Here is a report from camp director Mark Yandt on GCI-Canada’s Camp Connections.
Camp Connections 2017 in Ontario was a huge success. We had three sessions: the four-night Junior Camp with 27 participants (ages 7-11) served by a staff of 17; the six-night Senior Camp with 41 participants (ages 12-18) served by a staff of 25; and the Leadership in Training (LIT) program, which ran concurrently with the Senior Camp with 10 participants (age 16+). I can’t say enough about the volunteers who ran these programs—their efforts blow me away year after year!
The camp teaching curriculum was themed around the idea of “mysteries.” When it comes to understanding God and our faith, God’s mysteries are intended to intrigue us, not confound us. We talked about Paul’s description of the gospel as the “mystery of godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16) and how it seems beyond comprehension that an all-powerful entity would suffer a mortal existence, allowing himself to be ridiculed, beaten and crucified. We also explored why God chose to bring us salvation the way he did. The camp chaplain put together a summary of each chapel along with some questions—some were asked during the chapel and a few were used to help stimulate dorm-time discussions.
It’s worth noting the success of Camp Connections efforts over the last few years to partner with various community agencies in serving the youth of surrounding communities by providing them with access to our camp. Doing so gives us a great opportunity to share the good news and to wrap vulnerable individuals in loving community.
