Grand new events:

Grandparents, grandkids will make memories

Grand Camp, for grandparents and elementary-age grandchildren, makes its debut Sept. 7-9 at Canyon Camp.

"You will not want to miss this weekend camp if you are a grandparent or grandkid!" declared Dean Jodi Combs. "Experience a special time away together for fun and spiritual renewal at camp!"

Theme is "Embracing This Time; Capturing the Moment."

Scheduled for Friday through Sunday, Grand Camp will offer intergenerational activities. Among them: worship, storytelling, and traditional camp activities such as fellowshipping around the campfire, singing songs, and eating s’mores.

The programming team is excited about the opportunities this camp brings to help connect generations of families in a unique way. It is specifically designed for grandparents and their grandchildren who are kindergartners through sixth graders.

A similar church camp is held on St. Simons Island, Ga. It was "just the right place" for Faye Lacey and her youngest grandchild, wrote Missy Buchanan in her March 16 "Aging Well" column in the United Methodist Reporter.

The child was too young to take part in youth programming and mission trips with her siblings. But at the Georgia specialty camp, her grandmother found for the two of them "a meaningful intergenerational experience in a faith-filled environment," reported Buchanan.

"More than a fun-filled vacation, Grand Camp is designed to nurture both the emotional and spiritual bond between grandparent and grandchild."

If you have specific questions about the camp, or need to make special lodging accommodations, contact the dean at jodi.combs@gmail.com.

Register online at www.okumc.org/camps  or call the camps office at 405-530-2017. Cost: $75 for adults and $53 for

ages 12 and younger.

Summit at Egan for senior adults

Oklahoma folklore and flavors beckon all older adults to take part in a program designed especially for them on Sept. 10-12 at Camp Egan.

The Senior Adult Summit offers other tempting topics, too. Among the workshops: "Study History? Why Bother?" and "Planning With Our Kids," about long-term care and legal needs. Physical health will be the focus in sessions on yoga/personal fitness and balance/fall prevention.

Presenters include Bill Gaddis, an attorney and avid historian; certified genealogist Barbara Meehan; and physical therapist Holly Thompson. Worship leader is Marti Lowery, of Tulsa-Will Rogers UMC, with Bishop Hayes and Camps Director Randy McGuire preaching.

As participants take in education and fellowship, they also will give to a younger generation through a mission project. They are invited to bring donations of new, twin-size bedding for the teens who live at Boys Ranch and Children’s Home, part of the UM Circle of Care.

Participants will stay in Holliman Lodge; all programming will be in the lodge or camp dining hall. The event begins Monday afternoon and concludes by 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Deadline to register is Sept. 3. Contact Dean Janey Wilson, Janey@okwesley.org,  405-321-6266; or sign up online at http://www.okumc.org/registrations/register/177.