why "camp" matters...

Wrapping up our final day of high school camp and reflecting back on an amazing week at middle school camp. I have been doing camp with teens for years. This year has probably been my favorite year of camp. Why? I think I am getting a balanced perspective after a few years of doing this thing. Camp matters because kids more than ever need time a change of perspective so they can hear from God. Home brings so much noise...it is hard for teens to get clarity...even when teens have a moment with the Creator they are immediately thrown back into the noise of normal. Camp gives us a week where teens can hear from God, be mentored by loving leaders, and have space to process. For one week of the summer teens get an entire week to encounter the God who made them and desires a relationship with them. One solid week where the message gets a little clearer. At both middle and high school camp we have seen teens make some big moves this summer. Those moves happened because we blocked off a week, equipped leaders to invest in teens, made sure our teens were in the right environment, and begged God to do what only He can do. Youth pastor...camp matters because it gives us a week to see life change.