Evolution of FISH Camp
By: Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
FISH camp started well over 20 years ago, with children entering 4th and finishing 6th grade going away to Jumonville for three days of camp! When I inherited this tradition twelve years ago, we stayed in non-air conditioned cabins. Each year a handful of teenagers would come with us as helpers.
As the amount of FISH (4th-6th graders) got larger and the teens that wanted to help increased, we enacted a new rule requiring teenage helpers to be a little older in order to attend. This was a difficult decision, as many students didn’t want to stop coming when they “graduated” from FISH.
During the pandemic, when so many trips were cancelled for our older students, and the conference cancelled all of their camping programs for that summer, we decided to expand FISH camp to include all of our DSM students. So now we were heading to Jumonville with a hearty group of children and youth from 4th-12th grade! Because of the pandemic, we were the only group at Jumonville, and they let us stay in the lodge (with A/C!). We had a smaller group that year due to the pandemic, but this new camp experience quickly became a beloved tradition of children and students at our church!
No longer just "helpers," the students now come as campers, and we have worked hard over the past six summers to make FISH/DSM camp an experience to remember. For some activities we separate the children from the teens, and for some of the activities we bring the whole group together. For example, our DSM band now leads our worship - all of us together - but then our lessons are separate and age appropriate. This melding of FISH and DSM aged students has created some beautiful moments of FISH and DSM working together as a team to complete a goal. This helps us to make a bridge from Children’s Ministry to Student Ministry, because these kids already feel like they know and have shared experiences with the youth.
The most beautiful thing that has happened as a result of this joint camp experience are our two night hikes to the cross. The first one is DSM only and we invite the new confirmands to join us. This is a moment that we have intentionally structured to be a “crossing over” moment for these students going into 7th grade. The current DSM students pray over the confirmands as they welcome them into this new chapter.
The second night hike to the cross takes place after worship and a short sermon at the campfire for the whole group. We walk to the cross in silence and once we arrive, there are moments of deep reflection, some tears, and lots of prayers. Students of all ages are praying with and for each other. The graduating senior students are honored and asked to share their nuggets of wisdom, and then the rising seniors pray over them. It is the pinnacle of camp every single year. That night is so meaningful, and even though our youngest attenders don’t always understand the deep spiritual meaning of that moment, what they do see is people being vulnerable with each other and praying with and for each, normalizing such moments for them.
This summer, we took over 60 children and youth to camp with us, which is a new record. I am grateful for our newer DSM and FISH camp experience. These moments would not happen without a willingness to adapt and change. I guess a little bit of good came out of the pandemic after all.