Summer Camp High: Follow-up important

Posted: 7/07/06

Summer Camp High: Follow-up important

By Laura Frase

Communications Intern

With summer church camp professions of faith in Christ soaring to more than 9,000 last year in Texas and rededications hovering at 8,000, some church leaders express concern about a “camp high.”

They question whether youth will stand by their decisions or if their commitments are based on peer pressure and overwhelming emotions.

Rhonda O’Banion of Heart of Texas Baptist Camp and Mike Leamon of Chaparral Baptist Assembly believe it’s a mixture of both.

Campers paint diuring a crafts session.

“I know people personally who have accepted Christ at camp and maintained that relationship, and there are those that base it off emotions,” Leamon said.

While O’Banion agrees, she believes that “sometimes God uses an emotional atmosphere to get their attention.”

Youth Minister Jase Waller from First Baptist Church in Seminole is careful about picking camps for his youth group because some camps play on emotions and some focus on numbers by displaying how many salvations happened at camp on their website, he said. But “there are many camps that do not plan the emotional high,” he added.

At Zephyr Baptist Encampment, Director Stuart Lutz tries to keep camp sincere.

“We push it where it’s not all tears. We want it to be real,” he said. “Our goal isn’t to get every kid at camp down the aisle.”

Youth ministers Waller and Shannon Hopkins of First Baptist Church in Teague agree the key lies in follow-up.

A Mount Lebanon Baptist Encampment staff member offers students advice on how to overcome obstacles during a ropes course activity.

Youth need encouragement at home and are less likely to stand by their decision if they do not receive it, Hopkins said. “That’s how you keep students firm.”

If families are not encouraging or supportive, Hopkins pairs the student with another adult who will push the student to follow up on his or her decision.

Hopkins said the church’s student ministry tries to get new believers plugged in to the church.

Waller agreed, saying “that where we hear God as youth ministers, we need to help prevent spiritual heightening by assisting our students with follow-through and discipleship.”

Lutz is a strong supporter of follow-up as well.

“Five days is just the beginning of what God wants to do with them,” Lutz said.

Many of the camps agree that follow-up is as important as making the decision and are taking the initiative to help churches.

“We try to give churches materials that help with follow-up and stress the importance of following up on a decision made at camp, whether the person is part of the church or a guest of someone with the church,” Leamon said. “They need to stick with these kids and follow up and make sure they get guidance.”

On top of post-camp encouragement, Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center has a prayer team across Texas designed to pray for new believers.

While “camp high” may be a concern, Highland Lakes Director Danny Dawdy still believes that Christian camping is “one of the greatest evangelism tools we have as Baptists.”

“As we look at the numbers being saved in Baptist camps, we really need to do what we can to support and continue this heritage of Christian camping,” he said.