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…
Good food enhances camp ministry
Every summer Melita Penner and her daughter, Denelda Fast, spend a week cooking for summer camp at Shekinah Retreat Centre, north of Waldheim, Sask. They’ve been doing it for 15 years. In the early years they volunteered for children’s or teens’ camps, cooking for up to 65 people each week. But for the past three…
Beating hearts all year round
Over the past few months I have had the privilege of seeing a whole new side of camps, and this experience has only confirmed and strengthened my belief in the importance of a camp ministry for the broader church. Having been a camper, counsellor, Bible leader and kitchen volunteer, I thought there wasn’t much more…
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…
Summer memories go up in smoke
Chesley Lake Camp, located west of Owen Sound, Ont., lost its main building to fire on Canada Day. The building housed offices, a restaurant, tuck shop and many memories. The fire has been classified as accidental and no further investigation is being carried out. Fireworks had been displayed near the building on the evening of…
A special faith-based community
Attending Ontario Mennonite Music Camp at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont., has benefitted me in ways that I never could have imagined when I registered in 2012. I made some incredible friendships and developed important life skills in my two weeks at camp. I was pretty nervous going into Music Camp, being a…
A front-row seat
A highlight of each summer at the Shekinah Retreat Centre near Waldheim, Sask., is the coffee house during our senior-teen camp for ages 15 to 18. Campers come out of their shell and display talents that we didn’t know they had. It is a special time of vulnerability. Coffee House 2016 was highlighted by a…
‘I can’t wait for summer’
The sun is shining through the tall trees today at Camp Valaqua near Water Valley, Alta., and the a hint of spring is in the air. This time of year brings hiring, planning and anticipation into our little corner of the camp world. Sometimes it is tough to keep track of why we work at…
The beauty in difference
I’m an archetype. My family immigrated to Canada when I was 6, and while I went to school, my parents worked tirelessly to support me. They uprooted their lives in hope of a better tomorrow for their child. My story is that of millions of immigrant children in Canada and around the world. At 10,…
