Are you a parent of a kid or teen trying to decide what to do with your summer? Listen to the stories from these HOPE kids and teens this week to hear how VBS and Music Drama Camp made a difference in their lives last summer! If you are local, head to meethope.org/today to sign up for these fun activities this summer. If you live far away, we still hope this episode brings you hope and joy for how Jesus shows up through the youngest among us!
NOTES & RESOURCES:
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.live! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
Are you a parent of a kid or teen trying to decide what to do with your summer? Listen to the stories from these HOPE kids and teens this week to hear how VBS and Music Drama Camp made a difference in their lives last summer! If you are local, head to meethope.org/today to sign up for these fun activities this summer. If you live far away, we still hope this episode brings you hope and joy for how Jesus shows up through the youngest among us!
NOTES & RESOURCES:
Thanks for being a part of the HOPE community as we continue conversations about faith and hope! You can learn more at meethope.org or find us on socials @meethopechurch. Join in for worship on Sundays at meethope.live! Have a question? Contact us at podcast@meethope.org.
Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. Welcome to Hope.
Speaker 2:Hello listeners. Summer is quickly approaching and if you are a parent of a kid or a teenager, you may be trying to figure out what that means for your family this summer. We thought it'd be fun to share some stories from Hope kids from last summer who attended both VBS as well as Hope's Music Drama Camp. As you're listening, maybe you decide that this is something you want your kid to do this summer. If so, you can head to our show notes to find all of the links for how to sign up your kid for both VBS happening June 30th to July 3rd this year, as well as Music and Drama Camp, which happens in mid-July. We hope that this episode leaves you encouraged and excited for what's coming this summer.
Speaker 3:Hi everybody, Welcome to Tours.
Speaker 2:Hello listeners. My name is Ashley and I'm excited to bring you a special episode of the Meet Hope podcast today. Last week at Hope, there were over 150 kids in the building each day for VBS, or Vacation Bible School. Rather than just tell you about it, we thought we'd ask some of the kids involved to share with us in their own words. So here we go. Hi there, can you tell us your name?
Speaker 3:My name is Mary Adam Kale, jenna Adeline. My name is Lucas Grayson, william, sean Ainsley, cole, tess, joshua, matthew. My name is Grim. My name is Oliver. How old are?
Speaker 2:you.
Speaker 3:I'm 11. 3. I'm 7. 13. I am 5. I'm turning 11 this year, but I'm 10. 9. I'm 9 years old, 11 years old, 4. 7. I am 7 years old. 9. 5. 7.
Speaker 2:What exactly is VBS? How would you explain it to a kid or an adult who doesn't know?
Speaker 3:I would say it's like a summer camp that helps you learn about God. It's when we learn about God and learn more and learn how to be nice and be kind, do you know what this year's theme is? Space Shine. Jesus' light Stellar.
Speaker 2:And what are you guys doing at Stellar? Is there like a thing you always say, shine?
Speaker 3:Jesus' light Shine, god's light.
Speaker 2:For everyone listening. This year's theme was called Stellar, a space theme where kids learned about how they can shine Jesus' light. At VBS, kids are divided up into three groups or teams blue, green and orange. These are based on age. Kids travel in smaller groups from their team with other kids their age and go to stations such as music, bible story, crafts, snack and more. We asked them what is your favorite thing you do at VBS?
Speaker 3:The people come around with buckets and whoever, whichever color you put it in, and whoever has the most has to get slime on them.
Speaker 2:They get slime on them. What color do you hope gets slimed?
Speaker 3:Um, green. Like the songs in, like the music. Like the music part of VBS. Is it about singing? Well, I have to sing songs. Are you ready? Um the songs? Probably gym or like the activity room, I don't know what you call it, but like.
Speaker 2:Where you go, you play games. Yeah, do you have a favorite game that you've done this week?
Speaker 3:Um, probably the bowling pin. Dodgeball game, Nice, Uh, dancing. Probably the arts and crafts. What craft did you make today? We made a little spaceship with this thing. You would slide in and when you put a light under it it would reflect on the ceiling. The Bible adventure story, where you get to do stories about the Bible and then kind of act them out.
Speaker 2:Did you learn one today?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we learned about the tax collector. I think Zayek was his name, was it Zacchaeus? Yeah, zacchaeus, and we learned about how he collected tax and then met Jesus and gave back money, snack, snack, having snack with everybody.
Speaker 2:Did you have a good snack today? What was it?
Speaker 3:Pretzels Probably snack, because when you're hungry you get to actually eat. Yeah, do you have a favorite snack?
