Rebecca Davis

AFA Journal staff writer

June 2014 – “There is no telling what a life might become or what someone might do if, for the first time, they have an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and/or grow in their faith,” said Gregg Hunter, president and CEO of the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA). 

He firmly believes young people receive such opportunities at Christian summer camps scattered throughout the country.

“I think it’s important for parents to realize that camping is as relevant today as it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago when it was perhaps more popular,” he said. 

Hunter leads an association that has a membership of more than 800 non-denominational Christian camps and conference centers across the U.S. The CCCA functions to maximize the ministry for its members by providing training, fellowship and educational events so that they can become more effective than they already are. 

“What we want to do is to encourage more people, more parents, more youth leaders – more people with decision-making ability for what kids do with at least one week in their summer – to be aware of how valuable camp can be,” Hunter explained. 

Benefits of camp
Christian summer camps provide a temporary community for young people. Camp gives students the chance to leave their daily surroundings, habits, pressures and ruts and become a part of a community where they can more clearly evaluate their relationships with God. Escaping their daily routines allows campers to focus on what’s really important including the people right in front of them. 

Relationships are key to the summer camp experience. 

“Everything is done through relationships,” said Gloria Hampe, director of the host family program for JH Ranch, a summer camp in the mountains of northern California with a mission to teach and model what it means to love God and love others. 

“Our programs [for children and adults] are designed to occur in an undistracted environment where we help our guests find personal relevance in knowing God while restoring and strengthening the relationships that are central for Christian growth,” she explained. 

“Most Christian camps still require a disconnect from technology when campers come in,” Hunter said, “[because] there is value in building community within camp.”

Bill Bradford is a pastor, father and former counselor at Alpine Camp for Boys, located atop Lookout Mountain in northern Alabama. It’s a camp that fosters community and independence while encouraging boys to grow in their relationships with Christ. Bradford and his wife make it a priority to send their son to Alpine Camp every summer. 

“He appreciates not using electronics for the month,” Bradford said of his son’s disconnect from technology. “He has a blast without it. It loosens his attachment to it when he gets back. 

“We think being plugged in and distracted by electronics all the time hinders us from being thoughtful in our relationship with the Lord, focused on getting to know other people, and active in learning new skills,” Bradford added. 

A young man who attended the Missouri-based Kanakuk Kamps echoed Bradford’s words:

“I like Kanakuk because it was a great opportunity to get away from all of the world and its influences,” he said. “It was a relief not to have to worry about drama or socializing or the media. I loved being able to relax, be myself and enjoy the atmosphere of being surrounded by great-hearted people who are trying to live their lives for God.” 

Kanakuk Kamps use over 70 sports and activities to provide the premium summer camp experience for both boys and girls by helping them grow more confident in whom God created them to be. Like most other summer camps, Kanakuk incorporates adventure into its experiences. 

Hunter believes the element of adventure allows young people to experience aspects of life they normally would not experience. Whether it’s riding horses, rappelling off the side of a mountain, balancing on a high-elements ropes course, or water skiing, campers are given the opportunity to overcome challenges in a fun way but with a specific purpose.

“The growth that campers can experience just by doing things that are out of their normal routine can really open their eyes to accomplishing great things in their lives in other areas, too,” he said.

At JH Ranch, Hampe said, “We practically apply scriptural principles in very fun and adventurous ways.”

Blessings of camp
But unfortunately, not all young people have the opportunity to go to camp. In fact, Hunter was a child who could not afford to attend camp but was given the opportunity by a woman in his local community who paid his way. 

“I only went to camp because I had a scholarship, and it changed my life,” he said. 

Hunter is quick to admit it was actually the power of God through camp that changed his life and impacted his family. A self-professed rebellious and obnoxious kid, Hunter was saved at age 17 at a summer outreach camp. 

In conjunction with his work at CCCA, he spearheads an initiative known as the Power of Camp  to raise awareness of and esteem for the Christian camp and conference experience. The Power of Camp website also provides a database of camps from which parents and prospective campers can choose. 

As part of the initiative, scholarships are provided in blocks of $125 to CCCA-membership camps to help them cover the costs of hosting a child who can’t afford to pay. 

“So if someone wants to help change the life of a kid who deserves to go to camp but can’t afford to go, they can make a contribution,” Hunter said. “Send a kid to camp.”

For many, it’s an eternal investment.  

Everything changed in the summer of ’76
“It was the summer of 1976. I was 13 years old,” recalled AFA President Tim Wildmon.

Throughout his childhood, Wildmon attended Camp Lake Stephens near Oxford, Mississippi. The annual week at camp was the highlight of his summers as a boy. He looked forward to being in the outdoors, but he also enjoyed going to the daily teaching sessions that God used to make an eternal difference in Wildmon’s life.

“One evening they presented the gospel and explained how God doesn’t have any grandchildren,” he said. “That means we all individually have to respond to the Lord. I did that, and I gave my life to Christ that night at camp.”

He came home forever changed that summer.

“I remember I was really excited,” he said. “I put the word Jesus up on my wall in my room, and I started reading my Bible more. I told my parents and everybody that I could talk to what happened to me at camp.

“I came home ready to be a real Christian and to take my faith to school and to share it with others that I came in contact with.”

As a result, Wildmon is a real proponent of Christian summer camps.

“You get kids at a young age, and you have one or two weeks to really emphasize the gospel and reinforce what they may be hearing at home or in their own churches,” he explained.  

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For help finding a camp, visit The Power of Camp or call 719-260-9400

Alpine Camp for Boys
alpinecamp.com
256-634-4404