CL – Packing Your Bag and Preparing Yourself for Camp

Be Prepared in:

Body: Camp is physically demanding. Exercise and good rest before hand will help you handle the stress when you arrive.

Mind: Begin by telling yourself now that camp is a two week commitment. The first week at home after coming back from camp is the key to making sure that what campers gained at camp is not lost at home.

Heart: You’ve got to be crazy to go to a Young Life camp. Spending hour upon hour in a bus with a bunch of people whose definition of quality entertainment is a competition involving various bodily functions? That alone is evidence enough to have you committed. But being committed is what got you here in the first place. You are committed to Jesus Christ. That’s good, because nothing besides a deep love for Jesus will get you through a demanding week at camp.

Two passages to consider reading as your prepare your heart for camp are 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and Matthew 25:31-46. “The love of Christ compels us” to pursue young people with the great news that God loves them. And when those kids become too difficult for us to love, we remember that we “recognise no man according to the flesh” and we begin to dig through the rubble to find a remnant of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christ gives us great encouragement when it comes to loving needy people. “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did it to me.”

As you pray and prepare your heart for a week of camp, ask God to rekindle your love for Christ and to give you eyes to see Him hiding behind these young people’s needs. Then the demands of campers will become a sacred passageway you are privileged to walk through to bring your gift of love to Christ.

The Popular Leader’s Packing List

Besides the usual things that you should pack for a week of camp (clothes, pyjamas, underwear, shampoo, toothbrush, beach towel, swimming costume etc), consider this list to make sure that you are prepared for everything that camp may throw at you.

• A Bible (or two!)
• Cabin time snacks
• An alarm clock
• Plastic bags for wet clothes
• Something fun for each person in your cabin (bandanas, funny headbands etc), very useful for team unity! J
• A spare toothbrush (for that camper you know will forget to bring their own)
• Pens and paper
• Water bottles (having a few could be handy)
• Additional snacks to eat on the bus

“Triple A” Travel Tips

1. Approach parents and campers at the bus. Meet and greet and establish from the start that YOU ARE THE LEADER.
2. Assume a servant’s role. Help load luggage. Take the worst seat. Get in line last at McDonald’s.
3. Take Advantage of the time. Camp starts the minute the first campers arrive at the bus. Make the most of the opportunity to serve your campers, to listen, to break down barriers and build bridges. At the same time, don’t be afraid to take a nap (unless of course you are scared of what your campers might do to you while you’re sleeping …)

Some things to take on the bus …

• Bottle of water
• Pillow
• Trivia questions and brain teasers
• A good attitude (it’s bad enough when campers start with “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Your fellow bus travellers don’t need it from leaders too)