October 6th

Summer Camps

“Camp is such an important place as it helps campers to grow their faith in a nurturing and inclusive environment. This summer I saw many different campers pass through our space, from 6 year olds to 70 year old ADV [adults with disabilities] campers, and I saw each one experience the wonder and bliss of being at camp.”

Those are the words of Fiona Janzen (Fort Garry)(driving the 'train' in picture above), one of the summer program directors at Camp Assiniboia this summer. They echo the thoughts and feelings of many others after a wonderful summer of camps.

More than five hundred campers participated in ten weeks of camps at Camp Assiniboia and Camp Koinonia this year. Over 50% of these were from Mennonite Church Manitoba congregations. Ninety young people from 27 MCM congregations served as summer leadership staff, counsellors, and more, supported by nearly seventy volunteers in the kitchen, in maintenance, and as health officers. The 2025 season included day camps, a pre-junior three-day week, junior, intermediate, junior high and youth-aged weeks as well as some specialty options like a canoe trip (Koinonia) and farm camp (Assiniboia).

The theme this summer was “Knowing God and Growing in Faith,” following traditional liturgy to explore how we know God and grow in our faith through prayer and praise, confession and grace, passing the peace, communion, and sending/blessing. The theme verse for the curriculum was Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nate Hastings-Fuhr (Home Street)(sterning the canoe) served with Fiona as summer program director at Assiniboia. “This summer was full of energy, joy, and growth for campers and staff alike,” Nate says. “I loved watching friendships form and seeing campers step outside their comfort zones to try something new.”
Fiona sums up the feeling of many about our camps: “Camp is such a special place and touches so many lives and leaves an impact in a way that is hard to describe. Camp is a feeling and a way of being, not only a place. “

We praise God for another wonderful summer of camps! Pray for the campers, staff, and volunteers who participated in camps this summer, that the seeds planted in their lives will continue to grow and bear fruit. Our regular donations to Camps with Meaning are low this year; please consider supporting our camping ministries at www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.