Why a Christian Camp? (Bulletin article for May 28)

[NOTE: For those of you unfamiliar with our congregation’s bulletin “The Family Newsletter,” we produce it on Wednesday and it is mailed on Thursday. However, the date is actually the following Sunday. So, when this article speaks of “next Sunday,” it is talking about June 4, not May 28.]

Next Sunday, many of our young people will be going to Maywood Christian Camp. Several of our adults are also going as counselors, and we appreciate their willingness to help in this way. But, why? Why all the “hype” over just a few days out in the woods? Why should our young people, if at all possible, decide to attend a Christian camp during their summer vacation?

First, they should attend because they can build friendships. Not every person who attends a Christian camp will make a ton of friends, but, with just a little effort, a few good friends can be made. And, considering the type of people who are there, these can be friends that you will keep for a long time. I still keep in contact with some of my friends from Bootheel Youth Camp in Missouri. I’m proud they are Christian men and am thankful to have them as friends. Paul wrote that “evil company corrupts good habits” (First Corinthians 15:33). That being true, the opposite will also be true. If we are around righteous people, our good habits will be reinforced.

Second, our young people should attend because they can get back to nature. This may sound a little silly, but one of the things that makes Maywood special is that it is out in the middle of nowhere! We don’t have to worry about who is sending emails, or who might send an instant message. All of the sudden, for that week, the baseball season just isn’t all that important. However, the campers (and the counselors) will take time to notice just how beautiful the trees are. They will see the beauty of the stars and the moon. They will wonder just how wonderful God must be to be able to make all these things with just a word. And, seeing these things, a person will think about God. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:14).

Finally, young people should attend because the Bible is at the center of all that is done. After all, the middle word in Maywood Christian Camp is “Christian”! From morning devotionals to late-night singings; from Bible classes to evening worship; from personal study even to fun times; a Christian atmosphere governed by the Bible permeates everything that is done throughout the week. Shouldn’t every young person want to be where the Bible is in everything that is done? “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day….Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:97, 105).

Let’s enjoy a great year of Christian camping. It is a great way for our young people to grow closer to God.