Our church has a unique approach to Vacation Bible School which we call Born to Excel Camp. Adults volunteer to teach skills and hobbies to children who attend our church and to those in our community. The registration fee covers a t-shirt, supplies for crafts and activities, and snacks for the week. Each child, grades 1-8, may choose two elective tracks, and, after an opening Bible story and music session, they attend those tracks for 45 minutes each day. Tracks include Cooking, Fit & Fun, Soccer, Crafty Arts, Camping Skills, Bible Study, Woodworking, Experiments & Activities, Indoor Games, Drama, Barn Quilt Painting, Friends in the Garden, Sewing, and Quilting.
I have been the camp director for the past several years, and I am always interested to see what the children in the Sewing and Quilting elective tracks are working on. My friends Melodie and Cheryl are instructing new sew-ists as they construct strip-pieced purses. The ladies in our church’s quilting group volunteer in force to help the gals and guys interested in learning our craft.
This young lady registered for the Quilting track last year as well, and the skills she retained helped her make a vibrant lap quilt this week.
This young fellow is intent on perfecting his quarter-inch seam allowance.
And I know you are curious to see the Barn Quilt painters in action.
It’s been a great week at Born to Excel Camp; relationships between adults and kids were strengthened, and new skills were learned. Kudos to our volunteers for patience and faithfulness!