Ask a typical teen what his favorite memory was growing up and more often than not, the response will be "summer camp!" No matter where you are, the country, city, Prairies, Westcoast, farms or townhouses, there are a myriad of summer camps dedicated to giving kids the best week of their lives. Camp is a place away from home, away from rush, business and stress where kids can just be kids. There are adventure camps, but most camps are Bible or Christian based, reaching out to every child that comes through their gates with Christ's love.
As I took my final class in the Kaléo Program this past week, Camp & Youth Ministry, my eyes were really opened to all that camps and retreats entail, and what the realities are of the children that camps are reaching out to. Children in modern society are constantly surrounded and bombarded with media pressuring them to live a certain way. Many come from broken families dealing with deaths, divorce, abuse and diseases. These children are struggling to discover their identity, who they were made to be and are starting to form their perceptions on how they view the world.
I have grown a huge appreciation for the way in which the leadership of summer camps, especially Camp Qwanoes has understood these realities about children and have done everything they possibly can to make a child feel loved and accepted, hear about God and his love for them, and ways that they can shape their worldview around that. There is so much intentionality put into the planning of each activity, into the placement of cabin villages, into the theme of the summer and so much more. The staff at Qwanoes see the ways in which young people are searching for God and they don't pretend to hide the truth about God and life lived with him, but instead make it as readily available as possible.
This past weekend Qwanoes hosted a Juniors Spring Retreat for kids aged 7-11 with the theme of "Wired." Something that really stood out to me was how perceptive these children were to hearing about God and listening to his truth. I had read a book for the Camp & Youth Ministry class by George Barna called "Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions." Through this book I learned a lot about how children develop their worldview by age eight, and they are constantly using their surroundings to add to their perceptions on reality. These campers at the retreat really were searching. I was working in the kitchen over the weekend, cooking meals for the retreat, as well as actioneering for the chapel songs, but I was still able to see the way they searched for truth. Despite their young age, they were taking everything in, the words in the song, the activities and games, the way the staff interacted with them and what the speaker was talking about. Because of Qwanoes, their worldview is in the process of being formed to reflect that of the life and truth in Jesus Christ.
During the retreat, I really saw God at work. This past fall of 2012 I had the privilege of taking over a cabin for one of the other staff members just for the last day of the retreat for a family emergency. On that last night, still getting to know the girls, I was able to have a really deep conversation with them about sin, God's truth and what it means to have faith in Jesus. Three of these same girls returned last weekend for the spring retreat, Brandi, Kristen and Katie. I really saw God working through me as I was able to reconnect with them, watching their faces overjoyed to see me again. I only knew them for one day in October, but God used that connection to bring them back here again and show them more of the plan that he has for their lives.
My perception towards summer camp, retreats and children's ministry is constantly being changed and corrected to accurately perceive the work that God is doing in young lives. I know that God was doing something special this past weekend with these children who were at Qwanoes, and he is not with any of them, especially Brandi, Kristen and Katie! As I continue to pray for them, I know that God has put summer camp in place for the purpose of revealing his truth and drawing young ones to himself.
"But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left." -Matthew 19:14-15
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