Youth Pastors: Making An Eternal Impact

Raise your hand if you ever attended a church youth group growing up. You know, the ones where you’d meet every Wednesday and Sunday night to have fun, meet up with friends, and play games. Of course, there was always a large group session where you sat and heard teachings from the bible before you broke out into small groups with kids in your same grade class and a group leader. But of all the activities you did and the people you met, one person always stood out from the crowd—the youth pastor. 

Your youth pastor was the guy (or girl) who always had a smile on their face. They were always up for a good time, would laugh and joke around like they were one of you, and had a heart for all the kids that shined through every week as they stood on that stage to talk to them about real-life issues. Your youth pastor more than likely was a person who had a meaningful impact on your life, whether you realized it back then or not. Their entire career was built around investing in you and your fellow students. 

They did this in multiple different ways, such as always being prepared when they were going to preach a message, spending time planning out fun activities or events that would keep things new and fresh each week, and they would reach out to the surrounding community to organize ways to help the students get involved beyond just the four walls of the church building. 

Your youth pastor may have also planned memorable weekend getaways for all the students old enough to stay overnight. Often, these were held at local Christian camps. These weekends were the best because you got to spend an evening (or two) away from home with all your friends. The days were filled with activities like climbing rock walls, navigating a high ropes course, running relay races, eating food that was not healthy but delicious, and staying up past your bedtime, laughing and joking around with some of your closest friends. 

The youth pastor would be at the head of it all, taking charge and ensuring all the students had a fun and safe time as they spoke into them, encouraged them, and taught them biblical truths that would make a lasting and eternal impact. 

Yes, your youth pastor probably did far more for your young development than you may even realize. The amount of time and effort they sacrificed to ensure you and your friends had a great time and learned important life lessons along the way. They were your friend, your confidant, someone to help keep you accountable, your sage council, and your biggest cheerleader. 

So next time you go home to visit, maybe consider looking your youth pastor up if they still live in the area. Offer to take them to lunch and enjoy as you reminisce on old times. Thank them for all the times they were there for you and helped you. Let them know you’re praying for them and the sacrifices they made for you did not go unnoticed. And then, before you say your goodbyes, let them know their investment in you paid off. Because of their leadership, prayer, and guidance, they helped you become the person you are today, and they impacted your life here on earth and your eternity.

The Summer I Became a Christian Camp Counselor

Growing up, if you were anything like me, you would have spent part of your summers at camp. After all, summer camp is one of the most incredible experiences of all time. You're away from the parents, you have fewer (ish) rules, you get to eat lots of junk food, you're hanging out with friends every day doing fun and wonderful activities, and you get to stay up way past your regular bedtime. Yes, going to camp over the summers growing up made an impact on my life, so much so that I decided during the summer after my freshman year of college that I was going to be a camp counselor, partly because I wanted to be able to invest in the younger generation just as my camp counselors had invested in me over the years and partly because I still wasn't quite ready to give up my days of fun in the sun. 

There was only one caveat: I had become a Christian the year before. So, instead of just your typical summer camp, I agreed to be a counselor for a Christian Summer Camp two states away from my hometown. As excited as I was, the nerves were getting to me. I would be in a new state, in a new environment, in a leadership role, and in many ways, still discovering my new faith. It was thrilling and nerve-wracking, but I was determined to make it the best summer ever. 

I showed up to camp two weeks after school had let out for counselor training. It was strange to see a campground so empty. I was used to chaos and excitement from the moment I stepped out of my mom's minivan, but now it was quiet with just me, 20 other counselors and operations staff, and the leadership. 

The camp director welcomed us and told our crew which cabins we would be assigned for the summer. They ran through all the instructions and rules we'd need to know and follow while we were there, and they had us do some icebreaker games to help us get to know everyone better. So far, everything seemed relaxed and uneventful, but little did I know what was in store for me. 

The very next day was the start of my life's most intense but rewarding experience. After breakfast, we dove straight into counselor training. We sat through sessions on what to expect, how to handle rough campers, how to handle situations where abuse was suspected, and what channels we'd need to go through. We were put through intensive theology sessions, and a pastor came to speak to us several times a day to prepare us for all the scenarios we might face from our campers. 

Day after day, for three weeks, we worked to prepare the camp by cleaning the grounds and deep cleaning cabins. Between that and all the training sessions, I was quickly dead to the world by the time my head hit the pillow every night. As I lay there drifting to sleep, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Did I really have what it took to be a counselor at a Christian camp? After all, I was still getting to know my faith, so was I truly ready to be helping shape young, impressionable minds when I still had so many unanswered questions myself? 

