Camp Is
CAMP IS...
by Joe Keefer – Pennsylvania Christian Camp, Blue Knob, PA
Asmall wisp of steam lifts from the coffee cup cradled in my hands, a promise of early morning warmth. My eyes focus on the fog lifting off the mountains as I stand
outside the lodge. As the fog lifts, appreciation settles into my heart. I am so glad to
be a part of a Christian Youth Camp. As my heart ponders how much it means, my mind
can’t help considering what camp is.
Christian. This camp is a Christian Camp, and that fact makes my involvement a noble endeavor, not a walk down a purposeless path. It is a place where Christianity is taught and displayed openly without fear of interruption or embarrassment. It is a setting not only of majestic scenery, but also of majestic values –those taught by Jesus. Here, campers will not only take nature hikes to gain mountaintop experiences, theywill also take journeys into the word of Christ to gain luminous lessons of eternal life.
Advance. Though outwardly it appears to be a retreat into the mountains, camp is really an advance for the cause of Christ. It may seem to some that we are here retreating from the assault of a hectic world, but we are actually here preparing an assault on the world for Christ. Here, Jesus is held high for everyone to see – from the young camper to the very well seasoned staff member. Later, we will leave this spiritual boost camp inspired to live aggressively for Jesus.
Mentoring. Camp is a special time of show and tell-- a time to show Christianity in action. It is a place to display how Christianity works. While in the midst of God’s beautiful creation, kids behold the beauty of Jesus displayed in the Christians serving them. Though they are serenaded with the sound of crickets, the songs and tales of joyful Christians will win them. Here, Christian love, not just the water of the stream, splashes onto their lives.
Personal. It is during camp that your soul meditates on the Word with birds chirping in trees,
smiling at laughing campers hiking a trail, and singing around a crackling campfire. All of this
happens while you unselfishly share yourself and voluntarily wear yourself out for the campers. Camp is a part of who you are and what you do -- for Jesus. A crow caws nearby and interrupts my musings. I have another sweet sip of Maxwell House warmth, and my body revives for another wonderful day of Christian camping.
I Believe in Christian Camps
I Believe In Christian Camps
by Howard W. Norton, Editor, Arkansas Christian Herald
For a person who never visited a Christian camp until after he was grown and married, I am a true believer in the power of spiritual camping to revolutionize young lives. We know, of course, that God – not camp – is the real change agent that transforms youth into men and women of God. Most of us would agree, though, that we can either facilitate or hinder God’s power
to change lives by the way we go about our part of the life-change task. Creating a good atmosphere for spiritual growth is one way to facilitate God’s work within people. For this reason, we opt for a quite worship setting rather than one that is noisy and confusing. We prefer heated and air-conditioned places of worship to those that are steaming hot or icy cold. We prefer comfortable pews to those that hurt our backs. After many years of attempting to create a conducive climate for developing young people spiritually, church leaders have found that we can hardly improve on a camp setting for teaching God’s word and impacting the hearts and minds of boys and girls. To the credit of church leaders all over the United States and
in numerous foreign countries, Christian camping has become an important tool for touching the lives of young people. I have been able to observe this phenomenon for a long time, and I am convinced that a Christian camp is one of the most important weapons in our arsenal for fighting Satan and turning young people’s hearts to God. I believe in Christian camping because it provides intensive, daily Bible study for campers. Educators know that long intervals between lessons slow the educational process in any subject. No wonder our children know so little about the Bible since Sunday School is their main way of learning, and there is an entire week between lessons. In camp, good solid Bible study on a daily basis, with just a few hours separating the sessions, enriches the learning experience. I believe in Christian camping because it enlarges a young person’s circle of friends. We adults can remember how important it was to us as youngsters to have friends our own age. Even when boys and girls come from congregations with very few young folks, the Christian camp experience gives them the opportunity to create a network of Christian friends that will last for a lifetime. I believe in Christian camping because this experience gives children and young people a chance to be away from their parents for a brief time and still enjoy a spiritually safe environment. Children need the feeling of self-confidence and independence that comes when they learn to survive for a few days without the constant presence of Mother and Dad. I believe in Christian camping because the experience confirms the values that young people have been taught already in their homes. A good camp is like an extension of a good home. The difference is that the campers are learning lessons about God, Christ, salvation, morality, honesty, accountability, unselfishness, service, and forgiveness from people other than their own parents. It is not that camp teachers are better instructors than parents. They may not be as good. It is that they are different. New people tell the story of Jesus. Other parents are teachers. Older young people serve as counselors. College students preach sermons, lead singing, play sports, and urge the younger crew to surrender to Jesus. These new voices pack a wallop in the lives of youth in the process of making faith decisions. I believe in Christian camps. Back in my door-to-door, Bible selling days, we arrived in the Midwest in June. Cornfields were green with small plants that had just pushed through the soil. By September, cornstalks were so tall we couldn’t reach their tops on tiptoe. Some said the corn grew at such a speed that, if people listened at night, they could hear it grow. Young people grow like that while at Christian camps.
A Christian Youth Camp
Camps seem to be multiplying faster than rabbits these days! You've got your Band Camps, Majorette Camps, Flagette Camps, Cheerleading Camps, and Sports Camps (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, etc). In addition, there are also Scout Camps, YMCA Camps, and 4-H Camps. There are even Academic Camps (Math, Science, Computer, Art, etc) that have begun recently. And of course, all of them are absolutely essential to your child's growth & development! (Need I mention that none of these are free?) Who's got the time, interest, energy or money left for a Church Camp? On more than one occasion, Jesus made it clear that kids were a priority with Him. He even rebuked the disciples once in Mathew 19 for keeping them away. After being personally involved with more than 30 different camp sessions, I have come to some conclusions about this discussion.
1. A Christian Youth Camp provides an experience of fellowship that many kids from small congregations just don't get any other way. Their memory of friendships lasts a lifetime.
2. A Christian Youth Camp offers the attention of very capable teachers and role models who have been assembled for their growth. Their own congregation may not be providing that.
3. A Christian Youth Camp provides an environment that shows how Christ-like lives can be
lived in a more "normal" surrounding than a classroom or church pew.
4. A Christian Youth Camp provides the opportunity for those outside of Christ to meditate on
their relationship with God at greater length during the week than the singing of 3 verses of an invitation song.
5. A Christian Youth Camp allows kids to "celebrate" Christ and His church in a more enthusiastic style of worship than they usually experience.
6. A Christian Youth Camp frequently is twice as long, and a third of the price when compared financially to many of the other camps for sport and school. And there is no comparison to the return on your financial investment in their spiritual lives!
7. A Christian Youth Camp is a place of decision-making about the future [morals, mates, colleges & careers] where the spiritual perspective is considered.
No doubt, if we were to ask the kids who have been exposed to Christian Youth Camps, they would come up with many more observations than these regarding their value. We need to do everything in our power to help our kids know the life and love of Jesus Christ. Our Christian Youth Camps can provide that experience! Today's church, and those who will lead us in the next century, need exactly what a Christian Youth Camp can offer. Let's encourage and help them to take advantage of it!
Ed Beeson, Findlay, OH
North Western Ohio Christian Youth Camp