WORSHIP WITH US THIS SUNDAY!! – 10:30 am in-person, on our Worship page, or on YouTube. We hope to see you there!
Trusting Jesus in a Wild World -
Summer XP 2025
2025-3-11 | Pastor Kristin Devine Mueller
We’re looking ahead to summer nights at Miller Elementary School, where for 3 evenings in June, we fill the hallways with music, games, Bible stories, science, crafts, and fun! It’s time to get ready for our annual week of Summer XP!
Last year, we adapted our week to bring 3 nights of our very best games, activities, and meals to the kids in our community. This change was well received by our leaders, our kids, and our families, so we’re following that same pattern this year!
The majority of the kids who come to Summer XP are kids with whom we have a relationship throughout the year, either through The Grove Sunday ministries or through our connections at Miller Elementary School and the Bauer Community Center. Our hope is that we provide evenings of fun, exciting, and potentially “over-the-top” activities that will create long-lasting memories for kids on their faith journey. Year after year, those who serve have seen how God builds so many relationships during our time together, among both adults and kids.
This year we’ll take kids on the ultimate Alaskan adventure where northern lights glow over majestic mountains, racing rivers, and glistening glaciers. As kids trek the tundra, they’ll explore how easy it is to lose sight of what’s true in our wild world today. Our lessons will point kids toward Jesus, our “True North,” as we learn that Jesus is a faithful friend we can always trust.
We meet in the evenings from June 3-5, with dinner served for families at 6 pm and classes happening for children from 6:30-8:00. All our kids begin in the gym together for an opening time of worship, and then we rotate through different stations. Children will hear a Bible story, play a game, take part in a science experiment, and complete a craft or activity as they go through the evening.
Speaking of children – we encourage you to pray and think about someone you know who would enjoy spending time with us at Summer XP. Students who will enter kindergarten through 5th grade in the fall of 2025 are all invited to join us on our northern adventure. For now we’re inviting families to save the date, and our student registration will open up right before Easter at thegrovecov.church/xp.
Leaders are always an integral part of our Summer XP week, and this year is no different! You can serve one, two, or three evenings with us. If you’re planning to serve, please keep Monday, June 2, on your calendar as well. Our leader meeting and training will happen that night. We have openings for people to help with every part of the week, from registration, to meal serving, to guiding groups, to bandaging up scraped knees. We’re also putting together a team of people with engineering and building experience, to help us create a fun, interactive environment for the week! We need all the gifts given to Christ’s body to help make this week a great experience for our kids.
If you are serving in some capacity, we do have nursery and preschool childcare and activities available for your children while you help. If you have a middle school student, we do invite middle school students to serve, and we ask that they work alongside a caring adult who knows and loves them. If you’ve got a high school student, your high schooler can fully participate as a helper or leader! Our volunteer registration is now open at thegrovecov.church/xp.