5 Fundamental Characteristics of Camp

Those of us who love camp think we know what it’s all about. The camp critics think the same thing. Ask around and you will hear all sorts of things about camp. Camp is life-changing. Camp is theologically shallow. Camp is a mountaintop experience. Camp offers a brief high that quickly fades. Camp is the only place where faith makes sense. Camp ruins kids for church. The list goes on. What if we laid aside our assumptions and seriously asked the question, what is camp and what does it do? Maybe we could get away from our bias that the camp we love does it better than all others. Maybe camp detractors could be convinced that one negative experience is not indicative of all camps.

A team of people on the Effective Camp Research Project got together to dig deeply into the camp experience. Our question: What is the impact of the one-week Christian summer camp experience on the lives of the primary participants and their supporting networks? The initial findings are encouraging, challenging, and illuminating.

Read about them right now at www.effectivecamp.com

We are finding that the camp experience has many positive impacts on participants and that these impacts extend to their supporting networks! Even more intriguing, we have isolated 5 characteristics that seem to be fundamental to the Christian summer camp experience. When these characteristics function together, we call it the camp model.

1. Camp is RELATIONAL
2. Camp is PARTICIPATORY
3. Camp is DIFFERENT FROM HOME
4. Camp is A SAFE SPACE
5. Camp is FAITH CENTERED 

These have no set order or direction of influence. There is not one characteristic that is more important than the others. They function together in a dynamic interplay for each unique individual. A breakdown in a single characteristic is a breakdown of the entire camp model, and this can lead to interpretation of the entire experience as negative or even harmful to the camper.

Here is how the camp model functioned for one individual in our study:

"Her mom is going through a divorce. She was sad and anxious but wanted this camp experience. She made friends, learned how to pray, learned about faith and was uplifted and healed throughout the week. It was one of the best weeks of her life according to her: “I’m not depressed, my appetite is back, I believe I can make friends in a new school, I am closer to God.” This camp experience for her was the best!" (Camper parent)

Notice how this camper’s unique life circumstances combined with the camp model to facilitate the incredibly impactful experience that the parent describes. All 5 characteristics are present here, and if one had broken down, the entire experience would have affected her differently.

Some of the camp supporters out there might be simply nodding their heads and thinking that they already knew this stuff. If that is the case, GREAT! This should look and feel authentic to you. It is not new stuff to camp people who have been talking about these characteristics (or something like them) for years. However, we have never quite been able to articulate it this way. We can learn a great deal by stepping back and observing. Some would simply say of the above camper: “She had a life-changing experience!” Did she? Maybe, but those are our words, not hers. The experience clearly affected her in very significant and positive ways. We can say she grew in her self-confidence and sense of worth. We can say that she grew in her faith. We can say that she grew in her social confidence. These are real and incredibly significant impacts.

Only some of the campers have an experience that they might consider life-changing or a mountaintop experience. We do not need to promise that kind of an experience. In fact, it is misleading to do so. Our findings make it clear that the camp model does not cause change. Camp is not a magic formula! What camp does is facilitate positive impacts and open the possibility for changes.

We are learning so much about camp, and there is much more to come! Our research continues this coming summer, as we survey more than 1200 campers to find out more about the camp model and the impacts of the camp experience.

Follow the research and join the conversation: www.effectivecamp.com!

Sign your Child up for Church Camp!

Spring is here. Christ is risen! Summer is fast approaching. Have you signed your children up for camp yet?

The word “camp” is now used to mean so many different things that my question may be confusing. The reality is that many kids are signed up for multiple programs that have the word “camp” in the title. I want to be clear that I have nothing against afternoon skill activities at the local YMCA or school (Basketball Camp, Science Camp, and the like). When I use the word, however, I mean overnight camp. I mean kids sleeping away from home with a community of people in an outdoor setting for several days in a row. This is a different experience from “day camp” programs.