The thoughts would have kept me up all night had I not been so exhausted from the physical and mental toll each day was taking on my mind and body. I could only pray as my eyes closed and sleep consumed me that I was in the right place, and little did I know just how much that prayer would be answered in the coming weeks.

Mystery bible Adventures

Many times, you can help campers get a better feel for their own personal faith through games. Games are a good way to understand others, and they can provide a sense of fun and adventure. Here, we’ll go over a couple of mystery bible adventure games, and in turn, they can learn about the bible and other tenets as well. 

Mystery Bag Game 

This is a good one for helping the players better understand church tenets that they can utilize. 

In this, you need a bag for different objects. Opaque bags are good and stiff are best, as they won’t show the objects. You want to choose different objects that one can connect to bible stories or even passages. 

With younger children, always have objects that are a bit more upfront and talk about the direct relations for each of those objects.  You can also include stuff with indirect associations, but keep that geared towards older campers. 

Some examples include: 

• A stone (either David and goliath, the tomb of Jesus, or Jesus on the rock. 

• Coins: parable of the lost coin, paying the imperial tax to Caesar, and the temple tax. 

• Nail: Jesus being nailed onto the cross 

• A bread roll of bun the lord’s prayer, last supper, and Jesus feeding the 5000 

• Seeds such as sunflowers seeds: parable of the Sower or mustard seed. 

• Stars: the magi following the stars, god making the stars, or god’s promise to Abraham 

Obviously with the game, you want to make sure that you have items that are pretty easy to spot the relation to. Don’t get too obtuse with it. 

How to Play this

You play this by either a cooperative experience, or different players against one another. 

Sometimes cooperation works better as this can encourage people to work together to achieve the goals that they have. It also keeps them working together instead of being pitted against each other. 

To do this, you can have every single person sit together in a circle.  From there, you want to set a goal that’s achievable.  The goal could be to recall at least one or two different bible studies, depending on things.  From there, you can have it so that the group is able to recall at least one of these. 

You hand out the mystery bag to the one that’s youngest.  The person holding the bag shouldn’t look inside, but they feel around.  After they pull it out, they are able to guess the object and the reference there.  if they can’t do it, it’s passed to the next person till someone gets it. 

If someone can tell what it is, they get a point, or if you’re working together, you can then move onto the next object. 

You want to continue to play until either everyone’s identified, or a team gets to five or ten. 

This is a good way for many people to understand how to get a feel for different bible stories. 

It can also be infused with a scavenger hunt too, where a person will start to look for different passages that associate with certain bible passages. This is a good way to get every single person thinking and understanding the bible a whole lot more. 

It can be further benefited by having different bible passages that some of the people can read. It can be a great way to fully comprehend the bible in a manner that benefits everyone. 

So yes, putting together a bible mystery game is great. Through this, people can make a huge difference in every way.

Building Community through Service: Christian Camping and Outreach Projects

Christian camps are more than just a way for people to get involved, they’re a vital way to work together with service, and these outreach projects contribute to the overall well-being and spread of these outreach values. Many people benefit from this, and here, we’ll explore the benefits of these outreach projects. 

It can Grow your Faith 

A community is good not just for working with others, but for the overall goal and plan. Building a deeper understanding of one’s faith, along with their roots, will allow one to withstand many trials that one’s faith might have. As a child gets older, faith can be questioned, since there are many who try to pull you off the path.That’s why, understanding scripture, and understanding how God calls you to live this faith, and being the impact on the world you want to be will help you. 

It can help you change the world, and many times, having that sense of community will be what you need. 

Work and Grow together with Others 

Christian camps aren’t just building your own faith, but also growing with others who are believers. Sharing the word with other believers, and developing one’s understanding of faith, can change your life. Church communities are bastions of encouragement, and one can worship and work together with others, in order to take these vital next steps in their faith too. In a way, it’s everyone working together in order to grow, and become stronger in their faith in god. 

Make A Difference in Everyone’s life 

Christian camps and outreach programs are a chance for all campers to work together in fun, engaging ways. Summer camps are a way for children to develop a stronger understanding in God, spirituality, and their relationship with Christ. They’re meaningful as well to those campers who might not have a chance to attend church or services regularly. 

Along with this, Christian camps also give you a chance to work with others. These activities can make a difference in a person’s life. 

