Have you ever been so surrounded by joy that it’s almost like you can touch the Holy Spirit, she’s so present? Last Saturday was one of those days for me.
Our first Compassion Camp brought together children, youth, and volunteers from United Methodist Church of Geneva, Batavia United Methodist Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, The Neighbor Project, and surrounding community for a morning filled with fun, faith, friendship, and a lot of jumping at The Neighbor Project in Aurora. From the moment children arrived, the space buzzed with excitement. They jumped into songs, stories, yoga, crafts, and compassion projects while volunteers of all ages worked side-by-side, embodying the lovingkindness we were learning about. As I watched this unfold and now have reflected, I cannot help but think this is a glimpse of what the kin(g)dom of God looks like. Different congregations, generations, backgrounds, and gifts came together to share in a common mission of loving our neighbors like God loves us.
And honestly, this is what commUNITY looks like. Not simply people occupying the same space, but people choosing to belong to one another. Children learning from adults and adults from children. Youth encouraging younger campers. Churches partnering with a neighborhood organization that is already doing transformative work in Aurora and surrounding areas. Throughout this coming year, we’ll be exploring why I’m intentionally writing commUNITY. The sneak peek reason? It’s a reminder that God calls us to become a community rooted in belonging, collaboration, and shared purpose. Last Saturday offered a beautiful preview of that, it wasn’t just an event; it was a glimpse of that vision. And it begins with one word: compassion…which just happened to be what we learned our superhero power was at camp!
Our theme for the day was Compassion All Around Me, focusing on compassion for ourselves and our neighbors. We discovered that compassion isn’t just something we feel, it’s something we do. Every one of us can be a superhero of compassion, sharing God’s lovingkindness through our words, our actions, and the ways we care for one another every day. One of the highlights of the morning was learning our Compassion Camp chant together.
I see your hurt. I feel your hurt. I help ease your hurt.
By the end of camp, those words had come to life through the collaboration and laughter echoing around camp, coming from all ages. Not to mention the joyful tears that came to my eyes as everyone circled up at the close to sing our Lovingkindness song.
It seems there couldn’t be a more fitting place to learn about loving our neighbors than The Neighbor Project, one of the organizations that UMCG proudly supports through our Missions and Church in Society Committees. The Neighbor Project walks alongside families on a two-year journey toward homeownership, providing coaching, education, and community support. One family recently celebrated purchasing their first home. Like many first-time homeowners, they’re discovering that the joy of homeownership also comes with new expenses. This family of seven—with two girls (ages 10) and three boys (ages 7, 5, and 2)—has a home to call their own but little room in the budget for the “extras” that help make it feel like one. As a congregation, we can put our camp lesson into practice. Their case manager has shared a wish list of needed items, and gift cards that would be greatly appreciated. It feels like Holy Spirit timing that we can remember compassion isn’t something we leave at camp, it is something we carry with us into our daily lives.
A huge hug of gratitude goes to every volunteer, youth helper, church partner, and Neighbor Project staff member who helped make our first Compassion Camp a success. Your energy, creativity, and willingness to serve created a morning campers won’t soon forget.
AND, the adventure continues Saturday, August 22, for our second Compassion Camp! Children 4K through 5th grade are invited to join us as we explore Compassion with the World through the story of Pentecost. We’ll discover how the Holy Spirit gathered people from every nation into one community and how God’s love calls us to see beyond ourselves and care for neighbors near and far. We’ll be celebrating with a Compassion Camp Birthday Bash, because every birthday deserves a party, including the Church’s birthday at Pentecost! As part of our Compassion in Action project, campers will be assembling Birthday Boxes for local families, so every child can celebrate their special day, and you can help make that possible! We’re collecting donations of birthday celebration essentials, and you can sign up to donate items here. PLUS, there are still spots available for campers and a handful of volunteers to help welcome, work in activities, and share God’s love in tangible ways.
If our first Compassion Camp taught us anything, it’s that compassion grows when it’s shared. We hope you’ll join us on August 22 as we celebrate the Spirit, serve our neighbors, and continue building the kind of commUNITY where everyone belongs, everyone matters, and God’s love is made visible through acts of compassion.