by Ernest Liu
about the author

  • Random Snippets
    • Love by Confronting
      The phrase "We need to talk" is always a heart-stopping one. It comes in a variety of flavors, such as…
    • I Almost Died Today
      No joke. A few minutes away from my exit on the freeway, I my car started making a clanking sound every time I accelerated. I turned off my exit as usual…
    • #lovewins
      The topic of this post is offensive, and there is really no way around it. But since the unsaid truth can hurt more in the long run, the truth must be proclaimed.
    • CBM • Counsel Those Campers! [draft]

    It’s that time again! CBM Camp is around the corner, and I’ve spent the past month recommending new counselors to roam the grounds. The Counselor’s Challenge happens every year, so having more staffers crush to campers is always a blessing.

    New counselors, welcome. Get ready.

    Know the Gospel

    Duh. Except it’s not duh.

    Many long-time believers still stumble through the gospel when asked to explain it. Something so central to our faith needs to be known inside and out. Teach it to yourself daily. The gospel is easy to learn and difficult to master. It is the milk and the meat of our spiritual diet. You must know it so well that you can teach the basics to a kid, yet be sanctified by its truth all the days of your life.

    Do Your Devos

    Your quiet times are proof that you have a real relationship with God. How can you say you have a bond with Christ if you spend zero intentional time listening and talking to Him? Can a wife do that to her husband? By no means! You are expected to encourage your camper to spend time with God regularly, so set the example.

    Real Life Problems

    On a few occasions, I’ve heard counselors say they prefer high school camp because that’s the age when teens start dealing with “real problems.”

    Please.

    Perhaps you think finals and popularity and hormones are easy to handle. News flash–some people have less life experience. These are relatively new problems the kids have to navigate. You’re there to guide them and help them find out how they can best travel the hard path to the narrow gate. Plus, if you think middle schoolers have it easy, you clearly haven’t heard campers share their suicidal thoughts at campfire.

    Junior high campers, too, have real life struggles. Be there for them.

    Organized Recreation is Important (oRec)

    Whenever possible, join oRec. Often times, counselors schedule life walks at lunch that bleed through oRec. The result:

    1. The camper misses out on a great opportunity to interact with new peers
    2. Missing people = team disadvantage = whole team has less fun
    3. Games are harder to facilitate = more chaos/cheating = less fun
    4. oRec Directors are discouraged because their hard effort went into a camp-wide activity other counselors feel is merely “optional”

    Also, there’s something about encouraging kids and throwing them in water bins that builds deep relationships and trust.

    I know. Sometimes you just need to schedule life walks at lunch. And sometimes it needs to run long. Hence, “whenever possible.”