is stronger too!
Say: During their time at camp, our church’s campers learned that we need our community, our church family, to help
us stay strong in our faith. Together, we are stronger, braver, and more courageous, than we are alone. I want to try
an experiment to see if this is really true.
Invite one child forward who is super courageous and ask them to lie down on the sheet on the floor. Say: Ok, kiddo!
Now that you are on the sheet, please float in the air! (Wait for a confused response) Wait. You can’t levitate all by
yourself? OK, OK, let me help! (Pick up the sheet and softly roll the kid off the sheet) Well that didn’t work! God
promised us that when we have courage, God would be with us and send people to support us! Let’s get some friends
up here!
Invite the rest of the children (and, if you have less than 5, invite enough adults) to each hold on to an edge of the sheet.
As them to hold either a corner or one long edge of the sheet with you on the ground without lifting until you give the
signal. Ask the child who is lying down: are you ready to be courageous? When they are ready, give the children a nod
and say, “when I count to 3, lift the sheet as slowly as me so we can help our friend have the courage to levitate! Keep
your hands at the same height as me! 1…2…3!”
After the child is lifted safely and laid back down safely, give the whole group a round of applause!
Say: Just like our camp friends, just like the kids who helped me lead worship today, God is with us and sending
people to support us when we have courage. You all have courage because you are here and you are in it together!
Praise be to God!
Sermon Themes/Ideas:
This week, your campers learned some important theological concepts about community that you can share with your
congregation. Chose one or more of these themes to preach on and, if your campers are comfortable, invite them
forward to help you preach (Ideas on how to do this, below).
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Theological Concepts to preach on:
o God called Abraham out of a comfortable life to sacrifice in order to create community. When he did,
God gave him courage and made covenant with him. God gives us courage and covenants to be with us.
o Ruth was an outsider who learned to trust Naomi, Naomi’s community, and her God. When she did,
everyone benefited. When we learn to trust and are trustworthy, our church community benefits.
o Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood out and stood up because of their faith in God. When they
took a stand against religious injustice and stood up for their faith, God stood with them and helped
them stick together. We can stand up for what’s right and know that our faith community will stand with
us.
o Jesus called his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus calls us to welcome others into our
community so that all may know God’s love. God gives each of us the power and support to welcome
new people into God’s family!
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Incorporating Campers into your sermon time:
o Option 1: Ask campers ahead of time if they’d be willing to do a “Q and A” with you at the top of your
sermon. Give them the questions ahead of time and invite them to practice at home before worship.
o Option 2: Ask campers ahead of time to prepare a written statement about what they learned at camp
or what camp meant to them this year. Invite them to read it from the pulpit!
o Option 3: Ask campers to respond via email or in a recorded video to a few short questions about their
camp experience. Play the video or read the emails on their behalf during your sermon time.
o
Question Ideas for Campers:
 What was the best activity at camp?
 Who was one person that you grew really close to? How did you grow so close?
 When do you feel God with you at camp?
 What’s one thing you learned about community at camp?
 If you could teach our church one thing about faith, what would you tell us?
Benediction/Sending Forth:
God who is community in Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, remind us that we are your community. Inspire us to live in
ways that strengthen our church family. Encourage us to know that we are never alone. Send us forth to welcome new
people into your church. Amen.
Daily Actions and Focus Phrases
Each day at Camp Horizon, we will focus on another aspect of community or a way that community helps us
be more faithful. As campers focus in on these concepts, we want to help them remember what they are
learning by using their bodies as a tool to teach them.
Camp Counselors and Camp Pastors can help campers focus the themes and learnings of the day in a simple
call and response way. At the beginning of each day and as a welcome gesture during morning and evening
worship services, teach the day’s call and response to campers. Whenever you say the word or phrase of the
day, encourage them with a big dramatic gesture to respond. This way, even as campers leave camp with the
words and the gestures to affirm their faith as the go about living it out in community.
Day of the Week
Call
(phrase for leader to say)
All Week (taught on Monday) “Courage…. In Community!”
Tuesday
“Trust!”
Wednesday
“Stand Up!”
Thursday
“Go!”
Response
(action for campers to do)
Courage: stand like
superman
In Community: Link Arms
with those around you.
(Sign language) place one
hand in front of the other at
the waste, palms up. At the
same time, squeeze them
into fists
Campers stand with feet
firmly planted and hands
open at their sides
Campers pose as if they are
frozen in a running stance or
run in place
Sunday School Curriculum: Camp Celebration Sunday
To be used the same Sunday as Camp Celebration Sunday Worship with K-5th graders!
Objectives:
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Children will celebrate their church family and community.
Children will learn from campers about how to be community.
Children will hear God’s calling to welcome new people in community.
Children will make a plan to welcome someone new to church!
