Ginger Yoder, DFF, MS, Credentialed Religious Education Candidate, UU Church of the Palouse

Youth programming and engagement in our post-COVID churches has become increasingly challenging. Many of these young people have missed out on the critical in-person relationships that help shape their spiritual and emotional development during the pandemic, and it is difficult to re-engage them in their teen years. As a result, our current youth have not been grounded in our faith in the same way as previous generations. This, combined with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, today’s youth face more emotional challenges than ever before. Regularly participating in weekly or even monthly youth programs is increasingly difficult, as most families struggle to commit to consistent church activities. This gap in engagement leaves many young people disconnected from UUism at a crucial stage in their lives.

However, camp has proven to be one of the most successful and impactful ways I have found to ground our youth in our faith. I believe it plays a critical, if not the foundational, role in our ministry to youth and their families. Camp offers young people a crucial space to connect with others, nurture their faith, and build resilience. These camps provide a much-needed respite from the pressures of daily life and play a pivotal role for lifelong spiritual growth, fostering a strong sense of community and UU identity. For many youth, this is truly the only safe place they have in their lives to explore who they are and discover their identity during some of the hardest years of human growth. Especially in contexts such as the political climate in Idaho and, increasingly, our nation, we desperately need places for our youth to know their diverse identities are valued and loved.

Importantly, camp is a format that families can commit to. Weekly church activities interfere with spots, custody agreements, schoolwork, and other commitments of families. A weeklong summer camp allows families to commit just a short time, but for incredible results. A single week at camp offers more hours of connection, community, and spiritual growth than an entire year of youth group meetings, even if the youth came each week. Further, the intentional break from daily routines allows campers to fully immerse in faith development and spiritual practices. And, I don’t think we can ignore the time and support it gives parents. Knowing your teen is being cared for in a place of love, unconditional acceptance, and caring community while you gain a moment of reprieve from daily teen parenting can be the difference between parenting on the edge vs. with spaciousness and grace. We have also heard from our families that the conversations that come up after camp serve to connect caregivers to their child’s faith development and growth, leading to more faith development within whole families.

The youth at the UU Church of the Palouse exemplify the transformative power of UU summer camp. Each year, we send an increasing number of young people to Camp Blue Boat, and the experience has proven to be deeply impactful for both our youth and adult counselors. Our campers return with a strong sense of connection to our faith, a broadened sense of community, and a solidified UU identity. They are becoming leaders within our church and their school communities. The renewed sense of belonging and purpose they gain from camp helps them navigate the challenges they face throughout the year. They go out into their increasingly challenging and sometimes even hostile lives with a sense of love, support, and belonging behind them.

I think camp should be a focus of denominational support. Camp allows us to reach a generation of youth who need and deserve innovative programming beyond Sunday morning classes. Immersive, transformative programming is the call I hear from our youth and families. Our youth are the future of our faith and worth the time and financial investment during their most tenuous and formative years. Now is the time to increase our presence and support for young people. We cannot lose a generation of youth and expect to carry our life-saving messages. Churches all around the country are losing members and families. It is time to create more loving spaces, not restrict them.

I truly believe camp has transformed our youth ministry and our youth. I cannot speak highly enough of the work of the camp staff and the truly magical places they provide for our young people. Camp allows us to provide the most important part of being UU to our youth — a place where they can come as a whole person and be loved and cared for. I hope camp can continue and even expand in the coming years.