Central Shores Local Church Feature
KDN: Growing Faith, Friendship & Memories
A Summer of Adventure at First UMC
What an incredible summer it has been at First United Methodist Church of Port Huron through our Kids Discovery Network (KDN) Summer Program!
We are so grateful to the District Finance Team for once again awarding First UMC a grant that made it possible for us to provide this special program for the children of our community. Because of your generosity, we were able to create a summer filled with faith, friendship, fun, and experiences that our children will remember for years to come.
KDN is a five-week summer program that meets Monday through Thursday and is led by myself, Jennifer Ward and an Assistant Director. Each week, we use curriculum provided by the Michigan Conference Camping Ministry and build our lessons, activities, and group time around the Scripture of the week.
Our days begin with prayer and breakfast, followed by a full day of activities. The children enjoy worship music and time in the chapel, outdoor activities, crafts, Bible lessons, and group activities. We also have our favorite “Chill Time” in the youth room, where the kids can play board games, read, journal, play pool, or enjoy a game of air hockey.
Of course, no summer camp would be complete without plenty of food! Our KDN campers enjoy a full lunch each day as well as snacks throughout the day.
One of our favorite traditions happens at the end of each day when we gather together and give each child the opportunity to share their “high” and their “low.” It is a simple but meaningful way for us to listen to our children, celebrate their happy moments, and let them know they have a safe place to share when something hasn’t gone quite as planned.
Adventures Beyond Our Walls
Thursday is field trip day, and this year we were blessed with some amazing opportunities to explore our community.
Our campers visited a trampoline park, spent an afternoon at our local mall painting ceramics that they were able to take home, visited a local museum, enjoyed a movie at our local theater, and experienced a local outdoor activity center.
One especially memorable outing was made possible by a generous family from our congregation. The children were treated to a meal at an upscale local restaurant where we enjoyed sitting outside and watching the freighters travel down the St. Clair River.
For some of our children, these are experiences they may not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy. KDN gives them the chance to explore, try new things, make memories, and experience their community in ways that might not otherwise be possible.
More Than a Summer Camp
While the activities and field trips are certainly fun, KDN is about so much more.
During our time together, children made new friendships, strengthened existing friendships, learned about God through Scripture, created memories, laughed together, were encouraged, cared for, and well fed.
And the KDN journey doesn’t end when summer is over!
After seeing the friendships and relationships that developed during summer camp, we decided to continue KDN through KDN Club. During the 2025–26 school year, KDN Club met once a month on Saturdays from August through May. The children looked forward to coming together each month to learn about God through activities, songs, Scripture, and fellowship.
We were excited to continue KDN Club again this year, with our first meeting taking place on August 29.
Thank You!
KDN is possible because of the generosity and support of our church, our community, and of course the District Finance Team who believe in investing in our children.
Thank you for helping us create a place where children can learn, grow, laugh, worship, make friends, and experience God’s love.
The photos from this summer capture just a glimpse of the fun we shared, but the true impact of KDN goes far beyond what a photograph can show. It is found in the friendships formed, the confidence gained, the prayers shared, the lessons learned, and the memories made.
We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve the children of our community and can’t wait to see what the next KDN adventure brings!
Blessings,
Jennifer Ward
KDN Director
First United Methodist Church of Port Huron
