For six weeks this summer, children and teens at Bethesda Mission Community Center came together for The Amazing Race, a summer program filled with faith, learning, creativity, mentorship and plenty of fun.

Centered on Hebrews 12:1-2 and the theme “Run With Endurance,” the program challenged young people to grow in their faith, character and skills while discovering more about who God created them to be.

Below, Nashon Walker, Assistant Director at Bethesda Mission Community Center, shares his recap of the 2026 Summer Program and the growth he witnessed throughout the summer.

THE AMAZING RACE: “Run With Endurance”

This summer, Bethesda Mission Community Center came alive with six weeks of fun, faith, learning, mentorship, creativity, and personal growth through our 2026 Summer Program: The Amazing Race.

From Monday through Friday, children and teens from Harrisburg and surrounding communities were immersed in an experience designed to equip them not only for success in school, but for success in life and work. Through the dedication of our staff and volunteers, participants experienced an environment filled with encouragement, love, accountability, mentorship, and an unwavering passion to see every young person discover their God-given potential.

It Was About More Than Winning

Inspired by Hebrews 12:1-2, our summer theme challenged young people to think beyond the idea of winning a traditional race or competing  against others.

The real race was the race of personal change.

Our goal was to help children and teens understand that greatness is not simply about being first, getting the trophy, or defeating someone else. True greatness comes through growth, perseverance, character, faith, discipline, and the willingness to become the person God
created you to be.

Throughout the summer, participants were challenged to identify the things they needed to overcome, the habits they needed to develop, and the choices they could make to move closer to their purpose and closer to Jesus Christ.

The message was simple: Run your race. Stay committed. Keep growing. Become better. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Developing the 7 Cs of Success

Project-Based Learning was at the heart of our summer experience. Rather than simply telling young people what success looks like, we created opportunities for them to experience, practice, create, collaborate, solve problems, and reflect.

Our activities were intentionally designed around the 7 Cs Success Tools:

• Collaboration – The ability to work together and compromise to achieve the best
  possible result
• Communication – The ability to effectively convey ideas to different personality types
  and social groups
• Creativity – The ability to produce or bring about something new by a course of action
  or behavior
• Critical Thinking –The ability to analyze a situation or problem and determine an effect
  way to react or solve the problem
• Confidence – Self assurance of one’s own abilities and value
• Character – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control
• Care – Understand the importance of and be invested in what you are doing

These skills became more than words on a wall. They became tools our young people were able to practice throughout the summer.

Clubs That Built Skills and Purpose

Participants had the opportunity to explore their interests and develop new skills through a variety of clubs, including:

Life Skills • Drums • Photography • Carpentry • Fitness & Sports

Each club provided opportunities for hands-on learning while connecting practical skills to larger lessons about responsibility, teamwork, creativity, perseverance, and future careers.

Whether a young person was learning a new rhythm on the drums, capturing a moment through photography, building something with their hands, developing fitness and athletic skills, or learning practical life skills, the goal remained the same: Help young people discover what they are capable of becoming.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The Amazing Race also took our children and teens beyond the walls of the community center. Our summer included memorable all-day experiences and educational adventures to places such as:

• Great Wolf Lodge
• Laser Dome
• The Franklin Institute
• Camp Hebron
• And other recreational, educational, and enrichment experiences

These trips provided opportunities for exploration, relationship-building, teamwork, discovery, and simply having fun together. For many of our participants, these experiences created memories that will last far beyond the summer.

Creating the Amazing Race

One of the most exciting components of the program was the opportunity for our children and teens to create artifacts demonstrating their understanding of the Amazing Race theme and Hebrews 12:1.

Through creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and reflection, participants transformed what they were learning into tangible projects.
Their creations demonstrated not only what they had learned, but how they were developing the 7 C’s Success Tools along the way.

They were challenged to answer questions such as:

• What does it mean to run your race?
• What obstacles must you overcome?
• What does personal change look like?
• How can you become a better version of yourself?
• How does your relationship with Jesus help you keep moving forward?

These projects gave our young people a voice and a platform to express their understanding of faith, personal growth, perseverance, and purpose.

A Summer of Transformation

The greatest success of the 2026 Summer Program cannot be measured simply by the number of activities completed, trips taken, or projects created. It is measured by the growth we witnessed in our young people.

We watched children and teens step outside of their comfort zones, try new things, build friendships, develop skills, accept challenges, discover talents, encourage one another, and gain confidence.

We watched young people learn that failure does not mean the race is over.

We watched them learn that obstacles do not have to define their future.

And most importantly, we challenged them to understand that their lives have purpose and that
they don’t have to run their race alone.

Thank You

The success of the Bethesda Mission Community Center Summer Program would not have been possible without our incredible staff, volunteers, mentors, partners, families, supporters, and community. Thank you for investing your time, energy, resources, talents, and hearts into the next generation.

Your commitment helped create a summer where young people were able to learn, laugh, explore, create, compete, worship, grow, and dream.

As we close out the 2026 Summer Program, we are reminded that the race doesn’t end when summer ends. The race continues.

Our prayer is that every child and teen will continue to run with endurance, continue developing their gifts, continue growing in character, continue caring for others, and continue pursuing the purpose God has placed within them.

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.”
— Hebrews 12:1