There is a tendency to pack summer schedules so full of activities that parents cannot find room on the calendar for a week of summer camp. I understand this conundrum because I have two boys in late elementary school. My recommendation:

Make room. Make time.

The potential benefits of a week at summer camp far outweigh the consequences of missing a week of baseball or dance. Do not think of camp as one more thing to cram into the schedule but rather a much needed respite from the schedule itself. This includes valuable time away from the screens and technology that have come to dominate our children's lives. At the same time, camp is not a vacation. There is serious work happening in the playful environment of camp that opens the space for tremendous growth opportunities. We continue gathering more research that demonstrates how valuable the camp experience is for promoting greater independence, self-confidence, social skills, leadership, and faith commitment. We have more than isolated stories. We have verifiable evidence for the value of a week at summer camp.

We parents have two primary goals when it comes to our children. First, we want them to be safe. Second, we want them to grow into healthy adults. Our obsession with the first goal sometimes hinders the second. Camp helps us move towards both of these goals. Safety is the number one priority at every camp I have ever visited, and they all go to great lengths to keep their participants safe: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Camps are also great places for young people to develop life skills. I am not talking about basketball, soccer, or music. I am talking about independence, self-confidence, and taking ownership of their beliefs.

There are many different types of camps, and it may be a struggle to decide which camp to choose. Start with your church. Chances are, your congregation is connected to a quality summer camp. These church-supported camps are great options because they have been vetted by ministry professionals, share many of your values, offer opportunities for connection with others in your congregation, and likely have excellent pricing options for you, including financial assistance through your church. Nearly every church camp I have visited commits to ensuring that no child is turned away due to financial constraints. If money is tight, your child can still attend.

Church camps are also great options because they are less likely than other camps to fall into the trap of the fast-paced youth culture that emphasizes merit, achievement, and competition. Young people need space to be children and to explore who they are without the intense pressure and demands that they have become so accustomed to. The supportive community and nurturing environment at a Christian camp gives them a safe place to explore, learn, and grow.

Some people have the idea that Christian camps are bent on conversion and try to force young people into believing. This is not the case. It may be so at some Evangelical and independent (often for-profit) camps, but those affiliated with Christian denominations are focused on providing a nurturing Christian community. They will not pressure or scare your child into believing. On the contrary, they will provide space for your child’s questions and doubts that they may have felt uncomfortable voicing at home or church. This is healthy. We want your children to ask questions and feel free to express doubts. That is part of faith. It is part of life.

One more consideration when choosing a camp is to look for the ACA logo. Camps that are accredited through the American Camp Association (ACA) meet stringent industry standards. A camp that is not accredited may be a wonderful, safe camp, but make sure this is confirmed by fellow parents and church professionals. Accreditation is certainly not a requirement, but it should give you greater confidence in the camp.

Make time. Make camp a priority. Sign your child up now!

Need help finding camps affiliated with your church? Click one of these links:

Lutheran Outdoor Ministries

Presbyterian Camps and Conference Centers

Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers

United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries

4 Types of Mainline Protestant Camps

Christian camping ministry in the Mainline Protestant tradition is often broken down along denominational lines. We have Lutheran camps, Methodist camps, and so forth. These distinctions are not always helpful because camps have varying programmatic goals and ministry priorities. The camp director survey conducted as part of the Confirmation Project in fall 2014 reveals another way to think about the differences among our camps and conference centers.

One thing that is abundantly clear from the camp research that we have gathered thus far is that camps and retreat centers are effective catalysts for faith formation. Contrary to many anecdotal accounts, it is becoming clear that the residential camp experience has lasting effects on participants, and one of the clearest lasting effects is that camp participants tend to be more engaged in Christian community. This includes church attendance! They actually leave camp with a stronger desire to engage in congregational ministries. This highlights the importance of strong partnerships between camps and congregations.

