2022 Youth Summer Camps
Summer is a great time to connect with friends, enjoy new experiences, explore the outdoors, and make memories.
Connect with friends
Once the school year ended, we noticed that our youth crave opportunities to connect with friends. While it's nice to take some time off and sleep in, in-person connections help us feel joy and help us stay motivated to reach our summer goals. Youth camps are a great opportunity to visit, laugh, make new friends, remind each other of our shared values, encourage and build each other up. This year, dozens of Carroll youth gathered for high adventure and camps in Eagle Nest, New Mexico and Broken Bow, Oklahoma. There were opportunities for evening devotionals, to share expressions of faith, hope, love, and mutual support. Friendships were strengthened and new connections were made that will last a lifetime.
Enjoy new experiences
Youth camps are a great opportunity to try new things. This summer our high school age youth enjoyed repelling, white water rafting, kayaking, and hiking to the summit of a mountain peak in New Mexico. The younger age groups enjoyed white water kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and swimming in Oklahoma. It wasn't all fun and games. A thunderstorm brought heavy rain and wind early one morning that soaked some campers and a few kayaks overturned in the falls and rapids. It was incredible to see these youth face new and difficult challenges with courage. When asked how they felt about these experiences, their smiles and excitement said it all.
Explore the outdoors
There's something magical about getting outdoors, away from hectic schedules and less need for a screen or mobile device to find entertainment and surprises.
Make memories
Spending time together in the outdoors gives our youth the time they need to relax, think about what brings them true happiness and develop bonds of friendship that will support them when things get difficult. Taking time to ponder helps us process new experiences and remember the positive events of the past that help shape who we are, our perspective on life, and our relationship with God and others.
Summer to serve
Now that we are back from camps, our youth are planning weekly activities to provide service in our communities, reach out to new people who are just moving into the area, stay fit through sports and games, and prepare for the start of the new school year with study tips and tricks. Looking forward to seeing all that our youth will accomplish together in the future!
