Harvest Moon Community Farm Offers a New Christian Camp for Children

Harvest Moon offers an innovative summer camp that combines Christian-focused lessons and activities about agriculture, planting, nature, and the arts. The children also do community service projects benefiting seniors receiving their meals through Meals on Wheels; people in hospices and nursing homes; and children in a Chinese orphanage.

Harvest Moon Community Farm is offering The Harvest Camp -- a Christian camp based at a family farm in Scandia -- from Monday, July 21 through Thursday, July 24, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.

There are four core lessons each day that focus to agriculture, farm animals, nature, environmental preservation, the arts, and community service. Each lesson relates to Bible verses and/or a parable which brings Gods word to life.

At The Harvest Camp, children join together with others in the spirit of Jesus Christ to take care of one another -- whether it is themselves, their friends, neighbors, the community, children in other parts of the world, or the earth.

At The Harvest Camp, children will:
-   Hear the parable about the lost sheep; learn about and meet the sheep at Harvest Moon; and create projects using wool from our sheep.
-   See examples of how seeds grow or dont grow given the soil and environment, and make a connection to the parable of the sower. Children make a potato planter so they and their families have fresh potatoes for their Thanksgiving meal.
-   Learn how to lead peaceful lives and doing peace-focused projects using Micah 6:8 (The Lord asks you to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God" ) as inspiration.

The Harvest Camp has a strong emphasis on community service, and the children will:
-   Make leaf-printed placemats for seniors who receive their lunch through Meals on Wheels.
-   Collect food for a local food shelf based on direction from Psalm 146:7 (Happy are those who give food to the hungry"),
-   Create healing/comfort dolls that will be donated to a hospice and/or nursing home based on the story of Tabitha (or when translated, Dorcas).
-   Create art kits and assemble bags of warm clothing for children living in a Chinese orphanage.

The cost for The Harvest Camp is $195 per week. Registrations can be made by calling Ann at 651-433-4358 or sending the registration information (available at www.hmcf.org) to: Harvest Moon Community Farm, 14363 Oren Road North, Scandia, MN 55073.

Registrations are on a first-come first-served basis, and are intentionally kept low to ensure a 1:5 educator:child ratio.