Our lives are often filled with nonstop activity and responsibility, making it difficult to pause long enough to think about the future, let alone hear the Lord’s direction for it. Between school, work, sports, social media, family commitments, and everything else competing for our attention, quiet moments can be hard to find.
One of the great blessings of attending a camp or retreat is the opportunity to step outside that normal routine, slow down, and truly listen.
Many students who enroll at Called College share that their journey began with a moment at camp or at a conference at Lake Williamson, where they felt the Lord calling them not only to repentance and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but also into vocational ministry. Away from their everyday surroundings, they found the space to consider a question that can easily get lost in the busyness of life: What is God calling me to do?
Christian conference and retreat centers provide an environment where students can connect with God through play, worship, fellowship, and dedicated services; free from many of the distractions that often drown out the still, small voice of the Lord.
Sometimes that happens during a powerful worship service or while listening to a speaker. Other times, it comes in a quiet conversation with a pastor, youth leader, counselor, or friend. It may happen while sitting around a campfire, walking across the grounds, or spending a few moments alone in prayer. There is no single formula for how or when God speaks, but creating space to listen gives students the opportunity to be attentive when He does.
And while not every student will be called into vocational ministry, every student has a calling to follow Christ and use the gifts God has given them. Camp and retreat experiences can provide an important opportunity to explore those gifts, ask meaningful questions, seek wise counsel, and consider how God may be directing their next steps.
That is part of what makes time away so valuable. The games, activities, friendships, and memories are an important part of the experience, but there is also something deeper taking place. When students are given intentional time to disconnect from the noise around them and focus on God, they have room to listen, reflect, and respond.
The world will still be busy when they return home. The schedules, responsibilities, notifications, and distractions will all be waiting. But sometimes a few days away is enough to hear something that stays with them long after camp is over—and perhaps even changes the direction of their lives.
What are parents and pastors to do when they have a student return home from a Christian camp or retreat, and shares that they feel called into ministry? The next blog in our series shares some advice on how to walk with your student and prepare for the future God has already set before them. Check out When a Student Expresses a Call to Ministry blog here!
This article was provided by Called College. A ministry partnership with Lake Williamson Christian Center. Called College is vocational ministry training - "Imagine feeling totally ready."
