For one extraordinary week each summer, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church is transformed.

The hallways fill with laughter. Hebrew songs echo from Ministry Center classrooms. Children race across the front lawn playing games, proudly carry clay pots they have painted, and excitedly compare the treasures they unearthed at the archaeological dig. In the gym, a bustling Babylonian marketplace comes to life, while throughout the campus, dozens of volunteers gently guide children from one adventure to the next.

For five days, the rhythms of church life change. “It’s one of the few times that children do not have to navigate a church,” said the Rev. Rachel Pedersen, Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministry. “The church is built for children, and adults have to navigate the children’s space.”

That simple shift says everything about Vacation Bible Camp.

This year, more than 150 campers and 80 volunteers gathered each day to explore the theme “God is Always with Us.” Together they discovered the story of Daniel — not as a distant biblical figure, but as someone who faced uncertainty, fear, loneliness, leadership, and an unknown future while learning to trust God’s presence every step of the way.

For Rachel, choosing that story was deeply intentional. “One of the things we know is that there’s a really high level of anxiety with kids,” she said. “A lot of fear about how do you navigate new things; how do you navigate things you’re not certain about?... We use these old stories to help kids find a new way of understanding who God is... Even when everything falls apart... God is with you, and God will help show you a new way.”

It wasn’t simply the theme for the week. It became something children experienced. Each morning began with a new chapter in Daniel’s story. Campers learned that God is with us when we begin something new, when we face danger, when we are alone, when we lead and serve, and when we imagine what comes next.

Then they stepped into those lessons themselves. They decorated clay pots and dug for artifacts in the Marketplace. They learned songs in Hebrew and played relay races, water games, and even “trained lions.” They interviewed Daniel’s friends and two remarkably friendly lions. They built first-aid kits after learning about caring for neighbors from Parish Nurse Colleen Catania. They assembled birthday kits for local families, met firefighters from the Bryn Mawr Fire Company, learned about therapy dogs, planted tiny gardens, and on the final day created thank-you cards for the volunteers who had walked beside them all week.

Every station carried the same message in a different way: God is present — in our creativity, our friendships, our service, our play, and our care for one another.

While younger campers remained on campus, fourth- and fifth-graders carried that message into the community. Throughout the week, they weeded and planted at the Victory Garden at Bethel AME Church in Ardmore, stocked shelves at the Ardmore Food Pantry, cleaned Morris Park, packed more than 200 grocery bags for Bethel Presbyterian Church’s food ministry, and finished the week by sharing what they had learned with the younger campers.

Vacation Bible Camp isn’t simply about teaching children that God is with us.

It’s about inviting them to become part of the ways God is present in the world.

 

Built by Many Hands

Of course, none of it happens without the people who quietly give a week of their summer to make it possible — eighty volunteers, parents, teenagers, retirees, longtime members, and new members. Some have been serving for decades. Others experienced their first Vacation Bible Camp this year.

For first-time volunteer and Parish Nurse Colleen Catania, the experience was overwhelming in the best possible way. “I was absolutely blown away,” she said, “by all of the details that were put into everything behind the scenes, and then also, blown away by these kids, and how they’ve been able to adapt and learn, and meet one another.” 

Lacey Long knows just how much work those details require. Helping lead the Marketplace means coordinating archaeology digs, gardens, crafts, painting projects, and a steady stream of excited children. Looking around the gym at the end of the week, she smiled. “It’s incredible. It’s stunning.”Even with dozens of volunteers working alongside her, she added, “We could always use more help... but we are grateful for the incredible volunteers we have. It’s amazing.”

For Beverly Fleuter, volunteering is rooted in a simple conviction.“Children are the future of our church,” she said. “They’re the most important generation... In order for people to have a foundation in Christian formation, they need to build community, and this is such a formative age. So, I just want to be a part of that.”

Even the snack room became an act of ministry. Each day, volunteers peeled nearly 200 mandarin oranges, washed strawberries and grapes, poured bag after bag of popcorn, and carefully prepared allergy-friendly snacks for every child.

But when Elaine Robertson reflected on the week, she didn’t talk about the fruit. She talked about the children. “The kids are wonderful,” she said. “Just the joy that we see.” Then she smiled and added what many volunteers were thinking. “It just wouldn’t be VBC without Rachel. She is everywhere... A good leader makes it happen.”

 

Faith Passed from One Generation to the Next

Ask Rachel about her favorite part of Vacation Bible Camp, and she doesn’t mention the decorations or activities. “My favorite moments are watching our youth volunteers working with our campers,” she said. “The way that they are sharing their faith with our younger students, and the way the students are learning from them.”

It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the week. Teenagers who once stood in line for crafts now lead small groups. Children who once learned hand motions to the songs now teach them to four-year-olds. Faith is passed from one generation to the next, not in grand speeches, but in high-fives, conversations, games, and quiet moments of encouragement.

“I think interacting with the kids” is what Clara Prato loves most about volunteering. “Once they get comfortable... I kind of love it.” What do the campers gain? “I think they make friends and just become more comfortable in the building overall.”

Lucas Prato, another youth volunteer, summed up the experience more simply. “It’s really fun.”

Sometimes ministry really is that joyful. Parents notice it, too. “Our oldest is returning for her fourth year,” said Britney Harris. “We always look forward to this part of the summer. It’s such a wonderful community here... this camp just does such a nice job of instilling such wonderful values in the kids.”

Rachel hopes every child leaves with something even more lasting. “I hope they leave knowing that they are loved, that they belong, and that God has a plan and a purpose for them.”

Perhaps no one expressed that hope more perfectly than six-year-old Harrison Kiefer.

Asked what he learned during Vacation Bible Camp, he smiled. “God is always...” the interviewer prompted. “With us.” Sometimes, the deepest truths are also the simplest.