Appreciating Church Camp

Are You Ever Too Old for Church Camp?

I wasn't sure. So this past July I signed up and enjoyed the privilege, the thrill actually, of being a Camp Counselor at Geneva Center for the Jr. High & Sr. High Traditional Summer Church Youth Camp. I was lucky enough to be with our own Ken Crews who volunteered as the Jr. High Camp Director for that week. (This was actually my third year in a row counseling at camp; but before that, it had been some 30 years since I was last at a church camp in the summer.) I survived and concluded I wasn't too old.

Church Summer Camp used to be an activity that most every church kid participated in; and I know that many of the families in this church have a history of their children going to summer camp. Now, in today's world there are many options for kids to choose from during the summer, and often they can attend only one.

There is band camp, football camp, basketball camp, cheerleading camp, art camp, etc., etc. Going to church camp is no longer the #1 choice... but, it needs to remain a choice. The young people at this year's Jr. High & Sr. High camp (207 kids over four weeks) were great kids, they wanted to be at camp, and they appeared to enjoy themselves. Had more of their friends been there, it might have been even better. Soooo, we encouraged/challenged them to invite their friends for next summer.

A big THANK YOU is due to all the friends of Geneva Center here at First Presbyterian Valparaiso who supported Geneva Center through the Second Mile Offering for July that resulted in a $1,373 donation to Geneva Center. The board of directors and the staff of Geneva Center continue to work very hard towards assuring the legacy of Geneva Center is ongoing... and FPCV's support is very much appreciated.

Jim Hubbard

President of the GCI Board