The first is Family Camp to be held June 9-14. Speakers will be Rev. Dr. Mart and Cheryl Thompson of St. Louis, with a focus on Family Discipleship. They plan for daily themes of Spiritual Habits, Spiritual Conversations, Serving Others Together and Home & Church as Partners. They will lead morning adult sessions, afternoon whole family sessions with active learning and fun group activities in the evening. There will be free time each day for families to enjoy the outdoors together: swimming, fishing, canoeing, hiking. Dr Thompson says “we will be learning family discipleship practices in a camp setting which provides valuable time for reflection and practice in an environment of family fun and mutual support with other families.” The topics chosen support faith formation in the home: devotions, speaking confession and forgiveness, children asking their parents for help in faith matters, and parents modeling service. The Thompsons have lived out these experiences as a family, he as a pastor and she as a counselor, and they are eager to share what they have learned and are available through the week for private consultations. Program Director Janine Mallardi encourages, “Studies show that parents have the biggest influence on their kids’ faith lives, and we want to help you as your child grows! Come join us at Family Camp as we have hands on experiences talking about God and faith in everyday life plus have lots of fun doing so!”

The Water of Life LCMS Servant Event will be held at Heit’s Point, June 23-28. DCE Daniel Meyer of Christ Memorial, St. Louis, is working with Janine Mallardi to combine work projects with faith development. Outdoor construction projects are planned: trail restoration, wood cutting, rebuilding stairs and a craft trailer. They also hope to do light home construction projects for families in a nearby town. There will also be time to enjoy camp activities in the afternoon and campfire and Bible study in the evenings. Daniel is bringing a group from his church and hoping to gather small teams from churches in Missouri and the Midwest. He says “we are getting into God’s creation, removing ourselves from the busyness of life to focus on work, Word, prayer, fellowship, friends and building new connections.” He hopes the youth will be able to put their faith in action, grow in their faith walk, work hard, and relax some. Janine says “Middle school and high school students - come join us for an amazing servant event while meeting new friends, having fun and spending time in God’s Word!”

More information on these events can be found at heitspointlutheran.org.