OneChurch in Whitesboro hosted its annual Mega Sports Camp (MSC) from Tuesday, July 23 through Thursday, July 25.
Erik Mendenhall, Youth and Children’s Pastor at OneChurch, said this year’s Mega Sports Camp was a huge success in part thanks to the amazing group of volunteers that helped lead the different sports and activities throughout the three-day camp.
Six years ago, OneChurch decided to create an active environment that worked well with surrounding school activities while incorporating Jesus. This was Mendenhall’s second year leading the camp, and the response from camp goers and parents was very positive.
This year, the church received 85 kids on the first day of camp and 105 kids on the last day of camp. That’s 35 more kids than last year. The church sees this event as a great opportunity for children from the entire community to stay active and make new friends.
“It’s an outreach opportunity for the whole community, which is evident by how many kiddos we had come this year. It’s a great way to learn basic skills in sports and, more importantly, the love of Jesus,” Mendenhall said.
Another contributing factor to the camp’s success is Brian Collman, another Youth and Children’s Pastor at OneChurch.
Collman helped Mendenhall lead children positively in whatever sport they chose and learning more about Jesus. This year was Collman’s fifth year serving as a leader.
Tiffany Willis, OneChurch Ministry Assistant and Early Childhood Minister, said each year they change the sports. When registering, kids were able to choose from football, arts and crafts, basketball or soccer. The camp was held from 6-8 p.m. each day. Children were able to participate in their chosen sport, play games, make their own crafts to take home, answer questions and earn prizes.
One family won four Six Flags tickets for bringing the most friends with them to MSC. Willis said more than 30 prizes and awards were given away during the event. Prizes varied from a jar of pickles, smart activity watches, various sports equipment and games. A blender was even given away to encourage making delicious, healthy fruit smoothies at home.
Each night, all kids were provided with nutritional snacks such as fresh fruits, vegetables, tasty fruit smoothies, plenty of water and even nachos. Amy Murphy, Children’s Pastor at
OneChurch, was in charge of organizing and collecting donations for the snacks provided during MSC.
When asked what motivated her in making such healthy choices for the kids, she said, “It goes back to the basics. What did Jesus eat? Plants like fruit and vegetables full of nutrients.
Good food fuels our body and keeps us healthy from all the contaminants around us. Setting a good example as a church body. Most kids like fruits and veggies, it’s just not readily available. Nachos, that’s another story.” Murphy said it’s fun food for a long week. It’s all about balance.
The event continues to be powered by so many within the church that step up to serve, and so many that donate to the cause. MSC continues to be a positive and successful event to the community that will continue to be available as long as OneChurch can provide it.
To stay connected with OneChurch and learn more about their many ministries, visit their website at www.onechurchwhitesboro.org.
