Camps show PNW the Ropes | by the Rev. Joyce O’Connor-Magee
Ropes course, of course
At Ocean Park Retreat Center, fifth-graders enjoyed using the state-of-the-art low ropes course. A part of the course looks like a wooden raft set to sea on a rolling log. Together the team had to make sure each person could safely get off of the structure on their way to another challenge. They found that it was easier said than done – when one fell off all had to start again! Soon a leader emerged and rose to the challenge of first time leadership. While not a physical challenge, it is one that requires teamwork, leadership and deep thought.
Is this camp? Is this ministry?
This is not camp as I remember it! The crafts cabin is still there; campers still read the Bible and discuss issues; kids then and now find joy in free time in the water on a hot summer day. But it must be camp – for kids of all ages look forward to hot gooey s’mores. While preserving some of the best quality elements of camping, this particular ministry is adding new opportunities for a new generation. Activities at our camps engage the whole person in new and challenging ways.
Our Sacred Sites
Across the state in Rathdrum, Idaho other campers were also challenged by camp life. At lunch, junior campers at Twinlow learned a lesson about food distribution. They came to find that one of their favorite meals – tacos – would be served family style! But as they sat down, it dawned on them that not everything they needed was on their table. Hungry campers learned negotiation and strategy skills as bowls of veggies, salsas, and meat were shared table to table. Ordinary activities offer team building opportunities and young leaders emerge.
Life skill learning moments can be found every day at camp. At Lazy F, children and youth test their ability to reach beyond their comfort zone on the climbing wall – under the watchful eye of young adult staff. Indianola offers quiet times for reflection on their trail through the woods. Every camp staff works to offer opportunities for active learning and quiet reflection in a natural setting.
Through the maze…of life?
Members of the Camping Board of Stewards were also put through their paces as Ian Ridpath led the group in a team building exercise. Camp leaders and pastors alike found it hard to not “talk it out” – for the exercise required total silence. Alpha leaders were struggling to receive help from others as they moved through an unmarked pattern of carpet squares on the grassy field. Some “got it” right away, while others needed to watch the visual clues from those who had already found their way through the “maze”. There was an “a-ha” moment when the group moved from competition to collaboration. The goal had changed from getting “me” through the maze to getting “we” through the process.
All summer campers old and young found inner strength, personal growth and joy both on the ground and up in the trees. Our summer camps offer not only memories for a lifetime, but also important skills for life ahead.
This article was originally featured in Channels 57, October 2012. Download this issue here.
The Rev. Joyce O’Connor-Magee serves as
Pastor of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church in Renton, Wash.
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