Youth Ministry, The College Years

Since the summer of 2004, I have been a junior high youth leader at my home church, Maple City Chapel. But my involvement in youth ministry goes back at least seven years prior to that. This desire to work with youth probably stems from many positive experiences at Bible camps as a youth.

I was 11 years old when I went to Bethel Camp ( http://www.bethelcamp.org ) in the “hollars” of Eastern Kentucky. I turned 12 the day we returned. What should have been a great day turned into a humiliating one. I will spare the reader the details.

A new camp started nearby the next year. I attended Prairie Camp the next four years and then returned to Bethel Camp after my senior year. That last year proved to be a unique one. When they ran out of room for male campers in the cabins, my three friends and I were allowed to sleep unsupervised in a room behind the chapel. One night, we were being crazy teenagers and making all kinds of sounds when someone came to tell us that one of the campers had just been saved at the campfire below us. We were embarrassed but privileged to go celebrate his decision around the campfire.

My desire to return to Bethel Camp led me to be a counselor for one week during the summer after my sophomore year. Spiritually, I was a bit shaky but after that week, I knew I would like to do it again. Over the next four years, I returned twice as a counselor at the Mennonite camp. While I have not been able to return for a number of years, this camp in the hills of the Bluegrass state holds a special place in my heart.

In my final year at Moody Bible Institute, my friend Kathleen invited Moody students to help at her parents’ camp in the state of Washington. They were even willing to pay counselors. I jumped at the chance and chose to spend one month of my summer at Camp McCullough. The camp is in town but secluded by dense woods and a lake. I was impressed by the nearly seemless combination of Christian living, Bible study, teamwork and encouragement in nearly every activity. The weather was great, too, with sunny skies nearly every day and temperatures in the 70s for all but a few days of “hot” (nice) weather in the 80s.

I had a counselor-in-training named Daniel during part of my time at the camp near Tacoma. It was nice to have help especially with a 9-year-old who wet his bed nearly every night. I hope Daniel learned some Godly leadership traits as well.

My time in camp ministry prepared me to work with youth at a local level. Working with youth at a local level has led me back to camp ministry. I will talk more about that in part three later this week. In the next part, I will detail my transition into youth ministry at the church level.