An unexpected adventure began for one young girl from the Dothan group home of Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries when she arrived at this year’s Camp of Champions. This was her first time to go to camp with other Children’s Homes kids, and she was surprised when she met a girl who looked enough like her to be her sister.
For much of the three-day camp at Shocco Springs Conference Center in Talladega, the two girls were inseparable.
They spent all of their free time talking about their families, their likes and dislikes and their life experiences. Discovering that they had much in common, they exchanged addresses and vowed to keep in touch.
The development of close relationships among several campers, along with the spiritual growth they experienced, characterized this year’s Camp of Champions.
The camp was made possible in great part by a generous gift from The Baptist Foundation of Alabama.
Camp of Champions proved to be a camp of many firsts. An apparent “first” for most Children’s Homes youngsters and adults was rain. For them, this year’s camp at Shocco Springs was the first Camp of Champions with rain.
However, the afternoon and early evening thunder, lightning and heavy downpours failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 300 campers.
This year’s attendance was one of the largest Camp of Champions groups, according to Riley Green, camp director and director of administration at the Children’s Homes.
Campers followed the “Scaling the Heights” theme during their studies of Philippians 3:13b–14. Children, foster parents and houseparents were encouraged to seek God’s guidance and set goals to follow their “upward call in Christ Jesus.”
The rain didn’t concern the campers much because the Bible studies, recreation and arts and crafts activities for the children and the training workshops for adults kept them busy and encouraged them to bond.
Teamwork emphasized
“Teamwork and listening to God were emphasized a lot, and I needed to be reminded of their importance,” one teenager said.
When the last drop of rain fell and the sun began to shine, she and other youth headed to the woods for the first paintball battles the camp had held.
The Children’s Homes counselors used the paintball activity to help youth learn about sharing the gospel.
They both require a plan, boldness, a committed team, the proper equipment and an achievable goal, the youth discovered.
In arts and crafts, the children decorated clay flower pots with colorful pieces of tissue paper. They also made handprints on cloth to form the appearance of an American flag.
“We want the decorated clay pots to remind the campers that God molds each of them into something beautiful that attracts others to Him,” said Janette McConnell, crafts coordinator and development officer at the Children’s Homes.
“The American flags are reminders that God has blessed Christians with the freedom to share the gospel so that He can touch lives.”
While the children were experiencing camp life, Children’s Homes’ foster parents and houseparents attended informative workshops led by David Eanes, minister to preschoolers at Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Montgomery; Randy Cotton, clinical psychologist at The Baptist Children’s Village in Jackson, Miss.; and Denis Tanner, minister to students at Shades Crest Baptist Church, Hoover.
“Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries is unique in our recognition of the importance of spiritual issues in working with children,” said Rod Marshall, workshop coordinator and director of counseling at the Children’s Homes.
“We were careful to choose workshop leaders who agree with our belief that all healing and growth comes from God.”
Eanes instructed the adults to raise children in faith, and Cotton taught effective approaches to responding to behavioral challenges. Tanner gave practical help in nurturing faith during adolescence.
“Today’s children are afraid and angry toward authority figures,” Eanes reminded the foster parents and houseparents.
Afraid and angry
“That leads to the same attitudes toward God. Through words and actions, each child is telling us, ‘Listen to me and be open to learning from me,’” Eanes said.
Foster parents Henry and Martha Kelley of Andalusia said they appreciate the emphasis the workshop leaders placed on reinforcing good behavior.
“We gained some good insight into how to respond compassionately to unpleasant behaviors such as whining and arguing,” Mrs. Kelley said.
Howard and Michelle Bosarge, new foster parents with the Children’s Homes in Mobile, said the workshops helped them to show greater appreciation for the spiritual growth of their child.
“Howard and I realized that we need to have more prayer time with our child and to not stop encouraging church involvement,” Mrs. Bosarge said.
Evening chapel services at Camp of Champions were opportunities for praising God, spinning in circles, hand clapping, jumping for joy and dribbling.
Tuesday night featured Kids Quest Band from Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover, and Wednesday night’s highlight was Robyn Rogers of Spin-It Spectacular.
She amazed the campers with numerous dribbling stunts and demonstrated teamwork as she engaged five little boys, all under 4, in bouncing basketballs to and from one another at the same time.
Rogers spun 10 basketballs simultaneously on her body before continuing the overall camp theme by urging the campers to keep God first so He will keep everything in their lives in balance.
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