LT Camp 2022
July 10 – 15, 2022
Camp Nawakwa’s Upper Camp
Congregations are invited to identify young leaders in grades 8-12, who display gifts for leadership and who might like to strengthen those gifts in service to God and others, and to recommend them for our annual synod Leadership Training Camp (LT Camp). Participants attend at NO COST, thanks to generous financial support from Gordon Lamb, Chris & Missy Grant, Michael & Sarah Williams, and a number of other camp alums. Participants will experience a variety of interactive learning opportunities, designed to help them celebrate and enhance their leadership gifts, challenging them to harness those gifts in service to their families, congregations, communities, and the world.
The foundation for this curriculum comes from Mark 10, where Jesus reminds the disciples that He has come to serve others, thereby shifting the cultural leadership dynamic from one of power, to one of humility and service. Young leaders will come away with more confidence, practical experience in planning and leading small groups, and a network of peers and adult leaders who are there to support them as they continue to discern God’s call to them in their personal and vocational lives. Not exclusively a camp for young leaders discerning a call to ministry, this week is designed to help equip the participant for a life of discipleship, with an emphasis on Christ-like servant leadership.
The week includes a balance of faithful conversation, fun, fellowship, powerful worship, and a healthy mix of play and faith formation. To register, download the LT Registration Form:
2022 LT Camp Application
Mail it to:
LT Camp
Office for Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
1959 Markets St
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Genuine friendships are formed at LT Camp
LT Camp includes a sense of authentic welcome
The "Jesus Is..." Project
Each year, LT's, Alums and Counselors are asked to name who Jesus is, for them. They are invited to come up with an answer that speaks to them, and to write it on their body like a temporary tattoo, to be a visual reminder of who Jesus is in the midst of their daily lives. The idea came from New Orleans residents, who following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, moved back to their city in the wake of the flooding. When asked "why return to a city that could flood again," they responded with a photo series that had them write their responses on their bodies, then be photographed. The series hangs at the Superdome. Powerful, passionate, and haunting all at once. I was moved to wonder if our youth could capture that same passion for our Lord? They always do! These are some of those images.
LT Camp 2021: Retrospect
Yep, camp was held in-person and safely, for the first time in two years in the summer of 2021. We gathered on the mountain in spite of the pandemic and since most of our programming is held outdoors in conjunction with safety protocols, we found that youth who were longing for community, conversation and spiritual care and nurture, were able to do so safely. The programming and spirit of the week were not diminished by the threat of the disease.
LT Camp celebrates a variety of "learning styles," to account for young people who are more kinesthetic, auditory, creative or introspective, and we try to cater our teaching methods to account for the variety of leaders who gather for this experience.
We continued many of our staple conversations. We also examined ways to pray outside the traditional conversation with God in the privacy of your own room, car or cabin. As always, youth had a chance to problem-solve with their peers, and were challenged to use creative thinking and leadership to help them grow emotionally and spiritually. When congregations follow the invitation to send young people who are already exhibiting strong leadership qualities, they tend to flourish in this setting, since we create opportunities for them to gain confidence in themselves and to deepen their relationship with God and one another.
Our Alumni Track is designed for youth who have completed the first-year track and who have displayed a year of practicing their leadership in a real-world setting like their homes, home congregation, school, community, or the world. Alumni are invited to return and congregations are asked to help contribute to their tuition in order to participate in a second year of LT Camp. However, NO youth are ever turned away from LT Camp due to financial limitations. Scholarships are available for all who need assistance.