Top 7 Memories of Bible Camp

It's the time of year for Bible Camp. These are my top 7 memories:

7. "Puff the Magic Dragon"
Yes, we sang "Kumbaya" but what sticks in my mind from Bible Camp when I was a kid was singing about that old rascal Puff. I still can't understand why.

6. Hidden Yellow Jackets Nest
In 2001, as a group of us was walking up a trial at dusk, one after another campers cried out "Ouch!" as we stomped on a hidden nest of yellow jackets. Of course I had to become a victim that evening as well. Thankfully, everyone was fine.

5. Oatmeal
You can tell how good a camp's food will be by the way they prepare oatmeal. If they do oatmeal well your in for good stuff all week... if its uneatable... welcome to fat camp because you won't want to eat much all week. At one camp they had a song for oatmeal: "Oaaaatmeal; some like butter. Oaaaatmeal; some like sugar..." I still sing that one to my kids.

4. College-Age Counselors
Yes, sometimes they bring a little modern-day drama with them, but just about always the camp counselors, usually between 18 and 22 years-old, are wonderful witnesses of faith for younger youth. The seeds they sow in the hearts of young people have bore much fruit for Christ.

3. An Eight-Day-Old Camper
In 2004 my wife brought our eight-day old newborn to camp for an afternoon. He still is, unofficially, the youngest person ever to go to Bible Camp.

2. "Sanctuary"
I learned this song at Bible Camp. It always reminds me of God's grace, the blessings of nature, friends, and times of Sabbath... all of which allows me to become a better vessel for God's presence within me.

1. Tearful Goodbyes
You cannot tell me of any other place where adolescents can worship God no less than four times a day, have no access to any modern media, talk about Jesus with others and still feel horrible about leaving when it's over. God created us to desire him and long for healthy friendships. Those are the centerpieces of camp ministry. It's only natural that youth would want to stay.