We're on the Way, No Way, Way

From June 17th until the 29th I was camped out just 3 miles north of Clarence, Missouri. I was literally camped out as I leading 2 weeks of summer camp at Camp Jo-Ota. I can tell you that it was the best 2 weeks of summer camp yet. The primary reason, I believe, I can say this is that we had created a culture over 7 years that we have held fast to and improved in this time. This culture can be best described as "The Kingdom of God." Let me share some of how I think we have brought this to be. I can best share it through various stories:

1) All are Accepted: I think this is best illustrated by Gil. I've known Gil and his family for 9 years. They were the first to join the new church effort I started in St. Louis. Gil was the drummer in the band then, and still drums for Zion UMC. Gil is an excellent drummer, a mountain of a man, and a very soft spoken individual. In worship Gil has the opportunity to show off his gift for drumming. He smiles big as all the kids scream in support when he does a rousing drum solo. Gil is blind. I think Gil's handicap has contributed greatly to the campers ability to look beyond limits that other campers bring. Instead they see potential.
Jacob is another example. For 5 of our 7 years Jacob, a slightly mentally impaired young man was a regular to camp. Jacob was short and a bit pudgy but he was convinced that one day he would be the quarterback of the Mizzou Tigers, though he had never played on any team. That first year Jacob attended he wore a Spiderman shirt, his idol, for 4 days until we forced him to take a shower. One song we sang at camp had a verse that mentioned Superman. Jacob's second year at camp Tish, our keyboardist and brilliant worship leader, changed the word to Spiderman, thus cementing his status as one of the legends of camp.
This year John, a gangly and goofy teenager, told me, "This camp is the greatest thing I've ever experienced. At school people make fun of me and harass me. Here I'm accepted." That's real Kingdom of God stuff.
2) Positive Behavior Expected: One of the things I insisted on eliminating at camp was the tradition often found at camps, pranks. Pranking tears at the fabric of community rather building it up. Although I had spelled that out there was a prank one year that would prove to be the darkest point in Spirit Camp history. A female counselor and several campers snuck into the boys cabin and made off with all our towels. When I found out, I was furious. I lost my head, hopped in my car, sped to the girls cabin and angily demanded the return of the towels. My actions were way over the top, but it would still get worse. When I returned to the cabin, the tear in the fabric became clear. The boys had only one question, "How are we going to get them back?" I spoke to them about allowing revenge to be in the hands of God. Instead of revenge we would offer kindness. I convinced them to live by Romans 12:20 "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." So we served them their breakfast the next morning. Only serving to make the girls angry. Oh yeah, and we wore our towels on our heads. It was a bad call on my part and caused a rift with a couple of counselors that I regret to this day.
Today there are no pranks, hopefully we'll keep it that way. Instead we encourage doing good toward one another.
3) Worship, Lots of it, and Loud! We worship with loud rock music from when the campers first get there until we send them home. 2 worship services take place in the chapel with a band with drums, keyboard, singers, bass, congas, etc. Sometimes its raucous and sometimes its more meditative. I preach at one of the two services. At all times Christ is lifted up as the reason for our being there. We follow the scripture from the curriculum purchased by the Missouri Conference camps. It usually leads them through a week of spiritual journeying from arrival, to shaping faith and community, to returning to take the message back home.
At night we finish up with a campfire. It is always meditative and I offer a reflection on the day, the scripture, and what it might mean to them. Always encouraging a deeper commitment to being a follower of Christ.
4) Consistency: Camp wouldn't be possible if people didn't return year after year. 3 of us have done all 10 of our camps in the last 7 years. Many have done 8 or 9. Several of the counselors began as campers. In other words, there is a clear understanding of what is expected every year at Spirit Camp. That helps us be an excellent camp as we improve every year.
Not only do we have returning counselors. At the high school camp we had 23 of our 30 campers return from the prior year. Middle school saw about 13 of the 39 having camped with us before. This means they had understood the culture ahead of time as well.

I could probably come up with several other reasons for a great year, but that should suffice to explain what a great thing we have going. I hope you'll be a camper, counselor, or supporter of camps next year.