Intentionality: A Counselor's #1 Priority

At Heartland, you know how strongly we believe in the benefits of small group camping. While it gives your campers the ability to make friendships with fellow campers, it also allows the intentional building of friendships with their counselors. As the leaders of their family groups, counselors know they play a critical role in your child’s camp experience, and they don’t take that lightly. Our counselors seek to intentionally get to know each of their campers, taking time to interact with them in the family group, but also getting to know them on an individual level. Camp is full of opportunities to be intentional with your children, but we see this especially in Bible study times, during meals, and during activities.

The Gift of Leadership

We will continue on the conversation of what a relationship with the Creator/Jesus looks like and how we are only complete in Him. Camp has been stretching and challenging for most of our campers on some level, but it has been fun to watch them develop and grow through the process.

Week 7: Senior High Leadership

Senior High Leadership is a camp program here at Heartland that is very dear to my heart. It is a week that provides space for young people to follow the example of Jesus in order to serve younger campers, staff, one another, and ultimately our Lord.

Week 4: Growing as Leaders

So far this week, our Senior High Leadership (SHL) camp has been working together to lead through example and develop a strong sense of being Christ’s example in our actions. All of us have been working to step up and find ways to be helpful and deepen relationships with our younger friends.

One of their main jobs so far has been working with the horses as wranglers, leading rides for Day Camp and Trailblazers. During this time, they have been able to work closely with one horse and talk with their riders during each ride. These rides have shown a great sense of leadership both with the horses and getting to know the riders. The conversations were always comforting for the nervous riders and exciting for our anxious friends. Our Day Camp friends even invited us to swim with them to continue the relationships began at the corral.

A Year Well Spent

My name is Erin Bjerke. I’m from Page, North Dakota, and I’ve been an intern in the Heartland Cornerstone program since December. I’ll be staying on as an intern for the next year, but as we say goodbye to the interns who have been here since last September and get ready to say hello to the new interns who will be coming in a few weeks, I’d like to share with you some of the things I’ve learned and ways I’ve grown since coming to Heartland

5 Ways Camp Changed My Life

I am sorry, I lied to you a bit when I said camp changes lives. It is God who changes lives, camp is just the place I first experienced that change. Summer camp gives a unique opportunity for God to work, one that the Lord is more than willing to take. I have now spent ten summers at Heartland Camp as a camper and then as a staff member. I can honestly say that without my time at camp I would not know the love of my Savior the way I do today. As I begin to work full-time for this ministry, I am encouraged to know that my experience is not unique. Many campers, volunteers, and staff have a similar list of ways God has changed their life through camp. Here are the top 5 ways God has changed my life at Heartland: