By Diana Dworin
Pass the faith
Jason and Melody Sundbakken and their daughter, Kaitlyn, were among those attending family camp in June at Metigoshe Lutheran Bible Camp, Bottineau, N.D. The Sundbakkens are members of Zion Lutheran Church, Minot, N.D.
KYLE DEBERTIN
Family camp S
Summer camping programs not just for kids anymore
ending the kids to summer church camp is a yearly routine for many Lutheran families. But these days, parents are loading up their luggage and coming along for the fun too.
Across the country, Lutheran outdoor ministries are
ramping up summer “family camp” programs to reach out to parents and kids alike. “Parents want to have specific family time together without having to run from place to place,” said Lisa Spitler, interim executive director of Koi- nonia, an ELCA camp and retreat center in Highland Lake, NY. “What we see here are families truly connecting with each other and spending intentional faith development time together.”
Koinonia, located about 90 miles west of New York
City, offers weeklong summer sessions for families that include cross-generational Bible studies, rafting trips along the Delaware River and a variety of outdoor sports. Other family programs, such as those at Lutheran Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville, Texas, offer private cabins, hillside nature hikes and zip line adventures. Family camp lets parents and children witness God’s
creative work as displayed in nature, which can inspire a sense of wonder and reinvigorate a family’s spirituality. What’s more, the routines of camp life—from singing prayers before meals to starting each day with a devotional Bible lesson—can become daily practices for families to take back home, Spitler said. Families make the most of their camping experience together when they: • Log off. Ditch your cellphones and devices, and discon- nect from technology for the time you’re away. Taking a
Now what? Camp homesickness
Q: My child is getting ready to leave for sleepaway Bible camp for the first time. I’m already sensing that she’ll be homesick. How can I help prepare her for her time away from home? A: It’s natural for kids, especially younger, first-time campers, to miss home for the first few days of camp. Reassure your daughter that she’ll be safe with her counselors and that she’ll have fun with new friends. Tell her you’ll be waiting for her when camp ends, and keep an upbeat attitude. Tuck a letter of encouragement into her suitcase/bag. Your camp also likely has daily mail delivery (both U.S. postage and email). Don’t prolong your good- bye at drop-off; stretching out your departure can add more stress to your child’s start of camp. Share your opinion or story at
www.thelutheran.org. Send questions to diana@ passthefaith. org.
Lutheran mom
Dworin, 41, is a mother of three and a former parenting magazine editor.
August 2011 41
break from screens helps refocus attention on person- to-person communication. In case of an emergency back home, leave the camp office phone number as a contact. • Take on a challenge. Inquire if the camp has a ropes course or a challenging hiking trail that your family can tackle as a team. If the camp hosts a talent show, sign up the family and get in the act. • Invite others. Camp can be an ideal way to connect with your relatives as you grow together in faith as an extended family, Spitler said. Or recruit other families from church to join the fun, strengthening relation- ships and community back home. Congregational family camp weekends or entire weeks are great ways to introduce parishioners to one of our church’s great- est treasures: camp.
DESIGNPICS
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