Compassion Camp: A Different Kind of VBS this August at St. Stephen’s
This August children will gather at St. Stephen’s, the stone church on Ridgefield’s Main Street, to spend a week learning about God’s creation and compassion. Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a long-standing tradition in our community for an inexpensive opportunity for children to experience God’s love in a safe, loving environment. This year’s theme is Compassion Camp: What Every Living Thing Needs. Compassion Camp explores what all living things need to live—shelter, food, water, air, and community—and how we can have compassion for the living earth and each other, especially in our local ecosystems.
Compassion Camp is August 18-22 from 9am to noon each day. This VBS is for campers entering PreK4s through 5th grade this fall. Youth entering 6th-8th grade can be CITs (Counselors in Training) and High School youth can be Counselors. Registration is open now and will close on July 20th at ststephensridgefield.org.
With the older teens as their guides, VBS campers will rotate through activity centers across the St. Stephen’s campus. Activities include Gathering in the Sanctuary, Music and Movement, Stories, Creation Station, Snack, and Recreation outside.
Compassion Camp: What Every Living Thing Needs is an earth-care curriculum focused on the more-than-human world. While humans are a part of God's creation, this VBS aims to explore the needs of every living thing for shelter, food, water, air, and community through awareness, gratitude, wonderment, reciprocity, and kinship. Specifically, campers will practice ways humans can have compassion for the more-than-human world regarding those needs. Instead of the usual throw-away summer crafts, campers will learn environmental science, do some experiments, and make items to help understand and actually care for our beautiful world together.
VBS Youth Art Club meets Tuesdays at 10am this summer for the CITs and Counselors to come help make decorations, prep the activities, and plan for VBS together.
"After reading through Compassion Camp, I felt so much joy and hope. This curriculum is flexible and welcoming to all abilities and interests. Now more than ever, we need to teach children about compassion and how God calls us into this kind of action in our community and world,” said Sue Vogelman, St. Stephen’s Associate for Youth and Family Ministry and Director of VBS.
“I’ve always enjoyed connecting with other kids each year at VBS and am excited to finally be a counselor now!” shared Kelly, a 9th grader who has participated in VBS for seven years.
See the St. Stephen’s Ridgefield website ststephensridgefield.org to register by July 20th or for more information on Compassion Camp VBS 2025.
