Go to the extreme

Date: 7/20/2009

EAST LONGMEADOW Little ones, as young as four, and those pushing 60, all enjoyed the rock climbing wall as part of the Camp EDGE experience sponsored by the United Methodist Church. Exploring extreme sports such as spelunking, white water rafting and mountain climbing, 30 kids from Protestant, Catholic and Jewish traditions as well as non-church backgrounds attended the Vacation Bible School July 6 through 10, and learned to push beyond their fear to risk doing something new.

Those driving by the Somers Road church each evening could see children enjoying their favorite recreational activities of problem-solving to get all team members safely across the rushing "Jordan River" with only three ropes and inner-tubes, or scaling the rock wall, or zooming down the zip line.

The Experience and Discover God Everywhere (EDGE) Camp also featured Bible storytelling, music, crafts, snacks and a mission project that collected food for Open Pantry. Sparx, the fox, led the forest adventure complete with log cabin and traditional camp activities.

In conjunction with the Vacation Bible School, a sermon series, "Living on the Edge," is exploring themes of risk-taking and marginality, using the Pulitzer-Prize winning poetry of Mary Oliver. Services in July are at 10 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays in August.