If the upcoming summer camp series featured a title, it might be simply: faith and fun.
With seven sessions running from early June to late July to welcome campers from grades 6 through 12, registration is open for Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp, where the focus will be a firsthand opportunity to encounter Jesus.
“Every camper comes here with a different understanding and level of knowledge of the saints,” said Jackson Howell, coordinator of youth ministry and summer camp. “We try to meet them where they are so they can go back as missionary disciples to their parishes and schools and back to their families and evangelize them.
“They can have the basic tools needed, the basic knowledge needed and, most importantly, the fire-like relationship with Jesus needed to act and change their environments.”
All programming will be Eucharist-focused and the curriculum will be gospel-based presentations to get back to the basics. Along with camp favorites such as fishing, hiking and canoeing, they will also have an opportunity to draw close to God through encounters, discipleship and adventure.
An emphasis will be on helping campers gain a real and sustainable prayer life, a relationship with Jesus and a real understanding that Jesus is present in the Eucharist.
“Encounter activities are adoration, bible studies,” Howell said. “Discipleship is forming students in small groups as disciples, asking those targeted questions and having talks that are prompted to ask them to accept it into their lives. All of the discipleship is done by their counselors because they are doing the boots-on-the-ground work. They are the ones who are giving them the real personal invitation and inviting them to go deeper in Christ, and that makes a difference.”
“It goes back to our encounter, discipleship and adventure. Through encounters, the campers confront their faith and the counselors help them understand they draw closer to Jesus in different ways. They encounter Jesus through the sacraments, but they also encounter Jesus through their friends and the people they will meet and the grace they will receive through those relationships. It all goes through the three touchpoints of what we do here, through sacramentally encountering Jesus and through growing in their prayer lives.”
The camp welcomes returning campers as well as newcomers. The hope is that come with an open mind and be prepared to meet new people, pray and grow.
Counselors aim to help campers grow as people, to grow in prayer and to help them prepare to go back into the world with a stronger faith and understanding of Jesus.
Howell said he has many favorite parts of the camp, but his favorite is watching the campers grow in their faith through the camp activities.
“Seeing them in adoration always makes me happy, because they are smiling up at Jesus, and you can see when it clicks metaphorically on a kid's face, and I love that,” Howell said. “I am so proud of our staff, especially our counselors, who help facilitate every bit of that.
“We can have the best programming in the world, but the staff is what truly makes the difference and helps get that experience and the opportunity to our campers.”
Families interested in registering for Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp should visit the website, campolog.org/summercamp.
Cost per session is $450 per camper and registration, with discounts available for sibling registration. The first camper is full price, each subsequent camper receives a $50 discount. The price will increase on May 1 to $500. Scholarships are available.
Jolene Schonchin is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.