Camp is often one of the highlights for every children's ministry, but how do we make the most of the growth that happens at camp?

I’ve been involved to one degree or another in summer camps for twenty years. I was a counselor during my college years, took kids to them (and retreats) for eleven years as a youth pastor, and have been involved in leading statewide camps for the past eight years. Now I am sending my own kids. And I can tell you from two decades of experience that there is a marked difference between kids who go to a Christian summer camp and kids who don’t.

This summer many of us will attend or lead a summer camp. We must ask God to build our camps. We need to pray for God’s favor over the campers and leaders who attend our camps. This is why I’m asking pastors, leaders, and parents to rally their churches together and pray during the summer months for youth and kids’ camps all around the nation.

There is something special to be said about going on a trip with the kids in your ministry to a place designed just for them where they can encounter God with no distractions. Summer camp is a valuable tool for leaders and should be utilized as much as possible in guiding kids to a Christ-centered life. Here are three reasons why.

Teach your kids about the gifts of the Spirit. Teach them to learn to hear God’s voice. Teach them to go to a parent or a leader for guidance if need be. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He will guide your kids into an amazing spirit-filled walk.

A lot of great things can happen during a week of camp. It’s every parent’s (and every camp supporter’s) dream that the camping experience with the longest impact on a child’s life is a work of the Holy Spirit. However, there are some things that can end up short-circuiting the work the Holy Spirit wants to do.