Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church

Monday, June 04, 2012 @ 09:00 AM - 02:00 PM

Monday, June 4-Friday June 22; Weekdays 9AM-2PM.

Parents CLICK HERE for Camper & Jr. Counselor Registration!

Teens (ages 14-17) CLICK HERE for Teen Counselor Application!

Adult Volunteers CLICK HERE for to indicate your interests and availability or email for more info!

FOG Week 1: June 4-8, 2012; 9AM-2PM
Location: St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church; 101 Gold Mine Dr, San Francisco, CA 94131
Contact:

FOG Week 2: June 11-15, 2012; 9AM-2PM
Location: Grace Cathedral; 1100 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Contact:

FOG Week 3: June 18-22, 2012; 9AM-2PM
Location: St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church; 500 De Haro, San Francisco, CA 94107
Contact:

Cost: FOG Camp is Tuition Free! Donations to help cover program expenses are greatly appreciated. Make checks out to hosting church, and mark “FOG Camp” in the memo line.

Ages: Campers ages 4-9; Jr. Counselors ages 10-13; Teen Counselors Ages 14-17; Adult Volunteers ages 18-100. 

More information...

Each week, Friends of God campers and their leaders will explore sacred stories through Godly Play and a variety of visual and performing art forms in a spirit of openness, curiosity, and wonder. 

Friends of God is a high quality, tuition free program offered as a gift to the children and families of our community. 

Friends of God is a collaborative effort between three San Francisco Episcopal Churches: St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Aidan’s, and Grace Cathedral.  Each week of camp is hosted by one of these three churches.  Campers and volunteers may choose to participate in one, two, or all three weeks of Camp. 

FAQ’s about Friends of God Camp

What sort of activities do campers participate in at Friends of God camp?
A day at FOG camp begins with an opening session, where all campers and staff gather together for storytelling and songs.  Campers then rotate through a series of sessions where they have the chance to creatively engage themes from sacred stories through Godly Play and a variety of visual and performing art forms. 

Is there a weekly theme at Friends of God camp?
Sacred stories provide the central theme for each week of camp.  In 2011 we focused on stories from the Hebrew Scriptures.  In 2012, we’ll focus on Parables especially the Parable of the Good Shepherd (Week 1), the Parable of the Leaven (Week 2), and the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Week 3). 

What is Godly Play?
Godly Play is a distinctive approach to spiritual formation for children, that has its roots in the Montessori tradition of religious education.  Godly Play is deeply rooted in Christian faith, language, symbols, and stories. At the same time, Godly Play offers a spacious environment in which children can wonder, explore, and encounter the Sacred on their own terms.  It is a discovery method that engages the whole child—hands, heart, mind, senses, intuition.  Godly Play teaches that everything in God’s creation is charged with the possibility of holiness, including each of us, and that we are in relationship with everything in Creation.  The Godly Play method includes a variety of components including storytelling, wondering, and child-directed art work.  Godly Play’s unique and engaging method of storytelling plays an important role in each week of Friends of God camp. 

How big is FOG Camp?
Because personal relationships are a priority at FOG camp, we limit enrollment in each week of camp to a maximum of 24 campers.  In addition to our 24 campers, each week we welcome up to 4 “Jr. Counselors” (ages 10-13.) Leadership for each day’s program is provided by 2-3 lead teachers with the help of 4 “Head Counselors” (trained teens and adults). 

What is a typical daily schedule?
A sample daily schedule for Friends of God camp is as follows:

Main Program (9AM-2PM)
8:45 Campers Arrive & Sign in
9:00 Opening Circle
9:15 Godly Play Session or Art Session 1
10:15 Break
10:30 Godly Play Session or Art Session 2
11:30 Lunch (sack lunch from home) & Outside Play
12:30 Art Session 3
1:30 Closing Circle
2:00 Parent Pick-Up

How can I help?
FOG Camp is completely tuition-free, so we rely on the generosity of volunteers and donors to make the program happen!  We need volunteers to help “behind the scenes” (with supplies, shopping, set-up, clean-up, T-shirts, photos, and snacks) as well as volunteers who can work directly with children (as counselors, Godly Play storytellers/greeters, and music, dance, drama, yoga or art session leaders.) Contact sylvia@saintgregorys.org to discuss ways you can get involved!