On the Value of Christian Camping

Paul Williams in his column for the Christian Standard writes about Christian camping. Although his experience has been on the east coast, we have enjoyed the same experiences here.

Here's a link to his column http://www.christianstandard.com/andsoitgoes.asp

Preparation for Things to Come
On a fall afternoon I drove west from Philadelphia into the surprisingly rugged hills of central Pennsylvania, where I conducted a leadership retreat at Sylvan Hills Christian Camp.

The chairman of the board at Sylvan Hills told me that 14 churches financially support the camp. Most are small- to medium-sized. They do a great job. The camp has the usual summer season, supplemented with spring and fall retreats. Though partially winterized, the camp stays pretty quiet during the coldest months of the year.

Sylvan Hills has a new main assembly hall with sparkling floors, air conditioning, and a well-equipped kitchen. Downstairs, not far from the volleyball court, are nicely appointed sleeping rooms, separate from the boys and girls dorms.

I suppose Sylvan Hills looks like most Christian camps within the Restoration Movement, and that is what I find so satisfying. That 14 churches can maintain such a delightful facility is a testament to valuing community among congregations.

Across the nation there are dozens of camps operated by Christian churches. The Restoration Movement took the lead in the Christian camping community, with the first camps starting in the latter half of the 19th century. The venerable Oregon Christian Convention’s camplike facility is the granddaddy of them all, with a main tabernacle erected in the 19th century that seats more than 1,000.

The predictability of Christian camps is comforting. Covered shelters provide room for classes to meet. Chapels without walls invite the summer breeze into worship, while canvas drop-downs keep out the occasional thunderstorm. On the prettiest location you’ll find benches surrounding a campfire, with a cross in the background, and maybe a pulpit on a tree stump.

I worked 25 straight years of senior high camp, and I lived to tell about it! Most of that time was at Catskill Christian Assembly in upstate New York. A lot of the highlights of my spiritual life were experienced on the hillside above Schoharie Creek.

I had a marvelous time with the folks who spent the day at Sylvan Hills. I admired their enthusiasm for a new church started in their midst just two years ago. I especially appreciated the honest affection so obvious among them.

I’ve often thought I would like to retire on the grounds of a Christian service camp, where I could watch a new generation find a heart for ministry while they worship in the natural beauty. I think it would be good preparation for the mansion I will have just off those streets of gold.