First Lutheran kids 'Grow in FLC!'

Twenty students from First Lutheran Church in Alexandria recently lived out the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s (ELCA) signature phrase, “God’s work.  Our hands.”  

First Lutheran offered a new day camp for 20 students going into 4th through 6th grade. The camp was called “GROW in FLC.”  FLC stands for First Lutheran Church and also for Faith, Learning and Community. 

The camp was held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, August 13-16.  Each day, students enjoyed a breakfast buffet at the church, followed by a Faith Talk designed for each daily theme.

They then went into the community to serve others in need.  They had lunch each day at Woodland Elementary School, then enjoyed some fun time before returning to the church for a learning opportunity. 

Following is a look at the daily themes:

Monday: Faith Formation through Creation and Creativity.  Students learned about growing in their faith daily and the need to nurture their faith as they do seeds in a garden.  They went out to the First Lutheran Community Garden to harvest more than 500 pounds of food to be given to the United Way and Salvation Army for families in need.  They enjoyed some beach time and made tie-dye T-shirts.

Tuesday: Faithful Living – Health and Fitness. Students learned about being healthy in mind, body and spirit and how God connects them all.  They went to Kids Against Hunger to unpack and sort boxes of items for a thrift sale, followed by packaging food to feed more than 400 people a nutritious meal. They also enjoyed bowling and yoga.

Wednesday: Faithful Living – Safety and Education!  Students learned about the importance of discipleship and learning from others. They went to United Way to pack backpacks with school supplies for the Stuff the Bus project, to be given to children in need.  

They then took in a movie at the theater before returning to church to learn some basic first aid, home and fire safety tips.

Thursday: Faithful Friends – Fun and Fellowship.  Students discussed ways they can be faithful friends by loving others as Jesus loves us. They packaged care kits for Wings that included various toiletries and blankets that the kids tied throughout the week to be given to other kids their age.  They visited the Douglas County Fair to look at the exhibits, then enjoyed some swimming and fellowship at the YMCA. 

Tags: faith