A small portion of Mainline camps have a weak emphasis on faith formation in comparison to other camps, but these only account for about 7% of the total. The remaining 93% have a moderately strong or very strong emphasis on faith formation and Christian education that permeates all of their programs. The interesting and perhaps concerning reality is that not all of these camps have maintained strong ties to congregational ministries. Just as there is variation in the degree that camps emphasize faith, there is also variation in how strongly they identify with their denominational traditions and seek connection to congregations. Using both of these measurements reveals four types of Mainline Protestant camps:

1.     Camps with a weak connection to congregations/denominations and a low faith emphasis. Only 7% of camps fall into this category. They look very different from other Mainline camps and probably resemble secular camps to a large degree. They still may have worship, prayers, and even Bible study, though much less frequently than other camps. Faith practices are compartmentalized from other aspects of camp life.

2.     Camps with a moderate connection to congregations/denominations and a moderate faith emphasis. 22% of camps fall into this category. These camps do not show particularly strong connection to other ministries or particularly strong faith emphasis. Faith teachings and Christian practices are part of the camp program, but they are not given noticeably more emphasis than other aspects. Religion or, more often, “spirituality” is seen as an important piece of camp life, but it does not necessarily permeate all aspects of the program.

3.     Camps with a weak connection to congregations/denominations and a high faith emphasis. 29% of camps fall into this category. These camps are committed to faith formation, and Christianity permeates all aspects of camp programs. However, they deemphasize theological teachings specific to their denomination, and they have generally weak connections to congregational ministries. Camp directors are unlikely to have formal theological instruction, and clergy involvement is likely very low. The large number of camps fitting into this category is alarming because the camp experience does not stand alone as a singular life event. This category is a sign that the partnership between camps and congregations is weakening.

4.     Camps with a strong connection to congregations/denominations and a high faith emphasis. 42% of camps fall into this category. These camps exhibit high clergy involvement and strong connection to congregations in terms of philosophy and program. They appear to be strong partners in ministry with congregations and denominational leaders. They tend to emphasize Christian education and specific theological teachings/practices more so than the other camps. These camps most closely resemble the historical priorities of Christian camping ministry in the Protestant tradition. They see themselves as part of a larger ecology of faith formation, and they intentionally try to strengthen partnerships with other ministries.

The Christian camp, conference, or retreat experience does not stand on its own! It is necessarily part of a much larger ecology of faith formation. Denominational differences among camps are not always helpful distinctions. A type 3 Lutheran camp may not look Lutheran at all, though it may share many of the ministry priorities of a type 3 Episcopal camp. Understanding where our camps fall in terms of these 4 categories can help us understand their strengths and weaknesses. It can also help us make distinctions when we are talking about Christian camping ministry. Some clergy members, theologians, or parents level critiques at camping ministry as a whole because they are lumping all camps together. People base their assumptions on their experiences. There are clergy members who do not want to support camp and retreat ministries because they have experienced mostly type 1 or type 3 camps. We can tell a more complete story of Christian camping ministry. We can also seek greater connections between camps and congregations. I firmly believe that these connections are vital to the future of both camps and congregations, and I would love to see many more of our camps shift to the Type 4 piece of the pie.

Where does your camp fit into the mix?

Religion as Cosmic Gambling

I was paying for my coffee at the local convenience store, and the clerk looked at me like I was an alien. “No Powerball ticket?” she asked incredulously, informing me that I was the first customer of the day who did not purchase one. The lottery jackpot apparently stands at $1.5 billion, and tickets are as little as $2 apiece. The general consensus that I hear from people in person and on social media is, “Why not buy a ticket? You never know.” I am not interested in discussing the ethics of the lottery but rather how this general attitude about low investment and high returns affects our religious views.

The simple truth is that $2 is not very much money for most people in this country. For that modest price, they get a chance of an unimaginable sum of money. If we accept that hope (or maybe the dream of something better) is actually what they are buying, then $2 seems like a pretty good deal.

I have heard and read many accounts of what people would do if they won the Powerball jackpot. The problem is that $1.5 billion is an almost unimaginable sum of money. I can wrap my mind around a few hundred thousand dollars or even a million dollars, but 1.5 billion? It is unattainable. It exists only as a dream.

