Diocesan Church School Camp 2014 Concludes with Banner Year!
Diocesan Church School Camp 2014 Concludes!

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA

CONSISTORY OFFICE OF YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY

PRESS RELEASE

 

Diocesan Church School Camp 2014 Concludes with Banner Year!

 

Over 85 campers and staff assembled at our peaceful and beautiful All Saints Camp to kick-off the 2014 camping season.  It was an amazing two-weeks discovering the Great I Am's of Christ.  Campers gathered daily in prayer at St. Thomas Chapel.  The days that followed included interactive church school classes based on the theme, singing/music, games, crafts and various activities. 

There were several highlights during the session. One such highlight was related to "I Am the King".  Campers delved into the Feast Day during which the King of Kings arrives - the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The encampment created "stained glass" icons of the Nativity, learned traditional Ukrainian Christmas traditions, created caroling stars, and had fun at a Christmas in July Dance.  With the aid of Very Rev. Steven Repa from Carnegie, PA and some staff with culinary talents, the campers learned about Sviat Vechir or Holy Night Supper.  They prepared and cooked borscht and varenyky.  The talented kitchen staff provided the additional 10 dishes for an amazing Sviat Vechir dinner - replete with kolach, kutia and garlic!

Another camp favorite is the special interest classes.  This year the staff provided such diverse learning opportunities as nature and hiking, Ukrainian dancing, Ukrainian language and history, crafts and our newest special interest class - Sports Clinic.  Rev. Anthony Perkins, Spiritual Father for the first week also provided a "special" special interest class on how to make prosfora.

The second week dawned bright and balmy which lent itself well to the Night in Hawaii event.  The campers enjoyed a sumptuous feast served luau style. The staff provided some dinner theater as strains of "Tiny Bubbles" wafted through the camp grounds.

The campers were thrilled to spend several hours with our Hierarchs His Eminence Metropolitan Antony and His Grace Bishop Daniel. They were greeted by second week Spiritual Father, Very Rev. John Haluszczak and Deacon James Cairns.  

The Hierarchs, who arrived to All Saints Camp with seminarians of St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary, were able to participate and observe many of the activities and conduct a question and answer session with the youth.  Their time of departure came too soon however the campers were prepared with gifts of homemade crosses woven from vines on the property (mirroring the theme from I Am the Vine).

The week ended with a bang...literally. As the DCSC encampment celebrated the Independence of our nation on their final full day of camp.  Sidewalk chalk and corn shucking competitions, colonial water battles, patriotic music, fair games, a special movie and fireworks were the order of the day.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect week.

Diocesan Church School Camp is a program of the Ukrainian Orthodox Camping Ministry and the Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry for children between the ages of 9 and 13.  DCSC will take place June 21st - July 3rd in 2015.  Applications will be available in February.

It would be remiss not to mention that the Romanian Orthodox Church was also holding an encampment at ASC during the same time.  Our youth met many new Orthodox friends and learned a little Romanian along the way!

The second session of the camping ministry, Teenage Conference began on July 6th for teenagers. The Mommy & Me/Daddy & Me session for parents and children ages 4 - 8 is still accepting applications. They may be downloaded at www.uocyouth.org.  Family Fest will take place Labor Day Weekend. We ask that you keep the remainder of our programming in prayer for the remainder of the summer!

Diocesan Church School Camp 2014 Concludes!

Diocesan Church School Camp 2014 Concludes! - 07/09/2014

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Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
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South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

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