Summer Camp Blog: ONE
July 7, 2008
The annual ritual has begun. This morning I took my ceremonial seat behind the wheel of a 15-passenger Ford F350 van, pointed it west, and led a caravan of 4 vans to San Diego.
Destination: Hume SD Summer Camp 2008.
After a journey that included me singing Kelly Clarkson at the top of my lungs with a van full of junior high girls and a brief water fight in a Starbucks parking lot in El Centro, we arrived at Point Loma. As usual, the talented Michelle took care of all the admin/check-in stuff while I threw a student’s stuffed monkey off a parking garage. Priceless fun. After the check in shananigans, dinner and then staff meeting. The staff meetings are next to useless, they are basically redundant and usually make for great chenis-measuring venues among youth pastors. However, Hume does a great job at these. I am still bothered by the use of “scripture memory verses” as a way to earn more rec points… my kids aren’t doing it and that just means we’ll have to kick extra butt on the rec field. I laugh out loud (awkwardly) when a youth pastor from another church seriously asks, “What if my students memorize all the verses tonight, can we get bonus verses?”
“No. No you don’t get bonus verses. You should leave now and go to Awana camp,” was my mental reply.
I was blown away by the opening chapel. Hume always puts on a good show. This weeks theme is robot-driven one and so naturally, the opening included tons of artificial fog, lasers, dancers with neon suits and fog drums, and sweet techno bumping. This was followed by a decent horror movie trailer type rules video, which was not as awesome as last years, but it worked. Then Chris Simning spoke to the auditorium full of junior highers about the doctrine of God. Using a cereal box. It was good. The night ended with the guys in my dorm rushing to the cafe to get energy drinks only to be DENIED by me and the “come to Jesus” meeting before bed. I am now ready for nigh night. I will post tomorrow.
iChat: nickasolas@mac.com
don’t knock Awana jerk-face. i still know all the songs.
I don’t remember anything… except for being forced to memorize scripture for the promise of a little plastic arrowhead only to forget them the same night. Denial is the first obstacle Dani, get help.
Your kids don’t do the verses? What??? We owned Meadow Ranch at main camp three years in a row (or maybe two) by using the verses! What kind of youth pastor doesn’t think that’s important?
It feels good when I see the word “chenis” used without explanation.
Simning is a god.
I don’t want my kids pimping out the word of God for a few rec points that have no eternal value, thats why. All that does is promote short-term memory of verses and teaches students to read and forget scripture without thinking about what it means and how to apply it.
Congrats on owning Meadow Ranch BTW.
i think memorizing bible verses is awesome…mostly because God says so (ie psalm 119)…but I totally agree with you on the hatred of using memory verses to gain rec points…it nullifies the whole purpose. just dumb. here’s an idea…how about memorizing verses just for the value that comes from knowing them?
I would argue that this isn’t considered memorization at all but is actually counter productive to what Psalm 119 is talking about. I am all for hiding God’s word in your heart and studying, relying on, and pouring over it… just not cramming it in for a a few rec points.
Check this out.. http://www.bmb.psu.edu/courses/psu16/troyan/studyskills/cramming.htm.
BTW, when are you going to get blogging?
a. found your blog
b. i agree with you about the scripture memorization??? (i’m ron burgundy?)
c. you’re kids are awesome so far.
d. let’s continue our convo from chapel some time this week.
e. we’re now following each other on twitter.