I have worked in congregations and camps for many years, and I have heard many different accounts of why people pray or attend church services. This recent Powerball mania has me wondering how it might be reflective of a dominant stream of religion in this country. How many church attendees really believe in the Triune God, and how many are hedging their bets? After all, the idea of eternal life is a pretty enticing jackpot. Is it possible that all this Jesus stuff is actually true? Better make it to church once a year and throw a twenty into the offering plate just in case. I would love to say that these folks are investing ten times as much into church as they are into the lottery, but that would be to assume that they only purchase one set of numbers.

Heaven is not the Jackpot

Christian leaders bear much of the responsibility in turning Christianity into a form of cosmic gambling. The problem lies partially in heaven fever. We entice people not with the way of Jesus but rather the desire for personal reward. The way of Jesus is not about seeking our own glorification, and heaven is not the goal of Christianity. Heaven is a gift. We do not attain it, earn it, or win it by chance. It is given to us. The Kingdom of God comes to us. This is one of the most fundamental truths of Christianity, and it is the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed (Mark 1:14-15). Yet we have millions of people going to church and putting money in the offering plate because they want to go to heaven. Or, more accurately for many of them, they are willing to accept that there is chance heaven is real. Why not go to church once in a while? You never know.

Following Jesus is not a Small Investment

This brings us to another element of this cosmic gambling. It has to do with investment. We in the church know that people would get really freaked out and call us fanatics if we told them that following Jesus meant giving up everything, even their own lives. We prefer the incremental approach. Give a little more. Pray a little more. Read the Bible again. To be fair, much of this has to do with pastoral care. We want to meet people where they are and try to help them grow in their faith without totally freaking them out. The problem is that this has cheapened the grace of God, to borrow from Bonhoeffer, who says in his classic book Discipleship, “Cheap grace means grace as bargain-basement goods, cut-rate forgiveness, cut-rate comfort, cut-rate sacrament.” You can almost hear him comparing cheap grace to a $2 lotto ticket in hopes of a $1.5 billion jackpot or $20 in the offering plate in hopes of eternal life. Cheap grace hedges bets and invests the least amount possible for the hope of greatest return.

Count the Cost

Remember that time in Luke 14 when Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship? He compares it to a person who wants to build a tower, arguing that this person will sit down and count the cost of the tower before beginning construction. If he is not able to finish, he will not start. We as Christian public leaders lie to people when we tell them (or imply) that following Jesus is not that big of a deal. Jesus asks for our very lives (verses 26-27) and everything that we have (verse 33). Most people are not willing to pay that price, and yet we have no problem calling them Christians when their faith looks less like discipleship and more like a cosmic lottery.

What if we helped people understand that heaven is not a reward or a jackpot but rather a gift? What if they knew that this gift is given to all people and not just the lucky few? Might they be more willing to follow the God who opens the way to eternal life and give all that they have to building the Kingdom of God on earth?

No more cosmic gambling. No more jackpots. Instead, let’s teach discipleship and grace.

Movie Review: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - A Search for Identity

I do not review movies often, but Star Wars has a special place in my heart. The original was my favorite movie as a child, and it maintains that status to this day. Imagine my delight when I went to summer camp for the first time and my cabin counselor was a Star Wars freak. We spent the week quoting lines and challenging each other with obscure trivia. I was seriously questioning and considering my Christian faith, and my counselor used Star Wars references to help guide me. He compared the Holy Spirit to the Force and the responsibility for living a Christian life to the Jedi. In a very real way, Star Wars became part of my faith story.

