More than 230 students and staff gathered at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, for Southern District Kids Camp, June 27-30, for students having completed third through fifth grades.
The 168 campers in attendance attended twice-daily chapel sessions and chose three activities in addition to evening all-camp activities.
Alison Nikkel, a first grade teacher from Hesston, Kansas, served as speaker, addressing the theme of “Be.”
“Alison did an excellent job sharing on the theme, ‘BE,’ based on selected verses from Romans 12,” says camp director J.L. Martin, Hesston (Kansas) MB Church. “Some of the themes were ‘Be transformed,’ ‘Be humble,’ ‘Be patient in affliction,’ ‘Faithful in prayer.’ Alison connected well with the campers since she has been a camper, counselor and other staff at Kids Camp, as well as a public school teacher. Her illustrations really reinforced the great teaching from the Bible.”
The Kids Camp Band led singing.
High school and college students served as counselors.
“It was a great week even though the temperatures were very hot,” Martin says. “It is my favorite camp as it serves two purposes: a great experience for our campers and leadership training for our staff.”
The Southern District Conference Youth Commission organizes two camps each summer: Kids Camp and Junior High Camp for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. High school students are encouraged to attend ASCENT, the USMB national senior high camp.
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor. She joined the CL staff in September 2017 with six years of experience as a professional journalist. Shafer is an award-winning writer, having received three 2016 Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence and an Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals award in 2022. Shafer graduated from Tabor College in 2010 with a bachelor of arts in Communications/Journalism and Biblical/Religious Studies. She and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
