“Having engaged leaders is crucial,” Randy Rainwater says. “Meeting them before and explaining expectations, making sure they know they have some off time as adult leaders is really important.”
Once at camp, Randy keeps a separate room well stocked with snacks, and he encourages his adult leaders to spend up to one hour each day relaxing there. He even weighs his adults’ needs heavily in his planning process, considering their abilities and time practicalities. “About four days is the limit for a lot of parents to be able to go at that pace without a lot of sleep,” he says.
Grace Student Ministries has many parents involved, and keeping them engaged with and at camp is a high priority for Randy. “Putting parents in places where they can be heroes is important,” he says. “They do the mudslide with the kids. They go out canoeing with the kids. Getting them out there interacting is real important because everything changes when you share those kinds of experiences.”
Want Help?
Learn more and find a camp at CCCA.org, site of the Christian Camp and Conference Association.
