Summer camp gives kids, counselors time to ‘rethink’ By Derek Maul | Aug. 10, 2010 {1207} FRUITLAND PARK — It’s mid-July, and another hot one at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Camp, situated on the shores of Lake Griffin, just north of Leesburg. While giving a golf cart tour of the campus, the camp’s director, Mike Standifer, runs into a group of middle-school students. Camp director Mike Standifer makes the rounds during a week at camp. Photo by Derek Maul. Photo #10-1524. Click on picture for larger photo or view in photo gallery with longer description. “Hey, how’s everybody doing?” Standifer yells. “You guys look hot — are you hot?” He gestures toward the gaggle of campers and says, “This is the low challenge course; they’re in their small group now.” Standifer, 40, has a long history with the facility. He camped at Warren Willis for seven years as a kid, served on the leadership team five summers, then took on the duties of summer director from 1993 to 2005, while serving as director of youth ministries for the Florida Conference. Year-round camp director since 2005, Standifer lives on the property with his wife, Mindy, and their three children. The 292-acre site — 150 at Warren Willis, plus 142 across the road at the Life Enrichment Center, an adult retreat center directed by the Rev. Jess Schload — was established in 1948. The Warren Willis camp is busy all year long, Standifer said, but mid-June through August is when Warren Willis comes alive. “Summer around here is like the way God intended camp to be all the time,” he said. By the hundreds In the early 1990s, a little more than 1,000 campers participated during the summer. Now, the average is around 3,600. “We typically have between 3,400 and 3,600 campers,” said assistant director Heather Pancoast. “This year we have 3,530, as of now.” With three camps running simultaneously for nine weeks through Aug. 14, off campus opportunities for high school students on the Appalachian Trail and in the Florida wilderness, and an additional Performing Arts Camp, there are a lot of heads to count. “Every week we offer three age groups,” Pancoast said. “This week we have 87 elementary (grades four to five), over 200 middle-schoolers and 165 high school students.” High school students gather on the dock for a small-group session. Photo by Derek Maul. Photo #10-1525. Click on picture for larger photo or view in photo gallery with longer description. Three groups means three chaplains, three worship experiences and three schedules. The high school theme is built around “Reality TV,” middle school students follow “Pancake Palooza,” and for the elementary aged kids it’s “Ninja.” Meanwhile, at Riverside Retreat, situated on 150 acres on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River just east of Fort Meyers, the theme for 2010 is “Be A Hero.” Participants are invited to come together and learn how to be “Heroes for Jesus.” Riverside features a variety of rich habitats and the opportunity for exploration, as well as contemplation. Summer camp, under the direction of Martha Pierce, offers weeks for children, junior high students and senior high youth and a Counselor in Training program. Other offerings throughout the year include conservation initiatives and camping for all generations. Growing through witness At Warren Willis, the year-round staff is supplemented each summer by a leadership team of more than 100 college students. “It’s the summer staff that keeps me passionate … watching them learn and experience transformation,” Pancoast said. That transformation also takes place in the campers. “We believe Christ works through the relationships and God’s life shines though us,” Pancoast said. “We see lives changed every day because of the work Christ is doing in this place. These college students are forever changed. Our ministry is both to campers and the young people who will go on and serve throughout the rest of their lives.” Standifer agrees. “The camp’s purpose is to help children and young people in their relationship with Christ,” he said. “From the beginning, we’ve come to realize that the development of the leadership team is humongous in the impact it has on their lives, their churches and their future churches. We’re really starting to grasp a hold of this and the ministry to young adults.” Camp counselor Merry Beard says the camp experience helps her grow spiritually. “I always feel closer to God when I’m teaching others about him,” she said. Photo by Derek Maul. Photo #10-1526. Click on picture for larger photo or view in photo gallery with longer description. University of Florida student Merry Beard, from Peace United Methodist Church in Orlando, is back for her third year as counselor. “This is a great place to come back to reach kids,” she said. “I like to see kids I’ve had a relationship with come back. Spiritually, it’s a growing experience for me. I always feel closer to God when I’m teaching others about him.” The point When asked why they attend camp, many campers say the activities and the chance to have fun with other kids are the main draws. William