Making Your Work Camp More Than A Week Of Service

I’ve lost track of how many years, but middle school work camp has been a part of my entire ministry career. At both parishes I’ve worked at, we’ve hosted a weeklong camp that focuses on helping middle school students put their faith into action by participating in different acts of service. If I’m honest, there have been years where it feels more like a week of entertaining pre-teens.

Running your own work camp is hard. There are a ton of logistics, and the need for quality help can be hard to find. While you might find a variety of service opportunities, turning it into something that impacts their faith takes some work. I’m not claiming to have figured it all out, but what I have learned over the years is that the best work camp experiences are because:

IT WAS ABOUT JESUS

It’s easy to make a work camp or any youth experience fun, entertaining, and memorable. But, at the end of the day, how is their faith a part of the equation? You could argue that the acts of service and the fact that the majority of the teens come from the parish is good enough, but is it?

Not only do we need to teach young people about fighting injustice, advocating for the poor and neglected, but we have to remind them why. Whether building houses, feeding the hungry, or visiting the elderly teens, they need to know how their faith in Christ is behind what they do. As adults, we have to make sure we are helping them learn it and articulate it.

Next time you plan your work camp, consider it an extended retreat. Make sure you incorporate time for prayer, teach the theology of justice, and give the teens time to break it open. Parents and teens will want to roll up their sleeves and serve, but remind them that it’s critical to look at why we are called to serve to enrich the experience.

TIME TO REST WAS PRIORITIZED

I have to remind myself not to over plan constantly. I start to get nervous if the schedule only has a few things of service each day, but that’s when I have to remember that the teens need time to rest, pray and process their experience. It might not look or even feel productive, but by giving your teens time to rest, you are allowing them to grow even more.

Give out journals to your teens and allocate time during the work camp to write or draw out their thoughts. Don’t be afraid to find time where the group can sit still and listen to God’s word. While middle school students have a boatload of energy, they also need to find time to be still and know that it’s normal not to be booked every minute of their lives.

THE KEYS OF LEADERSHIP WERE GIVEN AWAY

After running this camp for well over a decade, I’m starting to ask the question, “Will this exist when I’m gone?” I’m not too worried about the answer because we’ve invited high school, college, and young adults to be a part of the planning each year. The first time, it was a little unnerving because I had to trust that they would figure out how to book a place to serve, prepare a prayer service, and engage their middle school peers.

It does not matter the ministry you lead; it is critical to think, “Who’s coming up next?” Start with an invitation, and at your pace, start handing over pieces of responsibility. Whether it’s another adult or a teenager, coach them through the experience. Do not be afraid to let them fail; make sure you walk them through why something did or did not work. As you hand over the keys, you’ll feel less of the burden to make your camp a success.

I’m already thinking about next summer’s camp. I know there are many programs to plan for the fall and winter, but I’m already thinking about who will take the lead and when to tell them to start planning. When we take the time to look ahead, we can be more intentional about our decisions and plans. With better preparation, we can make our camps more than just a week of entertainment and memories. By getting ahead, we can focus on building up the Kingdom of Heaven with the teens in our ministry so that when they grow, they can go and set the world on fire for Christ.

How do you make your work camp more than a week of service?