This summer Gretna Glen welcomed 1,269 campers to a time apart, when they could play, grow, and learn about faith.
Here are a few of the lessons learned from campers both big and small.
Jesus connects us with God. Cameron (age 9) couldn’t say enough good things about the food, especially the chicken tenders, but also had this to say about faith “The curtain split in half when Jesus was on the cross.”
Girls are superheroes too. When asked what he learned about following Jesus, Henry (age 9) told the story of Rahab, who hid the Israelite spies in her roof, so the king of Jericho couldn’t find them.
Younger siblings have been messing with their older siblings’ stuff since time immemorial. Zander (age 10) said “I learned a lot of stuff in the Old Testament. There were 2 brothers, one was gonna get the inheritance. The other brother overheard the conversation and came back disguised as his brother.”
The lost can be found. Jeremiah, age 15, shared “I learned that once you’re lost you can always be found. When the sheep is lost, the shepherd finds him.”
Faith is a way of life. Levi, age 14, when asked what he loved about camp, first raved about the biscuits, “Amazing biscuits! Incredible biscuits. I’ll talk about the biscuits.” But then he shifted gears and said “I’ve just been able to fall into better habits of living. I can take up the trash [for my table].”
Community matters. Liv, age 17, has been coming to Gretna Glen since she was 4, her mom was a camper before her said that most powerful thing for her was “Every year, coming back knowing that you have a community to support you and your belief in life.”
“I belong. I have a place in this world. I am loved by God,” shared Rachel Fray, who is currently the Hospitality manger at Gretna Glen, but also former day camper and counselor.”
God provides. “God always shows up. At every turn. When things are tight. We stress from August 16th on, are we going to have enough?” shared Operations Director, Dan Kirby. “God shows up every time. Without fail. An old camper will reach out, right when we need something.”
A week at camp makes a lasting impression. Many of the campers come year after year, making camp its own kind of faith community. Sarah Voran, a staff member, shared “Gretna Glen has really shown me what true Christian community looks like. We have an environment where campers and counselors can come and be shown Christ’s true love. That’s what’s kept me coming since 1999.”
Faith comes to life when we put it into practice, Apryl Miller, Executive Director of Gretna Glen, shared that camp has “taught her how truly real our faith is. Seeing it in action. I can read about it, I can listen about it, I can literally see it physically happening in the walk and talk and the life changes we see happen in our campers and ourselves.”
Camping ministry creates space for campers great and small to put their faith into action and experience a kind of belonging that is found in few other places. All this is God’s work happening. May we remember the lessons that we learned at camp, and other formational faith communities, and may those lessons, take root and blossom as we move from summer into the rhythms of fall.