As the scenic designer for my church’s week-long VBS kids’ day camp, I worked closely with the children’s ministry director to create a fun and colorful set that reflected the themes of the week. Our budget for this set was around $300, so I had to be very resourceful and utilized a lot of cardboard and butcher paper. I conducted research, compiled a mood board, communicated with the worship director, facilities manager, skit writer, lighting designer, and custodians, drew a rendering and ground plan, created technical drawings, elevations, and instructions for how to build each piece, gathered and managed a team of volunteers to help with construction, taught volunteers painting and construction skills, and was able use my gifts for the benefit of the Body of Christ.


Concept: As the “world” for a week-long kids’ day camp, I wanted the set to entice kids to come back the next day and live in their imagination. The theme of the camp this year was “Breaker Rock Beach – God’s rock-solid truth in a world of shifting sands” by Lifeway. It was an Oregon-coast theme about how God’s truth doesn’t change even when “truths” in the world around us do. With this in mind, I designed a set with a large rock mountain and lighthouse in the center. The Bible explains that Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12) and the rock (1 Corinthians 10) which is our firm foundation and cornerstone in life (Isaiah 28:16). As Christians, Christ should be at the center of our lives, just as the rock and lighthouse were at the center of the set. Looking from stage right to stage left, the landscape transitioned from a harsh beach to a peaceful camping scene in the forest. This was mainly for functionality reasons, as the skit needed multiple locations.