Rising K-4th Boys & Girls and Rising 5th-8th Girls
Camp Watermelon
Summer camp sessions for rising Kindergarten through 8th grade
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard. —Galatians 5:22 (MSG)
What is Camp Watermelon?
Camp Watermelon seeks to teach kids about Jesus and loving others while having fun in a community of new friends. We make crafts, play games, practice encouraging and serving each other, and learn Scripture in tangible, applicable ways that encourage team building. Campers will have time in the day for free-choice activities as well as rotate through several activity stations on campus. Campers are placed in groups of 10–12 children led by 3–4 wonderful teenage counselors who have growing relationships with the Lord.
We host Camp Watermelon not only so that kids will taste the goodness of the Gospel, but also so that youth have a place to practice leadership and service to younger kids. Camp counselors are youth that we have pre-existing relationships with from church, school, or friendship within the community. Many of them have been part of Camp Watermelon since it started and all of them are people that we trust in the presence of our own young children. In fact, we hope our children are watching these youth closely because they have a beautiful impact on our kids (and on us!). They are young men and women who are passionate, fun, playful, kind, and wise. They stir our expectation and excitement about what is possible when we gather our hearts and energy around a God-honoring mission. Serving alongside them is a blessing, and we trust your kids will be blessed by them too!
The theme of Camp Watermelon 2024 is “Miracles in the Upside Down Kingdom.” We will explore four of the miracles of Jesus while also looking at what he tells us in the Beatitudes about what it is to be blessed. Camp sessions run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Middle School Girls
Session 1: June 10-13
Rising Kindergarten–4th Grade
Session 2: June 17-20
Session 3: June 24-27
Session 4: July 8-11
Find packing list, dropoff instructions, and other helpful information on our Camper Information page.
Summer Day Camp Sessions
What is Camp Watermelon?
Camp Watermelon seeks to teach kids about Jesus and loving others while having fun in a community of new friends.
Why does FPC host a summer camp?
The good news of the Gospel often begins to grow roots in the lives of young children when they know they are loved and enjoyed.
It is our calling at Camp Watermelon to know and enjoy the uniquely wonderful things about each camper. Counselors are trained and encouraged to relate to the kids as incarnation witnesses, reminding campers of their status as children of God. We seek to love our campers because Jesus first loved us. We also want to love campers so that they might be swept into the beauty of Christian community. Most importantly, we want to love campers well so that they might be drawn closer to God’s heart.
Another reason we do what we do is because play is so important in all of our lives. Play is vulnerable, fun, messy, creative, delightful, risky, natural, and good. Kids play intuitively, but busy-ness and technology become limitations to creative, life-giving play. Sessions at Camp Watermelon are a place where campers and counselors are blessed by the joy of playing together and connecting in a uniquely wonderful way.
Why Youth Counselors?
We host Camp Watermelon not only so that kids will taste the goodness of the Gospel, but also so that youth have a place to practice leadership and service to younger kids.
Camp Watermelon Staff
Erika Shapiro
Director of Camp Watermelon Ministries
Erika is responsible for Camp Watermelon, a summer day camp program on the church campus that exposes children to the love of the Lord through play, worship, service and fun.