At home all over the world: summer camp with Jesus

Heroes, friendships, trust in God: these were the themes that children from the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany explored during night-time walks, treasure hunts, and campfires.

In Lelystad, Netherlands, some 44 children gathered to celebrate Children’s Day on Sunday, 20 September 2026, which had the theme “Today you’re a hero!” The central idea was that anyone can be a hero, because God is always with us, even when we are afraid or unsure.

The day began with a treasure hunt in the woods, during which the children set off in search of biblical heroes. Whenever they found one, they had to successfully complete the corresponding challenge, after which they received a stamp in their hero passport.  The next challenge awaited them on the games course, where the children were able to let off steam playing traditional Dutch games, including Koekhappen, sack races, and Spijkerpoepen.

The day drew to a close with a divine service based on a Bible text from Judges 6: 12: “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour!” Each child was also given a whistle to scare off “the enemy”, as well as a hero’s certificate.

Faith, courage, fellowship

Under the 2026 motto “Don’t be afraid, just believe!”, 39 children gathered in a hostel on the island of Zuhatza, Spain, for four days at the end of August. Activities based on our annual motto awaited them: T-shirt painting, making maracas (percussion instruments) for the planned divine service, workshops on the topic of fear, singing, and a number of water-based activities. During the service, the children formed the choir. The Bible text was taken from 1 Samuel 17: 45: “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’”

Children from the districts of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands in Spain gathered for a summer retreat from 3 to 6 September 2026. The motto was “Jesus is the centre”. The children were able to take part in various activities: the workshops #WithAMission, #NoFilters, and #IWillNotBeAfraid. They could also participate in a play “Jesus Walks on Water”, an escape room, and T-shirt printing featuring the slogans and designs from the various workshops for the divine service. The children themselves took charge of the preparations: the decorations, setting up the altar, and choir practice. The Bible text was taken from Luke 24: 36: “Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’”

Glow sticks, campfires, adventures

Twenty-four children from the Offenbach district in Germany spent three days at the beginning of October at a Friends of Nature centre in Oberrodenbach for a retreat. The theme of the event was “Experiencing fellowship and making friends” and included a night-time walk through a forest with spooky stories and glow sticks. There were workshops, making autumn decorations, building a sound trail, imaginary journeys, a forest exploration involving carving sticks and collecting forest treasures for a nature mandala, a theatre performance and a campfire, as well as a devotional on the theme of gratitude. On Sunday, the children were treated to a child-friendly broadcast of the Chief Apostle’s service to mark Thanksgiving Day.

Photo: NAC Netherlands, NAC Spain, NAC West Germany