Connecting with Your Camp Community: When Camp Feels Far Away
It’s a new year, which means it’s finally camp year (cue all the celebrations!), but it’s also January which tends to feel like the longest, coldest month EVER. (anyone else?) When temperatures are dropping and the holiday cheer has worn off, summer days in the bubble can feel so far away.
The great thing about camp though, is that feeling connected and in touch with Greystone has nothing to do with the season. Our community continues all year long, flourishing and deepening with time. We’re here to give you some inspiration and tools for feeling connected to camp and its people no matter the time of year.
Scroll on through for some surefire ways to beat the January blues, by remembering the bubble!
- Bring a little of the bubble to your everyday. What do you love most about being at camp? The peace? The friends around you? Waking up every day to a bugle? (hah - maybe there’s one of you out there!) Get creative brainstorming how you can bring that feeling home with you. Maybe it’s carving out one day of the week to be totally tech free. Or starting the day with worship music like Morning Assembly. Or having a standing weekly DMC date with a good friend. Get out and do your own Stumblers on Sundays, or resolve to make time for family style dinners with the people you love most.
- Start praying for our 101st summer. It’s never too early, and we covet your prayers as we prepare for what the Lord has for us this summer. Pray for the staff we’re hiring, the campers who will be coming, and the work that will be done here.
- Go back through your camp pictures. Whether you were last at camp last year, or 40 years ago, we know you’ve got a camp box buried somewhere. When that cold, gray day comes, make a mental note to bring out your physical camp memories - flip through pictures, look at your patches, or dust off that trunk. Smiles guaranteed! Extra credit if you watch some videos too - hearing the camp sounds again is sure to warm your heart.
- Run to Jesus. If you’re feeling campsick, we bet part of it has to do with how close you feel to the Lord here (us too!). Walking in faith is easy at camp, when you’re surrounded by people who lift you up, when talking about God is a natural outpouring of your routine. One of the most frequest questions we get from campers is how to stay close to God outside of the bubble. Let that longing draw you closer to Him. Open your Bible, invest in a devotion book, or get involved in your church. The best thing? Jesus’ hold on you doesn’t waver no matter how far you’re feeling from Him (or camp). He is the same God he is at Greystone at home, and He offers you the same joy and peace in Him.
Resources we love:
- Wanting to stay close to God after camp? There are so many things we could recommend, but we love She Reads Truth and Proverbs 31 as good starting places. You can try out a scripture journal, a prayer journal, or a guided quiet time journal. Listening to truth can be so helpful - check out our friend Ellie Holcomb, Main Camp favorite Verses, or Jimboy’s favorite, Andrew Peterson. Most of all we can’t recommend enough getting involved in your local church, there’s nothing like it!
- Social Print Studio. Get those camp pictures off your phone and into your real life. They have everything from calendars to prints to photobooks. Sure to brighten up any cubicle or locker!
- The Greystone Devotion site. We’re a broken record at this point, but did you know there is so much more to see other than the Daily Devotions? You can find Morning Assembly talks, a prayer challenge,downloads, and recommended resources.
- More DMCs, less screens! Need help getting there? Try out Flipd to help you make time for what matters. Institute a no phone policy at dinner or when hanging out with your friends. Turn off your app notifications to ease the temptation to “just look at one thing.” We’re also not above using Table Topics to start great conversations.
- Our Spotify channel. Craving some camp tunes? Follow us - we’ve got playlists for every mood, be it a dance party, or worship. Music will bring you right back to the bubble!
- A Countdown app. Current camper or staff member getting antsy to come back? Download a countdown to keep track of exactly how many sleeps until camp. Our blog also has a countdown at the top for easy access!