Lessons From Camp
I recently had the privilege of taking a group of kids from my churches to summer church camp. There were six of us in total. I loved going to church camp as a kid, and it turns out that not much has changed for me as an adult.
I wanted to share a few lessons I was reminded of while we were at camp.
Belonging Matters
Our Bodies Matter
Worship That Speaks to Your Soul Matters
Joy & Fun Matter
Belonging Matters
When we got to camp, the first thing we did was play a game. The main point of the game was to learn each other’s names. I’m sometimes terrible with names, and the importance of being called by name can slip past me. But I was reminded just how powerful it is to be known—and to be known by name.
Children are sometimes easier to learn from because they don’t hide much from the world. When the group remembered a child’s name, that child would stand a little taller, visibly more invested in the game.
Lesson: When we are known and called by name, we know we are part of a community—we know we belong.
Our Bodies Matter
There was this mysterious window of time in the afternoon—from about 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.—when more kids started crying. They were homesick, or hurt by normal social interactions. Later, after 9:00 p.m., emotions would spike again, even for the kids who had been cheerful all day.
I was reminded that the care and keeping of our bodies matters. When the kids were hungry, their emotions got bigger. When they were tired, their emotions got bigger. When we’re not nourished or rested, we’re not our best selves.
This sounds simple, but really—I don’t know a single adult who doesn’t push themselves or feel guilty for not being their best when they’re physically exhausted or undernourished.
Lesson: When we are hungry or tired, our emotions feel bigger. We need rest and food to be our best.
True Worship Matters
Whether you attend church worship on Sundays or commune with God in a fishing boat, how you worship matters.
At camp, I saw kids come to life—singing, dancing, and connecting with God in ways I hadn’t seen in years of knowing them. For some, this meant sitting quietly in the woods. For others, it meant lively music, songs they actually liked, and movements that helped them fully engage.
As humans, we have this deep need to offer ourselves in worship—to give our adoration to something greater than ourselves. It’s hard not to be in awe when you see a beautiful sunset, breathe in mountain air, or listen to waves crashing on the shore.
Lesson: We need worship that speaks to our souls.
Joy and Fun Matter
Joy and fun matter—for kids and adults. And honestly, the more frivolous the fun, the better.
One of the camp activities was mud ga-ga ball. If you’re unfamiliar, picture dodgeball in a mud pit. Now add a shaving cream fight as the other option.
By the end of the activity, the kids were covered in both mud and shaving cream, with enormous smiles on their faces. They were disgusting—and beyond happy. I watched one girl get “out” in ga-ga ball, but she had the chance to redeem herself if she dove into the mud. She slid across six feet of sludge and stood up grinning from ear to ear. Her whole body lit up with the fun and joy she was experiencing.
We adults forget to play. We forget to give ourselves joy and fun.
Lesson: Everyone needs joy and fun—just like sleep, food, and water. It’s a necessity for happy, healthy humans.
Take a moment right now:
Do you have social spaces where you are known by name?
Are you rested? Are you nourished?
When did you last worship in a way that spoke to your soul?
When did you last experience pure, unadulterated, frivolous fun?
If the answer to any of these is “no” or “I don’t remember,” take yourself to mini-church camp today. Give yourself these human necessities. You deserve them. You need them.
