YL Capernaum Everywhere

Camp is just around the corner, literally for some of us who will be a part of camping on June 2 at Carolina Point! The summer is filled with camping experiences for our friends in Capernaum and we’re excited for all of the ways in which they will encounter the gospel! One of our roles in bringing our friends to camp, is working to adapt cabin time to make it an experience that engages our friends senses in a variety of ways. Sometimes that is by acting out scripture, sometimes a hands on activity, sometimes listening and sometimes just an adaptation of the questions that are being asked. Check out this great activity, using emoji’s, that was used in after a club talk on Jesus feeding the 5,000. They used it to help illustrate opposites and it could be used in so many different talks! Thanks Nashville and Williamson County for this great idea from your Spring Break Day Camp! The sky is the limit on creative ways to engage your friends during cabin time and we’d love to hear ab

We all love Young Life camp and we all want each of our friends in Capernaum to experience the greatest week of their life! So, let’s really consider what that means! Is the greatest week of their life only possible at a YL property? Can it only happen during a week long outreach experience? Join us as we consider looking at each of our friends on an individual basis to see what would help them best encounter the gospel. We want to maximize camping experiences for our friends in Capernaum, and when we have the privilege of being with them for multiple summers, we need to start looking at camping progressions. No need to go alone on this… enjoy this video, connect with folks around you and begin praying about the specific ways that each of your friends will best encounter Jesus! Link if needed: https://vimeo.com/163628330

Some “Helps”- Processing Talk with your Capernaum Friends Young Life offers different lengths of camp so the order of the gospel proclamation can vary from 5-7 “talks”. But the typical progression is: God as Creator Christ and our need for Him Sin and our need for Him Cross/Resurrection New Life in Christ Feel free to reach out to Camp Director or Camp Speaker ahead of time for stories used during each club talk and a glimpse at schedule for planning processing time. You have several opportunities between club talks to personalize the message with your friends- Cabin Time and Free Time. Depending on fatigue, rides etc. it is important to plan the processing time based on individual kids. We encourage you to pre-think how each person on your trip processes information and bring or plan ways to re-tell or reinforce the talk. It could be a craft or something with their hands that they interact with or verbal and picture reenactment. This seems to work the best when and

E-mailing parents while at camp can let them know that their son or daughter is being well cared for and having a great time. In an effort to keep parents in the loop, one staff person nightly e-mailed the parents of the kids whom she took to camp so that they would know what their son or daughter had done that day. She also attached pictures in each of her e-mails. Below are examples of the letters she sent on day one and seven. Day One at Windy Gap Hey parents, Well day one has happened, and everyone is snug in their beds ... well almost! We had an easy trip in, with a stop in Knoxville for lunch at Five Guys! We arrived at camp with about 50 people standing at the doors of the van and buses to cheer for us and clap as we ran off to then be welcomed by the camp staff! We had some free time and managed to hit the basketball courts, take naps (some of us), mingle, meet new friends, run into friends we knew from school, etc. From there we headed to our first amazin

As you may have experienced, a week at camp is an amazing and fun filled experience. However, it can also bring about the need to be flexible and creative when things do not go as planned. Here is a list of suggested activities for times when you need an extra distraction or fun replacement activities (e.g., during rainy days, times when the planned activity is running late, etc.). These items are great to put into an "activity box" so it is ready to use when you need it. Suggested Items Sidewalk chalk Art and craft supplies (e.g., markers, paper, crayons etc.) Stickers Board games and card games (e.g., Sorry, Uno, Chutes and Ladders, etc.) Little squirt guns Wiffle ball and bat Personal media device for a leader to provide “soothing music” when needed (doesn’t get turned in at the beginning of camp) Word-Find in large print  Nail Polish​ for your female campers

Below is a list of items — compiled by a committee member and Young Life Capernaum leader — for a cabin of guys and girls during a week at Young Life camp. These supplies can be put together ahead of time and given to the leaders in one bag or container for each gender. It is best to put these items in a durable bag or small plastic container so that the bags don’t rip in the midst of travel. Then each year, the same container can just be refilled with items. These items are necessary for a week of camping with Capernaum friends and providing these items for leaders will bless them immensely, as well as make their week a bit smoother. Thanks for loving your staff, volunteer leaders and buddies! Spray air freshener (Febreze, Oust, etc.) Breath freshener strips Solid room freshener for cabin Deodorant Travel first-aid kit (band-aids, etc.) Spray bug repellent Spray sun screen Girl’s feminine products Hair ties (for at the pool) Guys shaving cream, razors Earplugs

This is a helpful example of how to conduct a pre-camp parent/guardian meeting. Agenda for Pre-Camp Parent/Guardian Meeting Capernaum Camp Trips Parents arrive. Staff welcome parents and introduce themselves. Show camp-specific promotion DVD. Share about the camp you are attending. Go through the schedule for a typical day. Go over Parent Letter and What to Pack. Clearly explain Medication Procedure. (Be sure to check with camp previous to this meeting; each camp has their own state requirements.) Discuss departure and arrival information (where, when, what to do with luggage, money and medications, etc.). Facilitate questions. Leave 20 minutes for parents to complete any forms still needed or payments. I. Example Letter to Parent/Guardian Dear Campers and Parents, We are excited about our trip this summer to Rockbridge, in Goshen, Virginia. We know it will be a week unlike any other you’ve experienced! This is a “what to bring” letter so you and your camper will b

Remember that time you were headed to camp with your friends in Capernaum and when helping your friend with luggage, all they offered was that their suitcase was black. Or was it blue? Maybe I packed the red one? I can’t really remember! You’re unloading luggage from the baggage carousel after a 4:45am wake up call and flying or helping the work crew unload your fifty pieces of luggage from the bus and you’re longing for a simpler system?! Look no further! Simply print these luggage tags for your friends. Consider printing on color coordinated paper, like pink card stock for the ladies and blue card stock for the fellas . Laminate, cut and attach to luggage when you meet to load the bus or check in at the airport. We recommend printing two per person on your trip- one for their carry on and one for their suitcase. Was it blue or black? Doesn’t matter know, it will at least end up in the right cabin!

It’s May and that means camping begins soon! Some of us are taking friends to serve at Work Weeks this month. Some of us are preparing for our Inclusion Weeks or Capernaum Weeks. Some of us are preparing for local area Day Camps. It’s an exciting time of year in Young Life and we absolutely love that our friends with disabilities have the privilege of experiencing Young Life camp! Today we will be kicking off a series of posts that all have to do with camping and will help each of us to make camping for our friends more excellent! Medications ( link here ). It’s no surprise to you that many of our friends come to camp with a good number of medications that have to be taken while they are with us. We take this very seriously, as we care for our friends and continue their care away from home. Please review the Medication Guidelines found on Staff Resources before your pre-camp parent meeting and before bringing your friends to camp. Following each of these steps will make the