Important
Aspects of the Small-Group Summer Camping Program at CAMP BETHEL:Camp Bethel: Mission Statement and Summer Program Philosophy
Statement of Purpose for Camp Bethel: Our Mission:
Camp Bethel is a ministry of the Church of the Brethren that seeks to foster and build relationships with the Creator, with others, and with creation. This ministry is realized through two efforts, our Christian camping program and the availability of our facilities to all people. The camping program includes the study of the Bible and encourages growth in interpersonal relationships, faith in God, and Christian fellowship. Focus is placed on small group camping, while emphasizing the creation and growth of an intentional Christian community. Our program offers progression into more adventure-based experiences for older campers, encouraging campers to return year after year.
Program with Purpose! Summer Camps at Camp Bethel: Our Philosophy:
Important
Aspects of the Small-Group Summer Camping Program at CAMP BETHEL:A culmination of 79 years of Christian camping and 50 years of small-group camping philosophy
Every aspect of the small-group summer camping program follows a common function. The small-group philosophy centers on what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ, (from 1 Corinthians 12). Our function, (also stated as our Mission), is for each camper to gain a better understanding of their part in Christ’s Body and for each to develop a relationship with the Creator, with others, and with creation. Form follows function. Eight key aspects of our summer camp form are as follows.
1. Small Group Emphasis:
10-12 campers and 2-4 counselors combine to make a unit (small group); low camper to counselor ratio; campers develop significant relationships with mature adult Christian counselors and with one another; group does “everything” together all week; there is NO individual free, unsupervised time; high supervision and safety with low accident rate; family/community building.
2. Sanctity of the Small Group:
Each unit (group) plans their own week on the Program Board; units are not disturbed in their “body-building” process; units interact with other units only at appropriate times, (ex: whole camp eats most meals together; large group games and special all camp evening activities; Units will not do the challenge course with another unit, and they will not camp out together.); every camper’s location is known at all times by the Program Director because of the Program Board.
3. Experiential Christian Education:
More time is spent living and doing things together as Christians than is spent listening to lecture; Christian truths are learned by activity supported by Bible study, worship, and camp curriculum; relationships with counselors and volunteers and activities are the foundations of the campers’ learning’s; age-appropriate Christian education goals; creative metaphor with Biblical back-up; daily Bible use; most activities have applicable scriptural/Christian metaphor and meaning; nightly worship in both large and small groups; counselors constantly seek the “teachable moment”.
4. Emphasis on Stewardship of God’s Creation:
Nature study and Bible study are BOTH forms of God’s revelation of love; low-impact site camping; active participation and interaction with God’s creation; the supporting facility should exemplify good stewardship with efforts to recycle/compost and purchase “Earth friendly” supplies; activities are more inclined to involve interaction with the camp setting, (ex: hiking as opposed to kickball; “Home-in—the-Woods” as opposed to playground); we do things at camp you CAN’T do in other settings; we have 470 acres of forests, fields, ponds, creeks, trails, and hills... we use them!
5. The Small Group’s Dynamics and Make-up:
(We like Turkmen's model:) Each small-group goes through a week-long process that involves:
Forming: individuals become a group (1st night and 1st few days)
Norming: group interactions take on patterns, styles, codes and “norms”
Storming: any group difficulties eventually come out into the open
Performing: problems confronted; group realizes their potential and functions as the Body of Christ
Reforming: returning to the “real” world
Heterogeneous grouping and inclusion as upheld by our involvement with scholarship campers and Special Needs campers.
6. Progression of Programs:
Each age level offers a new and more challenging/exciting program; this makes for long-term constituency; age-group efficacy and target marketing; trip-camping and “out” camping support this progression. Promotional language should reflect this progression.
7. Family Style Meals and Cook-Out Program:
Meals are not just a “get-them-in, feed them, get-them-out” time; meals are a major part of the Experiential Christian Education each camper receives; family style manners/values/expectations; table fellowship similar to Christ’s; Cook-out teaches self-sufficiency and basic cooking skills; Cook-out provides for greater small group sanctity.
8. Camping (to camp) implies a VERB and implies ACTION:
We believe there should be EFFORT required at camp to provide for one’s daily needs, (food, shelter, clean bathrooms, set tables, etc.). When entering into this type of setting, a deeper sense of our own creativity emerges. We experience the closeness of living with and caring for ourselves and others, analogous to the community of early Christians described in 1st Corinthians 12.
Camp Bethel has reached a critical and exciting point in its ministry. We are beginning Master Site Planning which will determine the form of the future Camp Bethel. Under our management, we want our mission to be on the “cutting edge” of Outdoor Ministry. Examples:
To that end, we want Camp Bethel to be an obvious and positive example of universal, unconditional Christian love, enlightened, educated stewardship of creation, and what the Church has to offer a needy world.
Statement of Purpose & Philosophies
for Christian Camping:
Three-Fold Purpose of Church Camps:
1. Offer a risen Savior through our outreach ministry to all persons, as we seek to establish Christ’s best in outdoor Christian education and evangelism.
2. Establish a place of beauty and tranquility that all might find a safe and accessible sanctuary for spiritual and physical enrichment.
3. Offer a complete program and/or facility to all whom would seek an area in which Christian education in the outdoors is lifted up in a loving and professional manner.
Objectives of the Camping Experience:
As part of the program of the Church of the Brethren, Camp Bethel should contribute in a unique way to the camper’s growing awareness of God and God’s creative process and the camper’s commitment to Christ through development of:
1. Purpose and ability to live (think, speak and work) as a Christian.
2. A Christian sense of values through simple living.
3. Understanding of an ability to participate in a Christian community.
4. Self-reliance and dependability; a newer, stronger sense of self-worth.
5. Appreciation and respect for all persons.
6. An understanding of Christian fellowship as inclusive rather than exclusive.
7. Understanding and skill in worship.
8. Skill and enjoyment in living outdoors and in the Christian care of natural resources.
We’re a Good Church Camp, Aren’t We? Though we have all the skills of camp craft, and a great fondness of nature lore, without love we cannot be good counselors in church camping. And though we know psychology and the principles of group dynamics and how to motivate people, without a deep respect for each camper and each other we cannot share God’s love. And though we develop the best programs and keep the kids busy and happy from morning ‘till night, but fail to involve them in the planning, we rob them of their chance to grow in responsibility and self-respect as Sons and daughters of God. For the “plus” in Christian camping is the shared knowledge that in this woodsy place, in common tasks and joys of living together, in the laughter and the problems of the day, we are the Body of Christ, His followers and friends, committed to the fellowship of His service in all the tasks and relationships of life. -Mary Alice D. Edwards
Philosophy of Church Camping:
Camping is a vital part of the church’s total mission. By its very nature, camping affords unique living and learning opportunities to persons of all ages. Camping compliments the year-round work of the local church as it ministers to its members and reaches out to touch lives of others who are not directly involved in the life of the local church.
Church camping involves persons in a significant way with the natural, outdoor surroundings and is characterized by a balance between outdoor and indoor experiences. Uncomplicated living in the natural environment provides a setting conducive to the development and practice of the Christian spirit. Through the action/reflection process, so natural to a camp setting, campers come to deeper understandings of God’s word. Campers are involved in activities which evoke praise of God and which help them discover the will of God.
Group living, 24 hours a day, provides opportunities for living in and experiencing a Christian community. A mature Christian counselor, sensitive to the needs of each camper, provides necessary guidance to help campers explore God’s world and God’s word and test its implications for their lives.
Church camping provides an away-from-home experience with everyday situations and distractions left behind. Such a setting is conducive to new and maturing growth experiences for staff and campers.
Church camping, in establishing a Christian community, provides opportunities for persons from diverse backgrounds to develop understanding and appreciation for each other, and to discover and explore the meaning of reconciliation. In such a community, personal relationships are faced, and the use and abuse of all of the created order becomes real. The responsibility that each person had for others has new meaning and persons are encouraged to accept or strive for his or her own place in the totality of created order.
Church camping accepts its responsibility to provide a quality program, safe facilities, and to utilize practices which are honest and professional. It also recognizes its obligation to cooperate with related disciplines in the constant process of self-evaluation. While recognizing its relationship to the larger field of camping, staff cannot lose sight of the unique mission of Christ’s church in expressing God’s reconciling and redeeming love to a broken world through church camping.
(From a report to a camp future planning committee from Rev. Gary Heaton, camp ministry “guru” and long time friend…)
When you say “camp,” what do you think of?
For me the “camp” in camping ministry is an intentional, experiential encounter with creation. Intentionally providing an opportunity for participants to erect shelter, prepare food, or just keep warm, is an essential part of what it means to “camp.” Camping also implies action and effort: it is not a spectator sport. Participants must interact with the ground or environment, experiencing both struggle and harmony with the elements. When the church sets out to do these things as a Christian education tool, camping ministry begins.
As part of the long range planning for [this camp], I wish to share with you my perspective on camping ministry. Camping means different things to different people: retreats; day-use recreation; picnics; etc. I wish here to discuss the use of [your camp] as a site for church program camping, such as the summer youth camp: the case in which the district provides a program as well as a site to further the church’s ministry.
You may choose any degree of intensity for program camping. Perhaps the most intensive manifestation of camping is trip camping, such as backpacking or canoeing. These trip camps require total immersion into the wilderness, total self-reliance, and a great deal of competency to practice safely. A lower degree of intensity is found in temporary site camping. This level is best exemplified in our [overnight camp outs]. This type of activity, when supplemented with adventure activities, can provide much of the same benefits as trip camping. Another degree lover in intensity is the cabin camping. This camping provides many of the sights and sounds of the camping experience, with fewer risks, more comfort, and ready access to electricity and water. Another level is the dormitory camping where housing is fairly conventional, but daily activities are outside.
These are the settings. Over the years, different summer camp directors have used a variety of these settings. Our choice of setting directly relates to our goals of church camping and our beliefs about how church camping is effective. Our goal is to provide a fun, safe, outdoor experience, which will foster and nurture Christian faith growth in young people. Some of our beliefs or philosophies about how church camping can accomplish that goal are as follows.
1. CREATION ITSELF: The main curriculum for camping ministry is the out-of-doors, the environment. God has used the wonders of nature as a tool for self-expression for longer than any book of religion or prophet. God speaks and teaches using methods that strike basic chords deep in our souls. Camping ministry provides that forum by insuring the availability of ground, real estate, “a place apart” where people can draw close to creation (Psalm 19). It is not done in the local church building, or on a blacktop, or where streetlights obscure the view of the stars. A health Christian faith requires one to look outside one’s self and consider and care for others. One facet of this “looking beyond one’s self” is an emphasis on caring for our environment and natural resources, and viewing ourselves as good stewards of the world God created for us. This is why we want to go to the trouble of recycling, for example.
2. HUMAN EFFORT: Camping is a verb; it implies action. An essential element of what it means to camp is the implied effort required to provide for one’s basic needs. When entering into a natural setting, effort is put into filling basic needs (food, shelter, bathrooms, etc.) and a deeper sense of our own creativeness emerges. We are filled with wonder and amazement, not only at God’s handiwork in nature, but at God’s work in creating ourselves. We are indeed “wonderfully made” (Psalm 139). People, children learn best by experiencing: by doing, action, and involvement. We put campers in small groups to experience the closeness of living and caring for other people, analogous to the community of early Christians described in 1st Corinthians 12:12.
3. THE WILDERNESS: AN UNFAMILIAR SETTING: Going camping puts us in a place outside our routine. We find ourselves a bit more vulnerable to unexpected or unfamiliar happenings. Being in the wilderness opens us up to new learning and new relationships. Engaging in activities such as camping, hiking, challenge course, and other adventure activities helps us to shed many of the masks which we need to function in our normal daily routines. This vulnerability creates uniquely fertile ground for growth and openness to life-changing revelations and relationships. Intentionally creating this teachable moment and passing on the faith through a loving, personal relationship is the magic of Christian camping.
These are a few of the more important points I consider when I think about why our district bothers to offer a camping ministry for young people. Our decisions in [study of our camp] impact directly on whether we continue to develop and offer this ministry in the district. Do we value this ministry? Does the district own acreage for the purpose of providing a ministry of this type, or is the summer camp program just another paying client to the facility?
Specifics of Our Summer Camps:
Ages & Grades: “Tenderfoot” Mini-Campers: Ages 5-8, rising 1st-3rd graders.
Elementary Campers: Ages 9-11, rising 4th-6th graders.
Junior High (Adventure and Resident) Campers: Ages 12-14, rising 7th-9th graders.
Senior High (Adventure/Trips and Resident) Campers: Ages 13-17, rising 8th-12 graders.
Some Stats: Why Christian Camping is a VITAL part of Youth Development:
Of the 65 million Americans under age 18:
20% live in poverty.
400 teenage girls become mothers daily (66% are unmarried). Only 60% of these teen moms will earn their GED.
22% live in single-parent homes.
2750 children experience a parent divorce daily.
Over half of all Caucasian children and 3/4 of African American children will live for some time in a single-parent home.
An average of 4 children die from injuries inflicted by abusive parents daily.
90 children a day are taken from their parents’ custody and put into an overburdened foster care system.
Over 1,300,000 children are latch-key kids for much of their day.
The typical 14 year old watches 3 hours of TV daily to 1 hour of homework.
During the average school day, more than 2200 kids drop out.
Daily 500 children ages 10-14 begin using drugs, and more than 1000 start drinking alcohol. Almost 3000 begin smoking.
Leading causes of death for Caucasian 15-19 year olds: 1. vehicle crashes; 2. suicide; 3. homicide by guns.
Leading cause of death for African American 15-19 year olds: 1. homicide by guns.
Camp Goals for Our Campers:
To provide an experience of Christian community in which:
1. Campers are valued as God’s creation and helped to understand and appreciate their worth in relationship to God, other persons and the whole of the created order.
2. Campers develop understanding and acceptance of their role of responsibility as stewards for the world and disciples of Christ.
3. Campers develop new understanding of Christian teaching and principles through participation in the community.
4. Campers with varying backgrounds, including those outside the church, are included, welcomed and made to feel the oneness experienced in the Christian community.
5. Campers are given the opportunity to express praise to God, to discern God’s will and to make steps toward realizing their potential as children of God.
6. Campers are guided by trained, experienced, mature Christian counselors who are sensitive to the needs of the campers.
7. Campers are given the opportunity to participate in varied kinds of worship and Bible study which contribute to their growth.
8. Campers are encouraged to reflect creatively upon the activities in which they participate.
9. Campers are given a new perspective on life through the experience of being away from home in a new, challenging and accepting environment.
10. Campers have the opportunity to have a wholesome and happy time.
11. Campers gain new knowledge, attitudes, skills, and understandings which will be of use to them in their churches, homes and communities.
12. Campers are given the opportunity to have a creative and re-creative experience in the out-of-doors and to develop a deeper understanding of God’s purposes as discoveries are made about God’s work in nature and God’s work in their lives.
Our Responsibilities to Campers:
Parents don’t send their children to camp JUST because it’s a church camp. They are looking for quality Christian experiences. As staff, it is your task to insure that your job is done in such a quality way that it always reflects the spirit of Christ. As your top performance is added to that of other staff, it means that we have the kind of experience that our campers expect and deserve.
We take seriously our task at camp to provide quality, growing Christian programs and services for each of our campers. the following six items are essential if we are to achieve that goal.
As a result of an experience at Camp Bethel, each camper (and staff) shall…
1. Return home unscathed, healthy and happy. (Keep ‘em safe; check ‘em; tend to ‘em.)
2. Know that he or she is loved. (Agape or Godly love.)
3. Learn something positive. (Camping is learning. Campers should learn about themselves, others, and their world.)
4. Experience growth through adventure. (Away from the world; beyond their usual routine; new and different living.)
5. Have opportunity to make important decisions. (Planning their days; faith decisions; life decisions.)
6. Have a joyful experience and make lifelong memories. (Pure joy! Expectations & staff attitude; joy is contagious!)
Five Key Elements for Quality Children’s Programming:
1. Assure parents on first day that their child is in good care. Stand and introduce yourself; make eye contact; offer your hand in greeting; ask if they have specific questions about the week; ask if there is anything you should know that is not on the camper card or health form. Involve parents!
2. Make campers feel welcome and involve them from the start.
3. Create a camper-friendly environment. Be sure they know where to pee, and where we eat, and what’s expected, and that you will take good care of them.
4. Encourage your campers’ creativity, not just during Craft time. Draw, paint, dance, sing, act… PLAY!
5. Increase activity by decreasing the waiting time. Transition time is BAD!
since 1/26/04