Collaborative VBS: Compassion Camp
This is a Vacation Bible School using Illustrated Ministry's Compassion Camp: Be Loved, Be Kind, Be You. Video, music, and prayer components were created, developed and produced by ten congregations around the Diocese of East Carolina for any parish in the diocese to use when hosting a Vacation Bible School.
Compassion Camp can be used in a variety of ways from a traditional in person VBS to a completely in home online or somewhere in between. It can be used in a 5 day, 1 week format or spread out over the course of 5 weeks during a designated program time. Resources have been developed to assist parishes who might not to be able to pull together volunteers, materials or other supplies to make a full VBS happen.
Any parish in the Diocese of East Carolina can access the curriculum and materials by contacting Emily Gowdy Canady, Missioner for Lifelong Christian Formation.
Thank you to the ten contributing parishes.
Compassion Camp: Activity Suggestions and Materials Lists
Listed by session number, in this section you will find activities that go along with the curriculum as well as a list of supplies needed.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Music
Music is an amazing gift and part of community building during any VBS. Included in our music for Compassion Camp are the songs outline in the curriculum as well as recordings of children from parishes around the diocese singing more traditional songs.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Session 1
Compassion helps us to see and welcome. Using the story of the father and two brothers from Luke 15:11-32 participants will lear to recognize and share in the feelings of others. Gathering with others at the table we learn to love and accept one another as God loves and accepts each of us.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Session 2
Compassion helps us to be brave. By helping us see our neighbors, God helps us to be brave and reach out to them. We have the power with God to restore our communities and help to make them whole. Through the story of the friends who bring their friend on a mat to Jesus (Mark 2:1-12), participants will learn to be brave and take a risk to help a friend.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Session 3
Compassion helps us love ourselves. When we pay attention and show gentleness and kindness to ourselves, we are learning to love ourselves as God does. God creates nothing that God does not love. Exploring scripture from Mark 12:28-31 and Deuteronomy 6 will help participants learn that self-love is indeed a form of compassion that connects the to God's spirit inside themselves.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Session 4
Compassion helps us be present with each other. Through the story of Ruth, Orpah, & Naomi (Ruth 1) we learn how following God's spirit opens our hearts to others. Participants will through through this story how compassion uses trust and asks us to let go of our expectations and we learn to be more compassionate in our lives.
Read More »Compassion Camp: Session 5
Compassion gives us a fresh start. Renewal work is holy work. By creating a fresh start we are co-creators with God in caring for all, welcoming everyone to the table and receiving God's gifts for us. God give us instructions in Leviticus 25 and through the sharing of this story participants will learn about "Jubilee" and about how rest, fresh starts and caring for one another are forms of compassion and justice.
Read More »
Missioner for Lifelong Christian Formation
