This coming Sunday, we are changing a couple of the things we do at Haskell UMC. On April 15th, we are celebrating Camp Sunday. Now when I was a kid, we didn't go to church camp. The particular denomination I belonged to didn't have camping as a part of their ministry so church camp was a new idea to me when I became a United Methodist.
This particular ministry is one that I have quickly come to appreciate. The Northwest Texas Annual Conference, our conference, is blessed to have two great camps for our kids to attend each summer. One of them is Ceta Canyon and is located in the northern part of our conference. The other is Camp Butman and is located in the southern part of our conference. This year our local church has several kids who are old enough to attend camp. As their pastor, I am excited to see what God has planned for these kids who will be attending camp this summer.
I was first introduced to church camp a few years ago when my eldest daughter went for the first time. Anyone who knows her quickly discovers that while she can be reserved around adults she is really the kind of kid who wants to try new things and looks forward to an adventure. From the first time she set foot on the church camp property, she was hooked.
Like I said, I have never attended camp. However, over the years there are a few things I have learned that go on at these camps. I understand that they sing silly songs...
I understand that they have time to act like kids and have fun...
And I understand that for an entire week, kids who normally are bombarded with secular ideas and worldly influences are able to get away from that and to focus on their spiritual growth. Time after time, I have heard testimonies from people who went to church camp. Those testimonies always include the above mentioned items. But I'm always touched when I hear that a child is finally able to get out of the world long enough that God breaks down barriers and calls that person by name. I love it when I hear counselors talk about the tiring, but exciting week they spent with the kids.
So as we near summertime, maybe your church will begin to plan for kids in your congregation to attend camp. Because of the rise in cost of everything, church camp has gotten more expensive every year. If you are able, please consider sponsoring a scholarship for a kid to go to camp. When you help a kid go to camp you are truly making an investment in a child's chance at being a kid and in a child's spiritual growth. Until next time...
+May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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