Speaker 2:I like the granola bars. Probably the snack. That's what everybody says. Do you have a favorite snack? You've ever had Pudding?
Speaker 3:That's great. I don't have a favorite.
Speaker 2:I like everything. Did you do VBS when you were a kid?
Speaker 3:I did.
Speaker 2:What was your favorite thing about it? I liked doing the snacks or doing the song. A few of the kids we talked to actually aren't considered kids anymore, but instead have moved up to be a crew leader, which means they are in charge of leading a small group of students from station to station each day. Here's a few of them sharing more about being a crew leader.
Speaker 3:So I'm a crew leader for the preschoolers and I help out with bringing them to their next classes and helping out with anything that the teachers need help with.
Speaker 2:Do you like being a crew leader?
Speaker 3:I do. It's fun and I like to help the kids.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I'm a crew leader for the preschool. Is this your first year being a crew leader? No, it's my second, and do you like it? Yeah, what do you like?
Speaker 3:about it. I just get to hang out with all the kids and it's super fun.
Speaker 4:This year I became a crew leader. What age kids do you help with? I help with the preschool kids and I enjoy it because I get to help out with the little kids and it's a fun experience. My favorite thing is getting to see the kids every day and just being a part of them learning about Jesus.
Speaker 2:What is this year's mission for VBS?
Speaker 3:The Seeing Eye. It's the Seeing Eye, the Seeing Eye.
Speaker 2:And what is that for? Do you know?
Speaker 4:Uh, people that can't really see well.
Speaker 2:What do they help them with Dogs? Okay, cool, and you guys, you bring in something to help the Seeing Eye. What are you bringing in every day Money Like coins and dollar bills and stuff? And what do you bringing in every day money like coins and dollar bills and stuff, and what do you do with your money?
Speaker 3:uh, you put it um in a bucket um and it's all um, and it's also for people um, and if you and it's the most money um and the most money um that um has it, it gets, they get slimed, but it's also for seeing eye so the money goes to the seeing eye.
Speaker 2:But whoever, whoever's team has the most money in it, that person gets slimed. Yep, what color team do you hope gets slimed this year?
Speaker 3:Queen.
Speaker 2:In case you didn't catch that, every year, family Ministry picks a cause that kids donate towards all week long. In the past, it's been places such as Hope's Food Pantry or House of Abraham in Haiti. Such as Hope's Food Pantry or House of Abraham in Haiti. This year, it's the Seeing Eye, the place where our own pastor, pastor Jeff, was paired with his Seeing Eye dog, bodhi. The Seeing Eye is an organization whose mission is to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye dogs. In pursuit of this mission, the Seeing Eye breeds and raises puppies to become seeing eye dogs, trains seeing eye dogs to guide blind people, instructs blind people in the proper use, handling and care of the dogs, conducts and supports research on canine health and development. You can learn more about the Seeing Eye at seeingeyeorg and we'll link it in our show notes. As we wrap up this fun interview, we ask the kids one more question why should a kid come to VBS, or why should an adult send their kiddo?
Speaker 3:You get to meet new people and it's a fun experience and you learn a lot. Because it's really fun and cool, because it's fun and it and you learn a lot. Because it's really fun and cool, because it's fun and it helps you learn more about Jesus. It's just like a fun experience and you get to meet new people. They should definitely come because it's a great way for your kids to learn more about God and Jesus and it's always a really fun activity to do during the summer and it's just really fun. I think that they should come because it's you can learn a lot of. You learn a lot about God and you learn a bunch of um. You know stories and it's really it teaches you a lot and it's also really fun for the kids and I think that they enjoy it. You should try to come to. You should try to come to VBS um because it's a really fun experience and you might like it.
Speaker 2:So those were our Hope kids who attended VBS in 2023. And now here are some Hope music and drama students from 2023 as well. So tell me your name. My name is Corinne, and how old are you? Your name, my name is Corinne, and how old are you? I'm 10 years old, and how many times have you done music and drama camp? This is my first year and how's it going so far? Great, do you like it? Yeah, what is your favorite part about?
Speaker 3:it. I like doing the dances.
Speaker 2:So you're in the dance like ensemble. Yeah, what does that mean? What do you get to do?
Speaker 3:Um, I got to dance to some songs. I have a solo and yeah.
Speaker 2:That's exciting. Uh, do you like performing on stage?
Speaker 3:Uh yeah, I've done it multiple times in kids choir so I'm kind of used to it.
