The Importance of Summer Camp

The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer which means Summer is finally approaching. This means that Summer camps are right around the corner as well. There are a lot of Summer camps out there that you can send your youth group to, but the one that I have always gone to is Crossroads Summer Camp. I could go on and on about how much fun I had as a teenager those weeks, but that wouldn’t answer the question why you should go to summer camp. Here are three main reasons why I think that you and your youth should go:

Truth

Summer camps provide a chance for youth to hear the Gospel truth in a different way than they probably have before. Speakers share their personal stories, counselors share with students, questions are encouraged, and, most importantly, the Gospel is presented. After hearing the truth presented many times over in church services in a similar fashion, it can become something that goes in one ear and out the other. In this way, the Gospel is presented in ways that are more relative and relatable to teenagers.

Community

There is nothing like getting together with some of your closest friends and spending a week in a college dorm. To add on to that, camp counselors can be pretty fun! Crossroads encourages their summer staff to build relationships with your students and to really get to know them. Dorm time at night is a great time to do that. It is after the service and a perfect chance for questions to be asked and conversations to happen. It also encourages community and fellowship within your youth group. I created many memories with the girls in the youth. There was a year where we did a skit for the dorm talent show night, times where several us got up early each morning to read the devotion together, and all the card games that were played on the floor. It’s memories like that that I’ll hang on to forever.

Opportunity

The last point I’d like to make is that it is an opportunity for students to bring along their friends who don’t know Jesus. I was one of those kids who got dragged along by a friend and got to hear the Gospel clearly presented for what felt like the first time ever. It was a couple summers later at Crossroads Summer Camp that I indeed fell in love with the Gospel and had people around me that could encourage me in my Christian walk.

While this is only three reasons, I feel like these are three good reasons for why you should go to summer camp. It’s not just a week away for your youth to have fun, but it’s even more than that. Yes, it is fun, and there are a lot of things to do at a summer camp, but they’ll create lasting memories, build friendships, and hear the saving message of Jesus Christ.