Camp for All Abilities
A few weeks ago we had the privilege for a sneak peak into Family Camp hosted by Joni & Friends. The property was beautiful (as expected for a Young Life camp) and the joy on the faces of both campers and their companions was absolutely beautiful.
As a teenager, I attended Hume Lake and Forrest Home in California with my youth group. These were formitable times for my own faith in Jesus. But more than just the teaching, it was the community I built with my friends as we all returned home changed by Jesus, on fire for our faith, and ready to grow as His disciples… together! However, for many young people who suffer from a chronic illness or disability camp feels distant, hard, expensive and unattainable.
Sure, their are camps specifically designed for people with special needs and Young Life leverages their properties to host their own Caperneum Camps and contract with other organizations like Joni & Friends as well. But what about inclusion? What are we missing in the big picture of “belonging” when we don’t break every and all barriers to get these kids to camp? What are the benefits not only to the kid with a special need but also to the spiritual development of everyone else?
To be honest, as a teenager I didn’t realize the work our pastoral staff did behind the scenes to include me. They made sure logistics like transportation and my assigned cabin worked. They added another adult leader in my cabin to help. My friends literally carried me up stairs and hills, over snow and ice so this experience could be shared between us.
One mother recently told me that her son “didnt want to go to ‘wheelchair camp’ but wanted to go to camp with his friends.” He wanted to come home with a shared experience and on fire for Jesus with the very people he would see at school and church each week. Yet, these extra costs of added transportation and adult help are often passed onto the family in many cases. And for families already burdened with medical bills and care church camp becomes too costly and the cheaper option becomes the only option.
Mark 2 inspires and shows us the importance of inclusion and breaking barriers; five friends, a stretcher, a new roof, a new creation, a miracle and a celebration as all five walked home… together.
I don’t have all the answers and so many situations are different. But what if we budgeted differently? What if we focused on breaking barriers by planning ahead for space and logistics? What if we offered inclusion before families had to ask? Yes, there may be added costs but what opportunities are we leaving on the stretcher that Jesus may be orchestrating for a miracle in the lives of many.
Have you seen or experienced success in this area of your ministry? Are you wondering how to even start planning and praying for an opportunity to connect a kid to camp? We would love to have a conversation with you and your ministry. Drop us a note… we look forward to hearing from you.