Out of the city and into their hearts: Urban Methodist Youth Camp takes off in second go-round

Paddles boats and canoeing were first-time favorites for many campers.

By RJ Walters, Editor

“I came here because I was bored.”

“I came here because my momma said I need to do something other than play football.”

“I came here to learn the ways of God.”

These real statements by real middle-school youth from Metro Detroit demonstrate the need for the Urban Methodist Youth Camp at Judson Collins Campground in Onsted.

In its second year of summer programming it is providing crucial tools to strengthen faith, life skills, fitness and community for a group of energetic, moldable youth often left out in the church camping world.

If growth is an ample measuring stick for the success of a program then the urban camp isn’t just a phase, it’s a soon-to-be craze.

After having 118 high school and middle school youth pack the camp in 2009, camp leaders decided to break it into two weeks of fun and instruction in 2010.

The first week of August brought in 88 high school students and the following week was filled with the voices and laughter of 96 middle school students.

“They really, really look forward to it and they need it,” said Audrey Mangum, the camp’s program administrator. “Some don’t know what to expect — some have never been away from their parents and families.”

It does the body good
While campfires and marshmallows have their place, Urban Youth Camp is far from a traditional camping experience.

The Counselor vs. Campers basketball game was a hit.

One of its foundations is its athletic offerings, which range from basketball and volleyball to archery, cheerleading and ultimate Frisbee.

Prior to camp each participant chooses one offering to spend an “intensive” two hours developing skills and participating in each morning.

This year the camp also offered Latino dance and drums, and drama, for people who are more artistically driven.

Every afternoon also offers time for capture the flag competition, scavenger hunts, crafts, an array of tours and more.

This year some of the high school students even had the opportunity to do an overnight canoe trip that took them across several lakes to the nearby Lutheran campground.

“Canoeing is something a lot of urban kids have never experience before,” said Judson Collins Director Sarah Ratz. “Last week this girl was crying and didn’t want to go, but we put her in the lifeguard boat and at the end she said she was glad she got to do it. It’s really awesome to see people overcome fears here.”

Cliff Stallings, the Judson Collins’ dean for 43 years strong and the chairman of the Urban Methodist Youth Camp Council, said the purpose of all of the activities is to help the kids bond.

Digging deeper
Those connections only begin with the fun.

The theme this year is “Transformation,” and Rev. Carter Grimmett (People’s UMC) was the pastoral leader/speaker for the high school camp and Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty (Conant Avenue UMC) was in charge of the spiritual growth of the middle school students.

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Kicking urban youth ministries into gear

By RJ Walters, Editor

Kickball knows no age and kickball knows no gender.

Apparently kickball does know how to start a party and create some exciting fellowship though.

On July 10 the first-ever Urban Methodist Youth Camp Co-ed Kickball Tournament drew almost 75 people to Southfield and UMYC leaders have already dubbed it “the annual kickball tournament” and more inviting events are just around the corner.

Teams made up of church members, friends, pastors and other clergy from Detroit churches Conant Avenue UMC, People’s UMC and Second Grace UMC shared lunch together and created wonderful memories geared around the old sandlot game. But it wasn’t just for fun — it was for bragging rights as well.

Led by soccer enthusiasts like UMYC counselor Tito Kromoh and United Methodist Youth Foundation President Charles Boaye, Second Grace took home the title, downing Conant after Conant beat People’s UMC 10-2.

Leon Hayes of People’s UMC, the event’s de facto director, said it was required that each team had at least four males and four females. Second Grace showed up with a roster loaded with physically fit males, so Hayes let the people take judicial action on the matter.

“They could either represent their church and a church could take the trophy home or we could go boy, girl, boy, girl and the winners get the trophy and it could be held at the Urban Council,” Hayes said.

“People voted unanimously, ladies and all, that they wanted to represent their church. They wanted to have a trophy that churches play for every year and it really turned out great.”

People’s UMC pastor Rev. Carter Grimmett said the event set out to prove the UMYC is not simply about two weeks of urban camping at Judson Collins campground in the summer, it is about trying to unite people from all over the Detroit East and West Districts.

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Out of the sleeping bag and into the world: Rethinking UMC camping

By RJ Walters, Editor

Through thickets of poison ivy and swarms of obnoxious mosquitoes comes the opportunity to relate, equip and inspire in ways the mortar and brick of a church can’t offer.

But the United Methodist tradition of camping is changing and so are many of the people in leadership positions at camps around the state.

It’s about more than just families sending their kids to camp to learn songs and Bible verses and it’s becoming a whole lot more diverse than just church bodies gathering for a good time.

As congregations gather this month to “Rethink Church” it is apparent that many dedicated directors and volunteers around the state are rethinking camping.

With reservations filling up around the state and deadlines nearing for camp scholarships, the church has more options than ever for recreation, discipleship, and bonding.

What some of the progressive thinkers in the UMC camping arena are doing could be looked at as sound business models, or as simply new means of expanding the church’s reach to make disciples for the transformation of the world.

What’s good for some can be good for all

When Mike Symons took over Lakeview Campground and Albright Park Camp several years ago he was not going to accept the status quo.

A couple of hundred campers here and there coupled with some well-run youth camps was fine, but not up to par with his standards.

“If you do any kind of a marketing study the children camps alone are not doing that well, the adult camps alone are not doing that well. But if you are servicing both the children and adults in a family then you are doing OK,” he said. “For example, if you were to take the other camps in our system, most of them are doing around 700-800 kids a summer at what are exclusively kids camps….we did 1,600 children last year, and we’re not a children’s camp (anymore) —the kids came along with their families, parents and grandparents.”

His theory that “as pocketbooks have tightened in recent years people are cutting back on recreation, but still finding ways to spend quality time together as a family,” is paying dividends.

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