Take a poll and ask people where they became a Christian. You will be amazed at how many of them will answer "at camp." Talk to them about their experience at camp and you will probably hear them say, "There's just something about camp." It's true; camp offers a very unique experience. People seem to be able to hear God in a special way at camp.

Now take another poll and ask people where they would go if they were looking for a quality camp experience for their child. Church will very seldom be their answer. My question is, "Why not?" The obvious answer to that question is that most churches don't do camps. My question again is, "Why not?"

Last year, I attended a conference for people working in Christian camps and conference centers. The attendance was over 700, and, to my knowledge, I was the only one there doing camps in a church setting. I know that there are others, but not many. This article should help you realize that camps are great outreach tools that you can be using in your church.

Day Camps
There are two categories of camps. First, day camps program daytime activities but do not have kids staying overnight. If you are currently running camps, my guess would be that they are day camps, and chances are they are sports camps. Day camps are a great way to do outreach to your community, and, in order to reach as many people as we can, we have to remember that not everyone is an athlete. After all, what if Heaven were full of only athletes? Kind of scary!

When you do day camps, be creative. It is the same as when you are planning sports and recreation programs. You want to cater to a variety of interests. You might want to consider some of the following day camp themes: art, sports, music and drama, etc. For younger kids, you can do a more traditional day camp focusing on a theme specific to your state or region. For example, last summer, we had a camp for K-2 graders with the theme of looking for gold and finding treasure. It worked well because we are located at the base of the Colorado Rockies and have local attractions that we tied into our theme.

Whatever theme you decide on for your day camps, there are some critical factors that you need to consider. Always make sure that you can make your theme consistent with the biblical message that you want to convey. A great tool to use is the Four Spiritual Laws. Copies can be ordered from New Life publications (Campus Crusade for Christ). You can cover one spiritual law each day and then tie them all together on the final day. Take the gist of each law, make it age appropriate, and weave it into the day's topic. This is a great way to share the gospel message. You will also want to make sure that you have the proper resources to provide a quality camp. This includes not only materials but also leaders who are qualified to teach the skills related to your camp theme.

Overnight Camps
The second type of camp is the overnight camp. No, I am not talking about a weeklong "lock-in" at the church. I am talking about renting or using a camp facility for a week and running your own program. To find a quality camp, there are things to look for. An overnight camp is your chance to get people away from their busy lives and get them into God's great creation. It is amazing how open people are to new relationships and the gospel when you spend time with them away from the business and stress of everyday life. Again, there is just something about camp.

When planning an overnight camp, be creative in the people that you target. Overnight camps work well with kids who are elementary age and up as well as singles, families, and older adults. Obviously the programming is going to look drastically different depending on the audience. Remember that there are many Christian camping professionals who are more than willing to share their experience and ideas with you.

The goal of Christian camps, whether day camps or overnight camps, is to reach people with the love and grace of Jesus Christ as well as helping Christians grow in their faith. All of the programming and themes are secondary and are used as vehicles to reach the main goal. Therefore, strive to have campers from both the church and from the community. This means you have to find creative ways to advertise to the community.

When staffing your camp or any activities for children under the age of 18, you need to screen and train your staff carefully for the protection of the children, the staff and the church. Remember, no matter how good your programming is and how good the lessons are, if you don't have a quality staff, it's all for nothing. It will be your staff who will make the difference. They are the ones spending time with the campers, and they will affect the camp experience including the impression that your non-Christian campers get of what it means to be a Christian.

What to Look for in a Camp Facility
* Flexible, willing to work with your needs
* Reasonable price (Is there a minimum camper requirement?)
* Good food and comfortable beds (especially for adult campers)
* Meeting room that will accommodate your group
* Do some activities require extra fees?
* Do they staff activities involving risk or do you need to bring certified staff?
* Do they provide medical staff?

Ways to Advertise to the Community
* Put together a quality brochure
* Look for free camp listings in newspapers (winter and spring)
* Public service announcements on radio stations
* Be involved in community events (expos)
* Send posters or brochures to schools, doctor's offices, etc.
* Get church members to tell people about you
* Put camp info on church Web site

Risk Management
When dealing with risk management issues, it is important to make your policies and guidelines fit your particular church situation. It is a good idea to check what your state requires for adults working with kids under 18.

* Create a risk management program (see if your church has one)
* Create guidelines for workers to follow
* Application (including questions on prior abuse situations)
* Perform background checks (what your state allows and requires)
* Interview (this has to be documented)
* Get references and check them (documented)
* Train workers on guidelines (have them sign guidelines)
* Remember much of the info you collect in confidential

My hope is that you will consider using camps in creative ways to reach people for Christ. You are doing wonderful ministry through your sports and recreation programs reaching new people and sharing the gospel, but if you are looking for another dynamic way to share God's love remember, "There's just something about camp."

