Kids Can Learn About the Lord in Cool-Themed VBS CampsMay 20, 2019 • Jeff Gardenour  • CHILDREN & YOUTH • DIOCESAN FAMILY

Youth love attending the annual St. Peter’s Episcopal Church summer camps in Lake Mary. Once again, the Seminole County parish will offer a variety of camps for children.

Summertime is about taking a break from school for most kids. Going to the beach or lake, fishing, playing video games or sports, and taking vacations with family.

But it’s also a time when youth can learn about Jesus in a fun-filled atmosphere. And that’s where VBS (Vacation Bible School) camps come in.

From one end of the Diocese of Central Florida to the other, churches are planning to hold VBS camps for youth of all ages. All camps have a theme, ranging from “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus” to “To Mars and Beyond” to “In the Wild.”

Some camps are free, while others have a nominal fee. Many offer a special dinner for participants and their families.

Following is a partial list of VBS camps in the Diocese of Central Florida. Events are subject to change, with updates available at each church’s website listed below.

ALL SAINTS’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH
155 Clark St.
Enterprise, FL 32725
386-668-4108

  • June 17-21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Theme is “Roar.” Open to 3-year-olds through completed fifth-graders. Camp is free. Call the church office at 386-668-4108 to register.

ALL SAINTS’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH
338 E. Lyman Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-647-3413

  • June 24-28, 8:45 a.m.-noon. Theme is “Athens: Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Share the Truth.” Children entering kindergarten through fifth grade are eligible. Cost of $40 per week includes a VBS T-shirt, VBS CD, daily snack, and the All Saints’ exclusive “Water Day.” Parents who volunteer for the week receive waived tuition for their child and complimentary childcare for younger siblings. For more information, contact Dolly Dunnam, children’s ministry director, at 407-617-6097.

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
4950 S. Apopka-Vineland Road
Orlando, FL 32819
407-876-3480

  • June 24-28, 9 a.m.-noon. Theme is “Roar.” Camp is open to 3-year-olds through rising sixth-graders. All youth must be fully independent in the restroom. Cost is $25 per child, $50 max per family. For more information, access https://vbspro.events/p/events/ascension-orlando

CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH
241 N. Main St.
Winter Garden, FL 34787
407-656-3218

  • June 24-28, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Theme is “To Mars and Beyond.” Cokesbury’s VBS, explore where God’s power can take you. Open to kids in kindergarten through rising 6th-graders. Limited space for potty-trained 3- and 4-year-olds. Camp is free. Dinner included for interested participants. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.; program, 6 p.m. For more information, access tmab.cokesburyvbs.com/COTMWinterGarden

EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1603 E. Winter Park Road
Orlando, FL 32803
407-894-1641

  • June 24-28, time TBA. Theme is “Love Thy Neighbor.” Camps are open to kindergarteners through fifth-graders, and sixth- through 11th-graders. Cost is $10 per child, $20 per family. Register online at on the VBS tab at https://emmanuelepiscopal.net/afternoons/

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. MARY
5750 SE 115 St.
Belleview, FL 34420
352-347-6422

  • July 8-12, time TBA. The camp’s theme is “Roar.” Free and open to kids of all ages. Campers begin with singing at 5:30 p.m., then have dinner at 6 p.m. Youth can register online at stmarysbelleview.org

HOLY CROSS CHURCH
201 Kipling Lane
Winter Haven, FL 33884
863-324-4021

  • July 8-12, 6-8:30 p.m. Theme is “Roar,” an African safari-based adventure that involves the entire herd! Through the week, we will be building and celebrating a ferocious faith that will power us through this wild life. This is time to learn how to face life’s challenges with a mighty faith in Christ. The camp is open to first- through fifth-graders. Cost is free, but the camp can only take a maximum of 30 children. Snacks are included. Deadline to register is Monday, July 1, which allows the church enough time to finish planning and purchasing food for snacks. Interested parents or legal guardians can call email the church office at holycrosswhfl@aol.com for more information.

HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
50 W. Strawbridge St.
Melbourne, FL 32901
321-723-5272

  • June 17-21, 9 am.-noon. Theme is “To Mars and Beyond.” Open to 3-year-olds through rising sixth-graders. Join us for an exciting adventure as we explore where God’s power can take us! Cost is $15. Registration began online May 1 at holytrinitymelbourne.org via the internet. Parents and legal guardians also can go directly to the registration page at https://tmab.cokesburyvbs.com/HolyTrinityMelbourne​ via the internet. For additional information, please call KC Crawley at 321-723-5272 or email her at kccrawley@holytrinitymelbourne.org​

Also, summer programs are open to all kindergarten through high school students. Enrollment at HTEA not required. Register at: https://www.htacademy.org/student-life/summer-programs​ via the internet. Lower School camps contact is Jennifer Hoffman, who can be reached via email at jennifer.hoffman@htes.org​ or phone at 321-723-8323, ext. 203. Upper School camps contact is Nick Toohill, who can be reached via email at Nick.toohill@htes.org or phone at 321-723-8323, ext. 372.

ELIZABETH’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
901 Clearmont St.
Sebastian, FL 32958
772-589-2770

  • July 15-19, 5:15-8:15 p.m. Theme is “In the Wild” – VBS 2019 takes you on a wild adventure with elephants and egrets, polar bears and penguins, cockatoos and crocodiles. As you seek out exotic animals, you will also find snapshots of real-life encounters with Jesus in Scripture. Kids go from bewildered to believing as they get “In The Wild” at this summer’s VBS. Dinner is included.

JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
38 S. Halifax Drive
Ormond Beach, FL 32176
386-677-0872

JUDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
815 E. Graves Ave.
Orange City, FL 32763
386-775-6200

  • June 10-14, 5:30-8 p.m. Theme is “Paradise Bound.” Open to ages 3-11. Camp is free. A meal is planned for everyone each night. Registration to begin soon. Contact the church for more information.

ST. LUKE & ST. PETER
2745 Canoe Creek
St. Cloud, FL 34772
407-892-3227

  • June 10-14, 9 a.m.-noon. Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” For more information, call 407-892-3227.

MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
2 Church St.
Cocoa, FL 32922
321-636-3781

  • June 17, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Jun 21. I Brick Academy Robotics Camp. Cost is $219. Register online at https://www.ibrickacademy.com/events/robotics-camps​. A Vacation Bible School (VBS) follows on July 15-19, 8 a.m.-noon. For more information, call 321-636-3781.

PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
656 Ave. L
Winter Haven, FL 33881
863-294-8888

  • July 15-19, 9 a.m.-noon. Theme is “Gospel Light’s SonWorld Adventure Park VBS.” At SonWorld Adventure Park, there’s no height requirement, lines are short and everyone gets a good view of the parade. But hold onto your hats because it’s a life-changing ride! Choose Jesus. Open to rising pre-K to rising sixth-graders. Cost is $5 per child, $3 for each additional sibling. Pre-registration will be taken Sunday, July 14. Registrants can enjoy pre-VBS fun with games, crafts, face painting, snacks and more – all following the 10:30 a.m. service. Online registration begins May 19 at spwhfl.com via the internet.

PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
700 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, FL 32746
407-444-5673

  • June 3-21. MaxLife Summer Camps. MaxLife will be split up into three sessions, with each running one week. High school leadership camp runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 3-7. Open to incoming ninth-graders to graduating seniors for the 2020 class. Cost is $150. A middle school Alpha & Omega camp follows from June 10-14. This camp is open to rising sixth- through eighth-graders. Camp will run daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Campers can be dropped off beginning at 7:30 a.m. and picked up no later than 6 p.m. Cost is $140. A third- through fifth-grade Alpha & Omega camp will be held from June 17-21. The camp runs daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Campers can be dropped off starting at 7 a.m. and must be picked up by 6:30 p.m. Additionally, day camps will be held from May 28-31, June 24-July 12, and July 22-Aug. 9. Cost varies depending on length of camp child is enrolled in. For more information, call 407-378-7256 or access the website: mymaxlife.org

Additionally, KidsGames will be offered at St. Peter’s from July 15-19. Camp is open to 5-year-olds through sixth-graders. St. Peter’s is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Camp activities run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at a cost of $50. Kids can be picked up between 12:30 and 1 p.m. However, extended hours from 1 to 6:30 p.m. are available at additional cost.

For more information, call the church office at 407-444-5673.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH