Hope Camp leaders model Christian love for at-risk students_71105

Posted: 7/08/05

Hope Camp leaders model
Christian love for at-risk students

By Jocelyn Delgado

Communications Intern

LUEDERS–Twenty-two years ago, Sharla Milliorn became a volunteer counselor to help jump-start Hope Camp, a weekend designed for at-risk middle-school-aged students to learn about Christian life. Now, she's the director.

“I've always kind of had a heart for the underdog,” Milliorn said. “I went that one time, and I was hooked.”

Camp leaders seek to show students a lifestyle based on self-sacrificing Christian love, said Truman Turk, director of missions for Abilene Baptist Association. Counselors want to show them there are people who genuinely care about them and don't want to hurt them, he said.

Campers spend three days in July at Big Country Baptist Assembly in Lueders, attending Bible study, listening to speakers and having fun.

Hope Camp runs on a tight schedule, with no allowance for free time. The children are kept extremely active, because when they have free time, they can get into trouble, Turk said.

Hope Camp works with school counselors to determine at-risk students. School guidance counselors tell parents about the camp. If parents show interest, the counselors send contact information to Hope Camp. The camp, fully funded by Abilene-area Baptist churches, is free to students.

School counselors approach children with special needs, who live in a tough situation or who already may have gotten in trouble with authorities, Turk said.

“We try to break the cycle of dysfunction,” Milliorn added.

As a result, students aren't always happy campers. Seventy-five percent don't want to be here, but by end, they're crying because they don't want to leave, Milliorn said.

Unlike strict correctional programs, the camp offers a lighter tone. When they arrive, the boys go to a pizza parlor and play arcade games until they're played out, Milliorn said. The girls receive cosmetic makeovers, and a local photographer takes pictures.

“It's amazing, just that small thing, how much it changes their whole demeanor,” Milliorn said.

Counselors work closely with students to connect with them on a personal level.

Pastor Richard Darden of Shining Star Fellowship Church works as a counselor and leads Bible studies. The camp gives him a chance to form one-to-one relationships with the youth, he said.

Most camps require a ratio of 1-to-10 counselors to campers, Turk said. Ideally, this camp needs a ratio of 1-to-2.

Although the camp provides games and fun time, counselors strive to keep the focus on God.

“We have a goal for every one of them; we're going to make sure they're introduced to Jesus Christ,” Turk said.