I recently had the opportunity to attend a few classes on Christian camping, and as we started the very first topic was the Biblical foundation of camping. It reminded me that as we embark on this publication, it’s fitting that we examine the Biblical precedent for Christian camping. Psalm 127:1 reminds us that “except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” If this isn’t built for the glory of God with the blessing of God, our work is of no eternal value.
If you take the time to ask just about anybody who’s been in Christian camping for a while, they’ll have some Biblical references ready for this question. I’ll toss out some of the ones I’ve heard: Adam and Eve were placed in a garden, which is kind of like a camp; the children of Israel spent forty years in the wilderness, which is kind of like camping; John the Baptist camped in the wilderness (although I’m not sure he’d be enthralled with the modern American form of camping); Jesus and His disciples lived a nomadic lifestyle, Paul was a tentmaker and camping often involves tents. Admittedly, my brief summary has not given some of these illustrations the supporting arguments that accompany them, and I’ve surely omitted a few more altogether.
A verse that we like to use here at Camp Joy is Mark 6:31, where Jesus calls His disciples to “come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.” The text notes that “there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Some have pointed out Mark 6:33, the immediate context, which reveals that Jesus and His disciples never actually got to fulfill this concept because the multitudes pursued Jesus so fervently. I would humbly note that staying flexible, letting the Spirit lead, and changing your plans to serve people in need sure sounds like Christian camping.
In this class, the teacher presented an Biblical argument for Christian camping that was entirely new to me: the children of Israel. Early in our introduction to Israel as God’s chosen people, God institutes three annual festivals: Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. These become key elements of the Hebrew calendar. They were three, week-long events, departures from the routine of everyday life, sovereignly designed to foster self-examination and spiritual growth in a Creation setting. The Feast of Booths even required the Israelites to reside in small “booths” for the week, structures we today would likely call tents.
Jim Badke, the author of “The Christian Camp Leader,” notes that “through God’s idea that we call camp, [He] removes us from our usual setting, relieves us from the typical pressures of everyday life, isolates us from the distractions and temptations of the world, [and] provides optimum conditions for crisis and change. He confronts us with our own condition and need for [Him], spends focused time with us, teaches us life-altering lessons… [and] sends us back into the world with new understanding and perspective.” I apologize for the long quote, but it’s too good to leave much out. Every clause in that statement reveals a key element of the camp experience. You are welcome to disagree with whether the Feast of Booths is a sound Biblical precedent for Christian camping, but there is certainly a promising parallel between God’s design of these activities and the template for Christian camping today.
I’ll acknowledge that we can make mistakes. Camp people are very passionate – which can be good and bad. Camp is not the end-all to spiritual growth. We are a tool made available to the local church. We need the local church, but we’re ready to share that the local church needs us as well. Where else can we separate kids from their phones, negative influences, and busyness for an entire week built on exposure to the Word of God under the supervision of Christian leaders in a setting that glories in the beauty of God’s Creation? I’ve met many people in ministry who can trace the beginning of their aspirations for service back to a decision they made as a camper. I’m not saying we’ll make pastors or missionaries out of every camper or that you can’t have a bad experience at camp, but there is a unique opportunity for God to work in amazing ways through the camp setting.
One of my biggest takeaways from that same class session that I mentioned in the opening was a powerful quote from Peter Cartwright, a Methodist preacher advocating for his brethren to attend tent revivals, an American precursor to modern camping. His concluding line was simply this, “Come, my Methodist brethren, you can well afford to spend one week in each year on the tented field!” He said that in 1856. Methodist or Baptist, I believe the call is still the same and its appeal is as timely and relevant today as it was 150 years ago. Come and see what God can do through Christian camping.
