Making the camp experience meaningful

Parents, grandparents and guardians send their elementary school to college age children to summer camps for various reasons. Perhaps some received a memorable life-changing experience at a Christian camp when they were young or wished they had attended one themselves.

Today many working parents are looking to send their children to a safe and educational summer camp not only for the experience, but also, to ensure that their children receive some life experiences that they are unable to provide. The Ponderosa Bible Camp meets all of these needs but the question is what makes the Ponderosa camp experience so effective?

All of the Ponderosa camps provide age-appropriate activities for everyone to participate in. There are art and crafts, educational experiences, and adventure activities. Ponderosa is a Christian camp ministry that teaches biblical principles and presents the gospel in a tangible way to campers.

The key objective of Ponderosa is to prepare a camper to hear the voice of God. (Luke 8:8) “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Counselors use the biblical principles that can best be described by the parable of Luke 8: 5-8 “a farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soul. It came up and yielded a crop, 100 times more than was sown. When he said this, he called out ‘he who has ears to hear!’”

The first step Ponderosa uses to prepare a camper to hear is to help the campers turn down the volume of the world.

(Luke 8:12) “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil calms and takes away the word from our hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

The second step in preparing the heart is to overcome the distracted heart. The key here is to develop a daily focus of reading, listening and talking to God.

The third step in preparing the heart is to develop a mature heart. This is a person that is saved but wants to go deeper with God to grow into maturity. At Ponderosa, we have resources that help equip the young believer.  

Hebrews 12: 1-2  Since we are surrounded by so many examples (of faith), we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sand that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus.

The fourth step in preparing the heart is to develop a prepared heart. God’s voice is clearest in a prepared environment. At Ponderosa the campers spend the week overcoming the distractions that hinders one from hearing God’s voice. They are then put into a prepared place, whether it be at a campfire or under the stars we give the campers time to think & pray after hearing an encouraging message.

Ponderosa guides the campers to go in the right direction, order their life focus and fall in love with God with materials and speakers that communicate with the camper at the maturity level they understand.

Ready to send your child to camp? Register today!

Written by Paul Berry, Ponderosa Board Member.