Speaker 2:Oh, awesome. What are all the different things that you get to do as part of drama camp? So I know this week you're rehearsing your show but, last week you did more things right.
Speaker 3:Last week we learned dances, we learned our songs and we got to watch the people act and stuff Okay.
Speaker 2:And uh, do you guys have snack while you're here? Do you have a favorite snack? And do you guys have snack while you're here? Do you have a?
Speaker 3:favorite snack? Probably yesterday's, it was pancakes. The whole building smelled really good when it was pancakes and it was like whipped cream and chocolate chips, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:So this is your first year and you're having a good time. Not too scary or overwhelming, or you know it doesn't make you nervous no, not really. So if someone else were thinking about trying it for the first time, why would you say they should give it a try?
Speaker 3:Because it's really fun and you get to meet new people and learn new things and stuff.
Speaker 2:Cool, okay, thank you. Tell me your name, I'm Carson. Hi, carson, how old are you? Ten?
Speaker 3:And how many times have you done?
Speaker 2:music. This is my second year. Okay, and what are you doing in this year's show?
Speaker 3:I'm a dancer.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what does that mean? What do you get to do?
Speaker 3:I get to dance in a lot of dances, but I also sing in a quartet.
Speaker 2:What is your favorite part of camp?
Speaker 3:Being with all the fun teachers and my friends.
Speaker 2:Do you have a favorite class that you've done?
Speaker 3:Probably dance.
Speaker 2:Dance, and who do you do that with?
Speaker 3:Gabby, charlie and Carly.
Speaker 2:If someone let's say it's their first year, let's say it's their first time on stage, how would you encourage them to not be nervous?
Speaker 3:I'd say just look in front, don't look at the audience, look over them and just don't think about anybody's in there and just do your best.
Speaker 2:Is there anything else you'd want to tell somebody about camp?
Speaker 3:Well, I play. It's fun because you don't have to worry about missing sports, because I play soccer and softball because it's earlier in the day.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's great to know. That's really helpful. Cool, okay, thank you. Can you tell me your name? I'm Jacob Parks. How old are you? 14. And how many years have you been doing drama camp? All six, I believe. All six years that you can do it. So what do you know what age you can start drama camp at? Coming out of second grade, okay, and what grade are you going into now? Going into ninth? You're going into high school, yeah, are you excited?
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, so what?
Speaker 2:are you doing at music and drama camp this year? I am one of the main characters, wyatt. That's exciting. Is that a lot of responsibility? Yeah, you have to learn a lot of lines? Yeah, and how long do you have to learn all your lines?
Speaker 5:Usually it's about eight days before the show. How?
Speaker 2:is it going? Do you feel like you have them all your lines? Usually it's about eight days before the show. How is it going? Do you feel like you have them down? Yeah, I think I have them down pretty well and we're recording this. What two days before your show?
Speaker 5:Yeah, you feel ready.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay. Do you have a favorite part of camp when you're here?
Speaker 5:Probably the first two days. I like learning everyone's name and having fun doing stuff, getting the set all ready. What are some of the things you do?
Speaker 2:the first couple of days.
Speaker 5:So painting for the set, making t-shirts for the show, practicing dances, singing, acting.
Speaker 2:Do you guys go through like an audition process?
Speaker 5:Auditions are on the second day.
Speaker 2:yeah, Okay, what do you normally do for that?
Speaker 5:It's just we line up in a line and then go onto the stage and say a line that we're supposed to and just try to act it out as well as you can. If it's like an accent or something, you do the accent. If it's just an attitude, you use the attitude.
Speaker 2:Okay so this year your character's name is Wyatt, and what does your character do in the show?
Speaker 5:He is trying to help his sister learn prayer, while she thinks that prayer is useless and doesn't work.
Speaker 2:And I heard it's based on a video game kind of.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so Wyatt's pretty much the creator of the video game and he's trying to get his sister to play it.
Speaker 2:Can you relate to your character, do you like?
Speaker 5:video games. I do enjoy video games. Yeah, Do you have a favorite Big fan of Halo? I like Halo a lot.
Speaker 2:Tell us your name.
Speaker 3:My name is Jocelyn. How old are you?
Speaker 2:I'm 11. And is this? How long have you been doing drama?
Speaker 3:camp, since I was in like third grade. Okay, so how?
Speaker 2:many years do you know? I guess like three, maybe. Okay, what do you do at music and drama camp?
