by Tessa Gryc, Teen Week Camper from Traverse City, MI
Teen Weeks at Camp Arcadia are so much more than just a fun week away. As a junior in high school who has attended both Alpha and Omega Teen Weeks, I can confirm that my experiences at Camp have extended far beyond the summer. Over the past four years, these weeks have given me time to disconnect from daily life to form close friendships, challenge myself, and grow in my faith.
During Teen Weeks, all Campers must turn in their phones at the beginning of the stay. While this can initially seem catastrophic for many teenagers, it gives us one week to exist in what feels like another era. Leaving technology behind creates an experience similar to the summer camp days our parents and grandparents enjoyed as teenagers.
At Camp, we aren’t defined by our Instagram story or Snap score, but are surrounded by opportunities to make face-to-face connections and give our full attention to the present moment. We laugh over ice cream in the Trading Post, create keepsakes in the Craft Shop, and try to win first place at archery.
Without the constant notifications, multi-tasking, and distractions, our minds can rest. We have time to focus more on the people around us, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Michigan, and, most importantly, dive deeper into God’s Word.
Of all the fun activities that Teen Week offers, one of my favorites is Aqua-palooza, an afternoon spent playing water games and spraying shaving cream on the ball field. I’ll never be able to smell dish soap without remembering the feeling of sliding down the slip-and-slide with suds in my hair and the sun on my skin. I also always look forward to the canoe trip down the scenic Platte River, and I can’t help but smile when I think about the bedtime stories the counselors read to us each night.
These experiences are what make Teen Weeks so special; for this one week, we get to be kids again. As “just kids,” divorced from the other labels and worries that so many carry every day, it’s so much easier to follow Christ’s words and receive the kingdom of God as a little child.
Over the years, the lessons I have learned from Bible study and small-group time have really stuck with me. The Deans and counselors help us to better understand God’s Word. It’s a safe place to ask questions and pray for one another. The faith that gets strengthened at Camp is not a fleeting emotion that disappears on the car ride home, but is rather a lasting connection with God, built on the rock of Christ, which endures through thick and thin.
Register for one of Camp Arcadia’s Teen Retreats here.
