Top 5...
#5: Do camp w/ friends!
Join churches for the sake of an over the top exciting experience for your students. This week I gained a new friend named CM. He brought a small group of students compared to the 60 and 150+ students the other of us brought, because he knew he wanted in a summer camp experience! To be a part of 600+ students worshipping and having fun does something special in the mind and heart of student that God can use to turn them to Him! I joined with my friend's churches and our students made new friends - and it's a blast. At camp it's always more fun w/ more!
#4: Put students in teams!
Few things get student's attentions more than being a part of a "team" - a defined group competing on a healthy level for a prize or common goal! I am never disappointed how excited and creative students get when they are a part/responsible for the fate of 'thier' team! This year we built boats from cardboard and duct tape and divided them in colors and issued them the task of creating a name, cheer and flag! For the 3rd year to do this, we saw body paint, repurposing clothes to support themes, ideas that I NEVER could have come up with! Pride, trophy or candy are great prizes!
#3: Prioritize fun!
For 90% of students, this at least 90% of the reason they signed up in the first place. So much of camp is about building relationships that allow walls like pride and depression to crumble and that's when the truth of God can get through! Nothing builds relationship better that shared experiences...really fun ones! This year, we had skate ramps, waterfront with blob-slide-tubing-zipline, volleyball, basketball, fields full of activities, latenight activities, and more! Our students had fun with leaders and friends and bonds were made and trust was established. I blobbed a sophomore about 10' in the air!
#2: Empower volunteer leaders!
Camp will end. And when it does who better to help continue the week to week ministry of your group than adults that have experienced such a relationally intense like camp. Give as many volunteer 'leaders' (as we call them) as you can a chance to lead and love a group of students! Camp is the epidome of why you delegate your ministry and empower volunteers to grow as leaders. You can't do it anyways! At the end of the week at camp the groups circle up in the auditorium and the leader challenges, encourages and leads communion and every year it's when I get the most jealous - I want that bonding experience!! I quickly realize how selfish that is and then am overwhelmed with joy and pride in our leaders!
#1: Tell the story of the gospel clearly!
If you don't do this, don't do camp! This is the 'ends' and everything else is the 'means'. We would all agree that camp should be a Christian event - the message, attitudes, worship, etc should make that apparent - but a direct invitation to be a part of the Christian life and to trust God for the first time is a must!
I love summer camp!
- aPosted using BlogPress from my iPhone
#5: Do camp w/ friends!
Join churches for the sake of an over the top exciting experience for your students. This week I gained a new friend named CM. He brought a small group of students compared to the 60 and 150+ students the other of us brought, because he knew he wanted in a summer camp experience! To be a part of 600+ students worshipping and having fun does something special in the mind and heart of student that God can use to turn them to Him! I joined with my friend's churches and our students made new friends - and it's a blast. At camp it's always more fun w/ more!
#4: Put students in teams!
Few things get student's attentions more than being a part of a "team" - a defined group competing on a healthy level for a prize or common goal! I am never disappointed how excited and creative students get when they are a part/responsible for the fate of 'thier' team! This year we built boats from cardboard and duct tape and divided them in colors and issued them the task of creating a name, cheer and flag! For the 3rd year to do this, we saw body paint, repurposing clothes to support themes, ideas that I NEVER could have come up with! Pride, trophy or candy are great prizes!
#3: Prioritize fun!
For 90% of students, this at least 90% of the reason they signed up in the first place. So much of camp is about building relationships that allow walls like pride and depression to crumble and that's when the truth of God can get through! Nothing builds relationship better that shared experiences...really fun ones! This year, we had skate ramps, waterfront with blob-slide-tubing-zipline, volleyball, basketball, fields full of activities, latenight activities, and more! Our students had fun with leaders and friends and bonds were made and trust was established. I blobbed a sophomore about 10' in the air!
#2: Empower volunteer leaders!
Camp will end. And when it does who better to help continue the week to week ministry of your group than adults that have experienced such a relationally intense like camp. Give as many volunteer 'leaders' (as we call them) as you can a chance to lead and love a group of students! Camp is the epidome of why you delegate your ministry and empower volunteers to grow as leaders. You can't do it anyways! At the end of the week at camp the groups circle up in the auditorium and the leader challenges, encourages and leads communion and every year it's when I get the most jealous - I want that bonding experience!! I quickly realize how selfish that is and then am overwhelmed with joy and pride in our leaders!
#1: Tell the story of the gospel clearly!
If you don't do this, don't do camp! This is the 'ends' and everything else is the 'means'. We would all agree that camp should be a Christian event - the message, attitudes, worship, etc should make that apparent - but a direct invitation to be a part of the Christian life and to trust God for the first time is a must!
I love summer camp!
- aPosted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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1 comment:
You're heart and those of the other leaders absolutely shines with love for our kids! Talking with you today and hearing you say "We'll be here to get them through it" was such a blessing. To know that I've got godly men and women that love my son and are there for him makes looking toward these teen years much easier. Thank you for your heart. Thank you for loving my boy, for loving all these kids.
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