Maybe it’s the fragrance of fresh-cut grass or the smell of suntan lotion that takes you back. Or perhaps it’s the sound of a lifeguard’s whistle that reminds you of days spent at camp.

Summer camp represents a time of freedom, fun and finding out a little more about the God who created us and who He created us to be. That’s the case for Chase Snyder.

“For me, I finally grasped my faith when I started working at a camp,” Snyder says.

It was there he discovered the gifts God built into his life. As he puts it, it was an immediate opportunity to use those talents to build God’s Kingdom.

“When I turned 16 my mom and dad encouraged me to work at a camp for the summer,” Snyder says. “It was during that summer at camp that I had the first opportunity to lead a Bible study, to lead a child to Jesus, to talk about my testimony and to get in front of a large group of people. I fell in love with camp because it showed me what I did not know, but it also developed me spiritually and professionally in so many ways that prepared me for ministry.”

After college, Snyder served full time as a camp staff member while being a part-time student pastor at a local church. He says during that time God was shaping his heart for student ministry, and the skills he gained while working at camp “translated perfectly” to his career in youth ministry.

Snyder wanted to invest in students’ and families’ lives on a long-term basis. “I really felt God give me a sense of direction, a calling into ministry.”

Camp as a Cornerstone
Now Snyder serves as the family pastor of Valley Grove Baptist Church (Knoxville, Tenn.). He gets to work with families and oversees babies through college students. Despite the range of students’ ages, camp is an experience for everyone.

“Camping is one of the cornerstones of what we do in our family ministry. I think camp provides a unique opportunity for us to get outside of our typical routines, our comfort, and even some of the sins that our students and families are dealing with. It gives them a safe environment to get outside of themselves, to focus on Jesus and to be stretched, whether it’s through teambuilding activities, a new opportunity or experience they’ve been able to have, or simply through the worship throughout that week.”

The book of Acts tells of a time when new believers ate meals together and shared in community. With our bustling culture, it’s hard to simulate what the early church looked like. “But in a camp, we can bring those things in, everyone [shares] the same schedule, same purpose, same focus. We really see God do some incredible things through those weeks.”

Working at Summer Camp
Spending time as part of the camp staff changed Snyder’s life, no doubt. But it’s not as easy to convince parents that a job at camp can offer tremendous growth and development for their kids.

“We are so conscientious nowadays of making sure all of your classes in high school align to your college degree, which aligns to your internship, which will translate into your job once you get out.

“As I talk to parents and try to encourage students to work at a camp, I see that parents are often setback by the idea of their students taking a summer off from the real world to work in a camp. My encouragement has always been that camp provides more opportunities than an internship could. They’re going to learn interpersonal skills, project management, how to deal with finances, how to run a business, how to take marketing and use it in a powerful way.”

Students can grow spiritually and professionally at camp while other internships might not offer both opportunities. “I think camps create a very well-rounded student at the end of the summer,” he says.

“I’ve seen—myself included—that when we go to a camp, the spiritual aspect is a top priority. They grow so much by using their faith. They’re not just learning in a Bible study or hearing it on a Sunday morning. They are living out the verses that God has phrased and intended them to walk in. And when they do that, it’s a powerful thing to see how God realigns students’ lives or completely changes and empowers their leadership.”

Check out Chase’s “7 Reasons Your Student Should Attend Summer Camp” on the Ministry Bubble blog.

Photo courtesy of Valley Grove Baptist Church