Ministers Blogs
“Christian Youth Camp”
Categories: Christian PrinciplesThis week I will be at West Virginia Christian Youth Camp (WVCYC) helping direct All-Age Week. For me, camp is always a special time but maybe camp isn’t for everyone. Here are some letters that moms and dads received while their children were at camp:
· “Dear mom and dad, they’re making us write home. Love, Thomas.”
· “Dear mommy, the doctor said the rash should go away by the time camp is over.”
· “Dear daddy and mommy, having a fun time. We swim, hike, and play games. After lights out we cry ourselves to sleep. Love, Julie.”
· Dear mom, this place is so neat. I’ve seen some of the biggest snakes ever! How many can I bring home?”
· “Dear mother, I’m hungry all the time! Please send me more food. All they serve here is meals.” (Taken from the Bulletin Digest).
If you have ever been to church camp, what kind of letter would you have written home? I confess I cannot remember ever writing a letter home from camp, one it was only a week, and I would have more than likely beat the letter home. Second, I was having too much fun, I loved camp and didn’t have time to write letters.
For over 30 years I have been going to church camp. Church Camp offers an escape from the ordinary. It gives a person a chance to look and listen to the sights and sounds of God’s creation. One can see the stars, clouds, blue skies, and trees. Sometimes we feel the rain and cool nights too. We can listen to the wind blow, frogs chirp, water flow through the stream, and birds sing.
Camp gives us a break from all the man-made devices, the going here and there, the busyness, and running from day to day. Here we can stop and do something different for a moment, it is an escape from the ordinary. At this moment we have an opportunity to wonder, meditate, think about God, grow in faith, and build relationships with other Christians, as well as teach non-Christians the gospel.
Jesus would often get away from the crowds and go into the mountains or desolate places to pray as we see in Matthew 14:23, which reads, “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”
When was the last time you took a day off from the ordinary and spent time with God in the great outdoors? We take time off from school and work to go on vacations, but when was the last time you spent the day in God’s creation praying, reading the Bible, singing, and thinking about God?
God Bless you and have a great week! Mark T. Tonkery
