our biggest event of the year.
Every summer the Refuge leaders and students attend camp.
Camp is sort of a retreat. We take a week in another city, and spend that time having fun together, fostering relationships, and creating an atmosphere where the students can have real, life changing encounters with God.
We ask the students to turn in their phones at the beginning of the week to minimize distractions and maximize real connections.
We do our best to push students out of their comfort zones to try new things.
We, as leaders, dedicate the week to encourage the students and build them up in every way we can.
THE HEART BEHIND IT ALL
a day in the life of a camper:
As the mission statement of The Refuge says, our goal is to turn every unbelieving teenager into a fully committed follower of Christ. Camp is critical for reaching that goal.
Camp is thoughtfully designed to give students an opportunity to meet with Christ. In every event on the schedule, there is an underlying theme of discipleship, fellowship, and growth. The goal of camp is to change the lives and hearts of our students.
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Students and leaders gather together before breakfast to have personal and private devotional time. Students are encouraged to bring a bible, a notebook, and a pen to prayer time. Morning prayer is optional for students.
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After breakfast. everyone gathers together for a time of worship, and then the boys and girls are separated to have more focused discussions with their leaders. During this time, we break down the messages from evening chapel and walk the students through how to apply it to their own lives.
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After lunch, the students are separated into their teams to compete in a series of games for bragging rights. It’s a big deal to be the camp winner. We make sure to include games that do and don’t involve physical activity, so that every camper can be included and involved regardless of capability.
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Students have free time to hang out with their friends, take naps, go to the pool, ride the zip line, and most importantly: shower.
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Evening chapel is where it all goes down. We start with some fun activities and games inside the sanctuary, and then we transition to a time of worship. After worship, there is a message from the camp speaker and response time where students can receive prayer from the pastors and leaders. Chapel is mandatory for everyone at camp, it is the heartbeat behind it all.