Advice from a Camp Counselor

Summer is fast approaching and many children and families are off to Summer Camp once again. Many people - myself included - accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior through the ministry of camp staff; and it still remains a powerful way to share the Gospel even in the midst of the current electronic age.

I have been involved in full-time Christian camping now for many years and, as a former Camp Counselor and a current parent, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you a few ideas that may help both you and your children to have a great time this Summer!

Leave the electronics at home.

In this day and age, there is a constant barrage of high-tech, fast-paced images flying at us. From texting to Twitter, youth of all ages are faced with a deluge of instant entertainment, information and misinformation all rolled into one.

Camp, on the other hand, is a slow place; an opportunity for campers to be still and know, a chance for them to view the wonders of Gods creation. Unfortunately, that is hard to do if campers show up with cell phones, a DS and an iPod. If you want your camper to get the most out of their Summer Camp experience, have them leave the technology at home.

Pack for the weather or the possibility of weather.

As a Camp Counselor, one of the first things I always did was take a poll of my campers to find out who had jackets and long pants. It may seem strange in the middle of summer to be thinking a ...