What Is Camp? Part 1 “A Few Questions”
What Is Camp? Part 1 “A Few Questions”
What Is Camp?
I’m guessing if you’re here you have a pretty good idea what camp is about. Still, there are a few ways we might go about describing it. I’ve seen one technical definition that describes camping as a trip away from home for three or more overnights in which a person or persons dwell in an impermanent shelter. I wouldn’t want to argue with that. But, if like me you grew up attending church camp, you probably think of camp less technically and more along the lines of deep impressions: friends (old and new), camp fires, camp food, camp stores and stories, hiking, water sports, silly games, songs, and perhaps an inspiring speaker. You may remember hearing certain things for the “first” time, or facing a fear, or having deep conversations with a friend or counselor, and maybe wrestling with God in prayer. You may even recall returning home overwhelmed with emotions, wondering if you’ll ever feel as close to anyone again. For many people, summer camp really is a mountain top experience.
Camp Doubts
As we get older and mature in our faith, and especially as we develop a more settled theology (namely, theologically Reformed convictions), we may lose some certainty about camp and question our earlier experiences. Were those feelings just emotional highs? How theologically sound was the teaching back then? Did I truly learn anything valuable? Was camp just a fun getaway with childhood friends? Should churches and parents invest so much time and money into camps? Wouldn’t a service project or mission trip be a better way to advance Christ’s kingdom?
Those are valid questions, and I’m glad you’re asking them.
Where Does Camp Fit?
I’ve thought a lot about the question, “Does camp fit into the Church’s mission?” (Mt 28:19-20). I have about 800 reasons for asking the question. At one point, I tallied up all the time I’d spent at various kinds of camps—VBS, family and marriage conferences, fall and winter retreats, middle and high school camps, and even military basic and survival training. It turns out I’ve spent over two years of my life “camping.” Those don’t all fit the strict definition of camp, but they do share the common theme of leaving the ordinary world behind to fully engage in a peculiarly transformative experience. Having been a planner as well as a participant in all those experiences I understand the cost in time, energy, and money to make them happen. Special events require special investments. Camp is expensive. We need to asking what we’re paying for.
Now, maybe you feel like camp is worth it (I absolutely do!). But some people aren’t so sure. Some of our brethren have argued that camp is simply a secular activity repurposed for Christian use. Others view camp as a relic of overly sentimental revivalism the Church can’t shake. Some others see it as an elite pastime for wealthy families. And there’s a few who look at camp as a convenient way to keep kids busy for a week in the summer (some of those who see it that way are parents!). I’m sympathetic to the concerns in each of those lines of thinking. In some cases those are very apt accusations.
Rest assured, despite those concerns, I firmly believe that Christian churches—And even more so, conservative Presbyterian churches—should embrace and employ camps as a key component of their ministry. Why? Very simply…Camping is biblical. And when I say camping is “biblical” I mean it’s really about as biblical as anything can be. It shows up in one form or another throughout the Old and New Testaments. More than anything, when you consider what church leaders are attempting to do with camp, these annual summer trips are actually one of the most direct expressions a church can have of faithful shepherding. Come back for Part 2 and I’ll share the biblical foundation for camping.
