The 2017 ICOCN Youth Summer Camp – A Resounding Success!

The 2017 ICOCN Youth Summer Camp – A Resounding Success!

The 2017 edition of the International Church of Christ, Nigeria Youth Summer Camp, tagged “Reach” was held at the serene New Era Youth Camp (NEYOCA), Lekki Lagos with well over 300 children attending from all across the Nigerian churches.

The Youth Summer Camp is an annual event for teens and preteens for building or imparting in them a godly and moral ethical conduct with a sole aim of harvesting their heart to embrace and also live in obedience towards God. This yearly has always improved the spiritual well-being of pre-teens and teenagers and had also increased leadership development and confidence in their mind.

We began this humble journey in 2008 as the first teen’s camp program of its kind and today, we’ve harvested respectful nationwide leaders with the campers within and outside Lagos churches who are now disciples and are ready to give their best to God. It has help to increase confidence and motivation in all campers over the years. It is a camp of fun filled activities. Whereas, campers experiences a shift in learning spiritual enrichment classes, exciting indoor and outdoor games, challenges, personal growth and character building exercises.

The camp also delivered a renewed confidence emerging from sense of team work, morning devotions and bible classes. It is a program that is taught by expert educators, offering skills that last a life time.

The camp began on Sunday, 30^th July, 2017 with all the officials in wait to receive all volunteers, counselors, and other personals. There was a Communion service led by Abolarinwa Abolade of the Islands region in Lagos which challenged every volunteer to be exemplary and to be great mentors to the campers, as Christ is our greatest example.

Before that, an orientation session was held for all counselors and volunteers before the arrival of the campers with a sole aim of working on the same pace and time. This orientation instilled work of selfless service in the heart of all volunteers on how to relate and communicate efficiently and effectively with all campers irrespective of their status or background. The campers also had an orientation session too. This session served as a medium of educating the campers on moral and ethical values they need to have during the period of their stay in camp.

The first day in camp was exciting; counselors were giving a handbook (which contain devotional and bible classes and all the rules and regulations that govern the mode of operations in the camp), T-shirt and hand band (sky-blue for female campers, grey for male campers and black for volunteers) and cabins were also designated to all counselors, campers, officials and volunteers for the duration of the camp. The counselors were designated to take turns in coordinating bible classes and devotionals in their respective cabins during wake-up and light-off time.

The camp generally run for a week with a long session of challenges and consequences. Some campers attempted more than one challenges and faces more than one consequences even though the games were repeated each day due to each group choice of games and consequences. This year, most of the instructors were singles and this helped the campers in getting valuable extra time with their counselors. Each day in the camp, daily routine remain the same but with a slight touch on operational pattern in activities for example: On Tuesday, the campers and all the crew were asked to wear white T-shirts throughout the day with full participation in all social activities both indoor and outdoor games and sport. This task on the crew and campers shaped the daily activities, both psychologically and socially. The lessons of these task challenges was related to the campers during their bible class on Wednesday. The lesson centered on holiness as it helped everyone to understand that as we all live in this world, we must not allow our garment of holiness get stained as we play along the journey of this present age.

This year’s camp focused more on the theme of teamwork with sports, game and dance etc., to help develop the children not just how they are in their educational ability but also their personality and also their abilities to build spiritual mentor-ship. The activities were interactive and interspersed with music and fun. Visual and auditory teaching strategies were utilized to engage all campers. Campers formed deeper friendships that we pray last long even after the camping experience.

We thank God for the success of the 2017 ICOCN Youth Camp and pray it helps build the values and integrity of our children even as they continue to REACH UP to an amazing relationship with our amazingly awesome God!