Like many other fans, my reaction to the prequel movies was lukewarm, at best. I took particular offense to the demystifying of the Force (midi-chlorians do not fit with my pneumatology). There are many other aspects of the prequels on which I could vent my frustration, but that is no longer necessary. Why, you ask? Because The Force Awakens pretends that the prequels don’t even exist! J.J. Abrams understood the problem with clarity: Star Wars itself was having an identity crisis. Fans were confused about what the Force is and who the Jedi are because the two trilogies are shockingly inconsistent. Rest assured, the original trilogy is the only one that matters. With that, strap yourselves in, and if you have not seen the movie, stop reading right now. SPOILERS AHEAD, there will be!

Let me put all the Sabacc cards on the table: I really like this movie. I actually enjoyed it even more the second time I saw it (probably because I was no longer anxious about being let down). The story is fun and well written, and the actors are superb. Harrison Ford puts in a performance that could easily carry this movie, but it does not have to because everyone else is amazing. Adam Driver, Oscar Isaacs, and John Boyega are solid, but Daisy Ridley’s performance is out of this world. I still have not decided if Domhnall Gleeson overacted his role as General Hux, but it really doesn’t matter because everyone else is so good.

The Force Awakens is a great title because much of the movie is focused on remystifying the Force. It once again moves in mysterious and unexpected ways. We saw a blaster bolt frozen in mid-air, memories extracted, and an inanimate object somehow containing the presence of the Force (sounds almost sacramental)! Most importantly, we saw the Force working in and through the lives of individuals as they try to discover their place in the universe. It is a movie first and foremost about identity. With the mystical identity of the Force reestablished, we turn our attention to our six main characters, who are each having a crisis of identity.

The opening crawl begins with the crisis: “Luke Skywalker has vanished.” This event has set in motion a new crisis for the entire galaxy. Since the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke has been busy trying to train the next generation of Jedi Knights, essentially taking on a responsibility that was thrust upon him as the last of the Jedi. We do not know how many students Luke was training, but we know that one of them ran away to follow the dark side. This was Ben Solo, the son of Han and Leia. His defection causes a rift among Han, Luke, and Leia. What I ultimately like about this plot point is that it makes our characters so human. Han and Leia are parents who lost a child, and this crisis causes them to question their identities and run back to a life that they felt was secure. Han returns to smuggling, and Leia returns to military planning. Notice their identity struggles throughout the movie. Is Leia the princess or the general? What happened to her Jedi training? We have to assume that she was one of Luke’s students. It appears that she has renounced following the Force in the wake of Ben’s departure. This certainly resonates with human experience. Losing a child causes her to question her relationships and to question her faith. When we first encounter Han, he is literally reentering his old role in life as he steps on board the Millennium Falcon. Finn and Rey immediately put his identity crisis into words: is he the famous smuggler or the famous rebellion fighter? Remember that Han Solo was the great skeptic of the Force in the original Star Wars movie. Now he is a firm believer in the power of the Force, and he becomes an influential mentor to Rey as she struggles with her beliefs. It seems that Han has found his faith, while Leia has lost hers.

Luke, on the other hand, has taken a step back. Viewers know that he is hearing echoes of Obi-Wan from the original Star Wars: “I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong.” The details are a little unclear, but it appears that he has left behind clues to his whereabouts as a sort of quest. He knows that people are looking for him, and he leaves it up to the Force to determine whom he will encounter at movie’s end. Remember that both the First Order and the Resistance have the larger piece of the map. Luke knows that he could face Kylo Ren or a new student on that island. His essential question of the Force is, “Who am I?"

Kylo Ren is a great character. Ben Solo has renounced his family and taken on a dark moniker. Throughout the movie, he is trying to convince everyone around him (but most importantly himself) that he is pure evil. But he is a complicated and conflicted character. I loved the scene of him talking to the melted mask of Darth Vader, asking for forgiveness that he feels the call to the light. We as viewers understand the irony of this, since Vader is the one who was redeemed from the dark side and ultimately destroyed the personification of evil (the Emperor). Good and evil are not cut and dry. People are complex, and Star Wars tells us that even the most evil people can be redeemed. We desperately wanted this redemption for Kylo Ren at the end of the movie, even though we knew that Han’s journey down that bridge was almost certain to be a one-way trip. Han knew it, too. But he went anyway. Han is the only one of our characters who ultimately had to make a choice about his identity, and he decided that he was neither smuggler nor soldier. He was a father.

