Hey guys we just got back from camp and it was really amazing and we saw God work in some amazing ways. We had 3 salivations, 24 rededications and 5 surrender to full-time ministry. I was in awe when one teen I felt that God was calling to full-time ministry for four years came up to me the 3rd night and said “I finally gave it all to God and I have surrendered to full time service.” What a testimony that God is doing in the midst of these teens, which leads me to the follow-up after camp that sometime starts before we leave.

Just days after camp I have begin to see some teens stray back and forth on the commitment they made because they have surrounded themselves with the same people that they were falling a way from God with prior to camp. Here are a few steps for helping kids stay strong from the spiritual high of a camp.
1. At camp connect them with adult leaders that will care, love and encourage them while there. This is important because they may not have an adult in their life that is their for them. These adults can care for them after camp as well, with notes, phone calls and lunches.

2. Connect students that make decisions with other students that are more mature in their faith. This helps to strengthen the bond for a teen to have connections with others when they get back to “reality”. The world they left, is still kick’n strong!

3. Get them together as often as some can. After being together at camp for 4-5 strait days, getting them together more frequent helps the connections, the closeness and bond that was started at camp. We started 1 weekly bible study after camp and one hang out time after camp each week.

4. Get teens to tell others about their commitment sooner than later. The earlier a teen can verbalize their decision, the easier it is for them to continue telling others and living it out publicly. I try to have kids tell at least one person or more that night and the whole group prior to us leaving. Having them write it down or doing a video of their commitment will help them to remember that time as well.

5 Finally, meet, call, or text them to let them know you are praying for them. Gods power is the catalyst for the change the He begun in the at camp.

This is not an exhaustive list but this will help students with what many of us have called the “roller coaster ride” in our spiritual walk.