Scores of Living Church of God teens and young adults consider Living Youth Camp (LYC) a must! Many come back year after year; first as campers, then as high school staff, later as young adult staff, and some even return after they are married. What is it about LYC that keeps them coming back? And why is it that each year we have campers and staff eagerly coming for the first time?
There is no doubt that the north woods of Michigan, near the shore of Lake Huron, with its beautiful Les Cheneaux Islands, have an appeal that beckons all comers. Northwoods Christian Camp is a peaceful place where deer roam freely. Often one can see fawns grazing with their mothers on tender grass during Morning Motivation or Evening Reflection, and sometimes—if you are patient—you can feed one a handful of corn chips.
The campus lake can be crossed on foot by way of a scale model replica of the Mackinaw Bridge which connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Blue skies, white fluffy clouds, clean air and gentle breezes through the pines, all round out the picture of this place that many of us see as our home away from home for two weeks each summer.
LYC is a fun place to be! There are dances, a canoe trip, sports (such as flag football, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and soccer), classes in Christian Living, archery, speech—and media, in which campers produce a newscast shown during Morning Motivation. There are also pizza nights, game nights and cookouts. In addition, there are interesting personalities to meet, such as Mr. Mario Hernandez, or one or more of the Work's senior leaders and their wives, perhaps Tomorrow's World presenter Mr. Richard Ames, or Presiding Evangelist Dr. Roderick C. Meredith.
Even more than the activities, LYC is fun because you are around fun people your own age who understand what it is like to be in the Church. There is plenty of time to make lasting friendships during fellowship time, eating meals together, paddling a canoe from island to island, sitting around a campfire and hanging out with your dorm-mates after Evening Reflection. How exciting it is to then spend time with these friends at the Feast, or chat with them online.
But are these all the factors that bring campers and staff back, year after year? Well, they are a big part of the picture, but certainly not all. What makes LYC such a wonderful experience is not the location, the facilities, the natural environment or even the activities. It is the way of life promoted at LYC. And here, we have a confession to make. LYC has something to "sell" you, and we make no apologies for that. You see, we believe in honesty in marketing. We have a product that we ourselves were sold, one that we happily purchased, and one that we have no intentions of returning for a refund. It is a way of life—the way of life many of the faculty members learned in their youth at Ambassador College.
This way of life is marked at LYC by a very simple goal. We strive to produce an atmosphere that encourages all to practice God's way of life. It is the way of give versus get, of caring for the other person rather than being self-centered. Specific foundational principles from the word of God, either in the letter or in the spirit, form the philosophical basis by which LYC operates. Scripture teaches us that the most important of all the commandments is to love God with all your heart, and that the second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself.
We understand this way of life in very practical terms. In today's world, everyone seems to be obsessed with self-image and self-esteem. Teens especially try to out-cool one another—" Hey, look at me!" This is often because of personal insecurities, but the result is self-centeredness and a lack of concern for others. When you are consumed with your own image, you are not concerned for the person next to you. What we want to see developed is a godly heart. At LYC, we emphasize that people who, from the heart, show outgoing concern for others will be more popular in the long run than people who think primarily of themselves.
I am not sure who holds the record (other than faculty), but several members of our LYC team have been coming to camp for nine or ten years. They started out as campers, volunteered as high school workers, and just kept returning after they became young adults. This is one reason why the program works—we have staff who really believe in the program. They know what it has done for them, and they are committed to sharing this vision and their happiness with others.
Fun things to do, great natural beauty, interesting people to hang out with, friends who understand your way of life, great food, the promotion of godly values, learning more about God's word and His way of life, and staff who really care for your well-being—these are the reasons why campers and staff come back year after year, and why others want to try LYC for the first time!
If you are interested in attending LYC this summer, please go to www.youth-web.org, where specifics concerning dates, tuition and fees, ages, and camp activities are available. Applications—easy to fill out online—can also be completed there. Please see your local minister for application information if you do not have Internet access.
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Texas Pre-Teen Camp
Excitement, adventure, and instruction in Christian living await all our pioneer pre-teens this summer at the 2008 Texas Pre-Teen Camp! The camp will take place from June 15 through June 19 at the historic Fort Parker State Park, located 80 miles south of Dallas. The park includes 1,458 acres with a 700-acre lake. This remarkable area offers not only scenic beauty and the wonders of the outdoors—with the backdrop of 18th century history and the last great Comanche chief, Quanah Parker—but it also offers a well-appointed group camp facility with kitchen, dining room, bathrooms and dormitories.
Activities this year will allow children from ages 8 to 12 to test the bounds of their abilities and courage, through such activities as archery, canoeing, flag football, basketball, BB gun target shooting, orienteering and a talent show. Campers will also have the opportunity to grow in understanding themselves and others through Christian living classes, arts and crafts, games and fellowship. Each day will conclude with an inspiring and encouraging evening reflection before bed.
Much prayer, thought and preparation have gone into the Texas Pre-Teen Camp to ensure a rewarding and safe experience! We expect that more than 40 campers will attend, along with 20 to 30 teen and adult staff members. As you can see, activities will be well-staffed and supervised, and we expect this year's Pre-Teen Camp in Texas to be the best yet! Do not miss out on the fun! If you are interested in attending Pre-Teen Camp in Texas this summer, please go to www.youthweb. org, where further information is available and applications—easy to fill out online—can be completed. Please see your local minister for application information if you do not have Internet access. For further information, you may also phone Mr. Dan Hall at (903) 882-8660, or Mr. Deric Forrestier at (903) 830-0198.
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Missouri Pre-Teen Camp
As some of our pre-teens may remember, last year we had a fantastic Pre-Teen Camp in Missouri, yet the camp director, Mr. Wallace Smith, insisted, "We are looking forward to making next year even better!"
Summer will be here before we know it, and planning is already well underway for this year's camp, scheduled for June 15–22. Fun, exciting and educational activities are on the menu, to keep your young loved ones busy, and to provide them with a safe (mothers, yes, you can relax!), enriching, structured and well-supervised experience.
Activities will include riflery, archery, canoeing, team sports, nature walks and "the verse" hunt, to provide the campers with physical exercise, teamwork skills and appreciation of God's creation. Arts and crafts classes will afford an experience of creativity and "hands-on" proficiency.
The spiritual aspect of young campers' lives is not forgotten—it is, in fact, emphasized. Daily Christian living classes will be provided for campers' knowledge, growth and development in godly character. These classes will be taught by visiting ministers of God's Church. Of course, this spiritual component will also be included with the weekly Sabbath and Bible study.
Yes, parents, this year's Pre-Teen Camp in Missouri is sure to be the summer's highlight for your "little bundle of joy." Camp will give them the opportunity to come out of the world and develop friendships with like-minded Church youth. Pre-Teen Camp is not only a fun place to be, but offers an atmosphere that encourages all (campers and staff) to practice God's way of life and to make godly choices—beginning at a young age.
If you are interested in attending Pre-Teen Camp in Missouri this summer, you may go to www.youthweb. org, where further details are available. Applications—easy to fill out online—can also be completed there. Please see your local minister for application information if you do not have Internet access. For further information, you may also phone Mr. Wallace Smith at (636) 744-1034, or contact him by e-mail at [email protected].