At Heartland, we understand that some kids love to stay up late and sleep in the next morning. The good news is, our Lord loves to be praised 24/7! And Night Owl Camp is the perfect place to do just that.
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AN INSIDER'S VIEW ON HOW HEARTLAND IS PREPARING FOR THIS INCREDIBLE CHRIST-FILLED SUMMER THROUGH WORK CAMP.
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We have arrived back on American soil, the jetlag is setting in, and the entire trip is starting to feel like a dream. In the middle of this dream-like state, I would like to share the last few days of our adventure with you!
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We started off yesterday by leaving the Sea of Galilee. I absolutely loved the Sea of Galilee. The "Sea" or lake, was really beautiful and the land around it was beautiful too. Although I was saddened to leave the Sea of Galilee, I was also excited to embark on the final leg of our journey, Jerusalem! However, before we went to Jerusalem, we made a few pit stops.
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The last three days in one highlight reel of a blog post seems to me like picking one sentence to describe your lifetime. That might sound a bit dramatic and maybe it is, but these last three days have been filled with over 14 different sites where the stories of the Bible took place. It is almost a dream to me that I am actually here. Which I will talk about that feeling in a moment, but first I will give you a glimpse into the places we have gone these past 3 days. Then I will share a moment the Lord has really pressed on my heart to share.
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Having a devotional time with the entire family sounds great, but is never quite as easy as it sounds. There are a lot of unknowns. What story should I read? What can the whole family understand? What questions do I ask? I believe this devotional can help with some of those unknowns.
I have spent most of the last two weeks combing through the Bible to find stories about forgiveness, trust, and courage for our Parkville and Olathe Day Camps. One story stuck out to me to share with you as a family devotional, the story of Jonah.
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My name is Erin and I’m an intern at Heartland Center. Two days ago, Shelby, Tyler, Lauren and I arrived in Israel for our study tour of the Holy Land! This is the first in a series of blog posts where we’ll be sharing our experiences on this amazing, and hopefully life-changing, journey. Here we go!
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Last year, I went to Israel.
This is still a sentence that shocks me to say.
That place in the Bible? You just got on a plane and went there? Did you feel safe? What was it like? Was it amazing?
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Families want to be closer. Even if your family is close it requires work and maintenance to keep it that way. It doesn't matter if you are a single parent or a stay at home parent it doesn't matter if they are your child or your grandchild or nephew, to have close relationships with your family an effort must be made. This is especially true now as it is easier than ever to be separate from one another. Due to traveling sports teams, competitive dance, and the ability to watch a TV show on seemingly any electronic device we have a need for intentional time together. That is why vacations, going to amusement parks, or any number of escapes from the daily routine are so good for families. That is also why Heartland Camp provides Family Camp.
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At camp all of our Bible studies, worships, horse rides, and games show the love of God in a tangible way. These lessons are not limited to camp, because God's word is not limited to camp. Here are a couple ways to have an active Bible lesson with your kids at home or in the backyard.
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Welcome to our "Ask a Counselor" series of blogs where we asking Heartland summer staff the pressing questions you have wanted answered! This time Matt, Olivia and Kyle talk about everything from unicorns to pirates to favorite Bible verses.
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There are many "sounds of camp," and one if the most special occurs Friday afternoon right before closing. Campers climb the hill singing loudly and proudly songs that they have come to love over their week at Heartland. As a former camper and current staff member, here are some my favorite camp songs and what they have taught me about our awesome God.
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The camp theme for summer 2015 was "love never fails". It was the perfect theme not only because it is a great message to hear, but at Heartland Camp we got to see it lived out every day. See how we saw God's love at Heartland Camp.
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At Heartland we are so blessed to be able to serve God. We are really passionate about how God is moving at camp, so much so we would love to spend 10,000 words on the subject. Instead of us talking we would rather you see our mission through photos, videos and camper quotes.
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Is adults playing with children necessary? Sure it is a nice bonus, but is play something worth sacrificing for amongst activities, work, and so many other things that demand our attention. In my three years as a summer camp counselor the answer to that is a resounding yes. Through play at camp I was able to build trust with campers ages 6-17 and see it lead to deep conversations about life and faith.
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Over the summer, between our day and overnight camps, many different crafts are made at Heartland. It has been such a blessing to see how creative our campers are because they have a Creator that is so good. We are going to share with you three crafts that we made together last summer that are affordable and can serve as a reminder of Bible stories and practices in Christian life.
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I am sorry, I lied to you a bit when I said camp changes lives. It is God who changes lives, camp is just the place I first experienced that change. Summer camp gives a unique opportunity for God to work, one that the Lord is more than willing to take. I have now spent ten summers at Heartland Camp as a camper and then as a staff member. I can honestly say that without my time at camp I would not know the love of my Savior the way I do today. As I begin to work full-time for this ministry, I am encouraged to know that my experience is not unique. Many campers, volunteers, and staff have a similar list of ways God has changed their life through camp. Here are the top 5 ways God has changed my life at Heartland:
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To start every summer the Heartland Summer Staff is commissioned by the Heartland Presbytery. The whole staff gathers at Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church to be sent off for a summer of ministry. The whole purpose is to send out the staff as one body with the support of the church. Part of the service is a question and answer led by the pastor. He asks the staff questions. “Will you serve children with the love of God?” “Will you put campers and fellow staff before yourself?” And many more like that. Each time the staff answers, “I will with God’s help”. That answer stuck with me through the summer. Through the long weeks and sometimes chaotic days. The only way camp can be run is with God’s help. That is the theme of the summer. This infographic shows some of the highlights of the summer, none of which could have happened without the help of God.
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The 2015 camp season finished with a bang. Well… it was more like Bible studies, songs, games, and lots of fun but you get the idea. Our second annual Winter CamFam reunion was our biggest ever!
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Heartland staff’s Christmas traditions are all over the map; including Norwegian food and hymns sung in Spanish. The one thing all traditions have in common is that they are a big part of what makes the Christmas season special. They help us grow closer to our friends and family as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our Heartland staff family would love to share our favorite Christmas traditions with you.
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