1. Church, Twice a Day
At camp we celebrate a morning prayer service to hear the Word of God as our first activity of the day. With this spiritually centered start of the day, it is more possible to remember God’s providence as we go about our activities and when the day is complete, we can give heartfelt thanks at evening prayers.
2. The Amazing Friends
The friends you make at camp are essential to developing a full and healthy spiritual life. The support your friends give you during times of difficulty can help just as much as your own family, because camp friends are like your family. Visiting with them throughout the year feels just like you are at camp with them, and you pick up where you left off.
3. Helpful Counselors
The counselor-camper relationship is potentially one of the strongest friendships that can develop from the camping experience. Counselors are like an older sibling with whom you can share everything. If you have a problem or just want to talk, you can always expect a wise word from your counselors.
4. The Clergy
The team of clergy and monastics tasked with the spiritual care of the camp, work hard to lead everyone towards Christ. Their invaluable insight during Question and Answer sessions or any other advice they offer can increase knowledge regarding the church, and further guide the camper through their spiritual life.
5. Christian Ed
The spiritual education at camp is always centered around a different curriculum each year; allowing campers to explore different theological concepts and lessons. It also provides well-rounded knowledge to help equip the camper to live a richer spiritual life.
6. Fun Activities
When we aren’t going to church or in Christian Ed, camp offers a wide array of activities just for fun. Field sports with your cabin help to build a team dedicated to serving one another as well as fellow campers. Free time gives an opportunity to spend time with friends; participating in any camp activity you could think of. Finally, all camp activities like ethnic dancing night or karaoke allow everyone to enjoy each other’s company.
7. No Phones
Wait what? No phones are a good thing? Giving up electronics is a very healthy and concrete way to follow God’s command to “lay aside all earthly cares.” At camp we can focus on the fellowship and community in Christ rather than the news or Instagram or Snapchat.
8. Living in God’s Creation
The appreciation of nature is a powerful practice which can aid us in understanding all God has, is, and will continue to do for us. We can temporarily forget passing worldly concerns found in the media and in our daily lives while focusing instead on Christ’s message of love.
Explore the various summer camp programs available throughout the Orthodox Church in America’s summer camp programs.
Join us at the Youth Program of the 19th All-American Council in St. Louis, MO - Monday, July 23 - Friday, July 27, 2018. (open to youth ages 5-17, 18+ can serve as counselors)
Viktor and Liam Boris live in Minnetonka, MN and are members of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN. They have been attending church camp for as long as they remember and are looking forward to going to church camp this summer.