Speaker 3:I sing and dance with my friends. Okay, that's, yeah, that's good. And um, we practice our like dance moves together with miss christy. Yeah, and it's very fun. What? Is really fun about it um, mostly like being with my friends and spending time with them do you um?
Speaker 2:do you have friends that you you do drama camp with every year?
Speaker 3:My friends Hope and Savannah.
Speaker 2:What is your favorite part of drama camp?
Speaker 3:Mostly the singing and the dance moves because they're very fun to learn.
Speaker 2:Do you learn dance with Gabby? Yes, so tell me your name, gabrielle, and how old are you, gabrielle?
Speaker 6:I'm 23. So how long have you been involved with music and drama camp? I think I've been in. I was a student in drama camp since one of the first ones, so whenever, whenever, that was Okay.
Speaker 2:So like a really long time. Yes, so you've been a camper and then like a counselor. Yes, and now I was like a CIT type person for one yeah.
Speaker 6:For one year and then I think I've been choreographing or the director probably, since, like junior year of high school, I want to say Okay, something around there, yeah, so so what?
Speaker 2:tell us what is your role in drama camp?
Speaker 6:So I am the um dance director, um, and I choreograph dances for the drama camp.
Speaker 2:So what is different about doing music drama camp when it involves there's like a faith aspect to it.
Speaker 6:How does that make it a little different? Um, yeah, so I really try to well, when I create movement, I definitely try to um incorporate movements with praising God in the movement, um, which definitely changes it from a regular uh dance that would just be put on stage. Um, but I do really enjoy when they are singing about God and those movements correlate with the uh, the lyrics or the music. Um, so I think that's like a really special part and um being able to share that with kids and share that faith and ability to praise God while dancing and singing and acting. Um, I think that's like really special and really different from any other. You know performance that a kid would be in, you know, for theater or anything like that. Um, so, just being able to teach them that and being like, okay, well, this is, you know, um a phrase about okay, we're praising God, so we're going to lift up our hands to this guy and, you know, do a move such as that.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Why do you think it matters that we engage with art as part of it, like engaging in our faith?
Speaker 6:It gives another pathway into learning about God. So, you know, you go to church and you, we sing songs and we praise the Lord, and that's an art form as well. But you know, through this you can also learn about God and praise him, rather than just, you know, reading the Word or praying. It gives another avenue to who we are as Christians and to experience that and to step into something that's more creative. So I just think it's super important because it's just another way to express yourself while being, while praising the Lord and while connecting to God, which I think is awesome.
Speaker 3:My name is Faith Elizabeth Webster.
Speaker 2:And how many years have you done drama camp?
Speaker 3:This is my first year.
Speaker 2:This is your first year. Were you really excited to get to do drama camp this year? Yes. Why were you excited to get to do drama camp this year? Yes, why were you excited to do music and drama camp?
Speaker 3:Because I've never really been allowed to be on a stage like that.
Speaker 2:I saw you Were you trying on a costume when I came in today.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Do you know what your costume is going to be? Little cowgirl, you're going to be a cowgirl. There's a cowgirl in Pray Station. Yes, what other characters are in Pray Station?
Speaker 3:There's a sneaky cowboy, chloe, and her brother, wyatt Rodeo Webber, and there's some cactuses.
Speaker 7:I am Charlotte Olsen. How old are you, Charlotte? I am 18, almost 19.
Speaker 2:Okay, and how long have you been involved with Music Drama Camp? A long long time. Do you remember how old you were when you first did it? Like, did you do it the very first year? You could do it in third grade. I did it in fourth grade, in fourth grade. It in third grade, I did in fourth grade, in fourth grade. Okay, so that was the fourth grade. You're what? Probably like 11 and now you're 18. I was probably like 10, yeah okay so a long time?
Speaker 2:yes, okay and but you're not a camper anymore, right, okay, what are you? This year? I'm a counselor, so what is it? What is a counselor at music drama camp do?
Speaker 7:well, I've been working on the set, doing set design. I designed the set for this year.
Speaker 2:That's cool was that was that hard to do?
Speaker 7:uh, no, I actually. So it's like a pixel art, because the show is based on a video game. Okay, but I do pixel art for commissioning as well, so okay, that's so it was like, right up, I have experience doing that.
Speaker 2:That's awesome that you get to use that passion of yours here. So you designed the set this year yes and then how do you make the set come to life?
Speaker 7:well, it took a lot of painting last week. All I did was paint. Do you have other people?
Speaker 2:that paint with you yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7:So some of like when people were free, they would come in and paint. When, when people were free, they would come in and paint when campers were free. They would come in and help paint, but like measuring things out, so it's the way we designed. It was the longest part of pixel art.
