Summer Camp is at a close. We had a wonderful summer! Our youth were able to grow in faith, in abilities (like learning how to tread water in the deep end of the pool), and make new friends!

Summer Camp is a reflection of the kingdom of God where campers, coming in and out of community, are encouraged to be themselves in all things, to discover themselves and help others in all things. Summer Camp is a time for campers to discover and question their faith in all things. The challenge is to take God and the Holy Spirit outside of camp and share it in our homes, our neighborhoods, our churches, and schools. Our hope is that all will experience the unconditional love found in God's community so they may share it with those who have not been touched by it or experienced it. We are called to be filled up with this love in intentional community and then to go out into the world and pour it out.

 View pictures, video reflections, and read what our campers thought about and learned at camp at the DioKY Youth Programs Facebook page.

 Church camps are so important for our youth. Read a blog post about why the Church needs a high camp-ology.

A special thanks to all of our volunteers this summer! Your ministry is so important!

Clergy: The Rev. Jason Lewis, The Rev. Jim Trimble, The Rev. Emily Schwartz, The Rev. Mary Abrams, The Rev. Ben Badgett, and The Rev. Katherine Doyle.

Medical: Peggy Henney, Andy Owen, and Elaine Terry

Program Volunteers: Jane Halladay, Heather Keith, and Alexia Schemp - Couch

A special thanks to behind the scenes folks! Your ministry is an invitation!

Those who fundraised at churches for youth scholarships

Those who recommended a camp experience

Those who helped register individuals and small groups

Those who helped in transportation

The national Episcopal Youth Event was held at Villanova University in Philadelphia, this summer (July 9-13) and we were fortunate enough to send three youth. Our youth delegation included Sarah Katherine Doyle of Calvary, Louisville; Elizabeth McEntire of St. Mary's, Madisonville; and Trae Purdy of St. Paul's, Henderson. They were accompanied by Bishop White and the Rev. Benjamin Hart. 

The purpose of this event is to gather youth from ethnic constituencies - for conversations around the social issues of the day, for becoming agents of transformation, and for helping to form a model for the church in reconciling the world to God and one another in Christ. 

Our youth were inspired in many different ways. Here is some of what our youth representatives had to say about the event:

Elizabeth:

"The experience to EYE was amazing and I would do the whole things all over again. It was neat only having a few people from kentucky because you got to know each other. The program was mainly to meet people all across the world. I made 30-40 new friends just by being there a few days."

Trae:

"We went on a tour to the St. Thomas Church, St Martin's Church, and the Church of the Advocate where slaves painted murals on the walls, which are still there today.  We also toured Christ Church where George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin worshiped.

I went to a workshop called "Water Water Everywhere or Not".  This workshop we talked about how water had a relationship with God. In Kenya, they don't have clean water.  Their children have to walk miles to carry the water from the lakes that are heavy buckets of dirty water for their families.  Then they have to decontaminate the water for their families to be able to drink it. What I am trying to do is to raise enough money to hopefully be able to build a well in the middle of Kenya so the children and their families can have clean drinking water."

Sarah Katherine: