The dim rays of the rising sun are just starting to peek through the oaks and moss. A slight breeze is rustling the fallen leaves on the ground, as gentle footsteps fall on the winding concrete pathway. Slowly and gently they go, almost as if unsure of their way. The walker moves slowly, winding his way through the labyrinth. The prayer labyrinth is designed to slow people down, to force reflection and contemplation of the future. Nestled into the Life Enrichment Center at camp, it is an unassuming feature that always tends to draw the people in need of it most.
Yet, at some point, the labyrinth ends, and you must exit back into the world that you left.
Not unlike the labyrinth, the kids are getting ready to leave camp.
They’ve been in a place of reflection and contemplation at camp, but now it is time to go.
As camp winds down, the staff finds ways to provide closure to the week. We’ve been having the kids start the journaling process, so they can start getting their thoughts out. The camp has also provided a commitment card, to let the kids express where they are in their faith journey, and how we might help them move forward. These commitment cards will be shared with the youth pastor later this summer.
Today, they also wrote a
“Letter to myself.”
The goal of this letter is so that, a couple weeks, months, or years down the road, they can recall the memories they had at camp. Hopefully, this will also show them how they have grown in the meantime.
We also talked about the great commission, which is found in Matthew 28:16-20 (read it here), and what that means for their life outside of camp. This is a good reminder to all of us, that we have a job to do, and we are authorized to do it!
The high school kids have another opportunity presented to them: how to continue on with the church and camp once they have graduated. They will hear from the head of the Wesley Foundation, which runs Methodist communities on college campuses. You can find out more information about them by clicking here. They will also hear about the process that is involved if they would like to become a camp counselor once they graduate! Most of the counselors here are students that loved camp so much that they decided to stay. If you’d like to know more about the camp and the entire site, click here
Finally… they’ll all get the send-off party!
The week is closed, but their journey continues. Help them continue to grow in their faith at home. Nurture their positive relationships. Keep them involved! Camp is great fun, but the true value of it will be them taking the next step in their journey.
See you next year!
Many Blessings,
Jon