Live out Faith Through Kindness and Acts of Service 

Acts of kindness are a good way to demonstrate the Christian faith. 

Not everyone gets this opportunity, but through these team-building exercises and chances for leadership, you can build self-confidence, along with personal growth.

It lets one develop compassion, along with empathy for another person. 

They can be the difference and positive impact they want to be. They’ll get to see it happen in real-time, which changes lives. 

Support For missions 

If you plan to do service, you need support.  Many times, without that support, you won’t be able to make these dreams come true. Having a strong Christian=-based outreach camp gives one a sort of “base camp” to support other people.  They’re your cheerleaders, and they’re who will welcome you and your faith.  

Church communities are also a training place for sharing and keeping your faith and service.You can be devoted to others, growing in the community, and helping you with being the right person that you can be. 

Building Empathy and Learning About others 

Many times, empathy is hard without understanding it through others. 

You can use these outreach camps to put one’s faith into action and give to others. 

It’s a transformative experience, allowing campers to see one’s world in a different way, imparting life skills that’ll indeed change your life. 

So yes, Christian camps are more than just a place to engage in fun activities, they allow one to develop skills, bring a challenge, and make long-lasting memories for everyone involved.

Gospel Expedition: Charting a Course for Compassionate Service

One way to engage your campers in christian values and inspire them is through service projects. Service projects inspire compassion in many. They learn to help and serve others, and also meet others who may have different needs than them. The bible teaches us to help others, and practice unconditional love.  Chrisitan values can work well through these compassion projects, and we’ll go over some of the different service projects you can craft to help campers build compassion, no matter the age. 

Food Drives 

Food drives are a good way for campers to help others. 

They learn about those who struggle, who may be going hungry, and provide them with a means to give them what they need. 

Many children can collect cans from others, or even incite others to donate.  This service project not only is good for understanding others, but gives them a sense of community 

Helping At Shelters 

Helping at shelters, whether a homeless shelter, animal shelter, or other place is great.  This can help people learn compassion, especially for others. 

At these shelters, they can also provide a smile for another, and brighten people’s days. 

With this, there are other activities too, such as maybe singing for those in a nursing home or visiting others. 

Cards and Craft Projects 

Cards and craft projects are a good way to brighten up one’s day, and also help kids foster compassion. 

They get to do something nice for someone, even if they haven't met them before. 

Putting together small crafts to give as gifts or even cards for those in retirement communities can be a great way to show compassion, and it’s fun too. 

Leader Emulation 

One way to foster compassion is to look at others, and emulate those actions. 

One thing to look at are leaders. Obviously it’s hard for leaders to grow, and they may falter with connecting their faith with this.

However,through a leadership workshop, a participant can talk about the leaders, perhaps in the bible, different qualities of this, and how to apply that in their lives. 

This can be a great way to really foster development, and instill these teachings. People will know what others are doing, and they can work on improving their wellness on all fronts with this. 

Obviously, this is not easy, but with time and effort, it can happen.  

Cleaning Up the World Around you 

Sometimes, community service isn’t just helping other people, but also beautifying the area around. 

God gave us these places. He tells us to embrace and love nature, and not harm it.  Obviously, not everyone follows this. 

One good service project that campers can love that'll help with improving compassion is by beautifying the area. 

They can clean inside, outside the facility, or even around the park. Get participants to plant gardens around, and they can also work on other aspects too. 

Sometimes by cleaning up the area around you, it puts everyone on the right track to a beautiful, happy world. 

With service projects, it can be a struggle. Obviously, people may not realize the clone action this compassion has to the community. 

But, if you get them to learn about these projects,and help with putting together service projects,such as cards for those who are sick and elderly in church, they’ll be able to grow and foster better wellness over time. 

Obviously it may vary based on a person's needs, but with so many amazing ideas, children of all ages can learn the value of service, and boost their connection with others, including God.

Are Christian Camps Worth the Price Tag?

As a parent, you want to give your child the world. This means being able to provide them with all the opportunities and experiences you can afford. One of those experiences that many parents want to be able to provide for their children is summer camp. After all, the last thing you want is to have your kid left out when all the other neighborhood children are saying goodbye for a week or two out of the summer to have grand adventures off and away while your child sits at home wishing they could go.

Unfortunately, a couple of problems are often associated with this particular scenario. The first and foremost is your faith. As a Christian, you must be prudent and wise when sending your child into certain situations. You want to ensure they are safe and in an environment that does not go against your personal beliefs and convictions. So, if you send your child to camp, you know it must be a Christian camp. But Christian camps tend to mean private camps, which typically come at a higher price tag. Therefore, you must ask yourself, is it worth it?

