Preteen Camp: Something for Everyone!

by Gabriella Kroska

Preteen camp is not just great for campers. Serving on staff at preteen camp offers teens and adults the opportunity to teach and to learn, have fun and be encouraged!

Serving at preteen camp is one of the highlights I look forward to each year! From the youngest camper to the oldest staff member, preteen camp has something to offer everyone. Preteen camp is a time unlike any other, where people from all generations of God’s Church are present and united toward the common goal of serving and teaching the children about living God’s way of life. The campers look up to and see the example of the teen and adult staff; the teen staff are mentored by the adult staff; and the adult staff are encouraged by seeing the growth of the younger generations. At preteen camp it is easy to see the blessings and joy that come from living a godly life.

At preteen camp, everyone on staff plays a role in exercising the command that God gave to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7: “You shall teach [the commandments] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” God’s Word is central to everything done at preteen camp, from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep.

Being at preteen camp and serving on staff helps me prepare for and look forward to God’s Kingdom, a time when “your ears shall hear a word behind you saying ‘This is the way, walk in it’, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). As staff, I have had the opportunity to participate in teaching God’s way to others, preparing me for that role in the future in God’s Kingdom. At the same time, I have had the opportunity to be a mentor to the campers and to be mentored by the older staff. I leave preteen camp each year re-energized and encouraged to build and maintain these relationships throughout the year. 

As a preteen camper, I remember watching the teen staff and wanting to be just like them when I got older. They always seemed to have so much fun serving on staff and were always there helping the adult staff teach the lessons through fun activities! Since then, I have been able to serve as a teen and young adult staff member, and I continue to learn from the older staff members as well.

God is building a family, and nowhere is that easier to see in action than at preteen camp. God has called us to have the opportunity to be His children, and He also imparts that opportunity to children of those He has called (Acts 2:39). Serving at preteen camp gives us the chance to help teach the children about living God’s way.
Christ taught that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, we must receive it as little children (Matthew 18:2-5). Through serving at preteen camp, I have learned that this means humbly coming before God and earnestly seeking to learn how to please Him, and loving and trusting Him with all my heart. Through serving on staff, I have not only been able to help the campers learn, but I have also learned from their example!

Preteen camp has something to offer everyone. Experience all this for yourself, and come serve at preteen camp!