Clergy Kids 2016

We just returned home from a weekend away at the Clergy Kids and Family Retreat. It was a little different this year for us - since camp is someplace we visit 4 days a week and is only 10 minutes from our house! But it was SO good to be reunited with many of our clergy friends and their families in such a special place. 

The band this weekend was a local one - Awake Arise - that included a couple of people from Community UMC. Our worship speaker this weekend was Sharon Quackenbush - a clergy kid herself who is now a youth pastor in Eustis. She did an awesome job talking to the kids about "life in the fishbowl." She even had a life-size "fishbowl" set up that the kids could play inside of while we were worshipping. This was Davis and Mary Elizabeth's favorite place to hang out. 

Saturday was jam packed with all kinds of activities...including bounce houses, worship, play time, watching movies, a fabulous family game show, a talent show, ropes course, food, more worship and an ice cream party. 

Wesley and I were on Team C for the game; Daryl, Davis and Parker were on Team A for the game and they won! Daryl was a good sport and got wrapped up in toilet paper for one of the physical challenges. 

You have to catch a nap wherever you can!

As always, one of the highlights of Sunday morning worship was the kids' groups presenting things that they learned in their small group time. Wesley and Davis' group recited one of the Bible verses we talked about this weekend.

The middle school and high school group spread out around the room and each shared something that they learned this week and then walked around to collect the person next to them until the entire group was standing up front together and the last person shared "I learned I am not alone in this."

Our friend Will played and sang the closing song for worship too.

The Allens and Holdens have developed a tradition over the last six years of attending Clergy Kids camp together - we always walk the Path of Silence and climb the trees before leaving camp.

We did a little bit more hiking after this as well. Parker wanted to walk us back to the high ropes course and show us the zipline - he was able to do this on Saturday with the middle and high school group for the very first time! 

We had a wonderful weekend and time spent catching up with friends.