The simple answer is, in many cases, yes. Not only because you would be providing your child with a fun, safe, and enriching opportunity, but one benefit of Christian camp is that there are often many scholarships available to those who need financial assistance.

Let's first start with the benefits of a Christian camp. These caps are solely dedicated to teaching your child about faith in the Bible. You want to ensure that you find a camp that aligns with your theology, but if you do, you can be assured that they will not be exposed to things that you would consider harmful to their development. These camps spend their entire offseason planning and preparing to teach and invest their young campers about God and truth. 

They make sure to have a worship leader to sing praise songs. Come on, they will hire a reputable speaker to come in and teach your child the word of God, and they will have so many fun activities where your child can learn and grow in more ways than just their faith.

The other reason that Christian camps are worth their proverbial price tag is that you often don't have to pay the full price tag. Whether it's going through a church that is affiliated with the camp or going to the camp directly and letting them know your financial needs, these camps are very good at ensuring they provide a financial solution for your child to attend.

Whether they partner with private donors or grants, they spend their year raising funds and taking in donations so that they have specific money set aside to help provide a way for those children who could otherwise not afford to come to camp. The process is also incredibly easy, as you need to connect with a youth pastor or fill out a scholarship application online to receive financial assistance. 

Therefore, whether you are paying out of pocket or going the scholarship route, you can rest assured knowing that your investment in a child's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being is well worth the cost of an adventurous summer at a Christian camp.

The Evolution of Christian Camping: From Tradition to Innovation

Christian camps have come  a long way in recent years. There is a history to them, and here, we’ll touch on the developmental milestones associated with these camps. 

In the Beginning 

The first organized youth camp was cited around 1861 when Fredreick William Gunn operated a small school for boys in Connecticut. He took them out to Long Island for a few weeks of outdoor camping. The goal that Gunn had was to give students a modified education, athletic chances, environmental awareness, and even some moral values. The boys would live as soldiers, and they’d eat and sleep outside. 

From this, other organized forms of camping started to show up.  Some common ones were Camp Chocorua, which was located in New Hampshire. They offered many children a chance to accompany one’s parents to different resorts within the summer. Many episcopal founders of the Chocorua also helped to reinforce the virtues of a spirit amongst these boys, who were privileged. At this same time, there were many children who weren’t as fortunate, and they were brought to the fresh Air Camps, which had religious motives. One popular one was the 1892 Jewish Working Girls Vacation Society, which incorporated many underfed and overworked women from New York out to these different summer vacation homes.  There are many different descendants who found solace in revival and renewal within a religious community. 

The salvation Army Camps

The salvation army also had a chance for many urban children and their families to get out to others.  They wanted to “redeem the lives of the poor” which was their primary motive. They also established the first official type of fresh air camp, where tent tents were pitched out in Fairmount Park, located in Kansas city in 1897. 

There are other Salvation Army Camps that also have been held, including the McKinley which still operates in Camp Lake, Wisconsin. The Salvation army is credited as well for the first band camp as well, which happened in North Long Beach, New Jersey in 1920./ 

Bible Camps and the YMCA 

There are also the modern bible camps, which come from this. 

The Young Women’s Bible Training Movement was one of the first.  It started in 1898 and was located within Hudson Valley.  It later was named Camp Pinnacle 

Camps continued to operate for well over a century, and they combined enrichment on a spiritual level with better respite from city lives. 

The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the YMCA also followed with this, and many of these camps had a very religious focus to them, with a concern with the character transformations, ministering to each person individually. 

Some also had more evangelistic zeal to them, including the YMCA, and this diminished over time. However, there was concern for the entire person. 

Any of these first camps started with the idea of putting together a means to fill those three month periods of vacation, and also attempt to provide one with a chance to bring the classroom out to the world around them. 

They also worked with learning of experiential, child-centered, and democratic means. 

The theory of John Dewey was followed, and they created an education that brought enrichment to the learner, creating a central focus for this.

Camp Meetings and Assemblies 

Of course, with the Christian religious camp, they also had camp meetings and assemblies, outdoor gatherings that got others involved, providing an outreach to one another. 

During this part of the meeting, they’d also live in tents and wagons, and eat meals over the fire. 

The goal was conversion. We still see this today but this is a brief history of Christian camping.