Ascend Camp Supports Kids, Teens, and Families

Ascend is a week-long camp for students ages 5–18 who have experienced the divorce of their parents or the loss of a loved one, and for children ages 6–11 who have a sibling with disabilities. This summer, we hosted Ascend at our Powdersville and Pelham campuses—over 75 kids and teens attended, and over 35 volunteers helped run the camps.

Students were able to be in groups with their peers and discuss the common experiences associated with grief, divorce, and having a family member with a disability. They learned what God says about these challenges, healthy coping, and had lots of opportunities to connect with each other and their leaders. They also simply had a good time playing games and doing activities!

One of our volunteers had this to say about Ascend:

My favorite part of the week was watching kids play in the rain and their leaders playing with them. Having fun is a central piece to those camps so that it's not just heavy and difficult conversations, but that kids who are dealing with trauma can play and heal. So to see the volunteers really emphasize and value fun/play time as a form of love and connection was incredible to see.

Ascend was open to the community, and it was a great opportunity to support families who are not connected to Grace Church. As kids spoke about their struggles within their group, it opened up additional opportunities for us to support the family as a whole in very real and tangible ways that made the gospel accessible. Also, many parents reported thankfulness about what their kids were learning about truths and skills to help them process their losses.

Will you join us in thanking God for all the growth and healing we saw through Ascend this summer? To learn more about our Care & Recovery ministries for all ages, click below.