Rasmussen, 13, from Tallahassee, said he enjoys the sailing and making friends. “It’s the atmosphere,” said Holli Ward, 14, from Tampa. “The people here are so friendly.” But it’s also about spiritual breakthroughs, which Beard said she witnesses in campers every year. “I’ve seen lots of kids come to Christ for the first time and to understand the Gospel in a clear sense for the first time,” she said. “God is so present, and this place opens their eyes. Then they go home and share it with their friends. This is a great place to start a spiritual journey.” “My favorite is chapel and getting to see kids come to know God’s love just by being here,” said Rachel Curt, a camp counselor from Port Charlotte. “I see God in the campers, just watching when God works — praising God and loving on each other.” That’s the point, according to Pancoast and Standifer. And each year, summer camp revolves around a theme to foster that experience. This year’s theme is “Rethink.” “A lot of creative people help us brainstorm this ahead of time,” Pancoast said. “Each day it’s about rethinking different things: rethink God’s love, rethink their choices, rethink their purpose in this world, rethink their relationship with others.” “Kids have this whole other life, and they compartmentalize their Christianity,” she said. “Our hope and our goal is to challenge these kids to rethink how are they making choices, how are they experiencing God’s love in their lives, how are they interacting with the world around them. “Are they aware of issues such as human trafficking, starvation and genocide? These are big, huge things. But kids think if it’s not happening in St. Petersburg or Vero Beach, then it’s not happening at all.” Nicholas Burnette — Nick for short — has been a camper at Warren Willis for six years. He also attends First United Methodist Church in Lakeland. Like many, he touts the benefits of being active and with other kids. Middle school campers take a hike on the trails at camp. Photo by Derek Maul. Photo #10-1527. Click on picture for larger photo or view in photo gallery with longer description. “This is great,” he said. “I’m doing tubing, archery, flag football and basketball. It’s good to be out of the house and be with other kids my age and to worship and get to know other people.” He also says he feels closer to God every year at camp. “You get a high, and it stays higher than it was before,” he said. “And the counselors are pretty cool,” he added. “Why come to camp? You should definitely come because it’s a good idea, you get a lot closer, and it’s a lot better than hanging out at your house and watching TV.” With local municipalities feeling the budget squeeze, Warren Willis has been able to provide that opportunity for young people from nearby Leesburg, according to Standifer. “Their (the city’s) day camp funding got cut,” Standifer said. “We realized we can be specifically useful to this community and to reach out. An average of 15 day campers each week come in from Leesburg.” “I’m a huge believer in what camp does,” Standifer added. “I’m convinced that being in Christian community in a camp setting is an experience like no other.” “I’d add that we allow kids to have an experience a lot of churches could not provide,” Pancoast said. “Most don’t have the money, the staff or the resources to provide this sort of experience. Campers can come with 50 of their friends or come by themselves. We’re set up to get to know kids from all over the state. The goal, Pancoast said, is always to strengthen campers’ relationship with Christ. Campers also learn about the connectional system of The United Methodist Church. “After a week here they know there’s a support system of churches out there that pray for them and care about them,” she said. Similar, but different The idea of summer camp may have a nostalgic ring to it, and there’s no shortage of tradition and “kumbaya,” but the summer camp experience at Warren Willis is very comfortable in the 21st century, with both the technology and relevance to communicate the Gospel message to kids who live in a rapidly changing world. Parents can connect with their children while they are at camp through a special website that allows them to send e-mail messages to their kids and see photos of them enjoying camp. “We have an online community for parents,” Standifer said. “Every day we upload 400 to 600 digital pictures. Families can follow activities throughout the day. We print out e-mails for the kids and deliver mail every evening. And we have a live video stream of Tuesday and Friday night worship.” Each week, camp staff produce a video of the experience, and every camper goes home with a DVD of their time at camp. “We include devotions written by all 108 of our summer staff,” Standifer said. “It’s been an extremely helpful communication vehicle for us.” News media contact: Tita Parham, 800-282-8011, tparham@flumc.org, Orlando *Parham is managing editor of e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service. **Maul is an author and freelance writer based in Valrico, Fla. Printer Friendly Version     Share