July 22, 2010
The awesome experience of summer Bible Camp is a time when many children have the ultimate experience to get into a Christian environment, experience some independence from home, and learn to spiritually fly. Some of my earliest and best spiritual memories center around the Bible camp experience. Everyone from the counselors and keynote speakers to the camp handyman had an impact on me that I will never forget.
If you are considering sending your child to camp, and are wondering if it is a good idea. I would make a couple of suggestions. First, Bible camp provides an opportunity for spiritual breakthroughs that can hardly be experienced in any other format. What is it about camp that makes a young heart ripe for hearing God? First, it is not a familiar environment, like church, home or school. That very unfamiliarity breaks the bonds of boredom and allows for the real possibility of adventure. It leaves a young heart open and ready for new things. New voices sharing the same Gospel that is heard at home and in church can sometimes speak truth that can finally be heard. Time away from routines and neighborhood friends can allow for new habits to form, like a daily quiet time, and new friendships with fellow believers to be forged. Just being away from the television, cell phones and internet can open the door for new ways of communicating and experiencing relationships, especially for teens.
When selecting a camp, distance is not so important as the sense of a break from the routines of home. Equipment and new facilities are not as much a selection factor as are the quality of people who will be serving as a mentor. Professional music or “blow your mind” speakers are not as critical as the clear message of the Gospel, brought forth from the Word of God. Before sending your children to camp, check with others whose judgment you trust who have had children attend. Ask good questions about who is in charge and what will be taught. Personally, I would tend to choose a program that has stood the test of time, and has a whole generation of references behind it.
To optimize a child’s camp experience, pray with them before the camp starts. Intercede with them for their counselors, the speaker and the musicians. Pray with them for their friends, and help them to see an invitation to their friends to join them as an opportunity for evangelism. Promise your child that you will pray for them each day they are at camp, and keep that promise. Write to them each day. A letter from home can be a real treat, and a tool for encouragement. Then, when they get home… and this is so important… listen to what they have to say. Without a spirit of interrogation, be prepared for the wonder of what adventures they have had. And if they declare a new or renewed relationship with Jesus Christ, or even a new resolve to have a daily quiet time, stand ready to support it.
Our broadcast today was sponsored by friends of Heartland who urge you to consider Heartland Christian Academy for your child’s 2010-2011 school year.