“Allow the children to come to me,” Jesus said. “Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children.”  -Matthew 19:14 CEB

Dakotas Camp Ministries is a gift from God, not just for our children and grandchildren, but to spread the Gospel far and wide to all God’s children. It’s a Gospel imperative for us to bring God’s children to God, so some folks from Sioux Falls First UMC listened to the ‘seed’ God planted. Suddenly, they’re bringing children to God in a very, very big way.

Two kids from the Kidstop program at Sioux Falls First UMC enjoy time at a local playground. Images courtesy of Kidstop facebook.

Rev. Sara Nelson, lead pastor at First UMC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, recalls how the groundswell began. “On Camp Sunday this year we challenged the congregation to double the number of people who go to camp this summer. In the summer of 2021, we sent 8 people to camp. Our hope was to send at least 16 people to camp this summer.”

So where would they find more kids? Well, God planted an idea in the hearts and minds of a few folks that they should encourage the children participating in the KIDSTOP Program to go to camp this summer. For years, Sioux Falls First UMC has hosted and co-sponsored a free afterschool and summer daycare facility, KIDSTOP, in their own building– a beehive of children and parents throughout the day.

Pastor Andrea Johnson is the Next Generation pastor at Sioux Falls First, and Kathy Martens is the director of KIDSTOP.  She said, “Kathy and I talked about the opportunity for the KIDSTOP kids to go to camp. Many of the kids going participate in our Wednesday Fill-Up midweek ministry. I thought camp would be a fun experience and way to continue to grow in faith!  Kathy shared the opportunity to go to camp with the kids and parents.  There was excitement to go.”

Kathy Martens is the director of KIDSTOP at Sioux Falls First, and shared, “My assistant director, Constance McClinton, took charge of this assignment and talked with each individual family, showing the camp brochure, and explaining to the families about what Dakotas Camps had to offer their children. In some instances, she had the child translate the information to their parents as some of our parents do not speak English and had concerns with their children never attending camp before. Constance reassured them that their child would be safe and learn about faith and social skills at camp. She also shared with the parents her own experience with her kids going to church camp. She also shared with the parents that she and several other KIDSTOP staff and volunteers would be attending the camp with the children. Parents felt secure with this information and wanted their child to attend camp.”

That excitement among KIDSTOP  grew quickly, and a great exodus (to camp) began, spilling outside the KIDSTOP program, and into the congregation.

“We also put out the challenge to the congregation to double the number of kids going to camp from last year…the response was tremendous!  It helped get the camp conversation going,” shared pastor Andrea. Naturally, sending kids to camp requires camp scholarships from a congregation, but when God mobilizes children, the Spirit moves quickly.

The congregation is getting excited to send so many of their own kids and KIDSTOP kids to camp. Pastor Sara said, “Every month at Sioux Falls First, we have a ‘Love the 605’ mission that people can support financially [605 is the South Dakota area code]. For June, our ‘Love the 605’ mission is sending kids to camp. We determined that we needed to raise around $9,000 to send kids to camp which is $200 per student.”

Pastor Sara shared, “To date, 25 KIDSTOP children are planning to go to camp this summer, but it gets even better! Overall, we have 50 people signed up to go to camp this summer which includes 33 first-time campers!”

This year, they encouraged children and youth to attend specific camps so that they could send groups of kids to the same camp together to ensure that they would already know someone else at camp. That can help first-time campers feel at ease while they’re making new friends and experiencing camp activities for the first time in their lives.

“It will be a great experience for the kids and a few KIDSTOP staff going along as shepherds,” said Pastor Andrea. “In addition to the KIDSTOP kids, we have some other kids new to camp going, too- Grandparent and Me camp has 3 new to camp kids attending and making great memories together.”

Most of the kids and adults will be attending camps at Lake Poinsett Camp and Retreat Center which, at just 88 miles away, is the closest of three Dakotas United Methodist camps to Sioux Falls. Others will be attending Wesley Acres Camp in eastern North Dakota, and Storm Mountain Center in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Kids at a Wednesday night "Fillup and Fun" practiced for a presentation in the sanctuary at Sioux Falls First UMC.

The Dakotas Camping mission is “Helping campers and guests to experience Christ, creation, and community through camp and retreat ministries.” That naturally supports our UMC mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

“The congregation is excited to send so many people to camp this summer!,” exclaimed Pastor Sara.  “A few weeks ago, I shared this God story with the congregation at all three worship services. Each time, the congregation broke out in joy-filled applause.”

After each service, people would take time to share how going to church camp had made a difference in their lives and how delighted they are to send so many children to church camp this summer, especially the children who are going to camp for the very first time.

Kidstop’s director Martens underscored that sentiment. “The children and families are so very grateful to have the support of the church so their children can have their first experience at church camp.”

Pastor Sara also shared her own excitement for this new movement of the Spirit in her congregation: “Overall, we have 50 people signed up to go to camp this summer, which includes 33 first time campers! It’s crazy to remember that our original goal was 16. Thank goodness God’s dreams are bigger than our dreams! God is so good!”