Safe
Zonecamps will be a spiritually safe environment for campers
Campers will be gently presented with the message of the Gospel, and with challenges for daily following Jesus
Campers will be encouraged ( and expected!) to ask questions about the spiritual concepts presented. They will be free to express doubt, wonder, fear and joy. Questions of a spiritual nature will be treated with respect (which will mean finding an biblical answer quickly) and will not be ridiculed.
Campers will have whatever stage of their spiritual journey they are at acknowledged and validated, and they will be encouraged to make steps to growing closer to God from where they are ( and not pressured to be at the same place spiritually as others).
Campers will not be made to feel pressured into spiritual decisions, or made to feel inferior if they have not made a spiritual decision yet.
In all things, we will display the love of Christ and strive to create a safe, loving, challenging and encouraging environment for spiritual growth of the child.
Campers will not ever be singled out because of spiritual status.
Christ Centered
Zonecamps will be a Christ-Centered spiritual environment
Christ is the reason for our ministry. We will look to God for all our spiritual and material needs this summer, and give Him the glory for spiritual victories.
Children will be introduced to the person of Jesus Christ through various media
God will be incorporated into all areas of the day at camp ( i.e. saying grace before lunch, praying for safety before trips, acknowledging God’s goodness when we have fun, etc.)
Ministry will focus on the love of God, character and work of Jesus Christ as the only way to God, and the need for a personal relationship with Jesus; not on promotion of our church, denomination or programs.
Seeker Sensitive
Zonecamps will be a seeker-sensitive spiritual environment
Campers will not be expected to have prior knowledge of the Bible.
We encourage children of all faiths to participate in ZoneCamps, and we will strive to present Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world and the Son of God, so that campers may have the knowledge to build faith upon.
Ministry sessions will not assume campers do (or do not) have a prior friendship with Jesus
Presentations of the Gospel will include stories, object lessons, experiments, and other mediums to which all campers, regardless of background will be able to relate.
Questions will be encouraged, and time for one-on-one counselling sessions in a safe place will be made.
Staff will be aware that there may be more than one answer to a question, or more than one way to feel or respond to a Bible story, while still acknowledging that Christ alone is Lord.
Creative
Zonecamps will host creative presentation of the Gospel (the *WOW* factor)
Ministry sessions will be creative in nature, using stories, object lessons, experiments, drama and various media to convey the message of God’s friendship in a new way
Ministry sessions will take place in different rooms, different places, and be set up in different ways every day, while maintaining a basic structure including worship, creative presentation, and small group synthesis.
Over-familiar bible stories will not be used to convey the Gospel whenever possible, and “Sunday school answers” ( those that sound good, but convey no real meaning or understanding ) will not be accepted – campers will be encouraged to express themselves creatively.
Leaders will be expected to be creative to their potential
Pre-written curriculum will be used only on occasion to supplement ministry time; otherwise, creative, innovative, and specially composed ideas will be used.
Campers will be encouraged to use their own creativity to synthesize Gospel presentations through small group activities, crafts and projects throughout the day.
Relational & Relevant
Zonecamps will be a ministry that values relationship and relevance.
Campers will be introduced to God as the one who created them and wants to be their friend, and wants them in His family.
Campers will be presented with opportunities to make Jesus their friend, and decide to follow Him.
Small group time will promote sharing and relationship building with leader and group
Ministry times will be relevant to the spiritual needs of the campers at their age appropriate level
Leaders will be here for the children first, and their first goal is to build strong healthy relationships with each and every camper, and also to introduce them to what a living relationship with Jesus looks like.
Presentation of the Gospel to Zonecamps Campers
The presentation of the Gospel to campers, and the challenge to daily walk in friendship with Jesus is our first priority as ZoneCamps staff.
We will present the Gospel in the following Five Points:
1) God created you and wants to be your friend. Make it clear to campers that God loves them, accepts them, values them and has a perfect plan for their lives.
2) This is great news for us, except that no one is perfect, and everyone does wrong things. These wrong things, called sin, keep us from being God’s friend. What God does not accept is sin. We all sin. Sin is not just making a mistake or not being able to do something well. Sin is breaking God’s laws on purpose. Sin makes people unhappy, and wrecks the things that God has made. In order to be close to God, and be able to live in heaven with him someday, we need to find a way to stop always doing wrong things. We can’t do this ourselves!
3) God had a solution for this problem that he wants to offer to everyone. He sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross, and pay the consequences for everyone’s sin. God offers this solution to everyone. Because sinning has a consequence attached to it, someone needed to take that punishment. That punishment is death. Jesus was so good and perfect that his life was worth as much as everyone else’s, anyone who wants Jesus to take their consequence for them can ask him. He has already paid the consequence!
4) Your problem of sin can be solved by accepting God’s gift of forgiveness, friendship and eternal life. We can accept this gift today! You don’t have to do anything, or be anything special to earn this gift, just believe that Jesus has already paid the consequence for your sins, ask him to take your sin away, and help you to live God’s way.
5) When you choose to accept this gift, you become a friend of God and part of his family. Now God is in charge of your life and can help you to grown and live to please him. Living for God is a great adventure! He is with us every day, we can talk to God, learn about him, and do the things he wants us too. And when we die, we can have confidence that we will live forever with God in heaven, a place that is everything God is, and there is no more sin.
