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Morris Perryman, executive administrator at Tabernacle of Praise Church International, thinks of Senior Pastor Derrick Vines as a visionary. It was Vines’ idea, he said, to create a brand-new summer camp for children that will be run through the church. It will have games, snacks, on-site tutoring, outdoor fun, field trips and more.

“He wanted to do something different for the community,” Perryman said. “He is geared toward our youth because we have a big youth department and our church is growing, and he wanted to give [kids] something to do during the summertime.”

The camp will start on June 6 and end on July 29. It will run each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT and accept children ages five through 12. Registration is open and costs $35 per child.

“Right now, we’re still in the works of getting a theme together, but we know it’s going to be a theme of a summer camp,” Perryman said. “We’re going to have them going to different places and doing different things. We’re going to have field trips. We’re also going to have a curriculum for them because we don’t want to just do a lot of fun and game stuff. We also want to make sure they’re getting tutoring and what they’ll need when school starts in the upcoming year.”

Children in the camp will be tutored in regular school subjects such as math and reading. They will also learn life skills such as baking. Perryman said the camp won’t be religious in nature.

“It’s open for anyone who wants to participate,” he said. “It’s just going to be hosted by our ministry.”

Plans are to take kids in the camp to Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange and to the recreation centers in Opelika and Auburn. They might also go to Hollywood Connection in Columbus, Georgia. Perryman said plans are to take kids somewhere every week. At the end of the camp, there will be a cookout.

Perryman described some of the fun activities kids will get to participate in.

“We’ll have hula hoops,” he said. “We’ll be doing limbo. We’re going to do Jenga. We’re going to be doing activities like face painting. We’ll be doing stuff like balloon animals, and we’ll teach them how to do these things, as well.”

Kids will also play with water balloons filled with paint in what Perryman called a “paint party.”

Snacks will be provided. Parents are asked to send their kids with packed lunches. However, Perryman said that kids who show up without lunch will be fed.

The program will be overseen by Youth Pastor Miranda Ednesome. Perryman said he will be on-site throughout the camp and that Vines will be in and out to make sure things are running smoothly.

Perryman stressed that the camp is open to everyone regardless of race and that kids will be learning instead of just playing.

Parents can register their kids for the camp at the church, which is located at 3205 22nd Avenue in Valley, or they can call Perryman at (334) 524-0100 or (706) 585-1391.