Church offers nature camps
Covenant of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which meets in Batavia, is offering a nature camp this summer in conjunction with Union Congregation Church in North Aurora.
"Terrific Trees" is for children ages 5 to 11 and meets from 9 a.m. to noon July 14-18. The camp ˆ- which as you may have guessed will focus on trees - will be held at Union Congregational Church at 405 W. State St. (State Street and Cherry Tree Court) in North Aurora.
The cost is $10 per child.
"It's our church's version of vacation Bible school," said the Rev. Jim Megchelsen, pastor at Covenant of Grave. "It has the elements of a traditional vacation Bible school but it's a nature camp. The camp uses God's creation to teach the children about God and the Bible."
In past years, the topics have included sunlight, insects and birds.
Carolyn Sackett of Sugar Grove, a member of Covenant of Grace, wrote the curriculum for the nature camps when she was a member of Bethel Church in Wheaton, Covenant's sister church.
Sackett was trained as a teacher and taught sixth grade before raising a family. She has volunteered with many youth organizations and also at nature centers.
"We started the nature camps at Bethel about 20 years ago as an alternative to regular vacation Bible school," Sackett said.
Sackett says there are formal goals and objectives.
"The program is designed for boys and girls to explore the wonderful wold of nature and correlate their discoveries with Biblical teaching about God's work in creation and redemption."
Children who participate in the camp will learn about what makes a tree distinctive and each child will prepare a thornless Hawthorne tree seed to take home and plant.
"We're trying to cultivate kids' natural love of nature and link it to God's creation," Sackett added.
Megchelsen says the nature camp is popular.
"I've heard from many parents that their kids love it," Megchelsen said. "We're known as the church with the nature camp."
Covenant of Grace Church meets for worship at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at a Batavia Park District building at 327 W. Wilson St. There is Sunday school at 11 a.m.
The church is an offshoot of Bethel Church in Wheaton and has been meeting for about 10 years.
To register for the camp, call Megchelsen at (630) 906-9661.
Heritage celebrated: Celebrating its ties to its founders, Aurora University will host Advent Christian Heritage Sunday as part of the denomination's triennial conference in Naperville from Friday to Wednesday.
Heritage Sunday celebration opens at 3 p.m. with the opening of a welcome center in the Institute for Collaboration at 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.
From 3 to 5 p.m., AU students will lead group tours departing from the campus flagpole in front of Alumni Hall. Tours stops are the Jenks Memorial Collection of Adventual Materials in Phillips Library and the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures in Dunham Hall.
From 3 to 5 p.m., visitors are invited to view the Aurora College archives in Phillips Library.
From 4 to 5 p.m., three discussions on "Aurora College Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" will take place in Perry Theatre in the Aurora Foundation Center for Community Enrichment at 1305 Kenilworth Place in Aurora.
At 5 p.m., a picnic dinner will be held under a tent on the campus quadrangle. Cost is $17 each for persons ages 11 and up and $7 each for children 10 and younger.
Crimi Auditorium will be the site of an evening of musical celebration. At 7 p.m., Rosemary Humbles and Marilyn Parolini will lead an old-fashioned hymn sing. At 7:30 p.m., Advent Christian musical artists will perform a concert to conclude the Heritage Sunday event.
Call (630) 844-5486 for information and reservations.