I grew up in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Although a small denomination, each Conference (the equivalent of a diocese) offers a vibrant camping and retreat program for youth and adults. My camp was called Covenant Harbor and was located on the old Borden estate in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I went to church camp there for one week every summer from the time I was 8 until I was 15. In high school, I worked on the kitchen crew for 6 weeks each summer. In college, I worked on the waterfront and directed the Red Cross swim lessons program.

I kept going back to church camp mostly because it was fun. I couldn't wait to get up there every summer and be with my camp friends, the counselors and camp staff. We did all the things that kids do in "normal" camp day – swim, water-ski, volleyball, Capture the Flag, and making gimp bracelets. However, our days were also punctuated by devotional time with our cabin groups in the morning and at bed time. At our evening camp fires, our Camp Chaplain told stories with a Christian message, and we sang contemporary Christian songs. It was assumed that everyone at camp was a Christian and conversations with counselors and friends often drifted naturally to spiritual issues and questions.

Looking back, I can now see that camp was much more than just fun. I can see clearly the impact Christian camping had in helping me take the faith of my childhood and transforming it into the faith of a young adult, and in helping me take the Christian faith that my parents gave me and make it my own. Camp helped me get God out of church and to also see Him as the God of sun, trees, water and of close friendships and fun.

Many of you know that I am heavily involved in the development effort for the Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center that our Episcopal diocese is building. It's a big, complicated project that has absorbed most of my time and energy over the past year. But for me, this work has been truly a labor of love. It is a way I can open another door to the faith for the young people in our parish and all the children of the diocese. If just one child in our parish has the experience I had – and I know that will happen – it will all be worthwhile.

- Pam Mathews

Note: To better understand what a church camp site/program can mean to the people of our parish, we'd like to share one personal experience each month in the Redeemer News. If would like to share one of yours, please contact Donna Robinson or Erik Britt-Webb or email us at camp@redeemerchestnuthill.org.