Ok, without getting into all the BGCT vs SBTC (Tastes Great, Less Filling) argument... Here is why I do not like the registration process for the Youth Camp offered by BGCT (aka Super Summer).
- I have to register way too early. Maybe your church has a waiting list for Youth events years in advance but where I live I have students showing up the day before wanting to go to camp. "Sorry Hunter, I can't allow you to go to camp this year and let you meet Jesus... the BGCT would rather have money in hand in February than play a part in the salvation of yours soul!!!). Oh I can register later but at a hefty charge mind you. I guess they factor in gas prices for those dorm rooms or something.
- My leaders have to go two days early for "training". I've got several problems with this. 1) If I have allowed a person to travel with my students who has taken a week of vacation and not getting any money for it, do you think you need to teach them two days worth of do's and don'ts? I think I would have already made sure they know how to handle students if I were letting them go to camp. 2) If I send all of my leaders down early who is going to take the students to camp? Your church may have a plethora of adults that don't work and who are just looking for excuses to drive the church van, but mine does not! 3) What do my leaders who are going early to camp do with their kids who are coming to camp during the their training session? Do they let their kids run wild at home alone for a couple of days? 4) It's just a stupid idea... really. Why not a Monday afternoon training session? Oh by the way I did not realize that this was MANDATORY until a few weeks prior to the camp. You would figure this was important information for the Youth Leader to know right?
- The training manual. My team leaders are required to read an 82 page training manual in order to get ready for camp. 82 pages of what to expect and how to act. Is Air Force One showing up at this camp or something? Oh maybe they can use their 2 day training session free time to read the manual. 82 pages... really? Does this count as college credit or something?
- Free Time. In an attempt to "sell" the camp experience to me the spokesperson said, "We really don't offer much free time for the students, we keep them busy and learning." Good. So what your telling me is that you're spoon-feeding them more of the same busy-filled crap they get during the rest of the year. Good. Maybe that way they'll stay so busy that they won't have time to hear God speak, be convicted of sin, challenged to live out their faith, and be encouraged to live a passionate life after Christ. Oh wait, You're right. That happens on Thursday night after the Illusionists, Rock Band, Redneck News broadcast and California-born Youth Communicator.
I've often wondered why God seems to show up on Thursday night at Camp. I think it is because usually that is the only time we allow him to.
I'm sure my students will have a great time, come back all jazzed and ready to go to Kenya in the Fall. So who am I to say what works and what doesn't? Oh yeah, I'm the person called by God and responsible for them...
Welcome to the cultural machine BGCT... welcome to the machine.
3 comments:
Wow! Great (or sad?) commentary.
The "training" session is mostly devoted to decorating rooms for the "school" you are assigned to.
The "no free time" idea comes from the fact that Super Summer is considered a leadership camp. I guess the thinking is that in order to be a leader you had better be busy doing stuff.
While there are some things I don't like about Super Summer. I have found that, in Oklahoma at least, it was by far the lesser of all evils. The family group times allow the group leaders (your adults) to interact and challenge the 8 or 10 students in their group. Some parts of it are very packaged, but it provides a kind of up-close-and-personal aspect that a lot of camps miss.
Speaking of camp, what are you doing next week? I think you still owe me one.
dude i completely agree. I left your house last night and i was excited about going and being a TL so i got home and started reading over some of the stuff and got less and less excited. I felt like all they wanted me to do was know the rules and follow them and make the kids follow them. it was disappointing.
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