Jul 16, 2009
Another Side of Camp Tecumseh
by Emily Howard and Claire Powers
Faith, faith, faith just a little bit of faith is all that is needed to experience the spiritual life here at Camp Tecumseh. Camp Tecumseh has held strong to its Christian foundation for almost 85 years. Campers have the opportunity to participate in chapel services in the morning and devotions before they go to bed. These two elements of camp bring the campers and counselors closer together as a church and closer to God.
“Chapel is a great time to focus on God, even with so many people around,” said Murphy, a counselor in Erie. Chapel is an upbeat service where campers sing and learn important lessons from the Bible. In a typical chapel, campers and counselors sing both fun and moving worship songs. Following the music, counselors perform skits that are easily relatable to campers of all ages. Karen from Cayuga says, “It [chapel] is kid-friendly. With the skits and the songs, its easier to understand.”
Devotions are also a special time in the camper’s day. The cabin counselor leads the devotions. In the cabin, campers gather in a circle around a single flame. This flame represents God’s presence in the cabin during this time. This tradition is a key component to campers bonding together for the week. “Its an open place where you can say anything,” says Karen. During devotions, counselors give daily lessons about how to better ones faith and put it into action.
Holding true to these values is a huge reason why camp is so meaningful to campers and why they want to return year after year. Although Camp Tecumseh welcomes all faith backgrounds, its Christian ideals are the glue. This glue is essential to campers’s spiritual growth and “sticks” with him or her for the rest of their lives.
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