Dr. Greg Linville is the executive director of the Association of Church Sports and Recreation Ministers, www.csrm.org.

Product Roundup

Covermaster's Ultima Series
The safety engineered COVERMATE II, with the unique outriggers for added stability, combined with one of Covermaster's Ultima Series gym floor covers, provides ultimate safety in floor protection and handling.
* The Ultima 5000 is Covermaster's thickest, most durable cover available in a range of standard and optional dual colors. 
* The Ultima 4000 has a diamond tread-plate pattern and comes with the same color choices as the Ultima 5000.
* The Ultima 3000 features a decorative holographic cube pattern in a standard gold/ blue dual color.
www.covermaster.com

Navajo from Progressive Design
Progressive Design's very popular Navajo structure for children ages 2 to 5 now comes with an optional integrated shade. Instead of buying play equipment and a shade structure separately, you can cut your costs by buying the Navajo with integrated shade. 
* The Navajo packs a lot of play value in a space-saving design.
* It has been very popular with churches looking to maximize their playground budget. 
* The integrated shade is also available on many other models.  
www.pdplay.com

Multi-Play Sports Flooring
Multi-Play sports flooring can turn almost any surface into a court ready for play overnight. Its unique post and lock system makes for a quick, easy and secure installation in less than one day over virtually any type of existing surface. The floor has all the properties of a quality hardwood sports floor. The floor has features comparable to a more expensive system, including:
* Resilience
* Traction
* Ball bounce
* Durability
Multi-Play is available in a solid tile or gridded tile in a number of attractive colors.
www.multiplayfloor.com

Pilot Rock Aluminum Benches
This Players Bench provides team seating for all outdoor sports. This bench offers both seat and back planks to comfortably seat players of all sizes.
* The all-welded frame offers maximum protection from the elements.
* It can be either portable or stationary in design.
* A flat bench (without the back rest) is also available.
* Colorful recycled plastic and vinyl coated steel materials are available in lengths up to 8 feet.
Pilot Rock Park Equipment is designed and manufactured in the United States by R.J. Thomas Mfg. Co. Inc. 
www.pilotrock.com

LG RexCourt from Gerbert
Looking for the ultimate multipurpose flooring solution? LG RexCourt performance flooring, distributed in the United States exclusively by Gerbert Limited, offers the look of hard wood with:
* Shock absorption
* Elasticity and stability
* Noise level reduction
* Style
RexCourt is engineered for outstanding durability with a special polyurethane coating for easy maintenance and economical, long-lasting good looks.
www.gerbertltd.com

Flower Faces Bridge from Play Mart
Play Mart's new "Flower Faces Bridge" provides colorful and fun access between play areas or across narrow creeks. Its shallow slope allows for easy tricycle maneuvering. Play Mart celebrates its 25th year as a leading manufacturer of Recycled Plastic Play Systems 100% HDPE (RSP). RSP is virtually maintenance free, which means:
* No splinters
* No splitting
* No staining
* No painting or sanding
Play Mart offers play systems perfect for churches with a wide range of age groups.
www.playmart.com

Awana Game Floor by Electra Tarp
Churches often struggle with space limitations and the need for more flexibility in the space they have. Electra Tarp's custom Awana game floor offers the versatility to turn a church space into a multipurpose facility. The flexibility of using this game floor on any surface gives churches more options.
* The game floor is manufactured using durable reinforced vinyl with a painted Awana game circle.
* Remove the game floor by simply folding and storing away.
* Whether the space is large or small, a game floor can be constructed to fit a church's needs.
www.electratarp.com

Action Flex from Flex Court
Flex Court Athletics has introduced its new Action Flex Gymnasium Sport Flooring for basketball, volleyball and multi-play. It features:
* Heavier gauge top surface structure
* Off-set precise tight connectors
* Continued Aero Flex technology with open air flow suspension
The result is a tile sports floor designed to have the same rigid feel as a wooden floor, with less noise and no moisture problems.
www.flexcourt.com

COURTCLEAN
COURTCLEAN damp mop system is the industry's newest tool that is "sweeping" the nation. COURTCLEAN:
* Is fast and effective
* Produces a clean surface, causing traction to be at its highest level
* Prevents the "sanding" of finished surfaces caused by dirt between shoes and the floor by eliminating nearly 100 percent of unwanted debris and dust particles