Oakland Christian Church will provide a summer sports camp for children next week.

The camp will be held Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Oakland Elementary School. Associate Pastor Ed Lilley said that while $10 donations are encouraged, no child will be left out.

“It engages them by using something that these kids are already going to do when they get out of school, and that’s play,” Lilley said.

He said the motto for the camp is “play with a purpose.”

Children will rotate between football, basketball, soccer and baseball throughout the week, while learning each set of rules and how to practice good sportsmanship.

At the same time, they will gain from Gospel teachings.

“It engages them in a different way and in a different paradigm that’s more attractive to them,” Lilley said. “Sports and recreation engages an individual in a way the traditional church model cannot.”

Lilley is leading this new camp to connect with the community outside the church walls. He has been running ministry sports camps since 1989, both across the United States and internationally.

“Summertime is a great opportunity for kids to explore and try different things, and recreation is something every person does,” he said. “We laugh, we get good exercise, and hopefully we use it as a good platform to learn how to be a good teammate.”

The camp has the potential to become an annual engagement if the community responds well.

“It’s important for the church to engage the community,” Lilley said. “The Bible doesn’t say ‘Come here,’ it says, ‘Go tell.’ It’s our job to extend into the community and build, foster and cultivate relationships.”

Call 255-4353 for more information.