How can parents support their children in camping ministry?

Camping experiences offered to school-aged students provide a unique experience that can have a lasting impact on their formation of faith.

Camps for teenagers are run by each district of the Lutheran Church of Australia, commonly known in some districts as Christian Life Week. A camping experience is sometimes referred to as a peak faith experience. They offer an opportunity for young people to ‘go deeper’ in faith and relationships than they can at an occasional youth or congregation event.

Faith is deepened through the mixture of meeting new Christian people and hanging out with leaders with a passion for service and living in community. It is a place where the presence of God can be felt in a real and tangible way through others. Young people often report a camping experience is a turning point for them in the formation of their faith.

Camping is important in the faith formation process because they:

• create mountain-top experiences. A mountain-top experience is a ‘temporary uncommon encounter with God that is meant to give us a fresh awareness of his reality and nearness’
• create memories
• build relationships with other Christian young people
• create shared experiences
• allow time away from the pressure of day-to-day life to focus on God. They are often away from the ordinary and can sometimes help young people listen to God more clearly
• provide opportunities to have times of quiet reflection
• provide a safe place to try new things
• encourage young people to see God in everyday experiences
• provide exposure to nature, where God is revealed in a significant way
• provide opportunities for young adults to be involved in leadership, according to their gifts.

However, research shows that parents continue to be the single greatest influence on their children’s faith.

Therefore, it is important for parents to take an active part in the faith formation of their children. Give them an opportunity to experience all that camp has to offer and share in the journey by talking to them about the experience before and after camp.

Before camp

• Discuss with them their expectations. What might they do, see and hear?
• Talk about who else is going.
• Ensure they have all they need to be successful.
• Pray for them on the lead-up to camp and in the car on the way there.

During camp

• Consider being involved in the camp somehow. Perhaps you could volunteer as a camp parent, pastoral carer, kitchen helper or member of a prayer team. Each district will provide different opportunities for adults, so check in with your leaders.

After camp

• Tell them you missed them.
• Let them have space to process.
• Pray for them.
• Create space and allow them time to talk about their experience.

Some great starter questions could be:

• Begin with simple questions about what they enjoyed most and/or least.
• What new things did they discover about themselves? About God?
• What commitments did they make on camp, to themselves or God? How can you help them?