- They have a fresh energy.
There’s nothing like the energy of junior campers. 8-year-olds through 11-year-olds have what seems like unbounded energy. Of course, on Thursday morning they will be like miniature zombies because their energy does, in fact, have a limit. (Sugar Shack Camp Store doesn’t help that!) But overall, their energy is infectious. I find it a bit contagious.
- They aren’t professionals at hiding their feelings.
That isn’t to say that junior campers are never deceitful. They can be. But they aren’t very good at it. You can still see through it if you try. The girls learn acting quicker than the boys, so the boys at junior camp pretty much show their thoughts on their faces. This transparency is refreshing after dealing with older teens and especially adults who are regular pros at deception. We all are.
- They are old enough to understand bigger truths.
The first few times I preached junior camps, I found myself in the middle of the week having underestimated the mental capacity of the group as a whole. They aren’t 1st graders. They can understand a lot, especially the ones about to go into 6th grade. I liked the move by one camp (Red Cliff Bible Camp in Pinedale, WY) that bumped up the age requirement so that the youngest campers had to be headed into 4th grade. In my limited experience as a speaker, that really helped with the overall comprehension level.
- They force me to boil my sermons down to the core.
This is a biggie. There is a reason that our Lord said we must come to faith in Him as a child. You can see in their eyes when you just made a leap they didn’t follow. It is a good exercise for me as a visiting preacher to make sure that they are tracking with me as I work through the truths. I find I preach better to older age groups after I’ve been with junior campers because I get reminded of what is most important.
- They will love you without reservation if they see you love them.
Some of these campers don’t get genuine love at home. Some of them do. But one thing remains the same most of the time: if you demonstrate to them you truly care about them, they will eat it up. Even the most difficult, sullen or loudmouthed camper can change overnight, especially when they realize on Thursday or Friday that they won’t have this genuine person around anymore. It is a wonderful experience. I’m grateful for my times speaking to juniors.