Are you a Christian parent who has considered sending your child to camp? Are you a Lutheran elementary school teacher who has considered scheduling a camp experience as a field trip for your class?

I was both. As a parent, I predicted a Christian camp experience would be beneficial for my children. As a teacher in a Lutheran elementary school, I had a hunch an overnight field trip would be an amazing opportunity for my class to learn and grow together.

Yet it took several years of considering it to finally make the commitments to send my own children and to take my students to camp. Now I wish I hadn’t waited so long!

My own children have returned from camp the last couple summers excited to sing the songs and tell about the activities they enjoyed. More importantly, they have returned talking about how their faith grew at camp, and acting refreshed in their attitudes toward their parents and siblings. They have made Christian friends and met Christian role models they respect, and they have gotten to know their best friend, Jesus, better, too! I have also seen them grow in their confidence and independence. They look forward to returning to camp. My oldest, an eighth grader, is now becoming a regular at teen retreats during the school year, and all of them are talking about serving on the junior staff when they reach high school.

This year was also the second year I have made the trip to camp with my class of third and fourth graders (pictured). We enjoyed an afternoon and evening in beautiful fall weather, slept overnight in the cabins, and spent the following morning there, too. After two overnight trips to camp (with two very different classes!), I can confidently say that any group of students will grow and learn from time at camp together, especially if their teacher makes an ongoing connection between the lessons learned at camp and the challenges and opportunities the students face at school.

After our recent trip to camp, I asked my students to write down some lessons they learned at camp. Some of my students were very insightful:

• “It helps me to get to know people better when I ask for help.”
• “I learned at Camp Phillip that spotting is kind of like body-guarding. It was fun because we were encouraging each other… It was also fun because we were helping those who went on the rope so they wouldn’t fall.”
• “A lot of stuff at camp was hard… But most importantly I learned if everyone is having fun, you will get it done.”
• “The ropes course is a fun place that involves lots of teamwork, and the place has lots and lots of ropes!”
• “I learned songs that tell the gospel to me and to others. I also learned songs that combine stories in the Bible. I also learned that I can praise God anytime.”
• “I think God’s Word calms me down when I’m excited.”
• “I learned lots of things about bula ball at Camp Phillip. I learned the rules, about the equipment, how to be a good player, and what to do if people disagree.” (This introduction was followed by a full page of ways to get along in the game and handle disagreements.)
• “I like to encourage!” (This comment came from a student who did not have a reputation for being very encouraging with his classmates prior to our trip.)

The other group of people who thoroughly enjoyed our class trip were the adults who came along! The parent chaperones and I enjoyed playing with the kids and getting to know them better, seeing them come out of their shells in a different environment, guiding them to work together, and watching their excitement for the songs and activities. And I have been able to follow up on the lessons learned at camp on an almost daily basis in the classroom and at recess.

It takes commitment to get my class and my own kids to a camp that’s two hours away and comes with a financial cost, too. But I fully recommend it to anyone who might be considering it. I predict that once you try it you will be hooked!

Note: My reflections above refer directly to my recent experiences with Camp Phillip in Wautoma, Wisconsin. I am unfamiliar with other camps that may offer similar experiences, so I cannot speak for or against those other programs.