Last summer, I was a camp counselor at the best camp in the world - Camp BlueSky in Nairobi, Kenya. I fell in love with all things camp. The ministry, the fun, the competitions. But I especially fell in love with my kids. As I have been preparing for summer #2 with BlueSky, I have been thinking back on things I learned last summer about children's ministry in a camp context, and how to be a successful counselor. Here are some of my "pro" tips...
1. Relationships first-ALWAYS
When my girls are arriving and settling into camp, I make it my mission to give them the best first impression as possible. The first few minutes in the cabin are crucial when it comes to trust and respect. If the first thing they remember is a counselor fussing at them and being pushy, they will likely develop a disrespectful and resentful attitude. However, if you make them feel at home and just be their friend, things change. They listen to you, they care what you say, they respect your authority, and it just makes for a better week. One way I do this is by getting to know my campers. If they tell me their favorite song, I will sing it to them and dance like an idiot. If they tell me their favorite movie, we will talk about the plot. If they tell me about their family, I ask questions and show them pictures of mine. Being personal is always a good idea.
2. Give your undivided attention when possible
This is basically just reiterating my last point because again...relationships matter!! This one can be hard. When you are outnumbered 7 to1 or more, it is so easy to let your campers be just a number or just one of many. Campers' sense of belonging can radically impact the way they feel about their overall camp experience. So what are some practical ways to give undivided attention in a context where your attention can so easily be divided? Sit by a different child every meal and check in on their day, ask each of them what activity they enjoyed best, or sit and chat with them in the cabin while everyone else plays a game. One of my very favorite things I did last summer was what I referred to as "bedtime buddies." (Bonus tip: That's a totally lame and uncool title for pre-teens and teens, so don't let them know that's what you are calling it-lol.) During this time, I would walk around and sit by each campers' bed and have a one-on-one conversation. I would ask them their favorite and least favorite part of the day, if they were having any conflicts, and what they learned. I had 4 goals with this: 1. let them know they are loved 2. try to resolve any conflicts and 3. send them to bed thinking of the day in a positive light (bedtime is when we often get caught up in negative emotions because we actually have time to sit and think) and 4. try to get their mind back on the Gospel-what is Jesus teaching me right now? Some of my most intimate conversations happened during this time.
3. It matters most at 3 am
One last tip along the relationship lines because I really, really just can't harp on it enough. I will be the first to say...I LOVE sleep. It is honestly so easy to get annoyed when you are up with a camper in the middle of the night but I promise this is when it matters most. Camp is literally 24 hour a day ministry. I had an instance last summer where a camper woke me up at 3 am because she was homesick. This was such a special time because I was able to sit with her, talk with her, and pray with her while the rest of the girls were sleeping. In another case, I had a girl wake me up around 2 am because she accidentally wet the bed. She was mortified and had tears streaming down her face. I assured her that everything was okay and I would take care of it. I let her sit down while I changed the sheets and got rid of the old ones. At the end of the week, she came to me before she left and thanked me for dealing with the incident privately, calming her down, and making sure everything was taking care of. A whole week of fun and that was the one thing she remembered. I truly believe that her entire experience would have been drastically different had I let my sleepiness drive me to anger and frustration.
4. If it needs to be done fast-make it a competition
There were so many times where I needed my campers to accomplish things quickly. Unfortunately, "fast" is not always in the vocabulary of young girls, and even if it is, they most definitely would not pair "fast" and "effective" together in a sentence. One thing I found that truly saved the day was making things that not only needed to been done in a timely way, but also done in the correct way a competition. If there was a prize on the line, my girls would almost always do what I asked of them. One of my biggest accomplishments last summer (and I am only half-way kidding) was getting 9 girls to shower in 25 minutes with only 2 showers. I had them start outside their bedroom door and once they tagged my hand, I started the stopwatch. They would run to the bathroom, shower, put their pajamas on, and run back to tag my hand. It was actually a really fun time that really built up the atmosphere in the cabin because you know...relationships. (Disclaimer: if you use this technique, be sure your kids understand that it only counts as a shower if they use soap. I was shocked that I even had to have this conversation.)
Ok, time for some more serious tips.
5. Pray and pray often
On the first day of camp, before my campers ever arrived, I always walked around to every bed, laid my hands on it, and prayed for the child that would be sleeping there. Before I even knew the name and the face that would occupy the space, they were prayed for. I prayed for Biblical understanding, safety, fun times, and strong relationships and I prayed against homesickness, fear, anxiety, bullying, distractions, and any other schemes of the enemy. It was imperative for me that I started my weeks like this and I made sure that this time of prayer was given the top priority on my list of things to accomplish for before my girls arrived. I also dedicated a day to prayer walk all around our campus before the camp sessions began. That day will forever be in my mind as one of the most special and significant days of my life. The Lord spoke so clearly to me that day and really prepared me for what was ahead. It was also important to me to pray throughout the day. If we were coming up on a Bible study time, I made sure I was praying for attention and understanding. If I could tell one of my girls was struggling, I would pray for that. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to "pray without ceasing" and camp was where I truly learned and embraced the meaning and value of that scripture. The enemy fights hard, so we must fight harder.
6. You can never give enough grace
There is not a single instance from last summer that I look back on and think, "wow, I should have been a lot tougher on that kid." However, I can look back on a few and think, "I could've been a little bit more gracious or a little bit more patient." You will absolutely get tired. Camp is exhausting and kids have a crazy amount of energy. The campers are only there for a week, and you are probably there for a couple of months. But we have to give grace as freely as the Father has given it to us. They will not be perfect, and they may even drive you crazy at times. But how do we ultimately point people towards the Father? Imitate the Father. (Ephesians 5:1) Love like He did. Be gentle, be gracious, show mercy and compassion. We will never win souls for Christ if we live lives that are contrary to the gospel and His character.
Honestly, I could talk about camp all day long. I could think of tons of advice to give and tips to make things easier. But really all you need to remember is to value relationships, love like Jesus loved, let loose, and have the time of your life serving the One who gave His life for you.
Camp BlueSky, I am so ready for you.
