I went to youth camp as an "adult" for the first time in the summer of 1996. I was 21. I'm still not sure what anyone was thinking to allow me to be counted as an adult, but my birthday showed that I qualified, so I went. I was not old enough to drive the church van. I was only a few years older than some of the campers. I was in a season of discerning God's desire for my life. To say that I was struggling would be an understatement.
I also happened to be working as a youth intern that summer and while I learned much about Jesus and vocational ministry, I also learned to drink beer off the church radar and where to get tattoos in Houston. These are all key pieces of my journey. While the drinking is no longer a part of my vision for wholeness, I have 4 meaningful pieces of skin art and I have dreams for more. I digress.
I write today from the bathroom floor following one of the craziest camp stories. Last summer, Lucas and I took our youth to camp. We went to Florida. It was great. We laughed. We heard engaging speakers. There was an amazing band with strobe lights and smoke machines. We played on the beach. But when we left, I knew that this camp was super and fun and attractive, but it wasn’t us. We intentionally don’t do over programed student ministry.
So when we set out to plan for a camp experience this year, I kept hitting walls. Some self imposed, some schedule imposed, some Spirit imposed. I’m going to spare you all of the details, but I can’t over emphasize how I had nothing to do with the final outcome of my search. Either Google or the Holy Spirit or both led me to an organization called Passport.
When I read the mission statement for this camp, I was completely intrigued:
"Faith does not have to be complicated, but there are requirements. Following Jesus with our lives demands action. To expect justice we must learn to recognize and intercede on behalf of the oppressed. To be kind often means putting others’ needs first. And walking humbly only happens when we stop looking for acknowledgment. Faith in Christ is simple, but that does not mean it is always easy."
I called the camp headquarters and began with a series of probing questions. I asked some silly ones and some serious ones. I listened to their heart. I loved it. So 8 days ago, Lucas and I took 6 teenage girls to Danville, VA for a week of serving and fun and study and laughter and lots and lots and lots of love. Why? Let me tell you.
Because I cannot shake my love for teenagers. I have tried. I want to some days. Some people have this reaction around babies, some people have it around the elderly. I see a teenager and I want to dive headlong into their messy, broken, painful and perfect lives. I want to listen to their stories of friendship and dating and broken hearts. I want to be the one that they say, "I don't believe in God" to. I want to be the one who has the great privilege to look them in the eyes and say, "That's ok, because God believes in you."
I can remember early in my days of student ministry I realized that many pastors use students for theological practice sessions. It's the warm up for the main event. I have always resisted this idea, but it is only in the context of ministry in our church today that I have been able to place handles on the truth of my resistance. I can't outgrow student ministry because I can't separate students. It's all the same.
We wonder why students leave the church when they graduate high school? I am more and more convinced that we have sold them a lie that leads them to believe that creating a separate entertainment venue for them will connect them to Jesus and the Church. LIE. Our students didn't need a week on the beach or a cool band. They needed to be surrounded by kindness while they spread justice. They needed to see others from all over the country study about love and then live it out by building fences and feeding hungry children and serving the poor.
There is not a teenager today that does not need a companion that is a step ahead of them in their faith journey. There is not a teenager today that does not need to learn to serve and give their life away. There is not a teenager today that does not need to be a part of a community that teaches that it's not about their individual wants. And I would say that all of this is the mission and ministry of the Church. It's not found in a youth room in a separate wing of the building. It's not found in a smoke machine. It's not even found by hiring someone to keep the teenagers busy. Teenagers today are busy enough. They don't need one more thing to do. They need a church family that treats every teenager like every other person in the community.
So why do I still invest in teenagers after 21 years, many sleepless nights, 2,462 mile drives to Virginia and both of my kids telling me I'm to old for this? I do it because that is what the church is all about. This is what God created me to do. This is what I love. I love to help people know that they are deeply loved by the Creator. I love to help people understand that there is not one thing that we can do to make God love us any less. And, I love to help people find a place of community and trust in a world where that is so very hard to find.
It was vital that we attended a camp that showed our students that we believe that their season is unique, but the calling is the same. That is what Passport did for our students this week. We arrived back in League City last night at 7pm. This morning, our campers were at church. Some were serving in kid's ministry, some were teaching our elementary students the songs we learned at camp, and all of us were clear that our call to Do Justice, Love Kindness, and Walk Humbly is something that has no age requirement.
By the way, I still hate stupid games. I really suck at dancing to Katy Perry. I know that I ask too many questions. And I'm still going to camp next year. Not because it is the cool thing to do. Not because I need to keep my kids busy for a week. I'm going because I need to serve and learn and grow and be taught by young people and they need to know that there are adults that value them so much that they will make ridiculous drives and sleep on uncomfortable beds all in the name of reaching every single person with the love of a great big God.
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