21 children attended Kids’ Camp at Kallara Campgrounds in Victoria on 7th to 10th April, 2024.
It is all about setting the scene for God to move, right?
As we stand under the beautiful, open night sky of Kallara, right next to the evaporation ponds, a request comes from one of the kids to sing Peace like a River. We are a whole four hours into kid’s camp.
Welcome to kid’s camp.
No scene setting required. God is in the place, in the kids, in the chaos, in the connection to each other and the natural environment, in the bravery to come, make new friends and be authentically who they are created to be, of accepting who others really are. Of showing enthusiasm and actually trying one’s best because what else would you do?
It is cold and we are wandering around the bottom paddock. That is essentially how you play sardines. One person, or maybe two (because it is kids camp and the bush is a little scary by oneself at night), has gone off to find a place to lay down, until the others are released, like bloodhounds, to track that person down and then subtly (with all the subtlety of 9-12 year olds) join the person in their space.
We need a distraction so that our hiding person can sneak off to hide. Hence, the small circle that forms and the need for songs that will cover the sound of distant feet sneaking into the bush. Looking up, of course you start with ‘twinkle, twinkle little star’. But even then, there has already been a small voice that offered up ‘peace like a river.’
Feeling a little braver after the conclusion of “how we wonder what you are”, the request for “peace like a river'“ comes out of the darkness. And so we sing, at the top of our lungs, next to the evap ponds, some not for a year since the last kids camp, some following the kids next to them singing for the very first time, “I’ve got peace like a river”, “I’ve got love like an ocean” and “I’ve got joy like a fountain”. And in this moment, the spirit moves.
Kass Unger
Children’s Minister