Exploring What Is Over the Next Hill
March 19th, 2015 by Phil Warners, Camp Roger Director of Outdoor Education
Exploring what is over the next hill…discovering a turtle sunning itself on a log…hitting the bulls eye at the archery range…laughing with friends while hiking down the trail. These simple pleasures might be memories of many, but are all worthwhile experiences to build into our children. Memories such as these evoke a quieter time, free from our technological devices, and call us toward an understanding of the beauty of the natural world. At Camp Roger, we strive to bring children closer to that deep sense of awe and wonder and we point toward the Creator of all things. Camp Roger is a Christian residential camp, hosting three-day, five-day, and eight-day stays. Each cabin group is hosted by college-aged Christian counselors who have dedicated themselves to leading their campers toward that appreciation and to point their campers toward Jesus Christ. A daily chapel time, cabin clean-up, selected morning activities, free swim in Little Bostwick Lake, cabin adventures, and entertaining campfire programs are all key components for our campers in a program that has existed since 1941. Former campers who are now parents and grandparents bring their children to camp, and enter back into the nostalgia of good memories of their days at Camp Roger as campers and the relationships they have built while spending time at Camp Roger.
While we see ourselves as a window to a more simple time, we also encourage our campers to climb the rock wall or take a ride on the zip line, to give the rope swing over the lake a try, to do those kinds of activities they may not have the opportunity to do at other times of their lives but that challenge each of us to new things. For our older campers, we offer week-long backpacking and canoeing trips to such destinations as South Manitou Island, North Manitou Island, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, or Porcupine Mountains State Park. As campers seek new adventure, they gain a greater sense of confidence esteem. All of this is offered within the framework of the value of each individual, the opportunity to try new adventure in a safe setting, and to grow in the knowledge and understanding that God is good, he has blessed us, and we can learn so much of him through his created world and the relationships we build with others.
We never know what is over the next hill, but life is about exploring and discovering. Camp Roger…come journey with us.
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