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BY ANDY THORNTON

Last week, I was contacted by a parent who wanted to know if she could volunteer to serve as nurse during a week of summer camp this year. Since finding capable, qualified and willing nurses tends to be difficult, I was elated to say the least, and agreed to meet with her. I happened to be outside when she drove into the parking lot, and walked over to greet her. She opened the door, and began to tell me – quite excitedly – about the wonderfully positive experience her son had at camp last summer, how important the camp community had been to him, how he felt truly valued, how the love of Christ was so evident all week long, and oh-yeah. . . he just had a lot of fun too. She said all of this before hardly getting out of the car. To me, it was just another example of how a summer camp experience – a time away from home but in the midst of an accepting community in which we are having fun among friends – provides fertile ground to share the good news of Jesus.

There are countless stories that say "summer camp made a difference" and demonstrate the far-reaching impact a camp experience can have. One example in particular involves a camper who arrived home from camp and proclaimed to his family "Y'know, we really should be going to church every Sunday!" Before the end of the summer, the entire family had connected with a local church. Clearly, the experience at camp was so dramatic, other members of the same family, who did not attend camp, began to think more deeply about their own spiritual journeys as they were touched, albeit indirectly, by the camp experience.

Recently I was trying to recruit volunteers for some sports activities for a middle high camp, I thought about a camper from many years ago who has gone on to have a successful football career at a local university. I searched Facebook (hooray for social media!) and took the chance to send him a note to ask if he would come out for a day this summer, teach some skills and just play with the campers. He replied almost instantly (hooray for iphones!), "I feel honored to be invited to spend a day and worship with the youth at West River. I would love to share my testimony with others at the place where I credit much of my inspirational growth."

It was gratifying to know that after years of separation, the witness of caring counselors and a loving accepting community at summer camp still had an impact.

God acts through the hundreds of volunteer counselors and directors, who give a week of their summer to witness to their faith, create caring communities and let themselves go just enough to have great fun with campers. It is the tireless work of the college age summer staff who work from sun up to well after the sun has set that exude enthusiasm, creativity and a joy for the love of the Lord in all they do, that provide role models for campers. It is the staffs of Harmison, Manidokan and West River that work to create a friendly hospitable environment to show the campers they are cared for.

And now, those very campers, who were impacted by their counselors, are back to be leaders at summer camp and in fact

leaders throughout the Baltimore Washington Conference. They are in the pulpits, leading youth groups and teaching Bible studies. They are active in missions both locally and throughout the world. They are impacting their communities by putting their faith into practice. This circle of learning, growing and leading has been going around in summer camps for over half a century now. All because in the midst of a week of great over-the-top fun and a community of friends, new and old, God is able to touch hearts and change lives with the message of grace and salvation.

Andy Thornton is the director of the conference's camps.