PASTORVON.com (E.G. von Trutzschler) » FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH WORKERS » TIPS ON CAMPS & RETREATS


HOME » FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH WORKERS » TIPS ON CAMPS & RETREATS » TEEN CAMPS AND RETREATS I believe in camping! I have been involved in almost every aspect of Christian camping for over forty years. Included under the camping umbrella would be retreats, rally's, and Spiritual Emphases weekends. From small groups of five or ten kids to groups of over six hundred teens, camping is exciting! Some tips and observations follow. Caution: Applying someone else's "good idea" to your own situation doesn't always work. On other occasions using the basic idea with a creative spin makes for success. Why re-invent the wheel? Of course these observations and tips would apply only to those who are creating camps and retreats, rather than those involved in the more common packaged camping program. #1 PRIORITY: The priority on having a "Christian" camp or retreat should be on salvation of the individual and/or Christian growth of the individual. Everything else should be a means to that end. Unfortunately this isn't always the case. #2. INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL CAMP: A successful camp is the successful combination of many things. The ideal of course would be: (a) The right staff with a good working chemistry, (b) the right dates or timing, (c) the right location, (d) the right cost, (d) the right program, (e) the right speakers and teachers with the right subjects, and (f) the right number and combination of campers. #3 CAMP DYNAMO: Try hard to include in your staff a dynamic personality or two. Every camp needs a couple of (responsible) clowns to thread fun and energy throughout the program. Creative and energetic people who can make spontaneous occasions of fun. Fun awards, fun trophies, fun comments, etc. #4. CAMP BOO BOO'S: For many years I used the BooBoo box. A colorful little sealed cigar box with a slot on top to place paper notes in and a string on the side holding a small tablet of paper and a pencil. This bright little box was hung in a conspicuous spot in camp. The campers were all encouraged to watch each other and when they saw someone doing something dumb like putting a serving of food on their overturned plate or falling asleep in class they were reported. Each noon the BooBoos were read and voted on. The winner of the dumbest booboo that day had to wear the BooBoo ribbon around their neck until the next "winner" took it from them. We would then sing the BooBoo song to the winner. "Around her neck she wears the BooBoo ribbon, she wears it for the BooBoo that she pulled in camp today! Camp today. Camp today. She wears it for the BooBoo she pulled in camp today.!" (The BooBoo ribbon was a bright two inch ribbon with a light red ball fastened to it with BooBoo Ball written on it. Names of past winners were written on the ribbon) #5. CAMP BIRTHDAYS: Camp birthdays are always a fun occasion. We would try and have a full condensed Birthday Party for each kid having a birthday during camp. It was a big colorful event with a very short fuse. The birthday celebrant would be called up front. All birthday kids standing next to each other. We would place on each kid a crazy pointed birthday hat, and quickly give them a cupcake with one candle, a blow whistle and confetti along with a nice wrapped present. Then we would all sing happy birthday to the Birthday kids. Just as soon as the song ended we would quickly rip everything out of their hands and off their heads and rapidly usher them off the stage. (Placing all the props back into the birthday box) #6. THE FUNNEL TRICK: The old funnel gag always goes over well. Great spectator stunt. Bring a new kid up on the stage and ask him if he can catch a nickel in a funnel. It's easy. The leader simply places a funnel in his pants between his belt and shirt then looks up and places the nickel on his forehead then tilts his head slowly down until the nickel drops into the wide funnel. Have the candidate practice a couple of times until he gets the hang of it. Now for real, promise a reward like a coke if he can make it two of three times. The second time he tries it while his head is looking up, pour a glass of ice cold water into the funnel. You will get a great reaction. #7. A BARBARIC GAME: One game I have used over and over again with a great deal of success. It's rather barbaric and simple. Some call it "the circle of death." More or less a primitive anything goes type game. Find a wide level grassy area free from bushes, rocks or glass. Circle a tug-a-war rope or a large two or three inch diameter rope into a twelve foot circle. The heavy rope will be the games round boundary. Call for five or ten macho volunteers. Stand the participants only guys or only gals in the center of the rope circle facing each other. Blow your whistle and each participant is to try and push, pull or drag another over the rope. The only rule. When any part of a persons anatomy (foot, hand, arm, etc.) that touches the ground outside the circle, that person is