WinShape is coming to bring Bible studies, fun times and new connections to Milford children for the fourth summer in a row.
Amy Danekas, co-leader for the event’s leadership team, said she feels blessed to watch God work in children’s lives through the camp.
Winshape is an organization that sends groups of college students to lead week-long camps, featuring Bible studies, music and recreation time in multiple states in the United States. A former Beth-El Community Church pastor heard about the program and brought the idea to Milford several years ago.
This year’s theme is “The Wonder Chronicles.”
“The team that comes, they are energetic and love the Lord and then have a passion for kids,” Danekas said.
The camp is for kindergarteners through sixth graders and will run Monday, July 29 to Friday, Aug. 2 from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Milford High School. The grade a child identifies with should be the grade they just completed, and registration is $100 per child. There are 300 spots available and 255 kids have registered thus far.
Seven churches work together to make the camp happen: Beth-El Community Church, Milford Mennonite Church, Bellwood Mennonite Church, East Fairview Mennonite Church, Family Life Assembly of God Church, Grace Missionary Church and United Methodist Church.
“I love that it's so many churches that come together to do this. It isn't one church like ‘Oh, yeah, we're doing this,’ you know, it's equal parts all the churches,” Steering Committee member Amber Koehler said. “I think that's one of my favorite things about WinShape is that it is definitely a community effort.”
With the exception of the team of high schoolers that visits for WinShape, the event is fully run by volunteers. Danekas said she is hoping to get 40 volunteers per day, and volunteers can sign up for as many of the days as they want. Volunteers must have at least completed ninth grade.
“As a volunteer, it's just fun to be with kids and to get to know kids,” she said. “It's a great way to get to know kids that you don't normally see each day and then to watch them learn about Christ and some accept Christ as their Savior and give their life to him.”
Koehler has children who attend the camp and one who is a volunteer. Koehler said it is one of the highlights of her kids’ summers, and it is a great way for them to kick off the coming school year because many of their friends attend.
“It’s just really good, and they make really good connections with the WinShape staff,” she said. “I think almost every year at least one of my kids cries when it's over because they know that the reality is they probably won't see that staff again, and they just really enjoyed working with them.”
Danekas said she enjoys seeing the gospel come alive and is looking forward to seeing all the children who return to camp this year and meeting new ones.
“It's kind of fun to see how far-reaching it is, you know, where they come from, what towns they come from and then just to see their excitement as they get together and see their friends or make new friends,” she said.
Danekas said the camp is a great way to bring people together across denominations and reach children who have not been to church.
“You come to WinShape and you find there's yelling, there's chanting, there's cheering and it is so loud and it is just, I mean, it is so high energy, like it just keeps them going all day long,” Koehler said. “They just keep them really busy and really pumped up, and I just love that it's Bible-based. It's all about Jesus. We can be loud and crazy and have fun and still learn.”
Register a camper or sign up to volunteer at https://linktr.ee/MilfordWinshape.
