As soon as the words "church camp" gets uttered from my mouth, eyes roll or widen. I think people imagine church camp as being this place where we sit in a circle and read the Bible all day and sing "Amazing Grace" a lot. So when I talk about church camp and talk about how amazing and life-changing it was, it's hard for people to wrap their head around it.
I've been going to church camp since I can remember. Both of my parents worked for Outdoor Ministries and met at camp, and because of this I was basically raised to adore camp. Now that I am too old to be a camper, I counsel at camp every summer.
And there are a few things that every camper takes away from church camp...
1. How to survive on very little sleep.
When going to camp, you just have to accept the fact that you will probably get less than six hours of sleep every night. Between late night vespers worship to campfire songs to late night discussions about life with your cabin-mates, you'll be lucky if you get to bed before 2:00 AM. And then you'll have to get up by 7:00 AM for breakfast.
2. A long list of campfire songs.
Whether it's silly songs passed down from generation to generation of campers, or beautiful worship songs that never fail to send chills down your spine, you've got a list of songs in the back of your head at all times. My go-tos are "The Littlest Worm" and "Fill Up My Cup."
3. How to lead an impromptu worship service.
At my camp, every cabin or family group had to lead worship at least once during the week, so I've become pretty good at finding Bible verses that pertain to any sort of theme for the day, as well as a playlist of contemporary Christian music to pair with it. After 12 years of camp, I'd consider myself a pro.
4. How to make friendship bracelets.
You haven't had the full camp experience until you've learned how to make at least the basic striped friendship bracelets and attempted to make one for all of your friends and got frustrated at how long they all take to make. I know I have at least three unfinished friendship bracelets in my backpack right now.
5. Learning to love the woods.
Whether you grew up in a farm town or a city, you will be in the woods all week, dealing with bugs and poison ivy. But as long as you apply bug spray and stick to the path, the woods is one of the most beautiful places you will experience. If you have the opportunity to have worship in the woods, do it. It's unlike anything you'll ever experience.
6. How to make new friends.
Coming from a small town, I hadn't experienced much diversity until coming to camp. Camp introduced me to people different than myself and opened my up to a whole world of differences, and I loved them all. Going to new camps requires making new friends constantly. But those friendships will be lifelong.
7. How to say goodbye.
After each week, I sobbed while hugging my friends goodbye. Seeing each other for only one week out of the year sucks, but it makes your friendship that much more special.
8. How to accept that your friends at home just don't get it.
My friends get so annoyed with the amount of stories I tell when I come home from camp every year. I've learned to accept the fact that my friends will never understand the special bond that we make while at camp. And also that they will never understand our hilarious inside jokes. They had to be there.
9. Caring for others in a whole new way.
Camp is a place where people share their lives with each other. I am always compelled to share more with my camp friends than I am willing to share with any other human being on this planet. I'm not sure why this is the case; maybe it's because they're so caring or maybe it's because I truly feel God in that place. Either way, it connects everyone in a very different way, and it causes a bond that is almost indescribable.
10. Connecting with God on a whole new level.
It is church camp after all. My first time ever experiencing what the presence of God felt like was at Templed Hills Camp. I can't tell you what I was doing or who I was with or why I felt it, but I did. It's unlike anything I can use words to describe. Camp is unlike any beauty you've seen, any sound you've heard, or any love you've felt.
If I could give any advice to anyone looking to strengthen their faith, it would be to go to camp, whether to be a camper or to volunteer. It was the best thing to ever happen to me.
