During this shutdown, Thousand Pines faced a choice - we could hibernate and put our ministry on hold or continue our mission to help people see, know, and experience God. I am thankful for the leadership that chose to continue serving. As Outdoor Education recognized that the public schools we usually serve this time of year would not attend, we looked to our neighbors and the new challenges they faced.
We quickly recognized that working families struggled to find a place for their children to complete their distance learning. Our team then launched Adventure Day Camp, a brand-new program providing academic tutoring, spiritual development, and outdoor adventures in small, stable groups. The need for this was never more evident than when a family managed to register using our online system before this new program was public. We knew right away that this would help meet our local families' needs. We are finding a greater need for kids to be with other kids, so we are following state guidelines to do that safely.
Adventure Day Camp just surpassed 50 students enrolled and is still growing. Many of the students attending our program attend public schools online, yet because they are with us during those classes, our staff can pray with them over their lunches and spend time in God's word during the day. Thousand Pines chose to continue ministry any way He would allow, and I believe God has blessed that choice.
