More Than a Camp High: Why Spiritual Growth at Camp Matters

Every summer, we watch teenagers return from camp filled with joy, energy, and—hopefully—a new or renewed zeal to follow Christ. They want to attend youth group, study their Bibles, and sing out more during worship than they did before they left. If we’re honest, many of us are tempted to think, “It’s just a camp high. Give it time—it’ll fade.” Perhaps we feel that way because it’s been our own experience with camps, retreats, or Christian conferences.

But before we dismiss it as a fleeting emotional experience, let’s consider a more thoughtful perspective.

Jim Berg, a former dean of students at a Christian college, has witnessed this phenomenon many times and shares a helpful analogy in his book, Changed Into His Image. He compares the spiritual growth students often experience at camp to getting a suntan on vacation. You get a suntan when you spend long hours exposed to the sun. Similarly, teens return from camp with what we might call a spiritual suntan, because they’ve spent an entire week soaking in the light of God’s Word and the presence of the Son of God.

This past week, our youth heard nine sermons, spent daily time studying God’s word in their “God & I Time,” memorized Scripture, and had counselors encouraging them to reflect on and apply what they learned at the end of each day. Even more, the normal distractions that often block the light, phones, social media, and the busyness of everyday life were removed. For once, their souls were sunbathing in the Light of Truth (Psalm 119:130). For some, it was the first time they’d experienced that kind of concentrated exposure.

This isn’t just an emotional spike. It’s the visible result of sustained attention to God’s truth. If we are honest, if we had the same opportunity, we’d hope for the same outcome in our own lives.

How Should We Respond to This Change in Our Youth?

1. Celebrate the Change—Don’t Minimize It

When a friend comes back from vacation with a healthy tan, no one says, “That’s not real. It’ll just fade in a few weeks.” Instead, we might feel jealous that they had a nice tan and were able to bask in the sun for so long. Yet how often do we downplay the spiritual glow we see in our kids by suggesting it’s not real because it may fade over time?

Comments like, “It’s just the camp effect. Time to get back to reality,” or “they’ll be over it in a few weeks,” can quietly minimize the work God is doing. Just because the glow may fade doesn’t mean it was fake. Instead, we should rejoice in the signs of God’s grace and fan the flame (2 Timothy 1:6).

2. Encourage Ongoing Exposure to the Light

A suntan fades when sun exposure stops. Similarly, spiritual warmth fades when we stop regularly exposing our hearts to the light of God’s Word. The key is not to shame the fading, but to encourage students to keep turning to the Son.

Encourage daily habits of Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memory, and faithful church involvement (Colossians 3:16). Ask them regularly, “How are you doing spiritually?” or “What’s God been teaching you?” Let your home become a greenhouse for growth, not a cold storage room that dampens it.

Many teens feel anxious about returning home where old temptations await, and they may feel powerless to resist. This is an opportunity for parents to adjust family priorities, creating space and encouragement for their young person to pursue Christ with the same zeal they had at camp.

3. Join Them in the Sunlight

What if God is using their camp experience not only to change them but to renew your family’s walk with Christ? Let their hunger for God stir you. Ask them what they learned, read the Scriptures they studied, and pray with them.

Maybe it’s time to start a new family rhythm of spiritual discipline, such as weekly devotions, Scripture memory challenges, or simply sitting in church together and reflecting on the message as a family afterward. Few things will fuel a teenager’s faith more than seeing their parents joyfully walking with Christ together with them (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

4. Remind Them of the Goal

Camp isn’t the destination. It’s a spiritual launchpad. The joy, peace, and love for Christ they experienced can continue to be a part of their daily life. And one day, that joy will never fade when they stand before Christ in heaven (Psalm 16:11).

Camp is a reminder of James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” But the path of sanctification is rarely one continuous high. It’s often marked by seasons of dryness that increase our thirst for God (Psalm 42:1-2). In those dry seasons, remembering past experiences of joy in the Lord (like at camp) can renew our hope and resolve to persevere.

Spiritual highs are meant to whet our appetite for heaven and encourage us to press on toward the prize, where we will forever bask in the glory of the Son. For many teens, camp may be the beginning of their lifelong pursuit of Christ. They’ll need future opportunities, through retreats, discipleship, and church involvement, to continue fanning the flame of love for Him.

Don’t treat the glow of camp as just a passing phase. Treat it like a spark that God has kindled, and let’s be careful not to quench the smoldering flax, but encourage them to continue to bask in the glory of the Son. May we be hopeful and prayerful that it grows into a steady, enduring flame for Christ and His glory.