First week of campers- done.....

So wondering more about our camp director life?

We start camps on Sunday with registration from 4-5 pm. Since most campers are pretty local we figure it gives the family time to go to church head home & head to camp. We have the famous hotdog roast the first night complete with smores...which is fun because it is a typical camp setting and puts everyone at ease. Then they do some get to know you games, and worship time.

Monday- Thursday is pretty much a set schedule including things like: morning worship, crafts, 9 square, rock wall, archery, low & high ropes, jello fight, swimming in the pool, Bible Study, canoe trip, nuke 'em, volleyball, campers vs. counselors, capture the flag, parachute games, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, playground time, basketball, kickball,clean cabin award- which is a golden toilet seat, great food, pool party, praise & worship, concessions time, huge banana split in rain gutters- usually 20-30' long, and loads of other fun activities. All of course dependent on your age range, etc.

Friday we have a closing time with campers as they do Bible Study once more and then a time to say goodbye, clean up the cabin, and get ready to meet the parents at lunch. We invite all parents or whoever is picking them up to come to lunch on Friday. We then watch a slide show to the tune of that year's theme song. This year is Brit Nicole's The Lost Get Found.

As soon as parents start leaving with the campers.....staff start the big all camp clean up. We have an all staff meeting around 3pm-4. Then they have a few hours to chill and then we have the staff to our home to have a Bible Study.

There are many random things we do with our staff. I do ask that they set aside daily time with God, and reading scriptures. Not only do they need to "refill & refresh", but it is a great example to the kids. I require ALL Christian music in the cabins, at the pool party, etc. There are sooo many great songs, and Christian groups out there that we get to expose the campers to while they are here. We happen to have 4 Christian radio stations as well which is handy. We also have a prayer time on Sunday's from 2pm-2:30ish (before we have our business mtg as it were for the week) as well as a daily prayer time from 8:30-8:45 (we of course have a few counselors with the campers at this time).

2 nights a week Jason & I lead worship, 2 nights our staff lead (we often have many gifted staff members), and one night- mid week we have a pool party. The staff also do skits on all the evening worships that touch on various themes. Sometimes they are spoken skits, sometimes they are to a song. They practice these during staff training as well as putting together what they are leading for the nights they lead worship.

We love doing something every year to remind them more deeply about what God did for them. One year we did ashes on the forehead and they wiped it off with baby wipes- symbolizing that God takes our ashes and makes us beautiful again. One year we did a baptism remembrance (we know not all our campers have been baptized, but it was a renewal if you like of our commitment to Christ). Last year they did a faith walk blindfolded to our outdoor chapel on the river and they did a acoustic service on the last night. This year they chose to do a love feast. A reenactment of the the last supper. It is something the campers always remember and the staff as well.

So there you have it a little glimpse into our summer days. So since Saturday is our day off- we spent 5 hours at the pool- with a picnic lunch! It was fantastic!!!! Sunday the staff go to various churches in the area and we meet up at 2pm ready to go :)