Jasmine Miller – Ward, Colorado … The spiritual atmosphere at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) summer camp has been able to have a positive impact on campers and staff alike. Eight campers and one staff member were baptized June 30 at Glacier View Ranch.
Charles Metz, staff member and theology major from Union College, rededicated his life to Jesus and said that he was inspired to reconnect with God at camp because he has had time to “pause and reflect” and be present in a “healthy environment” with people that encourage him in his walk with Jesus.
For many staff members and campers, camp can be a temporary escape from problems at home, and, for Charles, being able to be in an environment that “presented a God that I didn’t grow up knowing and one that loved me for who I am” brought him closer to God.
Pastor Brandon Westgate, Rocky Mountain Conference youth director and pastor of GVR, mentioned that he takes time to have “intentional conversations with staff and give council about things going on in their lives.” Brandon, who walks at least 18,000 steps daily throughout GVR, loves to give “aha moments” and help them come to realizations about their true purpose. Charles mentioned that Pastor Brandon, other staff, and last week’s camp Pastor Leandro Bizama have had a positive impact on his spirituality.
Leandro, an associate pastor at Campion Adventist Church, baptized two of the candidates and was at the camp with his family. “Last week was very special. You combine beautiful, gorgeous nature, mountains, and great weather, with sharing the story of Jesus with 10- to 12-year-olds, what is there not to like about that? We enjoyed a great week. The baptism was a great celebration,” he shared.
Overall, Brandon and the returning staff said that staff morale and relationships are more positive than last summer. Brandon said, “we are all following Matthew 18,” which talks about dealing with conflict in a healthy and uplifting way towards others. He also said “creating a safe place to let staff know their opinion matters and that they are valued” is very important to a healthy environment.
Staff pastor Ashley Halvorson talks about ways she can encourage staff who may be struggling or in need of some extra encouragement by utilizing the “warm fuzzy board” that is posted in the camp’s office where staff can leave notes of encouragement either anonymous or by name. She also has created a survey for staff to fill out weekly which “gives people who are less likely to speak up about their feelings to share how they are doing and get support,” Ashley said. She is reminded that “God is the one taking care of people, not me. Because I couldn’t do it alone.”
Having a spiritual high among the staff enables them to be able to better pour into campers who might be questioning spirituality or wanting to deepen their relationship with God. Hannah Boyd, a first-year girls’ counselor, explained how special it feels to see her campers last week “make a life-altering decision” by getting baptized and know that she had an impact on their walk with God. She said she can feel the “spiritual high” within the atmosphere at camp and how it makes it easy to show God to the campers “when he is all around.”
It appears showing God’s love at camp has become a chain reaction. Feeling something of this nature seems “unavoidable”, says Charles, “even though I’ve been running a lot”, an environment with God’s love at the center is “all I’ve ever wanted.”
—Jasmine Miller is marketing and communications consultant at GVR’s 2023 Camp. Photos by Jasmine Miller and Rajmund Dabrowski.
