In the 14 years I have been serving as Executive Director for LLYC I have learned and observed that our relational style of camping ministry offers the possibility for transformation in the lives of young people.
I am continually amazed at what can happen in just two weeks. A camper may come to camp feeling broken, confused, alienated, and in various stages of hurt or pain, and they can truly go home renewed and transformed through the power of an encounter with Christ.
Previously to this position, I worked for nine years in a church setting and I continue to have a great love for the church. I remember as a youth director I would try and pack so much into a weekend retreat, and often would leave the retreat feeling like we didn’t have sufficient time to get beyond the surface with matters of faith and life. It’s simple, but with the extended time at camp, and through relationships of trust and integrity, walls often come tumbling down.
Throughout our 45 years of history, we have chosen to continue the two-week session format because we have seen how well it works for campers. It takes campers several days to develop a real, honest trust with their counselors, and when it happens, that’s when growing, healing, sharing, and faith development can happen. Once campers know their counselors love them and accept them unconditionally, they become more open to conversation about God.
Our deepest desire is that campers, through our amazing backdrop of God’s creation, would want to either start or renew a relationship with God. We want to see campers leave our camp with a new sense of purpose for how they live life, to know first-hand God’s abundant love for them, and to feel strong enough to walk back into a world that is so polar opposite to the camp environment.
The great thing about a two week session is that campers have a safe place to literally practice their faith in a protected environment so that they can be more prepared to live it out when they return to their home, church, and community.
Kevin Mayne,
Executive Director, LLYC
