Share
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1
It is always fun to ask a camper, "What was your favorite part?"
When youth from Open Door Ministries in Colorado returned from camp this month, the answers included rafting, games, rock climbing, and time with friends. But one story stuck out.
The campers decided they wanted to sleep under the stars.
For many of these young people from inner-city Denver, a sky full of stars isn't something they see very often. So despite the wind, the cold, and a less-than-perfect night outdoors, every one of them stayed together...just to be together and for the experience and freedom of sleeping outside. What began as an adventure became one of the memories they talked about most.
Maybe that's because camp creates something many of us are missing: space.
Space to look up.
Space to notice God's creation.
Space to be fully present with one another.
Space to hear God's voice.
This year, Open Door Ministries brought ten students to camp to raft on Colorado’s Arkansas River, nearly half of them attending for the first time. Thanks to additional support from Star Rock Ministries, more students were able to attend, despite a waiting list, and leaders were freed from meal preparation responsibilities so they could spend more time investing in relationships with their youth group.
That gift of space showed up in meaningful ways throughout the week.
During a Concert of Prayer, the campers moved through prayer stations around the campground, taking time to pray, reflect, and listen. One ninth-grader spent nearly an hour at a single station, writing a letter to God. Later, she shared that she felt God had been wanting to talk with her, but she had been too busy to listen.
How often is that true for all of us?
In a world filled with noise, schedules, and distractions, camp offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to slow down and pay attention.
To one another.
To creation.
And to God.
These are the stories we love to tell, not because they are dramatic, but because they remind us how God often works. He meets us in the quiet moments, in shared experiences, in conversations around a campfire, and under a sky full of stars.
Thank you for being part of creating those moments for young people. Together, we are helping provide Christ-centered camp experiences where faith grows, relationships deepen, character is formed, and lives are transformed by the love of Christ.
