Our latest question from the Christian Camp Pro “Community Answers” email was: What is the greatest moment you have experienced at summer camp? After filtering through all the results we’ve chosen 17 of the best answers that are sure to encourage and inspire you at your next summer camp!
What is the greatest moment you have experienced at summer camp?
1. My first year in a leadership role at camp we went on a camping trip for staff training. On the way there we blew a tire. We got it fixed and kept going. When we got there, it was pouring rain as we set up our tents. Then on our way back, the spare tire we put on the day earlier rolled off our van down the road in front of us. Everything that could have gone wrong did, but that was one of the best trips of my life. Our staff chose to ignore the momentary inconveniences and enjoy the positives. I’m sure we will share stories about that trip for many years to come. – Jeremy Stephens, Sky Lodge Christian Camp, www.skylodge.org
2. The night we had a staff meeting and a new Counselor shared the story of walking back to his cabin the previous night and having a camper ask him “how do I become a Christian?” – Bob Strodel, Brookwoods, www.christiancamps.net
3. The greatest moment I have experienced at summer camp is seeing one of our campers with a disability trying an activity that they thought would be impossible for them for the first time. Seeing their confidence in themselves grow and getting to experience them being able to forget their disability for a week is life-changing. – Kylie Wright, Camp Barnabas, www.campbarnabas.org
4. The best moment happens every week at the closing campfire when campers have the opportunity to share what God has taught them at camp. It is incredible hearing the campers stand and proclaim the truth of the Gospel to their peers. – Seth, Inspiration Point Christian Camp + Retreat Center, www.ipoint.org
5. It was the last night of our High School camp in 2009. I was finishing up an amazing summer full of awe-inspiring moments as the counselor of cabin 4. The whole summer staff and all 250 High School campers were gathered together for our last worship service. The worship set was so great and when the band finished their last song, we weren’t ready to call it quits. A single high schooler started chanting “one more song! one more song!” and soon the whole camp had joined in. The band began to play the song “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman. For the next 4 minutes, everyone in that room was surrendering themselves to God 100%. It felt as if none of us were aware of each other. We were all dialed in completely to Jesus. I’ve never felt the Holy Spirit as much as I did right there. He was in the air like a fog. I saw some tough jock-type boys weeping. Not crying. Weeping. Like flowing tears, red ugly face kind of stuff. But the tears were of joy, not of grief. I’ve never felt freer. – Tate Randall, Covenant Pines Bible Camp, www.covenantpines.org
6. The greatest moment I can recall at camp was in 2009 when we had a 17-year-old young man make a decision to accept Christ at Camp when his girlfriend and parents arrived at camp to witness the baptism, they all three made a decision for Christ as a result of his decision. They were all baptized at the camp that day! – Joel Young, Grove Christian Camp, www.grovechristiancamp.org
7. The greatest moment we have had here at Camp Good News is when we received a call from a Pastor. He called to talk to us about a little girl that had gotten saved here at Camp. That camper went home and shared the Good News of Jesus with her parents. Because of what she told them, they started attending church and the Pastor wanted us to know that they both came forward to get saved at church that day!!! We have lots of moments like these here at Camp! Just last week we had a group of campers we call Legacy Changers. These boys and girls all have at least one parent in prison. We invite them here completely free of charge to have an awesome time as well as hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. One of the 9-year-old boys from the South Side of Chicago, who was a slight behavior problem for his counselor, went home after the week was over and informed his mother that he wanted to be a missionary and tell others about Christ. The mom wanted us to know this and that she is going to make sure he is involved in a local church to learn more!!! These are our great moments. The little glimpses we get to see of God working in these little lives and drawing these boys and girls to Him! – Christopher Kallal, Camp Good News in Washington, Illinois, www.campgoodnewsil.org
8. We have had Dozens of kids to come and know Christ as their personal Savior. – Trent Dibell, Camp CHOF, www.campchof.org
9. The greatest moment at camp is when a camper gets saved! One great occasion of this is when our 19-year-old ventriloquist/illusionist/speaker told me that she felt the Holy Spirit was leading her to do her nightly session a little different than she had originally planned. I told her to do what she felt the Lord wanted her to do and that night more than a dozen campers gave their lives to Christ! Praise the Lord! – Jeff Nelson, Ponderosa Bible Camp, www.ponderosabiblecamp.com
10. A parent’s story of two boys who were getting ready for the day camp and had all their savings in their backpack. When questioned they told their parents they wanted to give it all to Camp Gilead in Jordan so the kids there could enjoy summer camp. The boys were part of over $100 given to Gilead by day campers. (Camp Gilead is a sister camp supported in part by Camp Berachah, the only Christian camp in Jordan) This was a neat story of how kids understood the Biblical lesson on giving to others. – Steve Altick, Black Diamond Adventure Camp, www.blackdiamond.org
11. Seeing Kamper’s ring the bell at our Kamp. Ringing the bell signifies that a decision has been made to follow Christ. When the bell rings, not only is the Kamper super excited but anyone who hears the bell celebrates with the child. The scene is an on earth view of what’s happening above in heaven. – Marlene Nash, Kids Across America Kamps, www.kaakamps.org
12. I’ve worked as a camp counselor for three years at Camp Grace, prior to becoming the Director of Guest Services at Camp Grace New York. In all of that time, the greatest moment was always seeing your most challenging camper come to know Christ. There is something truly amazing about seeing any child come to Christ but when it’s the one you least expect, it not only impacts that child, but it reminds you how we are all saved by God’s grace. – Takia Lamb, Camp Grace New York
13. Some kids have said that their time spent at Day Camp here was the greatest week of their summer. Some of our Counselor in Training staff have said this experience here has helped them get closer in their walk with God and has inspired them to listen to God’s call on their life. Some of the greatest moments are when someone comes to know Jesus as their personal savior while they are here. – Jody Weed, Wilderness Northwest Camp, www.wildernessnorthwest.com
14. Sitting on a porch, watching a rainstorm, chatting with a camper about his relationship with Christ! – Paul Biles, Tejas, www.mytejas.org
15. The greatest moment I have experienced at camp is when a young man replied to me that he learned that God was not disgusted with him and that he still loved him! – Don Haluzan, Twin Oaks Ranch, www.twinoranch.com
16. A number of years ago, a church that had been coming for several years had over half of their attendance receive Christ as their savior. This was something like sixty of their 100 youth. It was a tremendous time in camp. – John Hyde, Messiah’s Ranch, www.messiahsranch.org
17. This picture says it all for me at camp. We may not be able to save them from their circumstances but we can introduce them to a loving God who will be there with them for an eternity. – Angel Schaefer, Covenant Hills Camp, www.covenanthills.org