In February the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Annual Conference will be in Grand Rapids. The CRC is affiliated with APCE so it’s our conference too. This year, as in the past, there are several workshops being lead by CRC members. Over the next few weeks, Jolanda Howe and I will be writing about some of these workshops. I interviewed Sally VanEss from Evergreen Ministries in Hudsonville, MI about the session she and Jodi Cole Meyer will lead called Arts Camp: Beauty for the Fallen World.

As schools in our area are dropping art, drama and music programs, Evergreen Ministries in Hudsonville, MI saw an opportunity to offer an Arts Camp for elementary and middle school kids in the summer. For five years Sally and Jodi have lead Arts Camp with about 125 kids attending. The goal of the Arts Camp is to teach kids that God created us to be creative. This camp is offered in the mornings from 9:30 to 1:15 for kids from ages 5 to 12. The kids attend three art classes each day with topics like cartoons, drumming, paper art, singing, drama, photography, junk art, cooking and drawing. Between these classes the kids meet in a large group for singing, devotions, Bible memory and an artist presentation. A Middle school camp is offered in the evening with many of the same classes as the elementary camp plus cake decorating, quilting and woodworking.

Sally reports that the camp has been a great success, has given kids a wonderful outlet to be creative and has given their church another avenue to connect with the people in their community. Learn more about how Arts Camp gives the church an opportunity to reach out by attending APCE.