English Bible Camp 2024
Looking back on 2024, Grace Lutheran has had many Evangelism projects working in our local community. However, one project helped a different community. That project was English Bible Camp (EBC) in Poland.
English Bible Camp is an annual short-term mission that the LCMS International Mission team hosts. It can be best described as Vacation Bible School (VBS), but with a focus on English. Children make crafts, play games, sing to songs, hear a Bible story, and have a fun English lesson. EBC is important, because families abroad want their children to get English practice. A family might not be a Christian household but might send their children to this day camp for the English practice. This gives the child a chance to hear the Good News, and also tell their families about it all while getting practical experience practicing English.
English Bible Camp has happened in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan. Before the Polish EBC could officially happen, all the team members came together for orientation in Warsaw, Poland. We stayed at a Lutheran Seminary dorm and had plenty of time to fellowship with one another. During orientation, we had plenty of time to explore Warsaw, particularly Old Town Warsaw. Once orientation was done, we all separated into our individual teams and traveled to our host villages.
My team served in Cieszyn, Poland. Cieszyn is located in southern Poland on the Polish-Czech border; we had the opportunity to go back and forth between both sides. Cieszyn is a historically Lutheran area despite Poland being primarily Catholic. The Lutheran church we served, The Jesus Church, at one point had over 63,000 members!
We stayed with a host family that took us to and from EBC throughout the week. They were very kind and hospitable to us. We spent many hours talking with them and learning about their lives. Our host pastor and his family were also very welcoming. They helped make EBC a success—we did our part, and they matched the work! Our EBC had around 40 children split into three groups, so it was a good thing both sides worked beautifully together.
Our last day was Sunday. When it rolled around, we all presented to the congregation. For the readings of the day, two members of my team read the English translations of the text, and two of the teenage volunteers read the Polish versions. We sang our main camp song, “My Lighthouse”, to the congregation as well. The host pastor gave all of us a small gift bag with a few things to remember the trip by. After the service, we took many photos and headed to the train station.
One of the joys I got to experience was how the children warmed up to all of us by the end of the week. One girl was shy at the start of the week, but by the end of the week, she wrote all of us thank you cards in English and gave us chocolates. Another child pointed me out to his mom, who smiled and waved at me. Even though there was a language barrier, my team had an impact on their lives, even if it was just a little.
English Bible Camp is a great short-term mission opportunity for anyone who likes to help with Vacation Bible School or teach English. My experiences were nothing short of amazing, which is why Grace Lutheran is sending a team to help with the Czech English Bible Camp this upcoming summer. Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes!
Blessings,
The Evangelism Team
For more information on LCMS international missions and opportunities, please check out their website: LCMS International-Mission