Speaker 2:That sounds pretty like intricate. Yeah, is it like by the like?
Speaker 7:yeah, we did it by square inch, so it wasn't extremely small, but it was kind of it wasn't extremely small, but it was kind of it had to be precise.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you help other campers. So you help campers now, instead of being a camper, you help lead campers. Yep, do you like getting to do that?
Speaker 7:Yeah, I come back every year because it's like I have a great experience every time I do it, and every year I see the kids put in more effort than they did the time before and improve more. Every year you see improvement through each camper, and then you see new campers come in and start to learn and start to improve, and then they come back and then it's so cool.
Speaker 8:All right, my name is Kane Joins.
Speaker 2:And how old are you?
Speaker 8:18.
Speaker 2:And how long have you been involved with Music Drama Camp?
Speaker 8:Since probably sixth grade, so around 12, 13.
Speaker 2:So what it's?
Speaker 8:like five-ish years, five-ish years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so why do you do it every year?
Speaker 8:The first year. I did it because I was kind of made to do it but I was kind of really grateful that I got to be here. Kind of made to do it, but I was kind of really grateful that I got to be here. And when I was done in eighth grade I was kind of looking for any way to still be involved with the camp. It's just a good time.
Speaker 2:Okay, so when? So you started out as a camper.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then you moved on to a different role. What do you do after you're a camper?
Speaker 8:So you kind of just help out where you're needed. So I did set design for a little bit, and then I really like working in the tech booth with those guys.
Speaker 2:That's what you're doing this year. Yeah, do you have a role in the tech booth?
Speaker 8:I'm recording the show this year.
Speaker 2:Does that feel like a lot of pressure?
Speaker 8:Yeah, I've never done it before.
Speaker 2:Well, I saw you were training with somebody today.
Speaker 8:Yes.
Speaker 2:So how'd that go?
Speaker 8:Yeah, scott Cruz. He was back there kind of telling me all I need to know. He told me what buttons to stay away from.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's a great thing to tell you, right, just don't touch these buttons. So you've done set design. You've done your recording.
Speaker 8:Do you have a favorite part of camp. I like watching everybody kind of progress with their lines and have fun becoming their role. I only acted one year. I was hitting the tech booth, but that was so much fun.
Speaker 2:So you like the behind the scenes watching everybody else, which is a big, important role. If the sound doesn't work and the lights don't work and you can't record, it's kind of a boring show. You can't hear it right. If someone were to ask you, what is is music drama camp.
Speaker 8:What would you tell them? Uh, I'd say it's two weeks where you come and, you know, stop sleeping in as much during the summer, but it's very worth it. You get to meet a bunch of new people. Uh, I got closer with a couple guys because of the camp and also, you know, it made me have a reason to read stories about God, even though if it was through plays. It seems kind of silly. But when you're not doing anything and then you find these two weeks, it's like, oh, I need to get back to doing what I should be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really cool. I asked I asked someone else why they think something like the arts, so music and drama and acting and dance. Like why do you think that that matters in our faith? Like why is that a good way to connect with God?
Speaker 8:You're having fun and you might not even realize it at times that that's what you're doing, but you're coming to church for one just on days that aren't Sunday. You're just. You're here more and you know the play is always designed around the story, so you're learning about something you might not have known.
Speaker 2:Or, if you didn't know it, now you know more about it because you've acted it out if someone were to give music and drama camp like it's their first time they want to give it a try, why, like someone's telling them like you said, did, did like your mom make you do it? Or your family member um, if someone's like parent is is trying to push them to do it and they're like I don't know if I want to, why why would you tell them they should do it?
Speaker 8:It's fun. I know that sounds kind of boring, but it's really fun just to be here. And it's also you're not at home, cause I mean if you're not doing anything I don't see why not. And then you get here and it's it's really a good time you get to to meet a whole bunch of new people, because I know when I first got here I didn't know a lot of people. I was new to Hope. So this was a good time for me to meet new people and have fun doing it. And then I didn't even realize how much I had learned about like a Bible story until the end of it, and then kind of it applied to my life outside of camp and it was good to see.
Speaker 2:Once again, we hope that you feel inspired and encouraged by the Youngest Among Us, and if you're looking to sign up your kid or teen for either VBS or Music Drama Camp, you can head to meethopeorg slash today and look under the events tab for all signups. We hope that you have a really great week and we'll meet you here next week with a new episode.
Speaker 1:Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope episode.