Children ran around Edgewater Park Wednesday in their bathing suits, splashing water on each other and learning about the Christian faith.

Staff from the Good Earth Village religious camp in Spring Valley came to Edgewater Park and taught kids from churches in Albert Lea about God, religion, spirituality and Bible stories.

Called On the Road Day Camp, classes began Monday but an introduction for parents and children took place Sunday night. The last day of camp was Thursday, culminating with a performance for parents and families.

“It’s fun,” said 7-year-old Anna Bordewick from St. Theodore Catholic Church. “I like it all.”

Children in kindergarten through fourth grade from Ascension Lutheran Church, Grace Lutheran Church, United Methodist Church and St. Theodore Catholic Church participated in the camp.

“We wanted to create an ecumenical atmosphere so it was open to all kids in the community,” said Donna May, the faith formation director for preschoolers through sixth-graders at St. Theodore Catholic Church.

“It’s kind of fun because all the kids can come together in one big group and be together,” said Megan Erickson, a member of the leadership staff.

Each day started around 8 a.m. with worship and then Bible study. Before lunch the 60 students broke into four groups — called villages — to do crafts or small group projects such as games or go on nature hikes around Edgewater Park.

“I think they’re having a lot of fun,” Erickson said.

Following lunch was quiet time with quiet games and stories. Then the group came together for a large group game, followed by crafts and small group projects in each of the independent villages. The camp featured a snack time midafternoon, then a closing worship. Parents picked up their children between 4 and 5 p.m.

The theme of this year’s camp was parables, Erickson said, so much of the religious study revolved around those lessons.

Good Earth Village has hosted day camps in Albert Lea at a few individual churches for the past decade, but this was the first year for an ecumenical camp.

The structure of the day camp, Erickson said, was to build a sense of community and let the kids get to know other kids from different churches. Through all activities, the counselors and staff — ranging in age from 18 to 22 — taught about God, love and introduced religious topics through stories the children could understand.

A program was held Thursday at 4 p.m. for parents to hear the songs and stories their children learned all week.

One message Erickson said she hopes kids took away from the camp is that they can “go shine their light to other people in the community” and continue their religious education after the camp.

“They’ve learned a lot here and they can grow more at camp,” Erickson said, adding she hoped some children and families will also become interested in the Good Earth Village camp in Spring Valley after they’ve gotten a taste through the day camp.

Online

Check out the camp at GoodEarthVillage.org .

In previous years, the counselors hosted day camps inside churches, but with it being a bigger crowd from many churches this year, Edgewater Park was a perfect location, Erickson said.

“It’s just a wonderful way to pull us all together and know we are all one in God,” May said.