Focus Scripture: Matthew 28, specifically, Matthew 28:16-20
Rotation Stations:
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Purpose: set these “stations” up throughout your classroom setting. As children arrive, invite them to self-direct
and find a station or stations that they’d like to try. Give them complete freedom and let them guide themselves
throughout the space! Each station will help point to the theme of the lesson and encourage children to practice
prayer, use their imagination, and contemplate community
Supplies Needed:
o Station 1: paper strips, a stapler, crayons or markers, station 1 instructions (attached)
o Station 2: cut outs of flags from around the world (http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/flag-printables) a
Styrofoam wreath, straight pins, scissors, station 2 instructions (attached)
o Station 3: Legos or other building blocks, station 3 instructions (attached)
Station 1: Church Chain
o Children are invited to write down prayers for individuals in your church, for groups and for activities
happening because of your church! Non-readers can even draw pictures to show what they want to pray
for!
Station 2: God’s God the Whole World!
o Children are invited to trace their hands on to flags from around the world and add them to a wreath as
they contemplate what it means to welcome the whole world into their community
Station 3: Build the Church
o Children are invited to have a little fun as they build your church out of Legos! They will be encouraged
to use their imagination and add some exciting new aspects to your church building as they go!
Opening Gathering:
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Purpose: Gather your children into a shared space to hear the scripture of the day, practice prayer and be
introduced to the concept of welcoming others into community
Supplies Needed: a bean bag or an object to pass around, a children’s picture bible
Yay! God!
o Purpose: this opening prayer will give children a chance to celebrate their community and church family
o
Invite the children to gather in a circle:
 Say: Our church family is an awesome one! Let’s take some time to think about what we are
thankful for at church! I am going to toss this beanbag to someone. When you catch it, say
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Go and Make Disciples!
o Purpose: children will hear the bible story and interact with Jesus’ call to “go”
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what at church makes you feel thankful and then pass the beanbag to someone new! As you
toss it, everyone in our circle can cheer, YAY GOD!
 Pass the beanbag around in random order, encouraging children to stay engaged by cheering
“yay, God!” after each statement is made.
Afterwards, say: Holy Cow! We have a TON to be thankful for! God has given each of us an awesome
church and community. Let’s say a prayer together to praise God for our church family.
 Pray: Awesome and loving God, thank you for our church family. We have celebrated so many
great things about our community. Thank you, God, for the people of our church, the fun we
have, and the ways we learn to love you and your people. Help us, God, to be important parts
of our church community and love and serve as you would have us do. Amen!
Gather the children around you as you read the story of the Great Commissioning (Matthew 28: 16-20)
to them from a picture bible. Read the story to them, inviting them to listen for the words “Jesus” and
“Disciples”
 When the children hear “Jesus,” invite them to respond by doing the sign language for Jesus:
palms facing one another, use the pointer finger on each hand to tap the opposite palm in the
center of the palm. (to signify where the nails went in his hands)
 When the children hear “Disciples,” invite the children to do the sign language for disciples: two
pointer fingers pointing up, one in front of the other, then move the fingers across the body, as
if one finger is following the other
After you’ve read it once, ask:
 Why do you think Jesus wanted the disciples to “go” and make more disciples?
 What does it mean to be a disciple?
 Are we Jesus’ disciples? How do we know?
If time, read the story again, this time, being silly. Every time you read “go” children could stand up and
move seats. Every time they hear “disciples” children can get up and follow a leader!
Tell the children that today in Sunday school, we are going to think about what it means to welcome
new people to be disciples and join our awesome church family! Give them instructions on how you’d
like them to move to the next activity.
Bonus Activity: Camp Sharing: invite the children who participated in camp this year to do one of the following
things as your children are gathered together:
o Share the “focus phrases” of the week (see the page above this curriculum for more)
o Talk about their favorite experience at camp and when they felt close to God at camp
o Share what they learned about community during their time and camp and come up with an ideas on
how to be a stronger community together!
Response Activities:
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Purpose: choose one or more of these response activities to help children begin to apply the story of the day to
their real faith lives. You might make stations that children rotate through by age group or different ages may go
to their age level classroom and do one or more of these activities. Depending on size, you could also mix the
children up so that young children can be led by older children or keep your whole group together!
o Hint: invite your church’s campers to help lead the activities. Many of them will have tried them at camp!
Supplies:
o The Pulse: chairs, one per child plus an extra chair, a small Frisbee or ball
o Welcome, Friend: envelopes, print out of the fill in the blank letter, stickers, markers, and decorating
supplies
o
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The Pulse: Active Game Activity
o Purpose: Have some fun together while reflecting on the impact you can have when you have the
courage to share the faith you have received.
o
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Instructions:
 Divide children into two even teams. Each team sits together in a row, back to back with the
opposing team. At the end of the rows of chairs, place an extra chair facing the campers with a
simple item such as a Frisbee or ball on the seat.
 Have team members hold hands. Make sure the two campers sitting closest can reach the item
with their free hands. The team members on the other ends of the rows each hold one of the
leaders’ hands. Tell campers they are to squeeze the hand of the person next to them when
their hand is squeezed, passing it on.
 The last person in a row, when he or she receives a squeeze, uses his or her free hand to try to
grab the “prize.”
 Once everyone is in place, the leader squeezes the hands he or she holds to start a “chair
reaction.” The team that “pulses” the fastest will grab the prize first. Each person will get to take
a turn at the front of the line. Keep score to see which team gets the prize the most times. *
 Afterward, ask children how sharing of God’s love is passed and received. Invite the children to
think about what experiences at camp or at church have touched them and how they will pass
that on!
 BTW: Consider repeating the activity, but remove the prize. Instead of just squeezing the hand
of the next person, each camper will pass on the words received from the previous person. The
leader will squeeze the first person’s hand in each row and say, “Go and Make Disciples of All
Nations!”
Welcome, Friend: Art and Writing Activity
o Purpose: encourage children to think about someone who they’d like to invite to church. Children will
contemplate how they’d like to “Go and Make Disciples” in their lives.
o
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Go to All Nations Snack: (for 6) blue jello mix (premade), clear plastic cups, cool whip, green food
coloring, spoons
Invite children to fill out the letter at the end of this document with a friend’s name, reasons they love
that friend, reasons they love their church and their own name.
After they’ve written their letter, invite children to decorate both sides of the sheet and their envelope
with whatever creative supplies you have.
While they decorate, talk about these concepts:
 Why do you think someone new would want to come to church?
 What is so important about coming to church?
 How can we invite others to be a part of community? Why would we want to?
Go To All Nations Snack:
o Purpose: children will create their own snack and imagine reaching out to the whole world
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Make the jello according to the instructions on the box before children are present.
Fold green food coloring into whipped topping. Then, layer blue jello and green whipped topping into
the cups! Talk about how your snack looks like the whole earth!
While children are eating, talk with them about the Great Commission, the scripture of the day. Who is
Christ calling us to invite into community? How could we do this? Name for the campers that God wants
the whole world to have community.
Closing Prayer: Web of Community
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Purpose: This activity will affirm the connections made with the community and the individual children through
words of affirmation and a prayer of blessing.
Supplies: a small ball, a ball of yarn
Say: Today, I want to end our Sunday School time together with a game that will remind us of the community
we love!
Invite children to stand in a circle together and take turns tossing a small ball back and forth around the circle,
from one person to another, but no one should receive the ball twice.
Once everyone has touched the ball during the tossing, pause play and ask the children to repeat the process,
tossing the ball to the same person, but calling out that person’s name before tossing the ball.
Then pass the ball around once again, but this time ask each child to share something he or she has learned
about or loves about the child they are tossing the ball to.
You can repeat this step, with children calling out something else they have learned about the “receivers,” if
time allows.
Now replace the ball with a ball of yarn. Have children pass the ball of yarn, just as they passed the ball, but
holding on to one end of the string as the pass the ball. This will create a web of yarn in the center of the group.
Say: We are the _______________ (name of church) Community! We’ve created a web with our yarn that we
can see. As we get ready to leave Sunday School, we will still have a web connecting us all together… but
instead of yarn, it will be God’s love. Let’s say a prayer to thank God for making us an incredible community!
Pray: God who connects us everywhere, thank you for our church community! We know that because of you,
we can stick together and know that no matter what, we are connected in your love. Help us to have an
awesome day as a community. Amen!
As You Move Activity:
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As you move between activities throughout your lesson, use this engaging activity to help children stay focused
on today’s theme!
o Jesus said GO: Jesus told his disciples to “go” but he didn’t say how! When you are walking between
activities, take turns naming ways to “go” there and have your campers move in that way! (example:
crawl, skip, jump, run)
Station 1: Church Chain
God gave us a special gift:
our church family! Write a
prayer on a slip of paper
for someone, a group, or
an important activity in
your church!
Attach them together to
make a chain that we can
hang in our space!
Station 2: God’s Got the
Whole World!
God calls us to welcome
the whole world into our
community!
Pick a flag from another
country and trace your
hand on the flag. Cut it out
and ask an adult to help
you pin it to our world
wreath!
Station 3: Build the
Church!
Our church is AWESOME!
See if you can build our
church using the supplies
on the table!
You could even add some
cool stuff you’d like to see
at church! YES!
Hello ________________!
Here’s why I think you are great:
Here’s why my church is awesome:
I’d love to bring you to church with me soon
because I think you are great and so is my church
family? Will you come with me to church soon?
Thanks!
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