SUMMER STAFF UNPLUGGED

This is one "family" of our summer staff.  During training, we split up all of the summer staff into families so they get to know staff from other departments and to better understand everyone's role.  This photo is from the low ropes course where they get to solve challenges as a team.  But getting to the unplugged idea in the catchy title...

Starting last year, we noticed that phones were just too much of a distraction for summer staff.  So we took them during the week, minus some times here and there where the staff could check them out and call home.  At first, there was some grumbling about it... that lasted about two weeks.  Then an amazing thing happened!  They started to really like it, and even thanked the leadership staff who made that decision.  All of a sudden they were a bit more opened up to that big world out there instead of being buried in a phone or device.

One of our summer goals is to remove distractions of every day life, so this is a way we can do that.  Both for the campers and for the staff.  As we got to the middle of summer, we would hear from parents of how much they appreciated it as well.  Part of our job here is not only to minister to all of our campers, but also to help train up the Christian leaders of tomorrow.  This is a small way we can do that.  Not that phones are bad, but in a world where all kids know is technology, it's good to have the experience of not relying on tech, or being kind of a blankie.  

So this summer, it has just become a normal thing.  For communication around camp we have switched to walkie talkies which has worked well so far.  Side note... not sure who came up with the name "walkie talkie".  Begs the question, do you have to be walking to be talking?  I find that you do not.  Anyway... we are looking great for summer, all the staff is trained and ready to go.  Campers are still signing up.  This week was a bit relaxed as we have an island camp, horse trip and an adventure trip to the North Shore.  There were also 300 kids here with a guest group.  This weekend is a family weekend, then a full week, family weekend again... you get the idea.  Pretty solid until mid August.  

So there it is.  Most of you knew a world without handheld tech with you constantly from when you were younger, but maybe you need a bit of a break from it as well.  Take some time to do that and just breathe, listen to what God might be trying to tell you.