Reasons Why You Should Be A Camp Chaplain

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
~Psalm 150:6

If you haven’t volunteered to be a chaplain at your local camp, you should (if your camp has such a position). Not only are you helping in a meaningful way, but it reminds you of these three essential lessons that I have found to be vital to my ministry.

Lesson 1: Messy is normal…

I always thought that camp was an honest reflection of how messy life, ministry, and faith can be. Setting aside the fact that things actually do get messy (I'm talking about clothes, hygiene, etc.), time at camp is a reminder that messy is normal, and that's okay, it's the reality of things.

Whether it’s driving a counselor to the urgent care, comforting a homesick camper, or mediating a fight, camp is a great place to be reminded that life is full of twists and turns. Some of them you can prepare for, but some things are going to be unexpected.

Outdoor ministry has taught me the value of living outside of your comfort zone, which is extremely important for someone like myself, who is an introvert. It’s also shown me to be resourceful, to look for solutions outside the box (i.e., learning how to build an impromptu cajón drum with other staff so that your worship has percussion).

So, just as our various ministry contexts are filled with people who are wrestling with life’s hurdles, camp has shown me that those messes are a part of what connects us. It’s allowed me to find the balance in sitting with the tension of joys and sorrows, and has allowed me to say, “It’s okay; that’s just life.”

Oh, and there is nothing better, more sacred, than being able to serve communion to a group of campers and staff at the end of an adventurous week!

Lesson 2: Go with the flow…

In a similar vein to the first lesson, working in outdoor ministry has reminded me of the value of going with the flow. It doesn’t mean that you don’t prepare things, but when “stuff” starts to hit the fan, it’s okay to let go and readjust.

It means that the outdoor worship, which you had planned to have meaningful experiences, gets moved inside. It means you change some things around, but in the end, it’s just as good. And in the process, you didn’t burn yourself out by worrying about all the tiny details.

We like to think that church, that “traditional” ministry, is neat, tidy, and has been planned months beforehand. But what do you when there’s a major current event that has impacted people in your community? What do you do when something happens in the church, and it needs to be addressed? Or even worse, what if someone forgot to change the paraments at the front of the church?!?

It’s okay. The world is not going to end. “Go with the flow,” has been a vital reminder that camp has provided me as I continue in my ministry.

Lesson 3: Ministry can be F.U.N!

Lastly, ministry can be fun! It should be fun, of course, at appropriate times. Camp has taught me the importance of being able to have fun in worship. You don’t have to have a “who can sit still the longest” completion, but you can actually move around and engage all of your senses.

Though this may be easier than it sounds, I don’t know how this would go in a “tall steeple” or more traditional church, but I find that in my current context (a small Presbyterian church), fun is always an option on the table when it comes to worship. And why shouldn’t church, ministry be fun occasionally? I think it’s a joy to be able to praise God with songs, movement, and laughter.

One of the greatest things about camp ministry is the people that you meet: the office staff, the counselors, the kids, the volunteers, the parents, and anyone else who sets foot into camp that week.

I’ve made a lot of friends at camp and relationships that I still maintain to this day. It’s a chance to meet people from different walks of life and to spend time growing together, having fun, bearing one another, and learning what it means to live in a community.

So go out now and volunteer as a chaplain! Don’t waste any time! And hopefully, I’ll pray, you walk away from the experience with lessons/reminders of your own as you return to your life and ministry.