Niners Camp: 1st Night
July 5, 2004
Well, turns out we have a nice slow internet connection up at camp. We have about 35 students this week, and from what I can tell, they’re a great group. These are the kids who were 4th graders my first summer working at Sawtooth, and now they’re all entering highschool. I am speaking with my friend Andy (who works at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in Ketchum…yup, that’s *really* the church’s name, although Andy is getting them to take part of the name off the church’s van). At staff meeting, I shared with the staff, counselors and camp directors our desire to simply join students along the journey of faith they are on. We’re not here to be answer-people, we’re not here to solve all their problems. We are here to create a safe place for students to have a spiritual experience. I ended with this: “We are here so that students will experience God…so that they will encounter God - NOT our own personal theologies. So often our theologies are very small…narrow…and we want to bring these kids into a very big and open God this week.” Anyway, we did the welcome to camp stuff this evening, and in all the camps I’ve done here, and been at, it was my favorite. Very relaxed…just being real with the students. Invited them to interrupt us anytime in our talks. Just spent the evening sharing some of our lives and talking with them at the campfire. Andy and I played off each other perfectly - it was just great. Felt…yah…just felt really good. I think it’s going to be a really great week. Thanks for your prayers…
Tags: Camp
Posted in Ministry
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
July 5th, 2004 at 9:33 am
adam, you sound like such a great youth counselor. it is so good to read this, to counteract and strangely heal the rotten experiences i had.
i hope you and Nuc get to talk sometime. yesterday was his first day with the kids… he is freaking out a little bit. its a weird transition, from teacher to youth pastor.
blessings!
July 5th, 2004 at 10:23 am
Thanks for the reminder about personal theologies. I tend to think that whatever I’m trying to feed my kids is more expansive than what they already have, but your blog is a gentle reminder to permit them to experience God on their own.
July 5th, 2004 at 10:28 am
Very cool that you discussed this with the staff, eveyone on the same page… nice! Yes, a very big God, indeed!
July 5th, 2004 at 12:33 pm
April, thanks for your comments. It would be fun to talk with Nuc. I remember being a little…”uhh” too when I first started. Patrick, yes, that is my *hope* that we are all on the same page…I wonder sometimes, but I’m sure we’ll find out as the week progresses. It’s amazing what people will pick up on and critique you on at summer camp…but, I’m feeling pretty good about the direction we’re going.