out of the game and has to get out of the circle. The winner is simply the last one in. Kids can gang up, team up, group up to throw others out but then in the end it's each man for himself. If the last two are too long in the circle ... simply pull the rope circle smaller. After several games let only the winners inside the circle to see who the champion is. #8. SEQUINS: Often I take colored (1/2 in) sequins with me up to camp. Several different colors. Throw them around during class or speaking sessions. I made the collecting of sequins a part of the points for camp. Certain colors had certain point values. Quantities had point value. You can do all kinds of things with sequins if you are creative. That way the kids who aren't sports jocks can contribute to their team. #9 BROOM FUN: One event that is so simple yet competitive. A great spectator sport too. Four teams? Then grab four brooms and see which team member can balance his broom the longest. Place the broom upright and balance the small end on the two forefingers of your right or left hand. At the signal all players let go of their broom with their supporting hand and the competition is on. #10 EQUAL TEAMS: I found that the healthiest way to keep a competitive edge between teams that would last for the whole week was to have teams equal in strength: The idea is simple. Choose the teams by equal size. Lining the campers up in a long line by highth and then quickly go down the line placing the kids into teams. If I had four teams planned, I would walk down the line starting at the front giving kids numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Sometimes I would ink this on their wrist. The "ones" were told to go to the area designated for the number ones and the twos to go to the area designated for twos and so on. Each kid when arriving at his numbered area was immediately banded with a bright wrist band. The teams were formed in short order and better yet they were pretty well physically equal. #11. WEEK LONG COMPETITION: I have seen camps where the competition crashed the second day. Why? One team wiped all the others to the extent the other teams gave up. The rest of the week was a boring struggle to keep interest going. To prevent this from ever happening is not hard. Increase your point value every day and throw in extra areas of competition. Individuals are encouraged to challenge other individuals on other teams for points. If the challenge is accepted on by the other individuals it becomes a legitimate team competition with a point value set by the director of athletics. Individual competition events can range from checkers to wrist wrestling. This also can provide interest involvement and team spirit for the kids who aren't sports jocks. CAUTION: The resident dangers in camping leadership and in programming Christian camps. I have been the speaker in many Christian camps and retreats in the U.S and throughout the world. Often I have been disappointed with the leaderships insensitivity to the working of the Holy Spirit. It seems that leadership becomes slave to their program and schedule. Ostensibly the goal of the camp is spiritual but in reality the goal is in the accomplishing of the program. God becomes slave to the camping schedule. Jesus has his slot and his speaker ... the "Christian" part of a Christian camp. I have found that I can't program spirituality. I can not, and better not fix the Spirit of God to a slot in the schedule. Resident dangers in Christian programming: (1) Attempting to organize, manage or control the Spirit of God. Quenching the Spirit by control. Example: "You as a speaker have twenty minutes for this session, we have a five minute break and a concert right after this." (Holy Spirit, I hope you hear this, you have only twenty minutes tonight ... !) I have seen groups gripped by the Holy Spirit after a powerful message only to have the director step up give a few funny comments and announce that we will have a break for five minutes and meet back in here for skit time. (2) Coercing the kids to demonstrate spirituality. This happens all the time in Churches, camps, retreats, etc. The kids are on to it! The hidden pressure of performing spiritually "on Que.!" Example: "We want three of you to give testimonies tonight ... we are waiting!" (3) Manipulating kids and the Spirit of God. From twisting the Scriptures to make a powerful point to hyping the kids and putting the pressure on for decisions! I've seen a good music group and a good speaker team up to do a great job for God totally with out Him. This is dangerous stuff. (4) Evaluating the camp by all the wrong criterion: Did the kids have fun? Did the speaker do a good job? Was the food O.K? Of course we want to know this, but how much more important is recognizing if there was a healthy working of the Spirit of God in the lives of kids. Not emotional hype but a solid and evident work of God in lives. It's really not hard to discern. True spiritual evaluation rarely comes through on a questionnaire or by a fire circle. Evaluation comes through discerning adult leadership ... those who know God and know kids.

