Journey of a beloved camp treasure
Moose Lake was one of three camps under the umbrella of Camps with Meaning (CwM), Mennonite Church Manitoba’s camping ministry. It opened in 1957 and closed in September 2017, in order to create a more sustainable model for the regional church’s camping ministry. The picnic shelter was built in 2008 with funds raised by the…
Stepping outside the comfort zone
I had the pleasure of leading the Leaders in Training (LIT) and Advanced Camper Experience (ACE) programs at Hidden Acres last summer. Both programs offer youth a chance to further develop leadership skills, study the Bible, build community, spend time outdoors, and learn the ins and outs of serving at camp. Taking on the role…
Witnessing God at Camp Assiniboia
As I prepare to enter my eighth summer as a camp staffer, I have an overwhelming abundance of memories to reflect on. From childhood weeks at Camp Moose Lake and the pubescent discoveries at Camp Koinonia, all the way to last summer, when I fell into awkwardly new territory to direct at Camp Assiniboia. I…
Fun is a camp byproduct
The word “fun” is often used in association with camp but, from my perspective, fun is not the meat and potatoes of what happens at camp. Fun is the byproduct of an accepting community and doing silly, exciting and difficult things together. A young camper sat at the table with a flurry of craft supplies…
This ground is holy ground
This Ground is a collective that meets to work, worship and eat together in aid of Camp Assiniboia near Cartier, Man. “This ground, this is the place when we come here we are participating in worship just by looking up at these big trees and recognizing God’s greatness,” says Sandy Plett. Plett and her husband…
Music Camp keeps the tunes playing
Marie Penner from Toronto United Mennonite Church had a dream of a camp that would develop the musical talents of young Mennonites in Ontario. Penner remembers going to the Inter-Mennonite Conference, the precursor to Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, for support. Her husband, who was on the conference board, told her that she needed to make…
Faith leads to composting
Donning my biology lab coat and goggles, I push through the bustling crowd of eager campers who are anxiously waiting to sing for their lunchtime mail delivery, and I raise my hand in the air. “Ready?” I ask. “One, two, three!” And the crowd of 80 bursts into an enthusiastic, barely organized uproar. “Teka’s Bokashi…
‘A place I feel most comfortable’
When I was 5, my parents dropped me off for a week of camp at Silver Lake, near Sauble Beach, Ont. I was terrified. When they were trying to say their goodbyes, I would not let them go. The first few days were hard. I called my mom and dad saying I wanted to come…
No place I’d rather be
A young girl pretends she is an expert equestrian. Slightly older, she learns the difference between a J-stroke and a C-stroke. Later, as a counsellor, she races through pouring rain near midnight to the lodge bathroom. Another night, she holds a tiny hand as someone struggles to fall asleep in a strange place. As nature…
Transforming lives with horses and Jesus
Many summer camps offer horseback riding as part of their overall programming. The Youth Farm Bible Camp is developing its summer horse program into a year-round ministry. The camp, situated near Rosthern, already has a full-time, year-round horsemanship director in the person of Cheralyne Gibson. A former camper and wrangler at Youth Farm, Gibson is…
