I’ve always loved attending camp. Not camping, mind you, but going to camp. As a kid, teenager, young mom, and even older mom, the opportunity to pull away from the daily distractions to be in the midst of God’s creation, and be reminded of what really matters has always been powerful to me. I actually met Jesus at camp, and I’ve never been the same since.
It was the summer of 1980, and I was attending our church’s Jr. High youth camp. As an 8th grader and teenager of the 80’s, I was no stranger to the middle school drama thrust upon so many girls my age. But, camp was an immediate refuge. One afternoon following a worship session, I found myself desiring to be alone, by the stream running through camp. That is where I felt God’s presence. It was in that place, by the running water, that I knew God wanted me to know Him personally. I had been attending church for as long as I could remember, but it was there at camp that I heard God’s voice so clearly. It was there and then that I decided to no longer be a cultural Christian who only knew about God, but rather someone who was going to run hard to pursue a relationship with Jesus.
Now, many years later, I still have a passion for camp and how God works to reveal Himself through camp. Times have definitely changed since the 80’s. Life seems to have sped up and our phones, gaming and social media are vying for our kids’ attention. The culture is influencing them like never before. And, if we want the next generation to impact the world for Christ, ministry to reach our youth is needed today more than ever. The statistics are alarming. It is estimated that 40 million young people in the US, who were raised in Christian homes, could walk away from a life with Jesus by 2050. Two-thirds (66%) of young adults who regularly attended church as a teenager dropped out between the ages of 18 and 22.
Cutting through the noise and pressures to help our children feel seen, known, and loved is critical. I often like to say that Jesus invented camp. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of Jesus withdrawing from the crowds and into the wilderness to pray, and often inviting His disciples to follow, setting the example for us.
Pine Cove exists to inspire campers to walk intimately with Jesus and equip our college summer staff to change the world. As a Christ-centered, others-focused, and seriously-fun summer camp, kids hear the Gospel. Partners like Amy Simmons Crafton’s AmazingGrace.Life ministry has allowed us to present the Gospel and provide scholarships to many underprivileged campers here in the U.S. and Latin America. Through camp and AmazingGrace.Life’s written resources, lives have changed for eternity. Amy met Jesus while at camp, and I am grateful that we are now locking arms to reach so many children for Christ!
By Susan Andreone, Pine Cove