HOME » FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH WORKERS » TIPS ON CAMPS & RETREATS » TEEN CAMPS AND RETREATS

I believe in camping! I have been involved in almost every aspect of Christian camping for over forty years. Included under the camping umbrella would be retreats, rally's, and Spiritual Emphases weekends. From small groups of five or ten kids to groups of over six hundred teens, camping is exciting! Some tips and observations follow. Caution: Applying someone else's "good idea" to your own situation doesn't always work. On other occasions using the basic idea with a creative spin makes for success. Why re-invent the wheel?

Of course these observations and tips would apply only to those who are creating camps and retreats, rather than those involved in the more common packaged camping program.

#1 PRIORITY: The priority on having a "Christian" camp or retreat should be on salvation of the individual and/or Christian growth of the individual. Everything else should be a means to that end. Unfortunately this isn't always the case.

#2. INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL CAMP: A successful camp is the successful combination of many things. The ideal of course would be: (a) The right staff with a good working chemistry, (b) the right dates or timing, (c) the right location, (d) the right cost, (d) the right program, (e) the right speakers and teachers with the right subjects, and (f) the right number and combination of campers.

#3 CAMP DYNAMO: Try hard to include in your staff a dynamic personality or two. Every camp needs a couple of (responsible) clowns to thread fun and energy throughout the program. Creative and energetic people who can make spontaneous occasions of fun. Fun awards, fun trophies, fun comments, etc.

#4. CAMP BOO BOO'S: For many years I used the BooBoo box. A colorful little sealed cigar box with a slot on top to place paper notes in and a string on the side holding a small tablet of paper and a pencil. This bright little box was hung in a conspicuous spot in camp. The campers were all encouraged to watch each other and when they saw someone doing something dumb like putting a serving of food on their overturned plate or falling asleep in class they were reported. Each noon the BooBoos were read and voted on. The winner of the dumbest booboo that day had to wear the BooBoo ribbon around their neck until the next "winner" took it from them. We would then sing the BooBoo song to the winner. "Around her neck she wears the BooBoo ribbon, she wears it for the BooBoo that she pulled in camp today! Camp today. Camp today. She wears it for the BooBoo she pulled in camp today.!" (The BooBoo ribbon was a bright two inch ribbon with a light red ball fastened to it with BooBoo Ball written on it. Names of past winners were written on the ribbon)

#5. CAMP BIRTHDAYS: Camp birthdays are always a fun occasion. We would try and have a full condensed Birthday Party for each kid having a birthday during camp. It was a big colorful event with a very short fuse. The birthday celebrant would be called up front. All birthday kids standing next to each other. We would place on each kid a crazy pointed birthday hat, and quickly give them a cupcake with one candle, a blow whistle and confetti along with a nice wrapped present. Then we would all sing happy birthday to the Birthday kids. Just as soon as the song ended we would quickly rip everything out of their hands and off their heads and rapidly usher them off the stage. (Placing all the props back into the birthday box)

#6. THE FUNNEL TRICK: The old funnel gag always goes over well. Great spectator stunt. Bring a new kid up on the stage and ask him if he can catch a nickel in a funnel. It's easy. The leader simply places a funnel in his pants between his belt and shirt then looks up and places the nickel on his forehead then tilts his head slowly down until the nickel drops into the wide funnel. Have the candidate practice a couple of times until he gets the hang of it. Now for real, promise a reward like a coke if he can make it two of three times. The second time he tries it while his head is looking up, pour a glass of ice cold water into the funnel. You will get a great reaction.

#7. A BARBARIC GAME: One game I have used over and over again with a great deal of success. It's rather barbaric and simple. Some call it "the circle of death." More or less a primitive anything goes type game. Find a wide level grassy area free from bushes, rocks or glass. Circle a tug-a-war rope or a large two or three inch diameter rope into a twelve foot circle. The heavy rope will be the games round boundary. Call for five or ten macho volunteers. Stand the participants only guys or only gals in the center of the rope circle facing each other. Blow your whistle and each participant is to try and push, pull or drag another over the rope. The only rule. When any part of a persons anatomy (foot, hand, arm, etc.) that touches the ground outside the circle, that person is out of the game and has to get out of the circle. The winner is simply the last one in. Kids can gang up, team up, group up to throw others out but then in the end it's each man for himself. If the last two are too long in the circle ... simply pull the rope circle smaller. After several games let only the winners inside the circle to see who the champion is.

