“Camp Christian does things a little differently than most church camps.”
That’s what several people told me before I set off. It’s true; Camp Christian does do stuff a little differently than most church camps.
They have this huge fundraising culture centered around “DIG” (Which is an acronym, and people told me what it meant multiple times, and I still can’t remember for the life of me. Diversified Income Gaining? Nope. Definitely not it. Just trust me when I say that it does mean something!)
There’s also a big team of staff at Camp Christian who are modestly paid to keep the camp running all summer. They clean the bathrooms, guys, ALL SUMMER. They’re true heroes.
They also have committees at Camp Christian. These committees—which are made up of campers and a few counselors—are in charge of putting together various camp activities such as banquet, talent show, and vespers. They don’t really have small groups at Camp Christian, so committees take on the planning of these activities. I happened to end up on the Consecration committee. Consecration, for those who don’t know, is like mega-vespers. It’s this giant worship service that happens on the last full night of camp. It’s also the only worship service where there’s communion. (I know. Only ONE communion??? At a DISCIPLES camp!!!) Unlike Vespers, Consecration typically lasts several hours. Technically, it doesn’t actually end until the next morning! There’s like a Consecration Part 2 the next morning that consists of a closing circle that includes prayers and a call to ministry—which about half the camps I went to did, just in case you were curious. During Consecration, people usually travel all over the camp, doing various activities at different locations. Some highlights from our Consecration were the vow of silence, counselor prayers, and writing nice things about yourself and pinning them on a big cross. I had a lot of fun working with the campers to plan Consecration!
I know I’ve been highlighting all the differences between Camp Christian and your “typical” church camp, but Camp Christian actually did A LOT of things differently this year because of COVID. They adjusted a lot of their traditions, and the camp ended up looking a lot more like your “typical” church camp this year. I could tell it was a huge adjustment for everyone there, campers and counselors alike. The biggest adjustment was probably that they did keynotes this year instead of their usual classes. I think it went great! They had a different keynoter each day, and they were all great! (And I’m not just saying that because I was one of them lol.)
Everyone adjusted really well to all the changes in routine. I think a big part of that was because everyone there really did love the camp. All the campers I interacted with did an excellent job of trying to tackle all the changes with an open mind and a loving heart. The campers I talked with were all super respectful to boot! My cabin especially so. Cabin groups were extra important this year; the COVID protocols meant we had to spend a lot more time with each other than usual. Being a new counselor, I was a stranger to these young women, and I was also the person they had to spend like half their day with! I know it wasn’t ideal for them, but they were NEVER rude or disrespectful towards me. That meant SO MUCH to me! They were so kind and funny. And they were also very brave. As I said, I was a stranger, and it takes a lot of guts to trust a stranger.
I was very proud of all the campers at Camp Christian. They had to do a lot of things differently this year. They had to break tradition. That’s really hard. But they did it with grace, flexibility, and love. Camp Christian may do things a little differently, but at the end of the day, church camp is church camp. That’s really all that matters.
The camp calls this large pond a lake. I disagree. It's two ponds stuck together, y'all. Not a lake. Still. It was beautiful! A lovely feature in the center of the camp!
A couple of funny church-humor signs. Made me snicker!
One of several counselor coffee spills. This one looks kinda like an art instillation.
A truly terrifying sight at the spooky themed talent show!
I bought these squishy creatures for my cabin at the dollar store, and I think it helped solidify me as a "cool" counselor lol!
I had to add my mark to the table where a past peace intern left theirs! It's the start of a whole legacy!!