FN-2187 is one of our new heroes. He was taken from his family as a child and given an identity as a storm trooper. He rejects this identity and runs away from it, but it takes someone else to tell him who he really is. Poe Dameron, upon hearing the name FN-2187, refuses to call him that. Instead, he gives him a new name: Finn. This renaming has a profound affect on Finn. Throughout the movie, we see him living into this new identity and coming to realize who he wants to be. It is overly simplistic to call his a story of self-determination. He rejects certain paths, but others guide him into an understanding of who he is. This is true to how life works. We do not determine our identities on our own. We are profoundly shaped by our relationships with those around us.

Rey’s story is the most intriguing in the movie because we are left with the most questions. She was abandoned on Jakku, and she is convinced that her family will return. She even keeps a tally of the days she has spent there. Her identity is the great mystery of the movie, especially as the Force awakens within her and she proves considerably stronger in the Force than Kylo Ren. She is the one to complete the quest and locate Luke, confirming his identity as teacher. I love the last scene, as he looks intriguingly at the outstretched light saber. I look forward to discovering, along with Rey, who she is and who she will become. I have some guesses, and I hope they are all wrong. I am convinced that Han knows who she is (watch it again and see if you agree), so that could prove interesting.

The Force Awakens sees the Star Wars franchise return to its roots. In case we are too dense to realize this, Abrams throws in so many echoes and references to the original movie that we almost find ourselves shouting, “I get it!” The most important thing for me as a fan is that we are back to focusing on compelling characters. The role of fantasy is to give us a reflection of the real world. It allows us to look at ourselves and the world around us in new ways. Star Wars did this for me years ago, as I began taking ownership of my Christian identity and understanding how God is at work in the world. I am still discovering who I am in relation to God and the world. I think that is true of all of us, as we ask the question, “What is a lifetime and why do I live it?” Maybe this movie can help us consider that identity a little bit deeper. Or, at the very least, it is a ton of fun to watch! Enjoy the movie, my friends, and may the Force be with you!

Confirmation Camp in Finland

Camping ministry is gaining the attention of the international scholarly community. This attention was precipitated in large part by the collaborative work of a team studying confirmation work in Europe. The first phase of the study (2007-2008) examined survey data from seven countries and found that programs conducted primarily in the camp form showed significantly higher increases in multiple measures of faith formation and Christian education. These results were particularly noticeable in Finland and Sweden. A follow-up study is currently underway in nine European countries, and it will be interesting to see how camp is included.

The Confirmation Project is the American counterpart to the European study, and researchers were invited to a conference in Finland in June 2014 to hear about the most recent findings. As a tremendous bonus, the American team was invited to participate in and observe a Finnish confirmation camp program in action. This experience turned into a fruitful research venture, and a new article appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Youth and Theology gives a more complete account than this post. You can access the full article by clicking the link in the sidebar.

Kayaking on the Lake in Finland

The camp experience in Finland is remarkably similar to Christian summer camp in the United States. Young people are away from home for a week, stay together in gendered housing, and participate in a variety of activities in an outdoor, recreational setting. The camp day is structured in a way that facilitates the rhythm of daily Christian living: devotionals, grace before meals (often sung), worship, Bible study, and recreational fellowship. The camp we visited was about an hour north of the capital city of Helsinki, and it offered a beautiful setting featuring a small lake, forested hillsides, and large open playing fields. It looked and felt like we could have been anywhere in the upper Midwest.