#8. SEQUINS: Often I take colored (1/2 in) sequins with me up to camp. Several different colors. Throw them around during class or speaking sessions. I made the collecting of sequins a part of the points for camp. Certain colors had certain point values. Quantities had point value. You can do all kinds of things with sequins if you are creative. That way the kids who aren't sports jocks can contribute to their team.

#9 BROOM FUN: One event that is so simple yet competitive. A great spectator sport too. Four teams? Then grab four brooms and see which team member can balance his broom the longest. Place the broom upright and balance the small end on the two forefingers of your right or left hand. At the signal all players let go of their broom with their supporting hand and the competition is on.

#10 EQUAL TEAMS: I found that the healthiest way to keep a competitive edge between teams that would last for the whole week was to have teams equal in strength: The idea is simple. Choose the teams by equal size. Lining the campers up in a long line by highth and then quickly go down the line placing the kids into teams. If I had four teams planned, I would walk down the line starting at the front giving kids numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Sometimes I would ink this on their wrist. The "ones" were told to go to the area designated for the number ones and the twos to go to the area designated for twos and so on. Each kid when arriving at his numbered area was immediately banded with a bright wrist band. The teams were formed in short order and better yet they were pretty well physically equal.

#11. WEEK LONG COMPETITION: I have seen camps where the competition crashed the second day. Why? One team wiped all the others to the extent the other teams gave up. The rest of the week was a boring struggle to keep interest going. To prevent this from ever happening is not hard. Increase your point value every day and throw in extra areas of competition. Individuals are encouraged to challenge other individuals on other teams for points. If the challenge is accepted on by the other individuals it becomes a legitimate team competition with a point value set by the director of athletics. Individual competition events can range from checkers to wrist wrestling. This also can provide interest involvement and team spirit for the kids who aren't sports jocks.

CAUTION: The resident dangers in camping leadership and in programming Christian camps.

I have been the speaker in many Christian camps and retreats in the U.S and throughout the world. Often I have been disappointed with the leaderships insensitivity to the working of the Holy Spirit. It seems that leadership becomes slave to their program and schedule. Ostensibly the goal of the camp is spiritual but in reality the goal is in the accomplishing of the program. God becomes slave to the camping schedule. Jesus has his slot and his speaker ... the "Christian" part of a Christian camp.

I have found that I can't program spirituality. I can not, and better not fix the Spirit of God to a slot in the schedule.

Resident dangers in Christian programming:

(1) Attempting to organize, manage or control the Spirit of God. Quenching the Spirit by control. Example: "You as a speaker have twenty minutes for this session, we have a five minute break and a concert right after this." (Holy Spirit, I hope you hear this, you have only twenty minutes tonight ... !) I have seen groups gripped by the Holy Spirit after a powerful message only to have the director step up give a few funny comments and announce that we will have a break for five minutes and meet back in here for skit time.

(2) Coercing the kids to demonstrate spirituality. This happens all the time in Churches, camps, retreats, etc. The kids are on to it! The hidden pressure of performing spiritually "on Que.!" Example: "We want three of you to give testimonies tonight ... we are waiting!"

(3) Manipulating kids and the Spirit of God. From twisting the Scriptures to make a powerful point to hyping the kids and putting the pressure on for decisions! I've seen a good music group and a good speaker team up to do a great job for God totally with out Him. This is dangerous stuff.

(4) Evaluating the camp by all the wrong criterion: Did the kids have fun? Did the speaker do a good job? Was the food O.K? Of course we want to know this, but how much more important is recognizing if there was a healthy working of the Spirit of God in the lives of kids. Not emotional hype but a solid and evident work of God in lives. It's really not hard to discern. True spiritual evaluation rarely comes through on a questionnaire or by a fire circle. Evaluation comes through discerning adult leadership ... those who know God and know kids.