Camp Wanake

A PHILOSOPHY
OF CHRISTIAN CAMPING

Developed by Camp Directors of the East Ohio Conference
at a Leadership Seminar at Epworth Park, Bethesda
March, 1971

PREAMBLE

We affirm that significant Christian birth and growth experiences do happen in all sizes of groups and all kinds of settings for any duration of time. However, we choose small groups with mature, Christian leadership in an out-of-doors setting for a sustained period of resident camping.

We choose small groups (of not more than twelve, including designated leaders) because:

1. Small groups enable participants to see themselves, their actions and the effects of their actions on others and themselves.
2. Small groups present the opportunity to relate to all persons in the group.
3. Small groups have a size both large enough and small enough to build interdependence systems.
4. Small groups present a situation in which the designated leaders can be seen as sharing in all of what it means to be human and still a part of the group at the same time.
5. Small groups provide an opportunity for developing skills of intentional Christian ministry both by groups as a whole and by individual members of the group.
6. Interaction of the group experience can be interpreted by a person as he sees God's activity.

We choose camping in the out-of-doors because:

1. In isolated campsites campers experience and become aware of their own involvement in the basic interrelated, life sustaining systems of the universe.
2. The minimized external human influences increase the possibility of confronting self, group responsibility and others.
3. It breaks the normal routines of everyday, habit filled life and we enter a different situation which forces us to focus on basic issues of life-style and relationships.
4. It provides a setting for an understanding of creation as a universe.
5. It provides an opportunity for discovering both what is essential and what is non-essential for a full human life.
6. It provides an experience i~ which one may feel at home in a basically good universe.
7. It provides an opportunity for persons to be at home in creation as they learn to live in harmonious relationship with their environment, and thereby to affirm the fundamental goodness of God's world.
8. It provides a setting which facilitates the understanding of the major setting of the major Biblical witness.

We choose a sustained period of time (at least five full days) because:

1. This extended period of time presses us to confront realistically inter-personal relationships.
2. It provides a continuity of experiences which provides time to resolve issues.
3. It affords an opportunity to develop consistent patterns of living in a variety of situations and experiences to carry back to everyday life.
4. Being out in the elements for a period of time provides the challenge to work together to adjust to changing conditions and to develop appreciation for the balance of the man-land community.

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