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WinShape Camp participants at Double Oak Community Church react to winning the “Triangulation” game. (REPORTER PHOTOS/KEITH MCCOY)

MT LAUREL – The WinShape Camp hosted by Double Oak Community Church offered a summer church experience unique to the area.

WinShape, an Atlanta-based camp program, was held at the church at Mt Laurel for the third year during the week of July 17.

Established in 1985, WinShape has expanded to about 90 day camp locations and five overnight locations, but Double Oak is the only church in the Birmingham area to host the program.

This year’s WinShape Camp at Double Oak was attended by 357 campers.

Double Oak Senior Pastor Adam Robinson said the camp helps bring people to the church.

“It’s a great opportunity to reach out to the community,” Robinson said.

Of the campers who registered, there were 102 Double Oak families represented, with the rest coming from other churches.

WinShape is intended to “provide a camp experience that would enable campers to sharpen their character, deepen their Christian faith and grow in their relationship with others,” according to Camps.WinShape.org.

A team of 28 WinShape staffers arrived at Double Oak for the camp and were supported by a group of 35 church volunteers per day.

Campers were split into four groups—Galaxy, Ocean, Safari and Alpine—based on their age.

Each day featured time spent with the group, Bible studies in smaller groups and skill sessions that campers had chosen ahead of time, among other activities.

“They keep them busy,” said Sandy Stephenson, Double Oak’s Children’s Minister who helped bring WinShape to the church. “They’re not anywhere more than hour.”

Friday, July 21, the final day of the camp, was “Chick-fil-A Friday Family Fun Day,” when parents were invited to join in the festivities and free Chick-fil-A was provided.

Friday also included a boisterous pep rally and “Triangulation,” a free-for-all game played outdoors that is the culmination of a week-long competition among the groups.

Finley Walker, a rising seventh grader at Chelsea Middle School, said the most rewarding part of the camp was the Bible study.

“I love learning new things about God and reading the Bible,” Walker said.

But Walker also enjoyed the competitions, including a game that suited her skills as a soccer player.

“That was super competitive for me because I really wanted to beat all the other campers,” she said.

Isaac Tindall, also a rising seventh grader at CMS, said the three skills he chose to participate in where soccer, yard games—including Wiffle Ball with the ball filled with shaving cream—and basketball.

However, Tindall said the highlight of the camp for him was wearing a Chewbacca costume during an assembly.

Alayna Speed, a rising sixth grader at Oak Mountain Middle School, selected “fast food,” gymnastics and crafts as her skills.

Fast food offered instructions on cooking mini apple pies, quesadillas and pretzels dipped in chocolate.

Speed, who attended the camp last year, said Triangulation is the most exciting single event.

To view and purchase photos, visit ShelbyCountyPhotos.com.

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