Preparation for Summer Camp

While some people spend their summers lying on the beach or planting flowers in their garden, the Tiger Pause staff is hard at work.  And although we females may not be chopping wood, moving furniture, or laying concrete like our work crew boys, the planning of Tiger Pause's Summer Camp comes with its own set of potential issues to prepare for.

Field trips must be arranged, and not just some nice field trip to an air-conditioned building.  Imagine trying to prepare new staff members for the mass chaos that is 60 Kindergarten through eighth graders running rampant in 90 degree weather at the Pittsburgh Zoo.  Or imagine entertaining and feeding 60 eager Pirates' fans on the hour ride to a night game.  Not to mention trying to get the same kids motivated to pick up trash on the streets of Beaver Falls as a service to their community in the 90 degree weather.

How do you prepare staff members who are from Beaver Falls as well as those who are from outside this tight-knit community to work together in order to bring Christ to these kids?  This is the work we are in the midst of now as we prepare for our upcoming program.

Before we even begin staff training, we PRAY.  It's not even a simple prayer like "Lord, please help us."  But we are in prayer for the strength of the staff, the hearts and minds of the children, the support of the community, and for funds to meet the needs of the program.

After intense training and prayer, we begin to train the staff to effectively be a part of this unique ministry.  Although we have some experienced staff members, Tiger Pause has recruited many Geneva students to be a part of summer program this year.  These students have served the community during the after-school program, but must now be prepared for the completely different experience of summer camp.  All staff members are trained in CPR, first aid, emergency response, and safety procedures.  They are given a general run-down of camp, their roles and responsibilities, upcoming field trips, and most importantly, how to be a light to the children.

There is still much to do before we begin this summer's program; however, we look forward to the challenges and rewards that we are sure to encounter as we minister to God's children.

Please continue to pray and support Tiger Pause Youth Ministry throughout the summer!

Kaetlyn and Mackenzie