Summer camp must-haves

Many of ec's readers will be heading off to camp sometime this summer. Just one look at those we follow on Twitter this morning told us that many students and student ministries are headed off to camp today. And the ec team is even heading to camp late next week.

With so many of us heading to summer church camps, sports camps, and various other kinds of camps, we've got a few tips to help you get ready:

• Have a packing plan.
Generally, well before you go to camp, you receive information about what you need to bring and what you should leave at home. You may not agree with the staff's advice and may even plot to ignore those packing lists, but you shouldn't. The camp organizers have reasons for telling to you bring some items and leave some at home. You may need closed toe shoes to participate in recreation activities. They may ask you to leave iPods at home because they might get broken or stolen. A camp might restrict cell phone usage so that they can have your undivided attention. So pay attention to the lists and abide by them. The camp staff isn't telling you not to bring stuff just so you won't have fun; they have your best interests in mind!

• Don't walk in blind.
If you're going to a sports, band, or some other kind of skills camp, it goes without saying: don't go in unprepared. Practice, learn the skills you're supposed to know before you get there, and decide beforehand what you want to get out of this experience. Don't just go in blind without practicing or caring what or if you learn anything. The same goes for church camp. That may seem surprising to you, but it's true. Don't just show up at camp expecting to be entertained. Before you go, take some time to prepare spiritually. Why are you going to camp? Do you want to have a fresh encounter with God? Well, get ready for it. Read Scripture. Pray. Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance as you read Scripture and plan for your trip. Get ready to hear from God even before you board the bus!

• Get out of your comfort zone.
There are going to be tons of new people to meet and greet at camp—and that may even include people within your group. Maybe meeting new people is hard for you, but stretch yourself a little. Meet new people and make new friends—you're all there for a common purpose, so surely you have something in common! Take time to get to know the new members of your group and those you've overlooked. You may just be surprised by the new friendships that come out of it. Camp is also a good time to rekindle relationships you've let fade. You've got dedicated time together with few interruptions; make the most of it!

Attention, campers!

Camp is on my mind this week. Many of you have already been to camp this summer and some of you are sure to go before August comes to a close. But this week, my brother (who is a volunteer youth leader in the church we grew up in) and his wife are taking their fledgling youth group to FUGE. It's the first time many of these students have been that far away from home. It's definitely the first time they've taken part in a church camp that's, well, that big.

Yesterday, I left him a message to let him know I was praying for him and the crew. I just felt the need to pray pressing on me, so I did. He called in the afternoon, saying they were on their way. Later that night, he called to say things weren't going so well. Kids were homesick; the pool wasn't open; this camp was "too different," and they didn't know anyone. "I don't know what to do," he said, his wife echoing the sentiment in the background. "Their attitudes have to change."

He called me back around 10:45 p.m. Things were going better, he said. It was only the first day of camp and things will hit full force today—and hopefully, his students won't have time for complaining and homesickness.

Here's the point: your attitude at camp makes a difference. If you arrive ready to find fault and dislike the experience, you probably will. And you'll have squandered an opportunity to grow in your faith and get to know God on a deeper level. If you spend all your time complaining to your leaders, you not only ruin the experience for them, but you also make it very clear that you think you're the most important person there. Sometimes camp is the experience that God uses to separate us from all the stuff going on in our lives so that He can work in our lives and speak to our hearts. It would be a shame to miss out on that because you were too caught up in complaining about the heat, the pool, the distance from camp to home.

Your camp experience will be what you make it. Your attitude matters. Check out Kyle Cravens' story on page 50 of the July issue of ec for ideas on how to get the most out of camp. Regard it as an opportunity to grow in faith, deepen your relationships with others in your youth group, and just enjoy the fellowship of other believers.

God is at work. Don't miss it!