Rick Lawrence, in a Group Magazine article entitled: What Really Impacts Spiritual Growth, February 1995, says: Extended-length learning experiences have more power to change lives than any other single programming option. Leaders need to harness the power of learning experiences such as trips, camps and retreats.
1. Trips
Leaders can increase the impact of discipleship if they choose a location for the learning experience that will reinforce the message. When youth are taken outside of their regular environment, they will be more receptive to learning.
2. Camps
Christian Camps are a highlight for many on their faith journey. Camping is about doing things, and more specifically about doing them together with other people. Youth attend willing and expecting to enjoy themselves as they learn in community with other people, and they are most receptive to learning during a weekend away from their comfort zones.
A. The Purpose of Christian Camping
Tom Slater in The New Camping Book gives three main reasons for camping with youth: (1) Sharing Lives - relationships are at the core of the Christian faith, and are a deep-seated human need. A camp provides campers an opportunity to enter into relationships with others as they eat, play and experience truth together. A depth of contact is experienced that goes far deeper than a youth group meeting. (2) Teaching Truths - a camp context is an ideal place for youth to learn about God and His place in their lives. The outdoor environment has a way of prompting wonder that leads to a sense of the nearness of the Creator who is ever present to relate to people. The time available provides the opportunity for getting to know people as individuals and exploring issues that relate to the Christian life. As an integrated life-style of Christian living is evidenced, a great impact will be made on those who have not yet begun their own faith journey. (3) Experience Creation - camping offers an opportunity to meet personal needs and to meet with God through: (a) appreciation of creation which leads to a desire to know the Creator; (b) enjoyment of the outdoors that relieves stress caused by the pressures of life; (c) participation in activities designed to stimulate group situational learning; and (iv) relating to the natural environment that reveals a need to care for it.
B. The Motives for Christian Camping
Two strong motives lie at the foundation of camping: they are a desire to win people to faith in Jesus Christ, and a desire to take people further in their relationship with God, others and themselves. These two aspects do not need to be seen as conflicting. Unfortunately, a narrow view of evangelism that looks for simple decisions and a narrow view of teaching as Bible study and discussion groups has led to this tension. Christian camping needs to include both evangelism and teaching. Leaders must think about Christianity from a developmental perspective, rather than as a clearly defined set of decisions. By describing growth in Christian understanding as a faith journey leaders will have a better basis for ministry. Thinking of Christian teaching in terms of faith shaping will show that those who have not made the decision to serve Christ have been influenced towards a future commitment to Christ.
C. The Teaching in Christian Camping
There are four aspects of effective teaching at a camp: (1) love for the campers - leaders must get to know campers and try to meet their needs; (2) conviction about beliefs - when leaders are certain of what they believe their teaching will be more dynamic; (3) the work of the Holy Spirit - He is the one who removes the blindfold from people; and (4) creative teaching methods - leaders must chooses creative teaching methods for the camp. A few areas for teaching are considered: (a) Counselling - this involves relaxed encounters between campers and leaders. For effective counselling to take place trust, privacy and time are essential. The methods used include careful listening and clarification, questions to stimulate thought, Bible reading, prayer, and giving advice as appropriate. Some of the most significant ministry on a camp takes place in one-on-one encounters. (b) Activity - an activity-centred approach to teaching involves the whole camper, body, mind and emotions, in the learning experience. Both simulated, ie. drama, role-play and simulation games, as well as real experiences, ie. group worship and service projects, are appropriate methods. (c) Instruction - up front talks and preaching have a place in clearly explaining basic ideas and getting a message across. But in the electronic age it must be done well, and include a variety of methods and visual aids. Such methods include: skits, debates, challenging questions, object lessons, overhead projector, audio-visuals, and other such attention grabbers. (d) Discussion - the camp must include group discussions with skilful facilitators who have sufficient questions and background material prepared to lead the experience.
D. The Curriculum in Christian Camping
The late Marshall McLuhan titled his critique of TV The Medium is the Message. He might have had camping in mind. Camp is more than a good setting for meetings. To campers, camp becomes a life experience that communicates God’s love in Christ. The setting, the staff, the program become sources of spiritual input, in other words, curriculum. The following definition of camping involves five distinctives: Christian camping is an extended group experience in an outdoor setting under trained leadership with spiritual objectives. (1) Extended Time - it is probable that one week at a camp provides more Christian education hours than the camper receives in a year of church life. Youth attend church for an hour or two, then return to home and community, whereas camp leads youth into a new world for unbroken days, a world where Christian adults and peers reinforce Christian teaching. The climate of friendship and fun opens hearts to spiritual truth that the Holy Spirit nurtures day after day. (2) The Group - this is a world of broken hearts and shattered homes. Camp becomes family. While camp activity builds excitement, the dorm group with a counsellor is the pulse of Christian camping. A caring counsellor becomes a surrogate parent, a friend, and a channel of God’s love. Dorm devotions must be an integral part of the teaching strategy. (3) The Leader - Christian camping is people serving Christ outdoors. Camper/leader bonding accounts for much of camping’s strength. The staff becomes curriculum - a source of spiritual input for campers. Leaders should create opportunities for staff to share their hearts with campers. (4) The Outdoors - Leaders should major in the outdoors! Unplug the TV, pitch tents, build fires, lead hikes, build ropes courses and climb walls. Like the camp and the staff, the outdoors becomes curriculum. The heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1). The creation reveals the Creator’s power and Godhead (Romans 1:20). (5) Spiritual Objectives - camping is a force for the church because it invites people to respond to God’s claims. Camping presents the Gospel in a life context suited to each camper (Journal of Christian Camping, May/June 1996, by Lloyd Mattson).
3. Retreats
Rick Lawrence in What Really Impacts Spiritual Growth presents ten keys to impactful retreats: (1) Make self-discovery a primary goal - challenge youth to explore answers to tough questions by involving them in open-ended learning adventures. (2) Create space for youth to be curious - craft learning activities that arouse your young people’s innate curiosity. (3) Make youth responsible for their own learning - be a facilitator of learning, not the designated cram-it-down-your-throat knowledge dispenser. (4) Establish a warm, caring, and welcoming environment - impact happens where trust is established, so involve youth in extended small-group relationships. (5) Treat both success and failure as opportunities to learn - success breeds the confidence to risk anew, and failure breeds the humility to risk with clarity. (6) Foster a team environment that includes healthy cooperation - encourage team and friendship-building by giving youth challenges they must work together to achieve. (7) Encourage youth to express their diversity - work to create an environment where questioning, doubting, and positive conflict can thrive. (8) Give youth plenty of contact with nature - there’s something about God’s creation that can refresh and bring stillness like nothing else. (9) Plan for solitude and silence - chaos and fragmentation are throttled by quiet, so give youth the gift of aloneness. (10) Stress that youth serve one another - service involves giving gifts to others, so make it a gift-giving experience.
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