The Rewards Are Eternal

{This is a long post…you have been warned!}

Friday night concluded our Summer Adventure Club (SAC).  It was an exhausting week, yet very rewarding.  This is the first time that Ben and I have “directed” something this big.  And while Ben may have been the main face behind the program, it was definitely a team effort from the whole church {just the way it should be!}.  We had a lot of ideas, but even more people who helped put the ideas into action.  There were things we forgot and people helped us remember.  And in the end I think we can call the week a success.

I just wanted to recognize several groups of people who really made the week what it was.  You know where you served, and I want you to know that you were appreciated – we couldn’t have done it without you!

The planning stages started months ago as we prepped for our annual Harvest Party.  Hurricane Sandy interrupted our plans, but we were able to use many of those games and decorations to produce our SAC club this summer.  I had a talented crew of decorators.  I gave them the theme, and they made it happen.  You can see by the pictures that it looked great!

This is the first year that I didn’t sit at the registration table…not even for a minute!  I had a group of ladies who arrived extra early each evening to check people in and hand out nametags.  If you’ve ever tried to register a group of excited children, you know that it is definitely a high-stress job!  They did it wonderfully, and we averaged 47 kids per night (though it was a different group each night).

Our teenagers pulled a lot of weight this year.  I think that this week brought them a little closer as a group, and definitely stretched them.  They worked hard, and we wore them out!  The teen class {and a couple of adults & college students} produced the nightly skit which built excitement in order to draw kids back each night, hoping to find out the conclusion.  Everyone had to come out of their shell a little bit in order to play their part, but they did so well!  And even with Ben constantly got on their case to “speak louder” or “do it again” they complied and rose to the challenge.

The drama was whether or not the “Mean Queen” would spoil the Friday Fair.  In the end, she was defeated, {of course} and the kids enjoyed a fair put on mostly by the teens.  I heard nothing but good feedback about the fun the kids had.  So thank you teens! I really didn’t know if the skit would be a big deal to the kids or not…but it was definitely one of the main attractions!

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The “in character” pose -
Princess Frumpella, The Mean Queen, Rotton Hood, The Dark Prince, The Narrator, King Arthuritis, Queen Gwnever, Tilly, Wart, Chester the Jester, Maid Marian, Lady in Waiting Poppy, and Sir Laughalot

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No skit would be complete without acting a little goofy!

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Lacey introduced and closed each skit!

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Ben and Emily plotting to destroy the Friday Fair

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The Regal Entrance

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Wart succeeds in his quest… David Albee, Thomas, and Jordan.  Jordan probably had the hardest part and the most lines, but by the end of the week he was definitely comfortable as a king!

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The dragon head, carried by David and Alex – I thought Ben was pretty creative to use a watermelon to design our dragon’s head!

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The Friday Night skit

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Some of our Friday Fair carnival style games – shoot the ball through the ring of fire and into the lion’s mouth…

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Face Painting – to Elaine’s delight!

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“Fishing in the Moat”…for ducks!  I had the most trouble with this game, because my duckies wouldn’t stay floating right side up!

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Sir Laughalot was in charge of game time.  Here are the Primaries just arriving at the Friday Fair

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Shooting the ping pong balls down with a water gun – Chester’s Target Practice

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Arm Wrestling

Our snack time was run by several talented ladies who were faithful each night from chilling juice boxes to sweeping the floor to handing out sno cones.  They made our supplies stretch for the week, but adequately served each child who came.  And when a last minute decision moved Sno Cones from game time to snack time, my kitchen ladies stepped up and ran the sno cone machine for me, to the children’s delight!

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We had three different class groups with teachers from our own congregation this year.  They did an excellent job preparing lessons and leading the children.  We had many teens and adults who were ready to counsel kids who were moved by the Lord during the lesson.  There was a constant shift of workers depending on where we had a need, but everyone moved willingly to fill the gaps.

I was happy to see the kids’ involvement during the week.  Our 4s & 5s group was really more of a 3s & 4s group so that some of the workers’ children could participate while their parents worked in SAC.  It was a young group, but they did a great job {and so did their teachers!}.  We even had one young man learn 8 extra credit verses for the week – I was so impressed!

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Song Time

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Other kids invited friends, said many verses, brought in thousands of pennies, and thoroughly enjoyed the competition.  We had a different dynamic this year because we had no church van to shuttle kids in from different neighborhoods.  We had parents and church people who went to the extra effort to get the visitors to Summer Adventure Club.  We couldn’t have done it without you!  And hopefully next year our van will be back in commission!

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The Penny Parade is always a highlight of the evening.  The girls won three nights and brought in the most pennies, but the boys came back to win on Thursday and Friday nights!

And personally I was blessed by the nursery workers and other adults who just sat and held my babies so I could assist Ben.  Maybe I could have done some of it with one baby in my arms, but definitely not with two!  You lightened my load this week, and I am grateful!

I titled this post “The Rewards are Eternal” because that is exactly what happened last week.  All of these people were actively involved in laying up treasure in heaven.  And for the three children who accepted Christ as their Savior, and the others who were counseled on other issues, their lives are forever changed.  Thank you for pouring out of yourself and pushing through an exhausting week so that these kids can know about eternal life in Jesus.  I wish I could give you an all a reward for your efforts, but I will let our Lord do that one day in heaven!

Thanks to all those who prayed for our week.  You have a part in our eternal rewards, too!

Comments

  1. Andrea, I had teary eyes when I finished this post! Exceeding, abundantly, above all we ask or think, that's what our Lord can do!!


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