Another summer is in the books! I continue to marvel at the amazing ministry happening at Christian camps across the country. It is a true privilege to walk alongside camp professionals in their work of proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has come near.

I often lament the amount of time I spend in the office running statistical analyses and writing reports that I’m not sure anyone will read. But when I sit here at the end of the summer, I have a different feeling. Excitement. I am in my office again. But I am surrounded by field notes and artifacts from the camps I visited, along with stacks of paper surveys from thousands of campers. Each one represents an experience, a story of impact. Our team is now hard at work inputting and processing the data that will generate insights for camp leaders across the country.

Altogether, our team surveyed more than 5,000 campers and 2,000 parents at the more than two dozen camps participating in the Effective Camp and Power of Camp Projects this summer. We also joined the Rhythms of Faith team in conducting 11 site visits at camps across the country in our investigation of camp’s role as a catalyst for family faith formation. Add to that our work investigating leadership development in The Episcopal Church and our ongoing work with the CampWell initiative, and we had a very busy summer!

In fact, I think I spent more time outdoors and involved in camp programs than any summer since I left full-time camp ministry. I went to camps in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, and Colorado, and I had the privilege of helping with two area VBS programs. I played gaga ball and capture the flag. I worshiped alongside the people of God and sang My Lighthouse more times than I can count (but it’s still great!). I heard people’s deep sadness, joy, and personal testimonies. I revived my rusty guitar skills and told the story of Jonah using parachute games. I was even able to get a week of camping with my family in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan and climb my first Colorado 14er with my oldest son! My heart is full. At each camp, in each community, I caught another glimpse of the good news that Jesus proclaimed: “The Kingdom of God has come near!” (Mark 1:15).

Life as it Should Be

I sat in a circle with campers, summer staff, and visiting adults at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in Colorado, as they discussed the day to come and negotiated the schedule. At Rainbow Trail, the campers are given tremendous agency. They lead the worship services, plan the large group games, and decide the daily themes. Each morning, representatives from each camper group gather to decide on the activity schedule, which involves compromise and group problem solving. I marveled at this experiential learning of community and leadership skills, reflecting that our elected leaders could use some lessons like this in compromise and respectful dialogue.

And then there was the Thursday night talent show at Camp Glisson, just north of Atlanta, Georgia. Their special needs campers put on a talent show for the rest of the camp. I watched and cheered alongside hundreds of preteen and teenage campers who were fully engaged and gave standing ovations to each of the performers. It wasn’t faked or forced. They had gotten to know the campers with special needs throughout the week through a creatively integrated program, and they were there to support them with handmade banners and special cheers (read the full story here!).

The most jarring part of the experience was leaving. The night of my glimpse of God’s Kingdom at the talent show was also the night of the first presidential debate, just down the road in Atlanta. Talk about whiplash! I felt like I was repeatedly being sucked back into the world of vitriol and negativity. We live in a deeply polarized society, where leaders are desperate to drive a wedge between us. We are compelled to believe that people on the other side of the political divide are the enemy, rather than our neighbor. We constantly hear the hateful rhetoric, the demonization of immigrants, and the name calling. More importantly, our children hear. And they learn from us how to hate one another.

Discovering the Real World

Some people see camp as an escape from the real world. People I spoke with this summer saw things differently, and I am desperate to believe them.

I heard it over and over again: At camp, I get to be my real self. I don’t have to hide who I am. There is a sense that camp isn’t so much a bastion from the outside world as it is one of the few places that is actually real. For many people I spoke with, camp is a glimpse of life as it should be. What if we treated everyone with love and respect? What if, when we disagreed with someone or hurt their feelings, we sought healing and reconciliation rather than demonizing them? What if we tried to outdo one another in showing love rather than coming up with the most biting insults?

I had an amazing summer full of love, faith, and expansive welcome. I was reminded that we do not have to accept the world as it is. We are called and empowered to change the world, to bring the Kingdom of God to neighbors who are in desperate need of some good news. That is the story I want to share with the world. I invite you to help me tell it.