Summer camp fun

Camp Maranatha is a local place where kids of any spiritual background are welcome to experience God through creation, community and play.

The camp and conference center are tucked away between the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and Lake Guntersville, in Scottsboro.

There are four cabins on the property shaded by pine and hardwood trees, just waiting for campers to fill them and begin their journey into the exciting world of Summer Camp.

Activities include Bible study, worship, outdoor skill instruction, songs, music, crafts, water sports and much more.

While many children enjoy the fun-filled Day Camp at Maranatha, others choose to stay for five days in the extended camp program.

Cost of the camp covers all meals, lodging, 24-hour personalized supervision and activities.

John Brock is the interim director for the camp this summer.

Brock is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Payne and teaches at Asbury High School.

“Although our camp is part of the Presbytery in Jackson County,” he said, “we welcome children of any faith. We don’t focus on denomination here. We focus on making sure the kids have a good time and we hope they walk away at the end of the camp with a better understanding of God’s love for them.”

Each summer, hundreds of kids from as far away as Tuscaloosa and as close as Scottsboro come to the camp.

 “A typical day at camp for the kids who stay is really fun,” Brock said. “They get up at 7 a.m., eat breakfast and then have a short Bible study and worship service before they have a day filled with things like swimming, bungee jumping, good food and worship.”

By the time they go to bed at 9:30 p.m., campers are tired, but happy.

“Then they get up and start all new activities the next day,” he said. “We have a rock wall, a big swing, a Zip Line and lots more things they can do.”

Day campers are picked up at designated drop-off points each day, and enjoy the same type of activities before going back to the drop-off point in the evening.

The curriculum at Camp Maranatha this summer is created to appeal to every faith.

“It’s very ecumenical,” he said, “It’s something you would see anywhere from a Baptist church to Church of God. It’s a very standard curriculum.”

Campers stay from Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. until Friday evening when they are reunited with their families.

“We have boys and girls in the camp, and they stay in separate cabins with close supervision,” he said.

“Our largest week of the summer will have around 120 campers,” he continued. “A large number of those are Day Campers.”

At the end of the week, Brock said he hopes the kids walk away with the knowledge that other people care about them and that God loves them.

“When they return home,” he continued, “we hope they’ve had an enjoyable week and that they are glorifying God and His creation through their experiences at Camp Maranatha.”

For more information about the camp, please visit: www.maranathaccc.com.