Adventure Camp Mission Trip: Serving in Helena, MT

From July 2nd to 11th, a group of 15 from our church, including 10 interns, the Ashmore family, and Moe Bomer, drove 21 hours to Helena, Montana, for a mission trip with Capstone Church. We were blessed to serve alongside church planters Caleb and Courtney Groteluschen and their children, Grayson, Lyla, Harper, and Liam. Our primary focus was leading Adventure Camp, an outdoor VBS for children entering Kindergarten through completed 5th grade. The week was a tremendous success, with an average of 140 kids attending each day from Tuesday through Thursday. During Adventure Camp, our campers started the morning with some worship, then their color groups (divided by grade) went to their rotations, which included REC, Adventure, Story, Snack/Music, and Craft. Our REC team, Moe and Titus, led the REC rotation, while the rest of our interns served as leaders for each color group. Our team worked tirelessly, setting up and leading camp from 9 am to 12 pm, and then breaking down and resetting for the next day each afternoon.   

Beyond Adventure Camp, our team found numerous ways to serve the Helena community and to connect as a team. On Saturday, July 4th, we enjoyed a free day exploring the area, including the Gates of the Mountains boat tour on the Missouri River, where we learned about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and local history, and ended the evening with fireworks with the Groteluschen family. On Sunday, July 5th, we worshipped at Capstone Church, where our intern Jarrett Lynch helped lead worship for both services, followed by training with Caleb in the evening. Throughout the week, our interns also gave back by assisting at a local Pregnancy Center, doing yard work for a family that runs an organization called The Foster Closet, mowing and cleaning up around the church, and putting together their Children’s Sunday School curriculum. On Wednesday evening, our interns energized Capstone’s Youth Night with s'mores and games, including an epic toilet paper dodgeball tournament against junior high and high school students. It was their best-attended youth night ever, with 12 regular attendees and 24 additional campers and siblings. We concluded the Adventure Camp week on Thursday evening with a vibrant Family Night, serving hot dogs and hamburgers alongside two other mission teams, and enjoying a bouncer and games with the campers and their families. It was a week filled with service, connection, and seeing God at work in Helena. 

By the end of the week, we were all exhausted and ready to make the drive back home, but we were all so excited to see how God moved and worked in Helena while we were there. Helena is over 90% unreached and we could definitely feel God’s presence there. It was so great to hear so many parents say their kids look forward to Adventure Camp and that it’s their favorite camp! God is so good!