BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (BP) – It was the last night of a week of FUGE Camps in Mobile, Alabama, and groups were gearing up for Mega Relay – a high-energy relay race that involves everyone at camp and serves as the iconic close to each FUGE Camps session of the summer. As teams gathered to prepare for the race, one group had a different routine than the rest.
As other groups began the relay with a full field of vision, this team opted to don blindfolds. That week at camp, their group included one student who was blind. Looking for a way to help him enjoy the Mega experience, the entire group chose to wear blindfolds in an act of solidarity as they participated in the relay together.
Knowing they would not win the relay race with blindfolds around their faces, they showed up excited to experience this moment together – no matter their ability. This was just one moment that reflects Lifeway camps’ desire to include every camper.
Lifeway camps are not special needs camps, so they are not designed to meet the needs of every student with special needs. However, when accommodations are possible, Lifeway camp staff say they maintain a posture of openness and partnership, desiring that every kid and student have the opportunity to respond to the Gospel message at camp.
“While we are not fully equipped to serve the disabled community, we are always ready to go the extra mile for churches to help their students have the best week ever,” explained Jared Shingleton, director of Student Life Camp and Student Life Kids Camp.
This effort to “go the extra mile” shows up in a variety of ways each summer at camp, depending on the needs of that summer’s campers.
“We desire to meet needs and serve churches right where they’re at so students with special needs don’t miss out on opportunities for life change,” said John Wiley, FUGE Camps coordinator.
Serving blind students
Each year in the spring, Lifeway camp coordinators field special requests from churches, creating a plan to accommodate those needs when that church group arrives at camp. Most of these requests deal with dietary restrictions, food allergies and wheelchair accessibility. But through these communications, coordinators learn of other students who are hearing impaired, blind or have other specific needs.
When FUGE Camps Team Leader Kyle Cravens first learned of a blind student planning to attend camp, he wasn’t sure what the team would be able to offer.
“The only thing I knew was there was a student who was blind coming to camp,” Cravens said.
So he began his research and found a way to have the camp guide and interactive Bible study pages translated into braille. Every summer since then, Cravens has worked to make sure every blind student attending camp who can read braille has access to the daily devotionals and Bible study materials in braille.
The key, Cravens said, is knowing ahead of time that a student who would be served by having braille materials is coming to camp. Having braille camp guides available when a blind student arrives at camp requires additional translation and shipping steps that require additional time. Cravens invites church leaders to notify the Lifeway camps team as soon as they know they’ll be bringing a camper who would benefit from a braille camp guide.
Postured for partnership
Lifeway camps staff have positioned themselves in a constant posture of learning more about how they can welcome campers with special needs. While Lifeway camps are not equipped to meet every need, Wiley said Lifeway desires to serve churches, so when churches are serving students with special needs – physical or developmental – Lifeway wants to help meet their needs and welcome everyone to camp.
Wiley said he wants churches to “at least reach out” to the Lifeway camps team to consider how Lifeway can partner with them to welcome more students to camp. For Wiley, this is a gospel issue because he wants every student to have the opportunity to respond to the Gospel at camp. “We want you here,” Wiley said simply.
But this requires partnership with the local churches bringing students with special needs. “We want to come alongside the local church,” Wiley said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to work with you to make sure your students are included, accepted, loved and a part of the camp experience.”
In addition to partnering with churches to create the best experience for campers with special needs, Lifeway camps staff are committed to receiving the training needed to be equipped to serve campers with various needs.
Henry Dutton, CentriKid Camps manager, said this begins with full-time staff and funnels down to summer staff. This training has led the CentriKid Camps team to implement “Calming Kits” that every staffer carries in their backpack with sensory items and “fidgets” for campers as needed. Additionally, Lifeway camps have consistently provided earplugs in the auditorium for campers sensitive to higher volumes at camp and moving forward will make earmuffs available for those with sensory issues.
In recent years, Lifeway has demonstrated increased intentionality in equipping staffers to handle mild behavioral issues or accommodate campers with sensory issues. “They are trained and equipped for minor redirections or interventions,” Dutton said. “However, anything beyond this, we rely on the support of the adult leaders who bring kids to camp.”
Still, Dutton said the posture of openness and partnership remains. “We encourage group leaders who have campers with special needs to reach out and have a conversation,” Dutton said. “Together, we can discuss a strategy for partnering to make sure every camper has an incredible experience.”
As churches are registering and preparing for camp in the coming year, the Lifeway camps team invites churches to communicate early about any special needs in their group by calling the Lifeway camps customer service team at 877-CAMP-123. This team is equipped to connect church leaders with the camp coordinator for their camp location who can plan alongside the church for success.
For more information on Lifeway camps, visit Lifeway.com/camps.
