By John Mohl
Publisher’s Note...
With summer on the horizon I thought it
might be helpful for parents interested in a summer camp for their children to
know what to look for in a good Christian summer camp. I believe the following article by John Mohl, who is the Executive Director of Camp Wartburg which
is a Christian camp near Waterloo, IL, provides some good insights and helpful
information toward that task.
The
first afternoon of camp, parents register their children and kids seek out
their assigned cabin and claim a bunk bed.
Many children often spend their first nights away from home at summer
camp. Kids are quiet - a little anxious
about meeting new friends and moms and dads show signs of concern. At the end of the afternoon there are lots of
hugs and a few tears. The parents drive away and the adventure of summer camp
begins.
On
the last day of camp, the roar of chattering kids is thundering. After five
days of separation, parents and children reunite and again there are lots of hugs
and a few more tears. It’s a bitter-sweet time for the parents as they watch their
children say their final good-byes to their new found friends.
Things
will return to normal, but each child has had an experience he or she will remember
forever...an experience that will shape them as they become adult Christians.
Finding
a Good Camp
So
what differentiates a secular summer camp from a Christian summer camp? What should you look for when choosing a camp
for your children to attend?
The answer to the first question should be rather obvious; a Christian
camp should be a camp with Christ at its center.
A camp where the Word is spoken and Jesus is praised and worshipped.
Learning about nature should provide an “up-close-and-personal” study of God’s
awesome creation and reinforce their beliefs.
And
through college-age Christian counselors, the Holy Spirit should fan the flames
of faith and spiritual insight. Activities
at the camp should build appropriate self-esteem, develop leadership skills,
nurture positive values and teach respect for others and nature.
At
a secular summer camp your child may learn some leadership skills, learn
respect for others, self and nature, but Christ will be left out of the equation.
So how do you go about finding a
good Christian summer camp?
When
you choose a Christian camp for your children, how will you know it’s a good
one? You could search the internet,
write for a brochure, talk with your friends and ask them where they send their
children. You could also talk with your pastor. (Some denominations have national camp
associations which provide training and staff recruitment assistance.) One
thing you definitely want to do is look for accreditations from organizations
such as the American Camping Association which require inspections and
documentation to ensure quality.
All
of the above are good starting points however, the only way to really ascertain
whether or not the camp you’re considering is the right camp for your child is
to visit the camp in person. Nice brochures, beautiful web sites and a
half-hour phone call aren’t going to connect you with the people who will be
interacting with your children. Parents looking for a camp should go in person
and visit the camp. You should spend time with the administrators and talk to
those who will be monitoring and working with your kids. Ask for credentials. Speak to the counselors and find out if they
enjoy working with children? Find out if
they take seriously the role of nurturing the faith of young people? Camp is
not always neat and pretty, and children often bring with them issues from
home: parents who are fighting; divorce; abuse and more. Camp staff should be
able to lend support – spiritual and otherwise.
More often than not, campers do not come from any one denomination; they
may not even be Christian. However, lifting up God’s Word and praising His name
should be at the center of a Christian camp’s curriculum. Of course, don’t
forget to tour the camp and ask about the camp’s emergency plans in case a
camper gets injured.
The
Camping Experience
What
about worship? If children have ever appeared bored with church, there should
be a contagious energy found when worshipping in a Christian camp. Generally, a church organ is replaced by
guitars and the sanctuary might be an outdoor chapel or a roaring fire with
millions of stars overhead. The Word is spoken and acted, emphasizing a piece
of Bible-based curriculum each day of
the week. Singing is loud and
joyous. Surrounded by the noises of
nature and the wind in the trees, camp becomes a place where heaven and nature
sings.
What
about learning? God’s wonderful creation
is waiting to be explored! Ponds, forests, streams, beaches, and fields offer a
variety of ecosystems where plants and animals of all kinds can be studied. In
some camps, survival skills are learned and cooking may include identification
of edible plants. God’s creation is wondrously complex, and campers marvel at
the intricacies of a spider web covered with the dew of the morning. They point in awe at a large heron taking
flight. In all things, a Christian camp
should teach children to appreciate the precious gift of diversity of God’s
creatures in our life - both critter and human.
Another
thing to consider is whether your child will be interested in what a particular
camp has to offer? Nationally, there are
a wide variety of camps that appeal to every age and every child’s
interest. Some, of course, offer
activities such as mountain climbing, desert or deep sea exploration, etc.,
which are more specialized due to their locations. However, at practically every camp you’ll
find children learning and having a great time swimming, canoeing, shooting
arrows, creek walking, studying nature, playing games and sports, participating
in high and low ropes courses, horseback riding, fishing, building with hand
tools, painting pictures, sketching animals, producing theater skits,
bicycling, backpacking and more and more and more.
Amid
all this fun should be a myriad of opportunities to learn new skills - an
important ingredient to building proper self-esteem. There are so many things at which to
succeed. Urban kids find themselves in a
totally new environment. Success in
sports, good grades and cool clothes are no longer the measuring rod. Now it is curiosity, tolerance of others,
teamwork and testing yourself in new situations.
Campers
should eat, sleep, play and study God’s Word in small groups depending upon the
age of the children. Developing
leadership should be a part of the day-to-day process. In many camps, young people of high school
age volunteer to serve as junior counselors and learn by assisting paid
staff. Those who show promise can apply
for paid counselor positions after graduation.
Is
everything perfect at a Christian camp? The
answer of course is “no”. There can
still be the occasional loss of temper, kids gossiping about other kids,
sulking and moodiness. However, these
and other instances should become teachable moments where positive behavior and
respect are stressed. Ask camp staff
about their attitude toward discipline and how it’s administered.
In
a world where so many activities compete for a child’s time, a quality, Christian
camp experience should be high on the list. Away from home for perhaps the first time, children
will receive positive feedback from adults other than their parents.
They will experience worship in a new and exciting way.
They will be asked to take the lead in daily activities.
They will grow as young people, learning from summer counselors who
are positive role models kids want to emulate.
There are adventures and new things to learn from sun-up to sunset…and
an endless variety of camps to match your child’s interest. Surrounded by God’s wondrous creation, your
child will have an experience that will last a lifetime. Allelulia! Amen.
John Mohl is the
Executive Director of Camp Wartburg, a Christian camp on 108 acres near Waterloo,
Illinois, which is open to all denominations. The camp, which is within 60
minutes of the St. Louis bi-state area, features an 11-element high ropes
course, climbing tower with zip line, an outdoor swimming pool and hosts school
classes for single or multi-day outdoor education experiences. The camp also engages older youth in off-site,
adventurous trip camps and its facilities are available year round for youth,
adult and older adult retreats. Camp Wartburg is owned and operated by Lutheran
Child & Family Services of Illinois. To obtain more information about
Camp Wartburg visit their website at www.campwartburg.org or call (618) 939-7715.
You can also contact them via email them at wartburg@htc.net.
