Summer Camps Get Underway

Chesapeake Conference celebrated the start of another summer camp season this week, reigniting a beloved tradition for youth across the region. For the upcoming five weeks, youngsters and staff alike will immerse themselves in a blend of fun and faith at the Mt. Aetna Camp in Hagerstown, Md., and at 14 FLAG (Fun Learning About God) camp locations dotted throughout the conference.

Shawn Paris, Camp Ministries and Missions director for Chesapeake Conference, spoke to the essential purpose of the summer camp ministries, emphasizing the camps’ complementary role to the work done by local churches and schools.

“Chesapeake summer camps exist to help round out the ministries conducted by our local church’s children’s, youth, and education programs,” Paris said. “It helps to instill a confidence in the love of God in a fun and interactive environment. It also helps to instill a sense of mission for the young adult staff who serve as staff at camp.”

Paris also voiced his enthusiasm about the level of dedication he’s observed from the team preparing for this season, reflecting on the transformative power of the camp experience not only for the attendees but also for the more than 50 staff members themselves.

“I am most excited to see the transformation that has already begun in the staff and that I anticipate will happen in the campers, as they discover that they are ‘Treasured’ by God,” he said.