How To Choose A Summer Camp

Hard to believe, but summer is upon us. Temps are starting heat up, the humidity is becoming a real pain and everyday I see "tweets" (mini posts on Twitter for you non-Twitter folks) from summer staffers arriving at Glorieta or Ridgecrest. All sure signs that summer is here! 

If it's summer, then that also means it's time for summer camp! Later this week our counselors and staff will begin arriving at Camps Ridgecrest and Crestridge to begin a rather intensive (but also fun) 9-10 days of training. This training is critical in ensuring that we provide our campers with a camp experience that is both life-changing and safe. (I'm looking forward to getting over to North Carolina and catching the last couple of days of this training. Who knows, maybe I'll even take a turn on the blob if the lake's not too cold!)

In coming to LifeWay over 8 years ago, the one area of our conference center and camp ministry that I knew very little about was camp. I must admit, my impressions of camp were heavily influenced by movies such as "Meatballs" and "Heavyweights". Imagine my surprise when I learned that not all camps are like those in the movies! During the past several years I've had the opportunity to meet many excellent Christian camping professionals and to hear their heart for the camping ministry. In addition I've heard story after story of life change from folks who have attended our own summer camps.

As a result, I have become a huge proponent of Christian camping and would encourage any parent to seriously consider sending their child to a summer camp. For a parent like me, who had no camp experience growing up, choosing the right camp could be overwhelming. Fortunately there is help online. The American Camp Association (ACA) has an excellent resource article on their website to help parents choose what type of camp to consider. (Click here for the ACA article.) For those parents with a special needs child, I found another article online that you may find helpful. (Click here for the special needs article.) A third resource, to help you locate a camp near you, can be found at FindaChristianCamp.com.

Attending summer camp can be a great opportunity for your child to grow in Christ and learn how to spread their wings away from mom and/or dad. What about it? Will you consider sending your child to camp this summer? It's not too late!