Going to camp is common for lots of kids and youth across the country, but some parents are still concerned about sending their child off for a week to a church camp. We work to make it as easy as possible for a church leader to get their kids to camp. Church leaders can help parents by sharing from their experiences about what takes place at camp and how they are helping kids grow spiritually through the experience.
At CentriKid, we realize that we cannot spiritually form kids during the one week of the summer that we spend with them. It is not our role, and neither is it possible in such a short time. However we believe we can serve the church as a unique part of the spiritual growth process for kids.
Here are 4 ways that CentriKid is helping kids grow spiritually in just a week:
- The retreat setting removes distractions. Sometimes kids (and adults too!) get caught up in the normal routines of daily life. By going to camp and getting away from home, a lot of their normal entertainment options like TV, video games, and computers aren’t available. Without these distractions the kids are often more open and available to what the Lord is teaching them.
- Kids are engaged in intentional conversations. CentriKid staff are very intentional to talk about spiritual things with kids. When we are bold to bring up spiritual things and talk about the things of God, we are helping kids grow spiritually.
- Questions challenge kids to grow. Helping kids grow spiritually requires a lot of listening so we ask kids lots of questions. Kids need to think things through spiritual things and be challenged to put their answers in their own words. When they begin to articulate their faith, it helps to make it their own instead of just something they heard about.
- Leaders model attitudes and behavior. Church leaders and camp staff model the way to spend time alone with God every morning at camp. These are real people in the lives of campers who carve out quiet time with God and talk about what it means to them. Kids pick up on what their leaders talk about and how they spend their time so modeling is another way of helping kids grow spiritually.
What other methods do you employ in your church? What other ways have you seen camp helping kids grow spiritually?