Why Church Camp Is Important To Me

Ever since I was young I've gone to church every Sunday morning, prayed before each meal and once before bed every night. These actions have always been something I just did because that's what my parents told me was right. These past two years I've gotten more involved in my faith, beyond just tagging along to church with my parents. This was the beginning of my “new” Catholic life. I put “new’” in quotes because I have always practiced as a Catholic, but now I am living it by my own preference

Summer camp is a tradition that the women in my family have participated in since my mom was a little girl. In the mountains of North Carolina lies a very special place to me, my mom and my little sister. This place is called Camp Glen Arden and it is my home away from home. There are many special traditions within Camp Glen Arden, so that is why I chose it to be the topic of my ethnography. To start, for the nine years I’ve attended camp there hasn’t been any change, maybe the food but that’s

Volunteering to me didn’t seem very pleasing at first. My focus was simply getting the hours I needed to make my resume look good. However, my perspective changed when I began getting involved with the various activities of the community. I enjoyed helping and serving others, seeing the positive impact I made gave me a great satisfaction. Thankfully, I have volunteered in many areas, however there are a few organizations in which I have invested more time and effort. My junior year of high school

Learning cannot always just be in the classroom which is why this experience has been so interesting. From the service with children at the Journey Church Base Camp I got to learn in real life what children are like when they are still developing and learning. I chose the Journey Church Base Camp for my service to see how children can learn about religion and how this can factor into their development. In the weeks prior to my service, I learned about behaviorism, parent involvement, Piaget and Vygotsky’s

my twin sister and I, while tucking us in bed. Her words surrounded and comforted me like a warm blanket, even on the darkest of nights. Anytime I would have a nightmare, I would run to her room and she would appease me with prayer and somehow compel me to feel dauntless. I admired my parents tremendously and always sought for their approval, so I never questioned any of the beliefs or opinions they were teaching me as I grew up. However, growing up into the person I am today I have learned that Christianity

since I was three, sitting in church pews with other kids from Sunday School, I had been hearing the sermons and conversations of the “big kids” at my church and how they all had so much fun and were changed so greatly by the experience, and I set my heart on going. When a couple of the leaders came to talk to the youth group one night about Camp Hope, I couldn’t believe I was finally old enough to attend and was overjoyed. When the morning came to drive to our church and then make the 3-hour pilgrimage

cabins and looked around the camp site. It was definitely overwhelming when more church groups arrived, but I had to keep in mind that I needed to have an open mind about the week. Monday morning came in a flash. We fueled up with breakfast before we

are so many stereotypes that those who attend church are boring. Those who believe that can be categorized as ignorant people. They have created a system based on what they have heard. People should not judge what they have not experienced. All this has arisen from the lack of knowledge about how the life of those who attend church should be. If you have never been part of any church, you can’t say much, less judge saying that those who attend church live a boring life. A person does not have to

community, all those who adhere to them by Durkheim (1915). When I was young we did not grow up with religion in our home. My mom never pushed me into any religion; I made a choice to be spiritual. As far as my children I push for them to believe in Christianity. I do not tell my children my beliefs because I want them to choose on their own. We do attend church when we can, and we pray before we eat every time. The first film I watched was Everything is Illuminated directed by Schrieber Liev (2006)

Rock, our Comfort, a Father to the fatherless…” A guest speaker at church camp stopped in the middle of his sermon on Matthew 18 and began listing some of the attributes of God and what He is for His children. I had lost my father two years before that, and had practically given up on my faith, constantly thinking “If God really loved me, why would he have taken my dad away from me?” The speaker’s words floored me. They stopped me cold. I found myself falling towards the altar to pray to the Lord