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It’s Sports Camp Week! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Can you hear the shouts of delight? Can you smell the sweat? If not, you may want to swing by Shady Oaks Elementary School one morning this week and just watch for a few minutes. We kicked things off Monday morning, and it was a blast! There are 28 children enrolled and over 20 volunteers participating.

                You may wonder why we host a Sports Camp. Let me list just a few reasons for you: Sports Camp gives us a fun, non-threatening environment to interact with non-believers and allows us to share the gospel in a way they can understand. It offers a safe, organized activity that gets children out of the house for a few days, meeting a real need in the community. Children are a bridge to their parents – when we reach children, we have a way to reach parents. In short, Sports Camp gives us a chance to love on children and families in the community, while sharing the gospel and making them aware of our church. It is a win-win situation for both the community and SOBC!

                What are the children learning this week? Naturally, they are learning sports skills. Soccer, volleyball, baseball, basketball, football, kickball, and dodgeball skills abound throughout the week. (Ask the kids their favorite – it will probably be dodgeball. They love throwing balls at adults!) But more importantly, children are learning that God is real and He loves them. They are learning that Christians truly care about them. They are learning that Jesus died for them so that they might have a relationship with God for all eternity.

                Our focus this week is “God Dares You…”  God dares you to be kind, humble, strong, encouraged and bold. Children began hearing about sin and its consequences on Monday. By Thursday morning they will hear about the forgiveness offered to them through the death of Jesus Christ. Join with us in praying for the children attending Sports Camp this week. Pray that as they listen in at “Jesus Time” twice a day, their hearts will soak in the Word of God. Pray that on Thursday when they hear the gospel, they will answer the call of Jesus and say YES to a relationship with Him. Pray also for the volunteers – for stamina, protection from the sun, for the words to explain the grace of God, and for His love to flow out of us to the children and families we encounter.  Then we will praise Him together at the end of the week for the work He has done!