Instead, the camper reads the Bible story, sings it, plays it, acts it through, and is drawn into discussons at meals and around the campfire. The adult camper does not idly note a wooded hillside from a car window and wonder what it would be like to forget the meeting and go see what is there. Instead, the adult does go there, crumples the leaves underfoot, smells the sun in the air, sees the tree raked by a deer's antlers, and hears the songbirds' chorus overhead. When people enter camp or retreat settings, they often find connection, meaning, identity, perspective, and wholeness. They are immersed in Bible study, Christian education, and fellowship.
Camping is characterized by transformation.
Through Christian community and the beauty of creation, people are changed as they encounter God. Many return to their local churches as more committed disciples. Some may join a Sunday school or Bible study class for the first time. Camping thereby enhances the ministry of the local congregation. How Camping Works United Methodist camping functions at a variety of levels, in a surprising number of ways, and is assisted by the General Board of Discipleship at crucial points.