I confess. I once hated youth camp. After all, I broke my hip at a youth camp and now have a piece of titanium driven into my femur because of it (we won the game, but I lost the wrestling match. It wasn’t worth it). In addition, I had seen enough stupid games, weird stuff eaten by students treated like VBS children rather than young adults, and silly songs at camp to do me for a thousand Hindu reincarnated lives. I did a camp where the “worship leader” sang a song about maggots, which pretty much did me in for a season.
I guess I figured that when one of our children went to a basketball or volleyball camp they should come back from camp knowing more about the sport and more excited about playing it. How much more should students return from youth camp knowing more about Christ and desiring to serve Him more? Yet it seemed to me camp sometimes actually served to get in the way of that.
But I have been reformed in my thinking. I think one can do a youth camp that challenges students, that teaches them, and that helps them to live for Jesus more. I am not a killjoy; I believe recreation is a good thing, and I have been known to be silly at times. But these are serious times, and this generation of students appears to me to be ridiculously underchallenged and overly activity-driven. So this year I am speaking at seven youth camps (this is week five of seven). And at this point I have one thing to say: I LOVE THIS! Each camp is unique, and so far God has spoken at all. Here are some things I have observed this year which show me how valuable camp can be:
1. Worship. Students today love to worship corporately. They have music in their lives at every turn–on their ipod or car stereo, in the mall or restaurant, and so it is not surprising that they love to sing as well. That is why I insist on bringing with me the band who leads worship. I have worked enough with bands I do not know. I do not think assaulting silly band members helps me to be a better preacher ?. I love having a rapport with those with whom I form a team. I am well aware of the importance of great worship on my preaching (I am not that great of a preacher and need all the help I can get). I can say without reservation that one of the highlights of the camps this summer has been the worship leadership of Chad Lister (camps 1-4, 7) and Jeff Capps (camps 5-6). If you are looking for someone to lead at your camp next summer I can give you names of leaders of these camps so you can hear from them how great worship has been. By the way, we sing hymns a good bit also. We do not try to sing songs; we try to sing truth.
2. The Word. I am a teacher. So I love to teach. I am not the great harvester some are gifted to be. If I speak at a camp with 500 I will not likely see 300 get saved. I am not that guy, and I am content with who God made me. Every camp we have seen students saved, and I have loved leading students to Christ personally. But I love TEACHING students about God, about themselves, and how to live out the gospel in their lives. My strong suit is to challenge those who love Jesus to be radicals. I guess that is why I teach at seminary! I will speak something like 45-50 times to students and leaders in all these camps, and it is a great honor to do so. I will not speak to them like they are in grade school, but I will challenge them to live boldly for Jesus NOW.
3. Zeal. I love the zeal and passion of students. To be honest, though some days I get sidetracked, most days I am every bit as excited to live for Jesus as I was when I first met Him! I love to be around students who are hungry. I love to hear their stories, see their tears, encourage their dreams, and push them to change. I pray for those who are walking toward Jesus and away from addictions in their life–girls who cut themselves, guys who battle lust, students who are so underchallenged they do not even realize how addicted they are to mediocrity. I honestly speak at camps for one main reason–for that one or two or more who will REALLY get it, those who will lay down their lives for the gospel. God can do more with a few like that than with hundreds for whom Jesus is a religious pastime. This summer I have met enough young people who want God to write a new legacy, who want to change their world, to encourage me for another summer! We do not need to squelch their passion–we need to channel it toward things that matter.
4. Family. I do not do camps alone. I am gone a ton, and my family puts up with an awful lot given my ridiculous schedule. I am so grateful God has given Josh both the ability to play drums and the wisdom to know he does so as a means of ministering to students. He is playing in every camp, and I would not have it any other way. Speakers like me have to make decisions about the events they do and those they do not based on some criteria, and for me family is a big part of it. Hannah, though only 16, helped with recreation at the Missouri Super Summers and was such a great blessing they wanted to hire her (not to mention her mad photography skills). She is at five of the camps this summer. Michelle, who actually enjoys a little peace and quiet when the rest of us are away at camp (it is never so peaceful at my house!), is also at three camps, including this one. I could not do all I do without such an amazing wife. I often prayed for our children as they were growing up that they would not hate ministry or resent my time given to it; not only do they not hate it, they embrace it, and love to minister! Given that this generation is at many levels a fatherless one, it makes an impact in the lives of many to see the camp pastor interacting with his family.
5. Adult workers. At most camps I also speak to the adult workers, especially at the larger camps with many churches. I love that as much as I love speaking to the students (I am a teacher after all). I love speaking to parents as a parent, speaking to student pastors about raising the bar, and challenging them all to be missional, to be about the gospel in their student ministries. I see a great unrest toward the status quo of student ministry. Most recognize we are not raising up a generation ready to step out and step up for Christ, and most also are ready to do something about that.
There are many other reasons, which do not necessarily include the camp food, the mosquitoes, sleeping in beds other than my own, missing my back porch at home, and the fatigue (I do take a lot of naps). I do not enjoy the occasional adult worker who seems intent on being the bad cop who incessantly corrects students but rarely encourages (hint: do not invite them back next time). I do not enjoy that high school guy who is so cool (he thinks) that he stays disconnected the whole week. Note: I have met thousands of students-he is really not that cool. Part of me does not like the sleepless nights (like last night) where my heart is SO heavy to see God break through in mighty power, knowing that no matter how hard I preach and seek to have a Word from God, ultimately some will choose not to change. I said part of me does not like that, but part of me does, because I really like to be in a position of humble dependence on a Most High God.
I guess the main reason I love youth camps is because they challenge me. I could easily choose to speak only at events I find to be easy. Speaking to pastors, to my peers, and preaching in churches is not so hard. But connecting with and challenging a younger generation takes much prayer, study, and focus. I like needing Jesus. And I like helping students see that they need Him too.
