The Art of Summer Camp and Mission Trips

With summer arriving full steam ahead, summer camp and mission trips come along with the change in season. Summer camps provide a wonderful opportunity for youth to disconnect from the craziness of social media, extracurriculars and school. Summer camps also provide an intentional time for them to get outdoors and connect with God, nature and friends, new and old alike. While it might be anxiety inducing for some, it still allows for youth to be pushed outside of their comfort zone, in a safe environment, so that they get to experience new things, learn new information and learn how to trust that there is a purpose in the unknown and uncertainty.

I can remember going to Kairos camp at Lutheridge the summer after my 8th grade year and being filled with a lot of dread and anxiety about the week ahead. As someone who tends to be more on the introverted side, the thought of spending a week with people I didn’t know made me really nervous. However, I trusted that God would be with me and it wouldn’t be as bad as my anxiety was making it seem and I was right! I got there and quickly grew to love my cabinmates and counselor, and ended up having an awesome week! That week at camp was more impactful and influential than I realized at the time. It helped me develop a deeper love of nature and a broader understanding of how God can be intertwined in our lives. While I never went back to Lutheridge as a camper after my Kairos week, I worked there for 4 summers and was constantly in awe of the ways faith was formed at camp, especially as a counselor, getting to see campers grow and change, developing both their faith and relationships, throughout their week at camp.

Now that I am in the role of Youth Director here at Grace, I am extremely excited to get to go to Lutheridge with Kairos campers this summer and get to watch them learn and grow throughout the week. I am also really excited to get to go to Spark’Dwell in Winston-Salem with a group and get to experience a new kind of faith formation. I have heard a lot of great things about Spark’Dwell and I am looking forward to growing with the youth during that week and getting to learn more about what the Dwelling does. I am also looking forward to next summer when we travel to Minneapolis and get to experience worship on a whole new level at the National Youth Gathering. I attended the 2018 Youth Gathering and then volunteered at the 2024 Youth Gathering. However, I am looking forward to experiencing a Youth Gathering in yet another way, this time as a Youth Director, experiencing this impactful trip, while helping guide youth throughout the sessions and ministry work.

Jenna Ramsey, Director of Youth Ministry