Why Family Camp?
By: Amy Williams
The summers of my youth are marked by time spent at Seneca Lake Baptist Assembly. Girls in Action in elementary school, followed by Acteens and Youth Camp in Junior High and High School. Many evenings spent on vesper hill and in the chapel, days of dodgeball in the gym, and paddle boating on the lake. All of these camps and memories are special to me, but there is one week of camp, every summer, that stood out year after year - Family Week.
Family Camp was similar in structure, yet wholly different from the other camps I participated in. Rigid schedules, color-coded by wristbands, were thrown out the window replaced by large blocks of free time to experience all the joys of camp with the people you love. Counselors were replaced by parents who were free from worries of work and housekeeping to spend the entire week swimming, fishing, and playing with each other and their children. The memories we created at Seneca Lake during those weeks are more special and more enduring because they were made with the people who are most important to me, my parents and siblings.
Today, I still return to family camp with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. As an adult who experienced Family Camp as a child, I know just how special these memories will become to the children in my family. They will hold them close, just as I do, as they grow and mature, struggle to find their place in the world, and by the grace of God walk steadfastly in the Gospel.
This year, I’m more excited than ever for Family Camp. Planning is already underway in order to make sure this is the most successful year yet. There will be time for family devotions, worship, and teaching. In addition, there are some planned games and activities, including a whiffle ball game and water balloon fight which I can’t wait to enjoy with my 9-year-old nephew. My nieces (2 and 18 months) will enjoy the daily craft activities in the dining hall after breakfast. Personally, I’m most looking forward to relaxing by the pool. Of course, relaxing will be replaced with splashing and ball throwing and diving contests, which is OK, because that’s what the memories are made of.