Getting The Most Out of Summer Camp

Going back early into my childhood, I have always been a bit of a camp junkie. I think part of it was because I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s when there was a growing influence of the nature-focused outdoors with pristine lakes, wooden cabins, and everything you would expect in a traditional camp. That backdrop, along with growing up as a boy scout, had me always thinking that leading at a camp with a sweet lake full of canoes and paddle boats, an archery range, and cabins would be awesome. Then, when I went to college, I began serving on summer camp staff that traveled from mostly university campus to university campus, and my view of camp changed more from the amenities’ to the impact of the programming and small group studies.

For over 30 years, I have been involved in Christian summer camps on more college campuses than a modern-day player chasing the latest NIL deal. Week after week and year after year I am amazed at what I see the Lord do in the lives of young people when they go on retreat away from their norm. This is why I am a firm believer that one week of camp can change the rest of the year for your students and your ministry. I continually see God move like only he can through the camp experience. 

Here are two notes from the past that I saved from youth ministers who were with me at camp from two very different backgrounds. One works with a large Latino population outside of Miami, and the other with mostly Caucasian middle-class kids in Indiana. The consistency was the work of God in the lives of their students, regardless of their background.

Josue from Florida shared, “I have gone to a few camps local, out of state, etc. And never have I ever had such a good response not only from my youth but from my leaders, their parents, and even the church as a whole…Truly (the) mission statement of equipping and serving churches was highlighted, italicized, bold, and underlined.” This is what is known as the camp ripple effect. What happened at the camp, regardless of where it was, has rippled through the student ministry, to the families, and amongst the church body. That highlights the value of camp when it is actually about a lot more than just what happens over that handful of days called “camp.”

My friend John from Indiana talked about how his student’s camp experience had a similar ripple effect in their schools. He shared, “Inspired by the week, one of our high school students started a prayer/accountability group for girls that meets on Monday evenings. The group is student-led, and they have been walking through the (follow-up) devotional together. Every week, the group grows as our students invite others from school to join them. The same student who started that group also expressed a desire at (camp) to be mentored in sharing her faith with others. I've been meeting with her each week and praying for her and a non-Christian friend who came to her - the day after we started praying that God would open doors - and asked her what she believed about God. She is also working to start a club at her high school that will include Bible Study, but also be a mission-oriented club, planning and working community service projects in our city.” Part of the secret sauce of success is when students start leading the way in your student ministry. When that happens, watch out.

As you evaluate your ministry and think towards the summer, let me share FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD HAVE CAMP AS A PART OF YOUR MINISTRY STRATEGY.

JESUS WENT ON RETREAT. SO SHOULD WE.

I trust if you are reading this, we would all agree that Jesus is always a great example to follow. As we study the Scriptures, we see Him often retreating from the crowds and the “normal” flow of life. He goes away and spends intimate time with His friends (the disciples who are also followers) or with His Father. This example still has great value for you and me to put into practice. When teenagers remove themselves from the distractions of their everyday lives, they tend to hear the Lord more clearly. Spending focused time in a healthy Biblical community helps them understand the call to serve and to make the truth of the Gospel known. You may even find that fewer distractions open the door for more discipleship.

STUDENTS ARE CHANGED AT CAMP.

This flows from the more distraction-free environment, but when we focus on God the Father, Jesus, and allow for the work of the Holy Spirit, we begin to see some amazing things happen in the lives of young people. Camp is about lifting up the name of Jesus and letting the Spirit do what only He can do. Camp truly provides an opportunity for a catalytic experience with God.

Often, some students come to Christ for the first time (seeing students going from death to life never gets old.) Countless other decisions come in these intimate times with God, ranging from committing to reading the Bible, turning to a life of purity, reconciling a broken relationship, or refocusing one’s attention on Christ. And many students go from being spectators to getting in the action, just like the ones I shared from Florida and Indiana.

STUDENTS LEARN THE GOSPEL AND ARE CHALLENGED TO MAKE THE GOSPEL KNOWN.

These two simple truths should mark any camp you decide to make a part of the strategy for your ministry. The Gospel should be clearly presented in a way that your students can understand. This only happens when the life and work of Jesus are lifted up as students study the Word and worship together. If the camp of your choice or design does not have speakers who are preaching Jesus and pointing students toward the Bible, then you need to consider other options. The Word should always be the foundation of our preaching, not an illustration. Camp allows for a high concentration of it. I like to say, let the Word do the work, and in order for that work to be done, we have to be in the Word!

And secondly, camps should not simply be making consumers of the Gospel, but if we are disciple-makers, the camp experience should be creating conduits of the Gospel. It is about “getting” it and then “giving” it away. This, at its core, is what Christ called all of His followers to be about.

CAMP ALLOWS YOU DEDICATED TIME TO SPEND WITH STUDENTS.

Even if your church is highly supportive of you being out of the office and where students are, likely that time is still limited. A lunch here, a ball game there, or maybe a quick weekend event allows for some connection time with your students. But you likely often spend your days being administrators of the Gospel rather than ministers. This is felt the most when we have a bunch of events on our calendar. Camp allows you to have a dedicated week to step away from all the distractions that you, too, have as a minister with a busy to-do list.

Here is some quick math: if a student comes to your ministry on a fairly regular basis, you might see him or her two hours a week between Wednesday and Sunday, and the truth is they likely are not there every week. So, let’s go with a gracious three times a month, multiply those two hours and that is six hours a month. Extrapolate that over a year and we get 72 hours for those that are fairly committed, plus some events here and there.

Camp will allow you over 100 hours of concentrated time together (obviously, some should be sleeping), but needless to say, it allows for a lot of dedicated time with your students. It allows you to take the time to sit with a student over a meal at a slower pace. It allows for time on a bench talking through spiritual disciplines with a young person after they have spent a few days of concentrated time in the Word. It gives opportunities to counsel and talk with students after they have responded publicly. It allows for your days to close each evening, standing in front of your students, reflecting and highlighting all that God has done in them and through them. Those times don’t just naturally come during the school year. They come with strategy and focus.

CAMP HAS A GREAT ROI (Return On Investment)

One of the big discussions that often comes up with camps is the cost and associated finances. This thought can come from multiple people, including your up-line at church that asks about the return on putting aside limited budget dollars towards camp in the form of transportation needs, scholarships, covering adult chaperones’ costs, and so on. Maybe parents wonder, “Why does a camp cost so much?” Maybe you even find yourself evaluating what it means to be away from home for one more week or if camp is really worth the work.

A great camp experience should not break the budget or break you. While you should respect the budget realities that most families, and likely your church faces, if you want to get growth, you have to put out seed. No one will find success growing if they simply water the mud. You need to be wise in where you put out seed and how much, but the seed is essential for growth.

Great camp experiences allow for a lot of seed to be scattered in the lives of your students in a highly concentrated period. Growth needs to be the result of the time and resources spent to have any worthwhile return. If that is not happening, then something must change. But if camp is done well and used well, the return will be plentiful. You will see students come to know Christ and be transformed into new creations before your very eyes. Your church will feel it, your community will feel it, and in time, our world will feel it.

One of the great things about being a youth minister or youth worker right now is that there are countless great camps out there that will allow you to accomplish all five of these reasons for having camp as a strategic part of your ministry year. Find one that best fits your needs and strategy, fully embrace the opportunity, and see what the Lord does.

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

1. In what ways have you seen the “camp ripple effect” play out in your ministry, and how can you steward that momentum throughout the year?
2. How are you preparing your students not just to receive the Gospel at camp but to carry it back into their schools, homes, and friend groups?

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