Flourishing Families Seven Reasons to Send Your Kids to Camp by Dave McVety, Assistant Director at Doing Family Right


I remember the first time we sent our kids to camp. Tey were seven and eight, and I was nervous. I knew that adults were overseeing things, but teenage cabin leaders made me wonder how secure and safe my kids would feel. Tis camp was only three days long, but I still worried that they would be homesick, and even wondered if I’d be homesick for them. In the end, all of my concerns were unnecessary; they had an amazing time and couldn’t wait to go back. I’ve been speaking at camps for over sev-


en years now, and I’ve seen some incredible things happen in the lives of the kids who attend. Here are seven reasons to consider sending your kids to camp this summer: 1. New friends — Camp is an incredible opportunity for your child to meet friends from different places, with dif- ferent backgrounds, and with different frames of reference. I’ve seen some of these friendships last a lifetime. Some kids are Christians and some not, but camp is the perfect environment for open discussions on faith.


2. Evangelism — Seeing other kids encounter Jesus for the first time is incredibly life-giving, and the oppor- tunity to see faith shared by leaders and camp speakers is deeply impacting. Unlike their public school world, at


camp - discussions on faith are normal and expected. Your child will grow in comfort and confidence as they openly discuss their faith.


3. Faith Ownership — Camp can be a child’s first opportunity to take ownership of faith, or even to start a faith journey. Camp provides a unique environment where the combination of independence and separation from their primary faith influence opens the opportunity to learn. Camp gives your child a place to ask hard questions about life and God and hear others ask questions they may have never thought of. As they think through the questions and answers, they come to own the answers for themselves.


4. Leadership — Kids who are led by oth- ers in a camp environment, particularly by young people who are close to their age, are challenged to become leaders. It becomes an attainable and desirable goal that they can pursue. When your kids comment on people whom they saw serving, encourage them to pursue lead- ership at camp, and maybe help them look forward to being CIT’s (Counsel- ors in Training) in the future. Camp is an amazing environment for your child to develop servant leadership skills!


5. Discipleship — Camp is a chance for your child to be discipled by young people who are just a few years older, which means they have young mentors to look up to and to model. Children oſten don’t see that in their parents because we are too far removed in life stage. When our children have a choice to follow or not, and have godly leaders and friends to look up to, they can be forever changed.


6. Life Lessons — Your child will learn lessons like keeping their room clean and cleaning up aſter themselves at meals. Tere is no one else to clean up


aſter them, and everyone is held to the same standards, so they don’t let down their whole cabin. It’s their first oppor- tunity to experience the need to care for themselves without mom and dad, in a safe and encouraging environment. Having universal expectations makes words like “It’s not fair” or “I don’t want to” void.


7. Learning and Growing — Sermons and testimonies are told in their lan- guage, with illustrations that make sense to kids. Truths are taught in an environ- ment that is rich and prepared specif- ically for them. Teir hearts are open and soſtened through relationships and community. Essentially it’s their first real taste of what Church should be!


You may think that sending your child to camp at seven or eight is outrageous. I agree that deciding when to let your kids attend camp is a very personal parenting choice. However, I would encourage you consider camp before your child loses interest in older peer influences. Te benefits, as you can see, are incredible. It’s also worth noting that you should


be intentional about the camp you choose for your child. Interview the camp director. Ask what will be taught and where they intend to take your child spiritually. Ask how they plan on taking him or her on that journey. Find out if the gospel will be shared and what they are asking God to do in your child’s life as a result of the camp experience. Tere is nothing quite like the power of


camp to deeply influence your child. As you pray, may God reveal to you the when and where of camp potential for your family.


davemcvety.com doingfamilyright.com Fellowship Focus, May/June 2016 23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24