Confirmation training in Finland takes place almost entirely in the camp form. A remarkable 88 percent of young Finns get confirmed in the Evangelicl Lutheran Church in Finland (ELCF), and almost all of them (over 90 percent) receive confirmation training at camp. The percentage of Finns attending confirmation camp is actually higher than the percentage belonging to the Lutheran church! This demonstrates that there is tremendous social motivation to attend camp. Almost everybody does it, so there is a strong sense that camp is part of the Finnish experience of growing up. Young people also attend camp because they often receive lavish gifts for being confirmed, and many of them recognize the value of belonging to the church. They have to be confirmed in order to have a church wedding, funeral, have their children baptized, and serve as a godparent. One of the reasons for confirmation instruction is to gain access to the benefits that the church provides to its members.

Bible Scavenger Hunt!

Here is where things get interesting. Religion in Finland is very different from religion in the United States. The ELCF is a national church, so it is tax-funded. People have to belong in order to get certain benefits, so more than 80 percent of Finns are members of the ELCF. But hardly any of them are active. Less than 2 percent of the Finnish population is in church on a given Sunday, and barely half attend even once a year. Not a single one of the confirmation campers said they were planning on attending church after they were confirmed. In fact, the idea was laughable to them. “Church is full of old people and women with babies,” one boy explained. Others made it clear that conservative voices have strong influence in the church, meaning liturgical change is stymied, especially when it comes to music. There are also strong voices opposed to same-sex marriage, something that the progressive Finnish society has long embraced. One priest at confirmation camp admitted that it feels like “the church from the last century.”

Church appears to function in Finland as a sort of spiritual storehouse. There may be some useful things inside, but there is really no need to go in unless you need something. It is enough to know that the church is there in case of a life crisis and to fulfill the services of birth celebrations (baptisms), marriages, and funerals. Confirmation training largely serves to provide access to this storehouse. It also serves to prop up the institution and maintain the status quo, since just enough confirmands continue with their faith training to fill the seminaries.

The fascinating thing is that the camp experience in Finland shows tremendous potential for faith formation and spiritual transformation. The young people are actively engaged in faith practices and worship experiences, and they are thinking through their own beliefs in the context of intentional Christian community. Data from the European study demonstrate that the Finnish camp participants show a significant increase in faith measurements, and a long-term study shows that much of this growth lasts years after the camp experience. It appears that the camp participants are not only given the keys to the spiritual storehouse but also the keys to transform the church in Finland.

2 YCVs Present a Skit to the Confirmands

The young confirmands may follow the rest of Finnish society in disengagement from church, but they show a strong desire to continue experiencing the power of Christian community. The national church has responded with its exemplary Young Confirmed Volunteer (YCV) program, which brings the recently confirmed young people back to camp to help lead the experience for the next group. This serves as an additional camp experience for the YCVs, and it also serves to engage them in church-related activities throughout the year. The YCVs plan and lead many of the camp activities, including the small group sessions, interactive games, and worship experiences. Six or seven YCVs are present at each confirmation camp, and the program is so popular that most only get to help lead one session. Fully a third of all confirmands continue on as YCVs.

The confirmands leave camp with a stronger faith and interest in participating in vibrant Christian community, but it is evident that they are being prepared for a church that simply does not exist in Finland. The church itself needs to change if it seeks to be something more than a broken down storehouse, and church officials clearly recognize this reality. They are fueling the engines of change through their exemplary and innovative confirmation camp program.

The United States is a vastly different religious climate than Finland, but there are growing concerns of people disengaging from church and joining the swelling ranks of the unaffiliated (the so-called “nones”). This is especially true in Mainline Protestantism. Confirmation instruction in the USA is often limited to little more than a period of class sessions aimed at teaching religious content. Students often receive the content and then disengage from church, though many adults still value the tradition of confirmation. There are lessons to be learned from the Finnish context about using a traditional structure like confirmation in an innovative way. The camp form, in particular, is a promising method for innovative confirmation instruction in the USA, a country with a rich history of camping ministry. The religious climate in the USA may be vastly different from the spiritual storehouse of Finland, but there is great need for innovation and revitalization, and our Finnish brothers and sisters offer great wisdom.

It is time to take camping ministry seriously as a valuable model for Christian education and faith formation.